Blogs&News
NewsWire
Survivor Desegregates
September 29, 2006
It didn’t take the Supreme Court, and the public got used to a race-based "Survivor." (Maybe because life is still race-based, unfortunately?)
Yet after only two episodes, producers merged the black, white, Asian and Latino tribes into mixed-race groups on the CBS reality show Thursday night. No explanation was given for the quick abandonment of segregation.
''We're back to America. We're a melting pot,'' said Parvati, a boxer on the new Raro tribe. ''I love it.''
Oh yeah. Which “America?” The one we here at BBCancelled live in is not made up of small islands, and we have food, water, fire and access to laundry facilities. What planet are you on?
The average viewership of the first two episodes was essentially the same as ''Survivor'' last year, even up slightly, Nielsen Media Research said. An unexpectedly strong showing by ABC's ''Ugly Betty'' in the same time slot this week is likely to cut into ''Survivor'' ratings.
Liza Minnelli Has Criminal Intent
Fresh off her cameo appearance in the film ''The OH in Ohio'' (about orgasms) and her recurring role in ''Arrested Development,'' Liza will guest-star in an upcoming episode of ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent.''
This should, probably, maybe, be seen as a bit of a comeback for the star. Instead of reading about herpes and divorces: she’s acting again.
Minnelli, 59, will play a former beauty queen whose daughter, an aspiring beauty queen, was found murdered on Halloween night, said Pam Golum, a spokeswoman for Wolf Films, which produces the NBC show.
The episode, called ''Masquerade,'' is filming now and will air in November.
At BBCancelled, we try not to forget that Liza was once a lot more than Michael Jackson’s friend and a hip-replaced freak. Minnelli won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the 1972 film Cabaret. She won an Emmy for the 1972 TV special ''Liza with a Z.'' She also won Tony Awards in 1965, 1974 and 1978.
Hoo-Ray for Don Ho
The singer of “Tiny Bubbles” (and the star of his own TV show, “The Don Ho Show” on ABC in 1976-77) was released from a hospital following a two-week stay after having a new pacemaker installed.
''I'm recuperating from the hospital! I feel great,'' the 76-year-old Waikiki crooner said Thursday as he had lunch at one of his favorite restaurants.
Hawaii. So we hope he wasn’t eating Spam. That can’t be good for the heart. Yet those Hawaiians love it.
Ho said Thursday he hasn't decided when to resume his show at the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber hotel where he has entertained tourists for more than four decades.
Charlie $heen. 'Nuff Said.
September 28, 2006
Very little tickles us here at BBCancelled news more than a story like this. Charlie Sheen is now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and Reuters, and CNN.com: The highest paid comedy actor in television today.
Paycheck for "Two and A Half Men?"
Supposedly, $350,000 per episode.
Does he deserve it? You tell us. It's not as much as the "Friends" made. or Ray Romano. But still. That's a lot of money. Then again, it is VERY hard to create a show that people like. So maybe he deserves extra credit. And in Hollywood extra credit is given in cold, hard cash.
Screech Selling His Own Porn
Leave it to a newspaper in San Francisco (SF Gate) to get the real "scoop" on the Screech Powers (real name: Dustin Diamond) sex tape.
The former TV personality is releasing a 40 minute porn, yes let's just call it a porn, of himself and two women. We say "he's releasing it" because his agent David Hans Schmidt tells the newspaper that he has the rights to it and they are for sale.
Oh, save us from the "bell" of Screech!
What kind of world is this where a has-been makes his own sex tape in order to drum up business?
Schmidt told another paper, the New York Daily News, "Just when you think you have seen everything in this business, mankind has raised the bar another notch. Or lowered it."
And Mr. Power's manager -- heaven knows why he still has a manager -- hopes the tape will help his clients career.
Well, we gotta hand it to Diamond. He's got the "Powers," apparently. He's living up to his last name. Two women in bed. And two handlers helping to sell this thing.
Project Runway Whiplash
Rarely does TV give us a headache. And we mean that in a good way. But last night’s episode of “Project Runway” was supposed to feature a final elimination. Four contestants began “The Elle Challenge,” but only the winner and runners-up would make it to the next level.
That’s how it was on Season 1, Season 2, and … not so fast!
At the end of the show, all four contestants (Uli, Laura, Jeffrey and Michael) were sent on to the finals, and all showed at Fashion Week.
They’ve done four Fashion Week shows in the past, with a decoy so as not to reveal the final three. (Last season was Kara Janx.) This season, all four shows were the real deal. No decoy!
And no elimination!
Why the huge change?! Inquiring minds and fans of all ages want to know.
For guidance, we dashed down the hall and asked Andy Cohen, Vice-President of Production and Programming at Bravo and “Project Runway” guru.
“The judges,” he said, “agonized over the decision and were equally disenchanted with three of the dresses. But they were steadfast in their desire to see more from each of these four designers, who each represent such a clear point of view and had each excelled so much throughout the series. They decided the fair thing to do was let them all compete at fashion week."
So, four finalists. Wow!
Tim Gunn: Dean of F.U.
Think your teen has what it takes to be a fashion designer? Well then get that youngster to a computer! The deadline is rapidly approaching!
Tim Gunn is one of many fashion big wigs that will take part in Teen Vogue’s “Fashion University” next month.
What? There’s a “Fashion University”?
Actually -- it’s a three-day fashion seminar for aspiring teenage fashionistas, putting them together with people like Gunn, Simon Doonan, the Trovata Boys and Amy Astley to “discuss fashion careers and education.”
What’s the catch? No catch. Just $75 bucks and you have to be between the age of 16 and 21.
Application deadline has been extended to September 30th. For more info go to the very loud website.
If you get in -- tell Tim we said “Hi!”
Four Ounces of Brad Pitt
Variety is reporting that Brad Pitt has a soft spot for Trannies.
Well, more exactly, he's in a deal with FX and Ryan Murphy (who created “Nip/Tuck”) and Dede Gardner (who co-produced Augusten Borroughs' Running with Scissors), to produce "4 oz," a show that FX that details the transformation of a man who becomes a woman.
We’re, of course, thrilled when anybody takes a risk like this on television. And a story about a married sportswriter, with two teenage sons, who takes on the process of gender reassignment just makes us want to set our TiVos early.
In a quote to Variety, Murphy (who is writing a pilot now) says that he has an ambitious five-season plan for the show.
Five seasons!!??
"The first season deals with the revelation of his secret," Murphy said. "In the second season, he begins dressing like a woman. The third covers the surgery, and his inherent doubts about going through with it, and by the fourth season, he's living as a woman and attempting to find love."
So, what is the relevance of the weight "4 oz"? It’s the average weight of a penis.
The Coreys Lost and Found
September 27, 2006
This must be good news for the heirs of "The Coreys" (Corey Feldman and Corey Haim). They probably thought their dads were going to leave them with nothing but bad reputations.
But fret not little ones: Daddy is going to make good thanks to (sinking fast?) A&E cable channel. They've ordered eight episodes of a new reality series for next year called "The Coreys: Return of the Lost Boys," featuring Corey Haim and Corey Feldman.
No word on how much money is involved in this deal, or if and when it's suppsoed to be completed. But we here at BBCancelled are looking forward to it with bated breath.
Backstory: "The two Corey's were a popular pair about 20 years ago, and this weekly half hour series brings updates viewers on what the Coreys have been up to."
Wow, makes you long for ad supported old fashion three network television.
Dr. Phil Busted Shilling Snake Oil
We sorta figured that whole "Ultimate Weight Loss" thing from Dr. Phil was a sham. We bought the book, read (half) of it, and threw it out.
Then we ate bon-bons.
How is this "doctor" making a zillion dollars with a weight loss plan when he himself is ... well ... husky?
It's America, kiddos. Hucksters have gotten away with worse.
But Dr. Phil McGraw is not getting away this time ... or rather the company that produced the Shape Up! Supplements that went along with Dr. Phil's diet is not getting away. In fact, according to an article on Eonline.com, they are paying out a $10.8 million dollar settlement to people who bought the worthless supplements suggested by Dr. Phil and the Shape Up! Diet.
Zing! It's payback time!
So if you were one of the suckers ... sorry, "dieters" that spent $120 a month for the Shape Up! supplements you can get a chunk of that $10.8 million.
How much is your share?
$12.50. (Wah Wah)
If that's as disappointing as it sounds, you can also skip the money and get a bottle of Nutrilite vitamins as replacements for the completely ineffective Shape Up! Products.
So how does Dr. Phil feel about this comeuppance? Is he saying one big "Mea Culpa" for hawking this stuff in his many diet books, his own talk show, the ubiquitous ad campaigns, or his prime time special with Katie Couric?
Nope.
The good ol' doc is denying any wrongdoing for shilling for the worthless supplements. Now, that's tough love.
Lesson to everyone: Don't buy diet pills from a fat man.
Pervez on Television
Who knew the Pakistani leader, General Pervez Musharaf was a TV star. But John Stewart helped him (make a dream come true?) on “The Daily Show" last night.
If you missed it, we're sure it will be floating around the Internet today. Check it out.
Highlights:
After welcoming Musharraf onto his show with an offering of tea and Twinkies, Stewart promptly asked: "Where's Osama bin Laden?"
"I don't know," Musharraf quickly replied. "You know where he is? You lead on, we'll follow you."
The general’s got timing!
Now that he’s working his lucrative book deal, maybe this clip will help him land his own late night talkshow gig. Midnight with Musharraf? Party-time with Pervez?
Get Andy Cohen on the line! We have to talk development!
The best part of the entire show came at the end when Stewart put Musharraf on the "Seat that is Hot" and asked: "George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden. Be truthful, who would win a popular vote in Pakistan?"
"I think they'll both lose miserably," Musharraf replied.
The audience lost it, and so did we.
We wonder: do they get The Daily Show in Pakistan?
On the Net:
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/index.jhtml
Cosby wants YOU
September 26, 2006
You know that check-off box on the top of your tax returns (or is it on the bottom)? Well, imagine if Bill Cosby took over the IRS: He'd be asking for money for slavery.
For educating the world about the evils of slavery.
Bill Cosby has called on each American to contribute $8 to help build a national slavery museum amid the battlefields of the Civil War.
Right on. It's about time. No?
Cosby has committed $1 million to the project and launched the campaign with the mayor of Richmond, Virginia. $100 million is needed to make a dent in the Fredericksburg museum's $200 million price tag.
''The incentive is that they would join in with the rest of the United States of America in saying yes, as an American, I gave $8 to help build something that tells the story,'' said Cosby, adding that in a nation of some 300 million people, even a tepid response would surpass the $100 million goal.
He then went on to admit that this kind of campaign ''generally fails badly. But I'm going to try again because I'm going to present this national slavery museum as a jewel that's missing in a crown.''
You have to give the man props for trying. At BBCancelled we give the man props for just about everything -- from his early stand-up to his classic sitcoms. This country has made its share of serious blunders. And we’re not so good about admitting them Building a national slavery museum seems like a darn good idea. We’re sending off our eight bucks … right … now.
On the Net:
U.S. National Slavery Museum, http://www.usnationalslaverymuseum.org
America loves a Jackass
Remember when it was just a TV show about dumb boys? Well, Johnny Knoxville and his crew of jackasses topped the weekend's box office with their second big screen adaptation!
Jackass Two beat Jet Li's Fearless by nearly 18 million!
Jackass Two was made for just $11.5 million, and it pulled in $28.1 million this weekend alone. You know what that means, dontcha?
There will be a third.
According to a report on the AP even the filmmakers were shocked at the response.
Uhnhuh. And Katie Couric was surprised when CBS offered her the evening news’ anchor chair.
Van Toffler, president of MTV's music and film group, said Knoxville and his Jackass co-stars were beyond thrilled by the box office news.
Toffler quoted the intrepid-yet-adolescent super stars as saying something like "Holy S#!%! We've done it again. What's wrong with this country?"
Good point. By the way, 70% of the Jackass tickets were sold to young males 25 and younger.
Question: Did that really need reporting?
George Takei: Leatherman
September 25, 2006
With flowing hair and a costume make of hide (aka leather), George Takei agreed to age 30 years for an Internet download-able episode of ''Star Trek.'' The 50-minute production by Trekkie enthusiasts is being filmed at an old car dealership in the Adirondacks.
Probably a lot cheaper than renting a soundstage...
The new episode, ''World Enough and Time,'' has Sulu being unexpectedly transported. ''I find myself on another alien planet. I live 30 years of my life there. I have a child,'' Takei said.
Then he returns to the starship Enterprise.
''It turns out to be only a minute or two that's passed on the Enterprise. I'm a changed man.''
Standing in for William Shatner as Captain Kirk is the episode's producer, James Cawley of nearby Ticonderoga, who has financed 15 years of such ''Star Trek'' episodes from his earnings as an Elvis impersonator.
Of course. But wait: There’s that much cash to be made as an Elvis impersonator? Damn. Editing a news is not that lucrative!
Cawley said the episode will be released in March as a free Internet download from his Star Trek New Voyages Web site. http://www.newvoyages.com/
''It's huge now,'' Cawley said. ''It started out as my friends and me getting together playing 'Star Trek.' Now it's film crews donating their time. People take it seriously.''
Including Takei.
Al Pacino Inside The Actor’s Studio
He is one of those actors’s who half the world considers “Michael Corleone,” and the rest think of as “that great actor in … not only The Godfather, Serpico, The Godfather, Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, Scent of a Woman, and "Angels in America."
We can now call Al Pacino a guest of “Insider The Actor’s Studio.” His full interview airs Monday, October 2, and from what we’ve seen: it’s a good one.
Our favorite quote comes from Pacino talking about how intense the resistance was to Francis Ford Coppola casting him in The Godfather.
“The reason I was eventually hired,” Pacino explains, “Was because the producers finally saw eight minutes from The Panic in Needle Park. Just eight minutes.”
Well, sometimes, eight minutes is all you need.
Matt LeBlanc's Divorce Finalized
Single ladies: Word up! Matt LeBlanc is back on the market.
After little more than three years of marriage, the “Frends”ter’s divorce has been finalized.
The 39-year-old has been granted joint custody of his 2-year-old daughter with wife Melissa LeBlanc, according to court papers filed Wednesday. Melissa LeBlanc has two children from a previous marriage.
The LeBlancs filed for divorce on April 6, citing irreconcilable differences. They will be officially single again on Oct. 6.
Just in time for bachelorettes to meet Mr. LeBlanc at a Halloween party?
Under the terms of the divorce, LeBlanc will be financially responsible for his daughter's education, nanny and other needs. He will also pay $15,000 a month in child support.
The pair married in a celebrity-studded wedding in Hawaii in 2003 with several of LeBlanc's ''Friends'' co-stars in attendance.
LeBlanc played struggling actor Joey Tribbiani in the long-running sit-com that ended in 2004. He reprised the character for the NBC spinoff ''Joey,'' which was canceled in May after two seasons.
They're KILLING Saturday Night Live
September 22, 2006
Apologies to the cast of “Saturday Night Live” that we just don’t care. So what that Tina Fey left and Seth Meyers is the new Weekend Update co-anchor.
What we are excited about is that The Killers will be the musical guests for the season premiere, September 30. SNL has always been its best when it matched a cool guest host with a rockin’ band. And the regular cast did what it did best: shine as supporting characters.
Which, admittedly, hasn’t been what they’ve been doing lately. The shining bits have been rather dim. Which is also why we are not very upset that the cast has been pared down to 11 members from last year’s 16.
A lot of people are out of jobs. We’ve got a bozo for president who has spent a load of money fighting useless wars. Times are tough.
Not that Bush is the reason SNL is cutting back. But … cutbacks are everywhere. Get over it. Make Do.
Let The Killers sing four songs instead of two!
Our Lady of Perpetual News Cycles
Is this cross thing ever going to end? Now NBC is pondering the symbol and its place in Madonna's concert.
In just about every country she’s visited during her "The Confessions Tour," Madonna has got-up-on-her cross and sang: “Live to Tell.” And controversy has ensued. See, people got a thing about the cross. They think it was Jesus's and Jesus's only.
England was angry; Russia went ballistic; Italy wanted her excommunicated. Even the Muslims and the Jews thought she was out of line.
And she hasn’t changed her show.
Which is why the latest news that NBC is flirting with the idea of cutting that section of her show made us all yawn. Don’t get us wrong, we’re excited and we want to see her concert on telly. This is just one of those stories that won’t go away.
Madonna has been urging people to see her show before criticizing her act. NBC plans to air a Madonna concert in November culled from various stops on her current ''Confessions'' tour. Madonna said in a statement Thursday that there had been so many ''misinterpretations'' about her act ''I wanted to explain it myself once and for all.''
''This is not a mocking of the church,'' she said. ''It is no different than a person wearing a cross or 'taking up the cross' as it says in the bible. My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing. Please do not pass judgment without seeing my show,'' she said.
Here’s the point being made by “The Catholic League” -- Last winter, the world went nuts over some Danish cartoons that depicted the Prophet Muhammad. NBC News did not show the cartoon. So, the League is saying that showing Madonna’s “mock crucifixion” will send a message that Christianity counts less than Islam.
They claim that, by their count, 85% of the country is Christian, and go on to make the (relatively absurd) point that making Muslims seem more important than Christians is “not a decision that any responsible person or company can afford to make.''
NBC has supposedly not made a decision, but they have said: ''We viewed it and, although Madonna is known for being provocative, we didn't see it as being ultimately inappropriate.''
So far, the scene is still in.
Americans Watch A LOT of TV
Americans are watching more TV than ever before, or at least Nielsen families are.
A survey by the group findthe total average time spent watching TV per household is eight hours and 14 minutes per day. That's a three-minute increase from 2004-05. Also resetting a record was total individual time, up three minutes from the previous year to four hours and 35 minutes.
The average American watches four hours and 35 minutes of TV every day.
"These results demonstrate that television still holds its position as the most popular entertainment platform," said a Nielsen rep. "Internet television and video on personal devices, seems not to be making an impact on traditional television viewing."
Excuse us while we celebrate these numbers. See, we're part of Bravo, and that's a TV station.
Deathwatch Update: Happy Hour v. Ms. Heche
September 21, 2006
The clock is ticking. It's been, oh, about two days since the Fall 2006 television series began and still no shows have received the axe.
But we here at BBCancelled are monitoring the "DeathWatch" like granny monitors her blood pressure. So far, America, the big money is on Fox’s “Happy Hour” and the destined-for-disaster “Men in Trees” on ABC.
Let’s focus on the trees, shall we?
ABC seems to be pulling out all stops to save this debacle. Anne Heche, in particular, does not want to take the fall. Her press junket seems to be going pretty well, and she turns out to be funny and delightful.
When asked about working with her co-star, a raccoon named Elvis, she is quick to say, “Best actor I ever worked with … he doesn’t do his own stunts, though.”
And what of the shows that you think will be on for all eternity? At the bottom of “The Deathwatch” betting pool are “The Nine” on ABC and “Runaway” on The CW.
Here’s something most interesting: Before it’s premiere, “Studio 60 at the Sunset Strip” was firmly at the bottom of the pool -- voted most likely to survive. Since it’s premiere, though, it has fallen from glory by quite a spread.
Was it not as good as you hoped? Let us know, fellow Deathwatchers, by chiming in on the Boards.
SpaceBalls: The TV Show.
We read on Broadcasting and Cable’s website this morning that Mel Brooks is working on turning Spaceballs into a television show. And get this -- it’s going to be a cartoon.
This is something we can all get behind, support, maybe write a little story about (like this!). It was our favorite movie when we were 11, and the only thing besides Ghostbusters that gave us reason to appreciate Rick Moranis.
Brooks himself will be voicing some of the characters as well as co-writing the pilot with musical movie genius Thomas Meehan, who has worked on a ton of stuff with Brooks, including The Producers.
It’s not due until the summer of 2007, but if we could set our TiVo now, we would be right there.
Just Say YouTube
Remember when Nancy Reagan went on “Different Strokes” to urge Arnold to “Just Say No?” The White House has always had their bright ideas about how to effectively launch their campaign against drugs to “the kids these days.”
Their latest maneuver is to slap some PSA’s together on YouTube. The kids like the YouTube, don’t they?
But the best, most coolest news about this stupidity is that it's garnered bad reviews from just about everyone. Not even the NeoCons think this was a good idea.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy posted a dozen videos, mostly of public-service commercials on the dangers of drug use from the ''above the influence'' campaign, as seen on TV.
As of Wednesday, the ONDCP channel had received a scant 53 subscribers and a total of 14,463 views, a relatively low total.
Some of the most viewed drug-related videos on YouTube are far more persuasively anti-drug than anything produced by the government or the Ad Council. In one video, you can see a real heroin user discuss his fight with addiction.
Still, people generally don't watch YouTube hoping to change their lives. After all, one of the most watched PSAs on YouTube is a clip from the '80s about the dangers of crack cocaine. It's not watched for its message, but for its star: Pee Wee Herman.
Bless Pee Wee! Long Live Pee Wee!
South Park Grows Up. Not Really
September 20, 2006
Birthday parties for 10 year-old brats usually suck. Cake, games, crying … maybe a fight between schoolyard enemies. Not on “South Park.”
Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are releasing a “Greatest Hits” DVD in honor of their show’s birthday.
Stone and Parker hand-picked their 10 most-beloved episodes of the long-running Comedy Central show to appear on the new ''South Park the Hits: Volume 1'' DVD, in stores Oct. 3.
The new DVD also includes four bonus episodes and ''The Spirit of Christmas,'' a never-released animated short.
Among the episodes reprised on the DVD:
''Best Friends Forever,'' which Parker described as ''a final battle between heaven and hell''; ''Good Times with Weapons''; and the infamous, ''Trapped in the Closet,'' featuring a cartoon version of ''South Park'' nemesis Tom Cruise. Said Parker, ''I don't think we've ever had a single episode that has stirred up this much unwanted and wanted attention.''
''South Park,'' which first aired Aug. 13, 1997, begins its tenth season on Comedy Central on Oct. 4.
Thousands Mourn Crocodile Hunter
Maybe it’s an Australian thing, but the memorial service for Steve Irwin, “Crocodile Hunter,” is completely out of hand. Really folks. This is not Mother Theresa we’re talking about.
The ceremony was carried live on three national television networks and at least one radio station. Flags on the Sydney Harbor Bridge and throughout Irwin's home state of Queensland flew at half-staff, and giant TV screens were set up for people to watch the service.
Prime Minister John Howard was among the 5,000 people who attended the ceremony at the ''Crocoseum,'' the small stadium in Irwin's wildlife park where he regularly put on crocodile-feeding shows.
The prime minister!? Okay. First, the Thai prime minister just lost his job while speaking at the UN on official business. Shouldn’t all prime ministers take note and stay at work? Apparently not when it comes to conservative Aussie PM Howard, who said: ''Steve Irwin touched the hearts of Australians and touched the hearts of millions around the world in a very special way.”
Then, the phone thrower got into the act. In a recorded video message from New York, Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe said: ''It was way too soon for all of us. We have lost a friend, a champion.''
Irwin, 44, died Sept. 4 when a stingray’s barb pierced his chest while he filmed a TV show on the Great Barrier Reef. His family held a private funeral service for him Sept. 9 at the family-owned park, Australia Zoo.
As expected, there was one empty seat at Steve Irwin's personal stadium _ symbolically set aside for the late conservationist himself. On the stage sat Irwin's widow, Terri, and their two children, Bindi, and Bob, 2 _ all dressed in Irwin's favorite khaki. It was their first public appearance since Irwin's death.
''Please do not grieve for Steve, he's at peace now,'' Bob Irwin said. ''Grieve for the animals. They have lost the best friend they ever had, and so have I.''
At the end of the ceremony, Irwin's utility vehicle, packed with camping gear and his favorite surfboard, was driven from the stadium _ through an honor guard of Australia Zoo employees.
No they didn’t!
As part of the public memorial titled ''He Changed Our World,'' actress Cameron Diaz said in a video presentation that Irwin was incredibly popular in the United States.
''America just flipped for him,'' said Diaz. ''Every kid was in love with the idea of being him.''
Actor Kevin Costner said in the video that Irwin was ''fearless ... He let us see who he was. That is being brave in today's society.''
Separately from the service, marine explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau said that, while he mourned Irwin's death, he disagreed with the Australian's hands-on approach to nature television.
He said he respected Irwin's environmental message, but noted that Irwin would ''interfere with nature, jump on animals, grab them, hold them, and have this very, very spectacular, dramatic way of presenting things.''
''It sells, it appeals to a lot people, but I think it's very misleading,'' Cousteau said in Los Angeles. ''You don't touch nature, you just look at it.''
All right. We’re stumped. We never thought a Frenchman with the last name Cousteau would EVER become the voice of reason.
Now back to work!
Dr. Phil vs. Dr. Ablow, Part I
Can we blame Oprah for something? Just this once…
First she let the saccharine sweetness of Dr. Phil loose on daytime television. Now, in a world safe for "nice," Dr. Keith Ablow is joining the talky-helpy pack.
The author and television personality launched a syndicated show this month that will tread some of the same emotional territory of ''Dr. Phil,'' but from a different perspective.
''I would like to think that a style of communication, an empathetic style of communication that we model with the show, would become contagious with the people at home,'' Ablow said.
Ablow said he'll try, with the cameras rolling, to get at the often hidden roots of bad behavior -- the role of parents in unwittingly fueling eating disorders among their children or the way bullies project emotional violence they have suffered onto others.
Oh man. Do we need this? Do we want this?
On the Net:
''The Dr. Keith Ablow Show''
Keith Ablow: The Man.
Soaping Up With YouTube
Now there’s something Microsoft-y-er. The computer giant is launching a new online video service hoping to tap the supposedly insatiable popularity of sharing videos online.
''Soapbox on MSN Video'' will let Internet users watch and post videos, rate or comment on them and share favorites by e-mailing them or linking them to their personal Web pages or blogs.
Damn, so original it hurts.
Rob Bennett, general manager of MSN's entertainment and video services unit, acknowledged that Silicon Valley startup YouTube Inc. has an early lead, having already attracted tens of millions of users in the year and a half since it launched. Rivals Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL also have similar offerings.
Wow, so the executive admits that he’s in last place and just following a trend.
But Microsoft believes there is ''still plenty of room to innovate, and go beyond what I would say most services provide ... just sort of the basics, a very kind of primitive experience that is not that engaging,'' Bennett said. ''It's not that fun to use. It just gets the job done.''
During a preview Monday, Bennett said Soapbox videos will be displayed in slightly larger windows than those competing services offer, and users will be able to expand videos to the full screen while they are playing, rather than having to jump back to the beginning and start over.
So, size matters. Another un-original joke for an unoriginal invention.
Sigh.
Fawlty Towers Hotel Opens
September 19, 2006
The inspiration for the British television show, “Fawlty Towers” opened its doors to the public on Monday amid disparate opinions. One thing remains true: it’s the hotel where the Monty Python kids stayed in 1971 and was the inspiration for the show.
''We decided Hotel Gleneagles is always going to be famous for inspiring 'Fawlty Towers' so, rather than being embarrassed about what has happened, we have chosen to capitalize on it,'' said Brian Shone, co-owner of the hotel in Torquay, a sedate resort in the southwestern county of Devon.
''You cannot get rid of the spirit of Basil, so you have got to embrace him,'' said Shone, who said he could become a bit like the John Cleese character, Basil Fawlty, ''when provoked.''
The Gleneagles is not the building seen in the title shots of the 1970s TV series -- that's the Woodburn Grange country club near London, which burned down in 1991.
Cleese has said the series was inspired by the Monty Python troupe's stay at the Gleneagles in 1971. He described then-owner Donald Sinclair as ''the most wonderfully rude man I have ever met.''
Sinclair's widow, Beatrice, has called that completely unfair, and blamed any trouble on the Pythons. ''They didn't fit into a family hotel ... they kept annoying my husband and were quite insulting,'' she has said.
Cleese didn't attend Monday's reopening but Prunella Scales, who played Basil's wife, Sybil Fawlty, was guest of honor. Scales, who had never visited the hotel before, arrived in a replica of the bright red Austin 1100 that Basil thrashed with a tree branch in one episode of the series.
"My Dad is a Superhero"
Big year for Mariska Hargitay, star of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” First, she had a baby. Last month she won an Emmy for her work on the show—something she completely deserved; her understated performance breaks our hearts every time.
When she picked up her award, Hargitay thanked her dad, Mickey, who passed away last Thursday in Los Angeles.
Hargitay was a star in his own right, a bodybuilder and actor who was married to 1950s sex siren Jayne Mansfield. He was 80.
Yes, that Jayne Mansfield.
Born Miklos Hargitay in 1926, he emigrated from his native Hungary to the United States after World War II. He became interested in bodybuilding in the 1950s and was named Mr. Universe, Mr. America and Mr. Olympia in 1955.
''My dad's a bit of a superhero,'' Mariska Hargitay told the National Public Radio show ''Fresh Air'' last year. He parlayed his perfect physique into a performing career when Mae West tapped him to be one of the musclemen in her stage show.
It was there that Hargitay met Mansfield, whom he married in 1957. That same year, he made his big-screen debut in 'Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. He went on to star opposite his wife in three films: The Loves of Hercules, Promises! Promises! and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
The couple had three children together, including Mariska, before divorcing in 1964. Mansfield died in a car crash in 1967.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Hargitay in the 1982 TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story, offered his condolences to the Hargitay family and called Mickey ''a magnificent individual.''
''Mickey was such an inspiration and always had such a positive attitude,'' Schwarzenegger said in a statement. ''He was a role model of mine for being a successful immigrant who came to this country and pursued his dreams.''
Hargitay's career continued after his divorce with appearances in a half-dozen Italian films and horror flicks. He even guest-starred in a 2003 episode of ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.''
Bodies Ashore at "CSI: Miami"
September 18, 2006
This weekend, a dead body floated up to the set for “CSI: Miami.” No really, a real live (dead) corpse.
Okay, that’s gross and unpleasant and a little sad, but there’s an even more disturbing part: the police aren’t even suspicious.
It seems the unidentified body was just one of many that are often found floating in Biscayne Bay at Bicentennial Park during this time of year.
"Unfortunately, it's not unusual during certain times of the year that people who have fallen in the bay, either homeless or people who were asleep or in some cases boaters who had a mishap, fall into the bay and turn up days later," Detective Delrish Moss, a Miami police spokesman, told the AP.
Oh. Ew, Okay. But -- it gets even weirder.
This is only one of two dead bodies this week to wash up on a CSI set. There was another one floating around the Los Angeles set, during a shoot for "CSI: New York."
This discovery, like the Miami corpse, was not considered suspicious. Uhm, we’re gonna go ahead and ask that someone consider it suspicious. Or at least, we think someone should have a talk with the CSI props department.
Firefly Marathon Today
Get the to the SciFi Channel ... Now!
Starting at 8am this morning, SciFi is running a "Firefly" marathon. The cable Net' is showing all fifteen episodes of the Brilliant But Cancelled series.
Really.
But the marathon ends soon. Well, you know if it ending in December -- that would be too soon. But it's really soon. As in 5pm tonight!
SciFi.com -- "Firefly" Marathon
“Runway” Rattles iTunes
As in Rattle-and-Hum (apologies to U2).
The show is not cancelled. And it’s not even off-the-air yet. But folks are starting to act like “Project Runway” is a Brilliant But Cancelled show.
As of Monday, September 18, 2006 … “Project Runway” is the #1 and #10 most downloaded television show on iTunes.
Last week’s “Black and White” episode is first, and the week-before’s show, “Couture du Jour” is number 10.
Yes, yes, the season is wrapping up and fans are getting excited, which should explain some of the rankings. We know who at the least the final four are—Laura, Jeffrey, Michael and Uli—and we’ll learn this Wednesday who the final three are.
But the high iTune ratings are more surprising because Bravo replays the show quite a bit helping make sure everyone can see the latest episode. So, does this mean that non-Bravo subscribers are becoming “Runway” addicts? We think so.
Maybe people are watching it on airplanes, the subway or while waiting at the dentist office. We have one BrilliantButCancelled.com staffer that just returned from vacation and watched three episodes in a row on the plane so he’d be caught up before returning to the office.
September Kills Couch Potatoes
September 15, 2006
September 15 (FRIDAY)
9:00 PM - MEN IN TREES (ABC) - regular time slot premiere
11:00 PM - MI-5 (A&E) · season 4 premiere
September 17 (SUNDAY)
12:00 AM - TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN (FOX) - series premiere
8:30 PM - THE AMAZING RACE 10 (CBS) - 90-minute season premiere
8:00 PM - CLASS, THE (CBS) · series premiere
September 18 (MONDAY)
RACHAEL RAY (SYN) - new daytime talk show premieres
7:00 PM - SCRUBS (COM) - cable run series premiere; 2 episodes per night
8:00 PM - CLASS, THE (CBS) - series premiere
8:00 PM - WIFE SWAP (ABC) - season 3 premiere
8:30 PM - HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS) - season 2 premiere
9:00 PM - CW SPECIAL: ET PRESENTS THE CW: LAUNCH OF A NEW NETWORK (CW) - one-hour special presentation
9:00 PM - TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS) - season 4 premiere
9:30 PM - NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (CBS) - season 2 premiere
10:00 PM - CSI: MIAMI (CBS) - season 5 premiere
September 19 (TUESDAY)
10:00 PM - SMITH (CBS) - series premiere
September 20 (WEDNESDAY)
8:00 PM - JERICHO (CBS) - series premiere
September 21 (THURSDAY)
8:00 PM - GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC) - one-hour special presentation
9:00 PM - CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS) - 7th season premiere
9:00 PM - GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC) - 3rd season premiere
10:00 PM - SHARK (CBS) - series premiere
10:01 PM - SIX DEGREES (ABC) - series premiere
September 22 (FRIDAY)
8:00 PM - GHOST WHISPERER (CBS) - 2nd season premiere
8:00 PM - WWE SMACKDOWN (The CW) - 8th season premiere
9:00 PM - CLOSE TO HOME (CBS) - 2nd season premiere
10:00 PM - NUMB3RS (CBS) - 3rd season premiere
10:00 PM - SEXUAL HEALING (SHOWTIME) - 1st season finale
11:00 PM - MINOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF JACKIE WOODMAN, THE (IFC) - 1st season finale
11:30 PM - BUSINESS, THE (IFC) - 1st season finale
September 23 (SATURDAY)
10:00 PM - 48 HOURS MYSTERY (CBS) - 17th season premiere
September 24 (SUNDAY)
7:00 PM - 60 MINUTES (CBS) - 39th season premiere
7:00 PM - EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (ABC) - two-hour 4th season premiere - special time
8:00 PM - THREE MOONS OVER MILFORD (ABC FAMILY) - 1st season finale
9:00 PM - COLD CASE (CBS) - 4th season premiere
9:00 PM - DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - 3rd season premiere
10:00 PM - BROTHERHOOD (SHOWTIME) -1st season finale
10:00 PM - WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS) - 5th season premiere
10:01 PM - BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC) - series premiere
September 25 (MONDAY)
8:00 PM - SEVENTH HEAVEN (The CW) - 11th season premiere
9:00 PM - RUNAWAY (The CW) - series premiere
September 26 (TUESDAY)
8:00 PM - GILMORE GIRLS (The CW) - 7th season premiere
8:00 PM - HOUSE (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
9:00 PM - STANDOFF (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
9:30 PM - HELP ME HELP YOU (ABC) - series premiere
10:00 PM - CONTENDER, THE (ESPN) - 2nd season finale
September 27 (WEDNESDAY)
8:00 PM - BONES (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
9:00 PM - JUSTICE (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
9:00 PM - LOST (ABC) - one-hour special presentation
9:00 PM - ONE TREE HILL (The CW) - 4th season premiere
September 28 (THURSDAY)
8:00 PM - SMALLVILLE (The CW) - 6th season premiere
8:00 PM - 'TIL DEATH (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
8:00 PM - UGLY BETTY (ABC) - series premiere
8:30 PM - HAPPY HOUR (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
9:00 PM - SUPERNATURAL (The CW) - 2nd season premiere
11:00 PM - TNA: IMPACT! (SPIKE TV) - 2nd season premiere
September 29 (FRIDAY)
8:00 PM - CELEBRITY DUETS (FOX) - two-hour 1st season finale - special time
September 30 (SATURDAY)
8:00 PM - COPS (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
9:00 PM - AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK (FOX) - last episode before hiatus
TiVO Lovers Beware
The days of breezing by commercial interruptions may be numbered. The “Man” may have found a way to drill his capitalist message into the brains of Personal Video Recorder (PVR) users. You know who you (we) are.
FX will begin showing an ad for their new series “Brotherhood” … but instead of an edited, fast moving commercial they will air an ad with the same steady image for 30 seconds.
Get it? Even at 12 x the speed the viewer will still …uh … get the message. Damnit.
Good Bye WB. We Will Miss You
When we were in college, we found the WB laughably bad television that we couldn’t avoid watching.
Guity pleasure? Yes! And one we can relive Sunday on the WB's last day in existance. (Before it's replaced with CW.)
And we were not alone. Who did not huddle around and watch poor James Vanderbeek’s earnest and hang-dog droopiness on "Dawson's Creek?" Who did not cheer as Buffy, our vampire slaying vixen stole our hearts just as quickly as she drove a stake through them?
From the safe distance of our early thirties, we own all of these series on DVD.
So the WB is where we’re going to be this Sunday evening watching the series premieres of "Buffy," "Angel," and "Dawson’s Creek," (among other) from 5pm-10pm – the last death rattle to escape from the WB as it merges with UPN to form “The CW.”
At 11:59pm on Sunday, September 17th, the WB will be no more. And so will fall the type of programming we’ve grown to love – serial television in a world populated almost exclusively by gorgeous and troubled characters. Even the old people are sexy on the WB, and we’re going to miss it.
For more, check out our feature on Insider/Outsider here.
No More "Being Bobby Brown" Possible
September 14, 2006
Although “BBB” is not on many people’s Brilliant But Cancelled lists…we’re a little sad today because of the divorce news.
Whitney and Bobby are calling it quits. For real. Although the lawyers said something cryptic: "It is a legal separation. It is not a divorce or a divorce petition.”
So while we hope this is good news for the troubled couple.... After all, It’s been painful to watch and follow the ugly rumors and ugly stories about their marriage. We don’t pretend to know the half of what makes two people fall in love, but we don’t doubt that there was something genuine between the two pop stars…at least in the beginning.
Whitney is keeping custody of their 13-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and is staying in Laguna, California. She says she wants Bobby to have visitation rights, and they will discuss property division later on. (That sounds so civil; we hope it’s true.) As far as Bobby goes, he has no comment at this time.
But what this means for us is that there is no possibility for “Being Bobby Brown” Part II.
And come on! Who did not secretly and not-so-secretly crave for a reunion season!?
Defying Extinction
Barney the dinosaur is returning for his 15th season. And he’s still singing that damn “I love you, you love me” song, in all of his glorious, cloying, purple-ness.
Executive producer Karen Barnes uses pretty much the same skill set as Barney: ''It's an iconic character, part of the culture. We have a new audience every two or three years. What Barney teaches doesn't go out of style.''
Which sounds like the same idea that cigarette advertisers use, doesn’t it? You just keep making more babies, and we’ll get them hooked on a dinosaur.
''You don't want to continue doing the same things over and over. You want to keep it fresh,'' Barnes continued. ''I think a show that's been on this long, it's important that we add new elements.''
Like, say, a new … dinosaur.
Joining Barney, Baby Bop, and the collection of amped up hooligan children, will be an orange something-o-saur named Riff.
Here’s the part where this gets insane. There are a large number of anti-Barney websites. The one we find the funniest is set up by Angela Harms, from Eugene Oregon, who has this to say:
''It's sweet, but it lies. (Barney) tells them that he loves them. I don't want my children thinking love is what you get from a guy on TV,” Harms also criticizes the value that the show places on sameness. “The kids on Barney &
Friends would follow him off a cliff, if he sang a snappy song.''
A producer for the show defends this idea, by saying: “This is the time they need to learn how to get along in the broader world…There's plenty of time to develop individualism.''
That last quote is much funnier if you picture Barney saying it.
Don’t Hit Ellen!
The woman involved in a traffic collision with Ms. DeGeneres has been charged with drunken driving.
Ooh! Hiss!!
Jeanne Werber, 52, of Los Angeles, was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor DUI, said Nick Velasquez, a spokesman for the city attorney's office.
Werber was driving a 2002 Porsche Carrera on Sept. 1 when she slammed into the back of a 2002 Buick LeSabre, which then struck the back of DeGeneres' 2006 Porsche Carrera, police said.
Wait, two Porsche Carerra’s? That’s just sooo L.A. we can’t stand it.
Werber was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at the time after refusing to take a chemical sobriety test, Velasquez said.
DeGeneres and her passenger -- a woman in her mid-30s -- and the men in the Buick had minor injuries. No one required medical attention, police said.
If convicted, Werber could face up to six months in prison and a fine of $1,000. She also was charged with failing to provide proof of insurance, an infraction punishable by a $100 fine, Velasquez said.
Our View of Meredith
September 13, 2006
In the past few weeks, we’ve had a lot of “someone is joining the something” mania to deal with. Katie, Rosie, the list keeps going on and on. So, we got here early to watch Meredith Vieira on “The Today Show.” Even though NBC/Universal owns Bravo, which owns BBCancelled, we were prepared to hate everything about this mornings “Today Show.”
Why? Because we don't like rooting for the winning team. We like the Underdogs! The Brilliant But Cancelled stuff...you know.
Some observations:
Wow, that new set is really … white. They had been going with that “country kitchen meets upper-west-side” look for so long, it almost felt like they were doing the show from the future. Or space. Or France.
Anne Curry looks great. We used to serve her coffee in our previous “starving-writer” lives, so we also happen to know she’s nice, and nice to service people (like waiters and stuff, which earns her extra kudos). She is a class act.
We also got to see their “who-is-this-woman?” video montage. And gues what? We kind of fell in love with Meredith Vieira.
“YOUNG NEWSCASTER” Meredith -- In the early 80s Meredith showed absolutely no sign that she would become anything special. Frankly, she looked more like a second-tier QVC presenter than a journalist. This part of the montage gave us hope that one day instead of being nerdy bloggers we might grow up to be beautiful, intelligent, brunette bloggers.
“60 MINUTES” Meredith – Wow. Then suddenly she became a real newswoman. Brilliant, insightful, unafraid. Frankly, we’re a little bemused at why she isn’t anchoring the CBS evening news. (Just sayin’) Meredith is a woman who can command and give confidence.
“THE VIEW” Meredith – We tuned out at this point in the montage. The only thing we cared about on The View before Rosie joined was when Star Jones Reynolds’ cried and then got fired.
Congratulations, Meredith. We’re thrilled to have you in the building.
Nicole V Tabloids
Oh, Nicole. This is just getting ridiculous.
According to IMDB, Nicole Ritchie is asking tabloid editors to stop reporting on her alleged anorexia. Ritchie’s main point being that she’s not anorexic, but the reports are stressing her out so much that she LOOKS anorexic.
Nicole appeared on the Tyra Banks show yesterday and had this to say: "You definitely don't want people constantly looking you up and down. I know the photographers are following me every day; I know that they're looking for something wrong and that doesn't feel good at all. That obviously doesn't help me."
The paparazzi may be populated with horrible, unseemly beasts, but they don’t cause diseases. And we’re not going to make jokes about anorexia because it’s just not a funny disease – but does anyone else feel like they’re more worried about Nicole than Nicole is?
Eva Says: No More TV
September 12, 2006
Ms. Longoria of “Desperate Housewives” fame says she's done with television after “DW'' ends.
The 31-year-old actress said she loves the medium of television and the routine it provides, but that ''Housewives'' will be her last series.
Hunh? Why? Love, but leave?
''I would never leave 'Desperate Housewives,''' Longoria told The Associated Press. ''I love doing both (TV and film), but I would never do another TV show after 'Desperate Housewives.' No.''’
Hunh? Why? Love, but leave?
Longoria, who plays saucy Gabrielle Solis on the ABC dramedy, can next be seen on the big screen in How I Met My Boyfriend's Dead Fiancée, due in 2007. She made her mainstream movie debut opposite Michael Douglas in The Sentinel earlier this year.
Hunh? Why? That movie was L.A.M.E.
The third season of ''Desperate Housewives'' begins Sept. 24.
So. Once again. Why? We don’t know. And apparently the reports at the Associated Press who talked to Ms. L. didn’t ask her, “Why?”
9/11 Reruns Are Cheap
Maybe it’s the state of the world today—iffy, at best. Or maybe it’s the utter lack of creativity at the news divisions of major networks. (Evidence the naming of Ms. Couric as a GROUNDBREAKING event. Uh, no. Just a new face in the same boring chair. But that’s only one opinion…)
TV news revisited the horror of Sept. 11 on Monday by replaying long stretches of coverage from that day as the events unfolded before a nation's eyes.
Most prominent was MSNBC, which showed more than three hours of NBC News' special report on the attacks running parallel to the exact time five years earlier.
Yes, Three Hours. !!! 3 Hours.
Tom Brokaw, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer anchored the coverage, during which it took nearly five minutes for them to comprehend that the first tower had collapsed.
In most cases, these tapes had remained stored away for five years, as news organizations had been reluctant to replay the more disturbing images.
''Watching the coverage again reminds us of the impact that had on the nation,'' said Dan Abrams, MSNBC general manager. ''There's an argument to be made that watching the coverage reminds us of the significance of the day more than watching the memorial service.''
CNN replayed the full day's coverage for free on the CNN Pipeline broadband service, which normally requires a fee, and showed brief snippets on the air. Fox News Channel compressed highlights of its coverage into a 21-minute program that aired Monday morning, and also made it available on its Web site.
ABC replayed an hour of coverage on its ABC News Now Web site, while CBS News also made parts of its 5-year-old coverage available online.
One theory: The willingness to repeatedly air the images is an indication that sensitivities are lessening and, perhaps, a sign of how competition works among the networks.
Uhm, we doubt it. Like we said early. Utter-Lack-of-Creativity.
Reruns are inexpensive, and easy.
Scrubs Stud Sleeps Around
From the NBC sitcom that made him a star, Zach Braff took time off to make a charming little movie called Garden State.
Now, in Toronto for the city’s big film festival, Braff unveiled his next project: The Last Kiss.
Braff stars as a man who’s afraid to settle in with his beautiful, pregnant girlfriend so he starts having an affair with a college babe.
Wow. That’s so original. Last time we checked, that was the story of about 45% of American Men. (Yes, we just made up that statistic, but you get the point.)
Braff, apparently, chose the project so he could play against type.
''I have reporters all the time saying to me, 'I really love the movie. I wanted to slap ... you,''' Braff said. ''I say, 'That's great, that's awesome. You had a reaction to it.'''
''It just felt very human, and I couldn't believe the studio was going to make the movie. I got them to promise me they weren't going to change it when I signed on. You can see all the opportunities where they could have wimped out and softened it and made it more mainstream. There'll be people who'll have a hard time with this movie.''
Fans of Braff can look forward to more Braff.
Just 31, he co-stars with Jason Bateman and Amanda Peet in next year's workplace comedy Fast Track, and ''Scrubs'' creator Bill Lawrence is working on a movie adaptation of author Gregory McDonald's crime romp Fletch Won in which Braff may star. The actor also plans to return to directing with a remake of the sober Danish drama Open Hearts, a story of tragic twists that follow a traffic accident.
Meantime, Braff remains busy on ''Scrubs,'' although he hasn’t decided whether to return to ''Scrubs,'' saying he will put the decision off until March when production wraps on the sixth season.
Bill Clinton Scores Cuts
September 11, 2006
As reported here Friday, ol’ Prezzie Bill Clinton and his co-horts did not take quietly to the ABC mini-series about 9/11, “The Path to 9/11.”
Saying that he was too busy working about Monica Lewinsky to take out Osama bin Laden set Clinton and his friends