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Cosby Critiques Parents, Teachers, Pets
October 31, 2006
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mr. Jello Pudding doesn’t care about Fido. Bad joke. He REALLY cares about children, though. And we shouldn’t make light of such a serious issue. But then again it’s Bill Cosby. And he’s being so earnest.
His latest strike came Saturday at a forum called ''Education Is a Civil Right.'' Hundreds of Los Angeles-area parents, teachers and students attended the event at Maranatha Community Church.
Cosby, 69, was critical of black parents, saying they don't involve themselves enough in their children's education and don't know what their children are doing.
''We've got parents who won't check the bedrooms of their children to see if there's a gun,'' he said.
Naked Pregnant Housewives
Is that something we want to see? US magazine online thinks so. They’re reporting that trash collector – maybe even a professional trash collector, not just some starving homeless person worthy of our sympathy and beneficience – dug up some nekkid pics of the actress in her garbage.
Ewww, hiss!!!
"There are some pictures of her showering outside," David Hans Schmidt, the attorney who is representing the carting firm told the Daily News "She looks absolutely gorgeous. And yes, the carpet does match the curtains."
Oh, so rude!
GoogleTube Without Jon Stewart
The question of the day is how will the now-Google-owned property survive after it dumps, removes, and sweeps away any and all content that it doesn’t have the copyright for. Including Jon Stewart and anything from Comedy Central.
We don't go to YouTube to watch "Weeds," although we do love Mary Louise Parker.
Now it’s impossible to argue FOR copyright infringement. But we’re admittedly sad to see YouTube’s spontaneity busted. It’s just another example of technological wonder – YouTube – that was passionately embraced, but is now dying after a big company got a hold of it.
First MySpace died after Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp bought it. And now Google is forced to take the fun out YouTube.
TV Watchers Cool to Harry Potter
October 30, 2006
No matter that he's the hottest, most amazing thing to happen to book publishing, and supposedly for kids since the invention of peanut butter and jelly. TV Watchers on Saturday tuned out the "Harry Potter" movie.
Had everyone already seen it?
It seemed Harry fans were insatiable. Remember when the last book came out? Folks kept their kids up -- or was it kids keeping their parents up -- in order to get buy a copy of the weighty tome at midnight?
And Hollywood has had a successful run with the movies dling one out every two years or so.
Which is why it’s all the stranger that the network airing of “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on ABC Saturday night was a relative dud.
Certainly the folks at ABC would say they are happy with a 3.7 rating from Neilson. But CBS beat ABC all night long. More people wanted to watch “Numb3rs” and “CSI: NY” and “48 Hours Mystery.”
Ryan Seacrest Helps Dick
It’s official. Dick Clark is returning to New Year’s Eve in Times Square for the 1 zillionth time.
Actually, it’s only his 33rd year as host of the annual ball-dropping spectacular. But who’s counting?
Just like last year, Ryan Seacrest, will co-host the ABC telecast. Musical guests. Surprises. Bad commercials. And other awkward moments have yet to be announced.
The fact that most viewers are drunk or asleep will, once again, help the show.
Designing Women Re-Unite
October 27, 2006
The setting was California, but Georgia was on the minds of audience members at the Museum of Television & Radio. Why? Because Dixie Carter, Jean Smart, Annie Potts and Delta Burke -- the original stars of the sitcom ''Designing Women'' – were in the house.
''Well, every few years we talk about getting together for lunch or something, and it never seems to work out. So this is nice,'' said Smart.
''It's thrilling,'' added Carter. ''It's so exciting, being asked to come out.''
Airing on CBS from 1986-93, ''Designing Women'' followed the full lives of four Atlanta interior designers. Thanks to reruns, the show has rarely left the airwaves.
Oprah Can’t Save Madonna
You know there’s trouble asunder when the two most fabulous, rich and powerful women in the universe cannot help each other.
Madge went on Oprah Winfrey’s enormously popular talk show this week to try and calm down the ruckus about her stealing, er, adopting a baby from Malawi.
And it didn’t work.
While the father has reversed course, again, and now supports the adoption. A judge postponed the hearing on Madonna's plan.
Judge Andrew Nyirenda held a closed, 90-minute hearing on Friday. He then set another hearing for Nov. 13 to allow lawyers for the committee to submit additional arguments on why the adoption process should be reviewed and why the committee should be a party.
Tumbling to Beijing in AM
October 26, 2006
The athletes better get to bed early. ‘Cause NBC wants them ready to play early in the AM.
Swimming and most gymnastic finals at the upcoming Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in the mornings. This will allow NBC to televise those high-profile events live in the lucrative prime-time American market.
The IOC announcement brought swift criticism from Australia, whose powerhouse swim team and Olympic committee had lobbied for night finals.
''The only thing that gets me cranky is that (the IOC) have made the decision for commercial reasons, not for the good of the sport,'' Australian coach Alan Thompson said.
The decision by the International Olympic Committee on Thursday ends months of negotiations between the IOC, international sports federations and TV broadcasters, whose purchase of exclusive rights fees account for more than half the Olympic revenues.
Whose Prison Break Is It?
October 25, 2006
For four years in the 1960s, two brothers were on the run, fleeing authorities after a prison break at a juvenile facility. Robert Hughes, wrongfully incarcerated at 16, turned to older brother Donald, who helped him escape.
Sound familiar? Sound just like the plot of ''Prison Break''?
The Hughes brothers think so, too.
In a federal lawsuit, they say their agent sent Fox a manuscript in 2001 chronicling their experiences and the network wasn't interested. So they were surprised when, last fall, Fox began airing ''Prison Break.''
World Series Ratings Slump
Fox is looking for 3 million people. That’s how many fewer folks did NOT watch the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers on Saturday. The game had the lowest household rating ever for a World Series match-up, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The game was seen by 12.8 million people, down from last year's opening game (15 million).
Ratings improved for the second game, which had 18.2 million viewers on Sunday. That was a million more than last year's Game 2, Nielsen said.
So is it down, or up?
Dick Clark Sells Microphone & Playboy Mags
Fifty years after his first appearance on ''American Bandstand,'' Dick Clark is ready to let go of the microphone.
No word on exactly what he’ll be doing for New Year’s Eve 2006. Last year, was, well, a bit awkward.
The famed host is auctioning off a number of items from his personal collection of musical memorabilia, including the microphone he used beginning July 9, 1956 -- his first day on the rock 'n' roll show that made him famous.
''It's tough to part with that one,'' Clark said of the microphone, which was valued by Arlan Ettinger, president of Guernsey's auction house, at between $10,000 and $100,000.
Other items to be sold include a bass guitar that Paul McCartney played when he was a Beatle, a beaded glove that Michael Jackson wore in his moonwalking phase and the harmonica that Bob Dylan played in ''The Last Waltz.''
Veronica Mars: Punk to Prep
October 24, 2006
Goodby CBGB-chip and hello Dartmouth-style Prep. That’s the trajectory for the CW’s (only?) star … other than Tyra Banks.
The title character of the CW series has left high school this season and is going to college, doffing her dark threads and spiked tresses for something a little more stylish.
Just don't call it ''mainstream,'' says Kristen Bell, who plays Veronica.
''It's simply that she doesn't feel the need to spike her hair up and wear so much black leather and stuff that's tough,'' Bell says of her character.
Who Wants To GoogleTube?
Everyone in television wants free content. And everyone in television broadcasting wants to jump on the YouTube bandwagon because it "looks" like the next huge thing that will Change The World (just like MySpace, or AOL, or color television, hell, even radio ... remember?).
So, Carson Daly is the new sheep trying to lead the flock. He¹s starting a contest for aspiring video-film-media-makers to post their videos on YouTube. It¹s a bit complicated: 18 challenges according to a report in The New York Daily News, 18 winners of $1000 who then compete for the grand prize of $100,000 and the opportunity to get their video on NBC.
http://www.itsyourshowtv.com/
Excuse us for sounding so jaded and down on the project. Really, truly, some talented folks are going to get some deserved exposure.
Conan the Skelavision-ator
Conan v. Skelator
Watching Conan O'Brien's ''Late Night'' on Halloween may be a scary proposition -- the entire episode will be in ''skelevision.''
Hunh?
The October 31 edition will be a painstakingly reconstructed rerun of a show last May, with all featured performers appearing as skeleton puppets, NBC announced Monday. The episode featured Larry King, ''House'' co-star Omar Epps and pole dancing workout instructor Sheila Kelley.
Oh my. This has to be a new low.
Simpsons Clan Strike Anti-War Pose
October 23, 2006
Breaking News from “Springfield.” This year, the “Simpsons’” are coming out as an anti-war family … for Hallloween.
What will they wear? Tie-dye? Bell-bottoms?
No way. These are new-school anti-wars cartoon characters.
In the episode titled “Aliens invade Springfield” to stop mankind from obtaining “weapons of mass disintegration.” The alien’s mission is called “Operation Enduring Occupation” and turns into a “quagmire.”
“You said we would be greeted as liberators!” one of the aliens says, echoing defenders of the war in Iraq.
Love! Valor! Angela Lansbury!
This murder, she didn’t write. But Ms. Lansbury will be acting her heart out, certainly. This time on Broadway, where she has already had an illustrious career (4 Tony awards).
Lansbury will perform in a new play by Terrence McNally (“Love, Valor, and Compassion”).
Even better: she’s starring opposite an equally fantastic actress of the old, old, old Diva School: Ms. Marian Seldes.
The play called “Deuce,” concerns two retired tennis players (Lansbury and Seldes) who meet again at the U.S. Open. It will premiere May 6 at the Music Box Theatre in NYC. Preview performances will begin sometime in April.
Grey's Star Comes Out
October 20, 2006
In entertainment news today, T.R. Knight, the young-pup/doctor from “Grey’s Anatomy,” announced: “I’m gay.”
Knight is a veteran of not only “Grey’s” but also “C.S.I.” and “Frasier.” He told People magazine: "I guess there have been a few questions about my sexuality, and I'd like to quiet any unnecessary rumors that may be out there. While I prefer to keep my personal life private, I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me."
No, the most interesting part is the backstory. US Weekly is reporting that Knight’s coming out is further fallout from the Patrick Dempsey v. Isiah Washington brawl, and that the incident may cause Isiah Washington to lose his job.
It seems that during the fist fight with Dempsey -- which concerned Washington’s arriving late to the set -- Washington tossed off a homophobic slur, which an insider said was, “I’m not your little faggot like T.R. Knight.”
At first The Enquirer reported the slur, but did not reveal Knight’s name. But Knight, seeking to nip any controversy that might make him look closeted, called People magazine to clarify that he’s openly gay.
For more on Knight’s coming out and why it’s threatening Isiah Washington’s career visit OUTzonetv.com.
Bob Woodruff Coming Back
The one-time ABC news anchor is preparing a prime-time special and, with his wife, a book about his painstaking recovery since being seriously hurt by a roadside bomb in Iraq in January, the network said on Thursday.
The ABC News special, expected to be Woodruff's first on-camera appearance since his injuries, is planned for next spring.
Woodruff will interview eyewitnesses and the medical team that saved his life on Jan. 29, the network said. He will also focus on the military's medical recovery teams and the stories of other injured soldiers from Iraq and their families.
Woodruff is still undergoing outpatient therapy for his traumatic brain injury, the network said.
Random House will publish the memoir by Woodruff and his wife, Lee, as they discuss how their family was affected by the injury.
Dancing With Divorcing Stars
October 19, 2006
Sara Evans' marital drama forced ''Dancing with the Stars'' to do a little fancy footwork to make up for her abrupt departure from the competition.
The country singer announced Thursday that she was filing for divorce and withdrawing from the ABC show. That meant the loss of two celebrity competitors in one week, with singer Willa Ford out after receiving the lowest combined score from judges and viewers.
To keep the contest on track it was announced Wednesday that the two celebs with the lowest tallies this week, actor Joey Lawrence and talk show host Jerry Springer, would get another chance.
''We considered all the options. We think it's most fair that everyone, everyone, move on to the next round,'' host Tom Bergeron said.
Project Runway 3 Winner Crowned
“He's a diva and a pain in the butt. Sounds like a real fashion designer.”
That’s how the Associated Press describes “Project Runway” winner Jeffrey Sebelia. He was “crowned” the champion of the runway during last night’s finale which garnered huge ratings for the cable net’.
During his time on ''Runway,'' Sebelia was often the poster designer for bad behavior. He was under investigation by show executives for possibly outsourcing the construction of his designs for Fashion Week. He cried when he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Lifetime Laughs at Cancer
October 18, 2006
And that's okay.
Finally someone has found a sense of humor, even if it's a bit of a gallows humor. After all, that cliche about laughter being the best medecine exists for a reason: it's sorta true.
As the star of Lifetime television's big new breast cancer comedy(!) film, Geralyn Lucas is wheeled into the operating room to undergo a mastectomy the day after her 28th birthday, and she applies bright red lipstick before going under.
''Under anesthesia, with a tube forced down my throat, I am hopeful and maybe even a little sexy. And slightly in control, just knowing that my lipstick might last,'' writes Lucas in her bold, irreverent 2004 memoir, ''Why I Wore Lipstick to my Mastectomy.''
The colorful odyssey of this breast-cancer survivor has been turned into a Lifetime movie, which premieres Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. ET, starring ''Scrubs''' Sarah Chalke as Lucas.
Fascinating twist:Lucas also happens to be the network's director of public affairs. And Lifetime Network isn' t the only television outfit pulling out all the stops to help stop breast cancer.
Can Stephen Colbert Save Kids?
Seems like a lot longer than one year since Stephen Colbert stepped out from behind the curtain that is Jon Stewart.
And we at BBCancelled admit we thought the show would be a pale imitation. But Colbert’s a hit.
To celebrate, the program will auction the portrait that hangs above the fireplace on the set of his Comedy Central show. The painting depicts a debonair Colbert standing in front of a similar portrait of himself.
The portrait will be auctioned on eBay until Oct. 27, with the winner announced on the show on Oct. 30. Proceeds will benefit Save the Children.
''I've already saved the world. How hard could saving the children be?'' Colbert said in a statement.
http://www.savethechildren.org/
Steve Irwin's Daughter, Age 8, TV Star
October 17, 2006
Bindi Irwin, the 8-year-old daughter of the late ''Crocodile Hunter'' Steve Irwin, will star in a wildlife series to air on the Discovery Kids network early next year. The show's working title: ''Bindi, The Jungle Girl.''
Dear TV executives,
Please save us from this misery. Don't put the girl on TV. She's eight! She has no idea what she's doing. What country are you in that you think this doesn't count as child exploitation.
Sincerely, TV Lovers
But back to the report:
Everybody Loves Doris Roberts
October 16, 2006
Nearly a year and a half removed from ''Everybody Loves Raymond,'' actress Doris Roberts hasn't yet had a chance to miss television.
The feisty 75-year-old has done three movies since the award-winning comedy ended in May 2005, and taken a vacation in Alaska with her son.
On Oct. 20, the five-time Emmy Award-winner will help Syracuse Stage conduct its annual fundraiser, appearing in an adaptation of Clare Booth Luce's classic satire, The Women.
Gays Thrive on Cable
Yeah, we know that cable TV is safe for gays to be themselves, be trashy, be funny, be boring. But this year, while the networks struggle for any gay identity in the wake of "Will & Grace" leaving the scene: cable is the only place.
And "Nip/Tuck," a scandalously straight/sexy show is the gayest.
Julian McMahan and Dylan Walsh have been flirting with their gay audience ever since “Nip/Tuck” went on the air. There's something about their overt sexuality, their flirtatiousness, their outright non-stop horniness. Hell, the gleam in their eyes: it’s just so gay.
Well, now they’ve gone soft-core and are making a lot of viewers sweat. Check out this clip HERE. A religious boycott of FX Network should follow any minute. Then again, “Nip/Tuck” is on cable. Where all the good, hot Gay TV lives.
Long live cable.
30-something Marriages for Mel Harris
Sexy, talented -- really -- Mel Harris is getting divorced, again. People magazine is reporting that Harris, 49, is splitsville from her fifth husband: banker Mike Toomey. The couple married in 2001.
The couple have no children together, but Harris, who has been married five times, has a 22-year-old son by photographer David Hume Kennerly and a 16-year-old daughter by actor Cotter Smith.
Harris, who played Hope Murdoch Steadman on ''thirtysomething,'' was named one of America's 10 most beautiful women by Harper's Bazaar in 1989.
In recent years, she has appeared on such TV shows as ''Cold Case,'' ''JAG'' and ''The West Wing.''
Go Betty, Go Betty
October 15, 2006
So, the ugly girl has got some legs. ABC has ordered up a full season of “Ugly Betty.”
The Devil Wears Prada knock-off, although inspired by a Columbian telenovela, has averaged to come in second place among the most highly valued 18-49 age group of Thursday nights at 8pm. Survivor is more popular, but what else is new.
Celebrity Ghostbusters
Just in time for Halloween, VH1 is sending celeb to haunted places.
No, they are not photoshoots for US Weekly.
The trips will be televised, of course, in “Celebrity Paranormal Project,” which premieres October 22 at 10p.
“Each episode follows a team of five celebrities who will be left alone in a haunted location, armed with the latest in paranormal technology tools, cameras and recorders until sunrise to document any potential ghostly activity.”
Talk about Ghostbusters. Is this just a lame rip-off? We’ll have to wait and see. Could be crazy-genius instead of crazy-stupid.
The celebrity participants include Christopher Knight, Rachel Hunter, Gilbert Gottfried, Gary Busey among others.
Group Therapy for Help Me, Help You Cast
This report is either a true tale of Hollywood gone awry. (No wonder so many
turn to Scientology.) Or it's a beg for publicity for a show that's dying.
Check it's DeathWatch status HERE.
The Associated Press is reporting that at 8 a.m. on Monday mornings the cast of ''Help Me Help You'' is already in group therapy.
At least one day a week, the stars of the new ABC comedy gather to spend many hours sitting in a circle, spilling out their characters' fears and foibles (Note: characters, not their "real" neurosis.) to Dr. Bill Hoffman, the therapist played by Ted Danson in this new ABC sitcom.
Oh, wait. Fake problems. Fake doctor. Who is this helping!?
And they videotape it.
Real Life Dynasty Drama
October 13, 2006
We loved "Dynasty," and we love, present tense, "Dynasty." Has there even been a better night-time soap?
Thus it’s particularly disheartening to read that John Forsythe is being treated for colon cancer. But, he is recovering at a hospital, his spokesman said.
The ''Dynasty'' star, 88, was found Sept. 28 to have colon cancer and was taken to a hospital, where he underwent treatment during the past week, Harlan Boll said Thursday.
''He seems to be in good spirits,'' Boll said. ''They hope to have him home this weekend.''
Boll would not provide further details about Forsythe's condition.
Forsythe is best known for playing Blake Carrington on the hit TV soap and for being the voice of Charlie in both the TV and film versions of ''Charlie's Angels.''
Paris and Nicole, B-bye
So the tragically-famous-before-their-brains-fully-developed-stars of "The Simple Life" have reunited. For ratings? Because they like each other? Is it because they realize they are nothing without a TV show?
Actually, we don't care what the answer is. We just want them to go away.
Diane Sawyer Digs, Finds Coal
Ms. Sawyer scooped her nemesis Barbara Walters for the first interview with anti-Semitic freak show- “star” Mel Gibson.
Takeaway: his anti-Semitic tirade last summer may have been set off by criticism of his 2004 movie The Passion of the Christ that began before the film’s release and by Israel's war in Lebanon.
Money quote: ''Now even before anyone saw a frame of film, for an entire year, I was subjected to a pretty brutal sort of public beating,'' he said. ''And during the course of that, I think I probably had my rights violated in many different ways as an American, as an artist, as a Christian, just as a human being.''
Oprah + Bono 4 AIDS
Two people we love: Oprah and Bono. A) Writing about them saves us all that unnecessary typing of last names and B) The stuff they do is so darn nice.
Sure they both can be annoying at times with their obsessive beneficence … but it’s better than being repetitive maid-bashers or drug addicts like many of the other stars clogging the blogosphere.
“O” and “B” have teamed to promote a new line of “clothing, accessories and gadgets” to raise money to fight AIDS in Africa.
Pretty cool, actually.
Alias Star Still on The Prowl
Argentine actress Mia Maestro, who played a lethal spy on ''Alias” is lending her fame to fight a real killer.
She is trying to bring awareness about Chagas disease, which infects about 12 million people in Central and South America.
Chagas disease can cause high fever, swelling, enlargement of the spleen, liver and lymph nodes, and inflammation of the heart. Most people infected do not get sick, but the disease can be fatal.
It is little known in the United States, where about 100,000 residents have been infected.
''Chagas is a disease that I grew up hearing about because my mom is from the north of Argentina,'' Maestro told The Associated Press on Saturday. ''I'm very familiar with it, but I had no idea few people know about it. So whatever I can do to raise awareness, I'll do it.''
Maestro, 28, has appeared in movies good, great and horrible: The Motorcycle Diaries, Frida and The Poseidon Adventure, respectively.
She attended Saturday's screening of the documentary Chagas: A Hidden Affliction, which opened the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
''I call Chagas the AIDS of the poor,'' said Ricardo Preve, the film's director. ''It's a silent killer and we're not doing anything about it because of a lack of education.''
http://www.chagasthemovie.com/
Keith Olbermann: Bulldog
October 12, 2006
Maybe, just maybe, it pays off to bash President Bush. Since MSNBC “Countdown” star Keith Olbermann starting hounding the Prez like a rabid dog in five extraordinarily harsh commentaries, his ratings have skyrocketed.
Since that first commentary, Olbermann's nightly audience has increased 69 percent, according to Nielsen Media Research. This past Monday 834,000 people tuned in, virtually double his season average and more than CNN competitors Paula Zahn and Nancy Grace. Only cable kingpin and Olbermann nemesis Bill O'Reilly (on Fox with two million viewers a night) stands in his way.
Keith Olbermann's tipping point came on a tarmac in Los Angeles six weeks ago. While waiting for his plane to take off he read an account of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's speech before the American Legion equating Iraq War opponents to pre-World War II appeasers.
Boo, hiss!!!
The next night, August 30, Olbermann ended his MSNBC ''Countdown'' show with a blistering retort, questioning both Rumsfeld’s interpretation of history and the Defense Secretary’s very understanding of what it means to be an American.
It was the first of now five extraordinarily harsh anti-Bush commentaries that have made Olbermann the latest media point-person in the nation's political divide.
''As a critic of the administration, I will be damned if you can get away with calling me the equivalent of a Nazi appeaser,'' Olbermann told The Associated Press. ''No one has the right to say that about any free-speaking American in this country.''
Olbermann stood before Ground Zero on Sept. 11 and said Bush's conduct before the Iraq war was an impeachable offense. ''Not once, in now five years, has this president ever offered to assume responsibility for the failures that led to this empty space and to this, the current and curdled version of our beloved country,'' he said.
His latest verbal attack, this past Thursday, criticized the president's campaign attacks on Democrats.
''Why have you chosen to go down in history as the president who made things up?'' he asked.
To read even more about this, click Next. Or visit these sites online:
http://www.bloggermann.com/
http://www.olbermannwatch.com/
http://www.keitholbermann.org/
Google + YouTube = ??
October 10, 2006
The news is out there. Google bought YouTube.com for a zillion dollars in stock. The deal is an echo of the dot-com boom. And this after only hours earlier, YouTube announcing a deal with television giant CBS.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What we really want to know is what will be different, not tomorrow, we know it will take time, but in a few months. What big company, such as Google, as become "better" by becoming bigger. YouTube used to be filled with so much of everything that it was too big to get a handle on.
But you always knew you could find that episode of "South Park" right after it was censored. Or you could find the Bill Clinton yelling at Fox interview ... right after it happened.
So this is a request, from all of us here at BBCancelled.com.
Please Google, follow your motto with YouTube.
Do no evil.
Scrubs Creator Has TV Baby
Creator of the hit show, Bill Lawrence, and his wife, "Scrubs" star Christa Miller, welcomed their third child Sunday.
Henry Van Duzer Lawrence weighed in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces, said the couple's publicist, Karynne Tencer.
The couple, married since 1999, have two other children: Charlotte, 6, and William, 3.
Miller, 42, plays the acerbic Jordan Sullivan on the NBC comedy, which Lawrence executive produces. She previously played Kate O'Brien on ABC's “The Drew Carey Show.”
Tim Allen Ties Knot
The comic actor got married this weekend to his girlfriend of five years, actress Jane Hadjuk, in an intimate Colorado ceremony.
The couple's family were the only guests at the private affair, held Saturday in Grand Lake, Colo., Allen's publicist, Marleah Leslie, said Monday. Allen's 17-year-old daughter, Katherine Dick, was among the attendees.
Well, that’s nice of him. It’s cool to not invite the nasty press, but thank heaven he invited his daughter.
It is the first marriage for Hadjuk, 39, and the second for Allen, 53. He was previously married to Laura Deibel.
Hadjuk and Allen appeared together earlier this year in the children's action film Zoom
Allen, whose early comedy routines often centered on men and power tools, hit stardom with his long-running TV series ''Home Improvement.'' He'll be seen in the upcoming The Santa Clause 3 with Martin Short and recently finished filming Disney's Wild Hogs with John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy.
Stewart + Colbert in '08
October 09, 2006
Everybody wants a TV star for president. A few weeks ago Oprah Winfrey’s lawyers went after a man pushing the chatfest star to run. (She had them back off.)
Now, fans of “The Daily Show” are wearing ''Stewart/Colbert '08'' T-shirts.
But the Comedy Central's fake news stars have no intention of making a run for the White House.
Jon Stewart said the T-shirts promoting him and Stephen Colbert ''are a real sign of how sad people are'' with the state of affairs in the country.
''Nothing says 'I am ashamed of you, 'my government' more than 'Stewart/Colbert '08,' Stewart told an audience Sunday at the New Yorker Festival. The magazine’s editor, David Remnick, interviewed him.
Stewart, who recently hosted Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, on ''The Daily Show,'' said he's been trying to get top Bush administration officials to appear. ''We have requests in there to everyone including Barney,'' Stewart said. ''Only Barney replies.'' Barney is the president's Scottish terrier.
Stewart scoffed at suggestions that some people actually get their news from ''The Daily Show.''
''There's no way you could get the news from us,'' he said. ''I've seen the show. It couldn't happen.''
Michael J. Fox for Senate
If only. The beloved actor would win in a landslide (see Oprah/Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert story above).
Instead, Fox headlined a campaign fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill, but his message was broader than one Senate race.
Not that he's a newbie to campaigning, his foundation is thriving: http://www.michaeljfox.org/
''Contrary to what (former House Speaker) Tip O'Neil said, politics is not local,'' Fox told McCaskill supporters Thursday at a restaurant in this St. Louis suburb. ''What happens here does affect my three girls, my son, my wife and me, and the 100 million Americans living with a disease that could be helped by stem cell research.''
Ooh, the guy is getting personal. But that shouldn’t be a surprise.
The actor, who has Parkinson's disease, is a strong advocate of embryonic stem cell research. McCaskill has made support for the research a key part of her campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Jim Talent.
Talent opposes the research as unethical, saying it destroys human embryos.
Missouri voters will consider a ballot initiative in November that would ensure all federally allowed embryonic stem cell research could occur in Missouri. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, now the largest funder of Parkinson's research outside the federal government, supports the initiative.
Fox, who trembled as he spoke, said the disease has diminished some choices in his life. But ''if I take time to live with that loss, there's no vacuum. It's filled with opportunity.''
''I'd love to have a cure, but there's a lot of life in the fight,'' he said.
Columbo Hates His Clothes
October 06, 2006
Peter Falk who starred as the rumpled, crime-solving TV lieutenant in ''Columbo,'' says he was dissatisfied with the stylish clothes presented to him for the show's debut.
And this is new now? In October 2006?
Falk said he brought a shabby old raincoat from home and asked the show's wardrobe department to dye one of the suits a dull brown.
Seems creative strife on the show was not limited to Columbo’s wardrobe.
When told to go pick a car for Columbo on the studio lot, he found nothing to his liking.
''Then I saw it way in the back, just its nose -- an ugly Peugeot,'' Falk told The Saginaw News before a public appearance Tuesday. ''And it had the perfect touch ... a flat tire.''
God bless The Saginaw News for breaking this story.
Falk, 79, said he helped create the look as well as the mannerisms of the character that made him famous.
''I love the guy,'' Falk said. ''I was very lucky to have a character that rich, that I like personally so much. The whole thing was an actor's dream -- getting a character that tickles you so much you can't wait to act as him.''
Star Wars Will Never End on TV
The saga is like the smell of old cheese in the refrigerator for creator George Lucas. The odor is now a permanent part of his ‘fridge, life, and apparently ours, too.
Lucas said Wednesday he's making an animated TV series of Clone Wars that could air next year, although he hasn't sold the show to a network yet.
Oh, there is hope. Though don’t get us wrong. Most of us at BBCancelled are Generation-Star Wars. We have Darth Vader’s march on our cellphones. It’s just that the Star Wars has been pushed so far the beauty of your youthful reveries, even we think maybe it should stop.
No?
Curse of TV Scorned
A few months ago, Eva Longoria said that after “Desperate Housewives” she was finished -- FINISHED! -- with television.
Well, DH has returned the love. The set moved right out from underneath Ms. Longoria and injured her during filming of the show.
''Eva slipped on one of the stairs coming out of her trailer,'' her publicist, Liza Anderson, said Thursday. ''Nothing is broken, but her ribs are very bruised.''
The 31-year-old actress will not require any time off for the injury.
It was not the first time Longoria needed to be taken to the hospital from a 'Housewives' set. In August 2005 she was hit in the head by a piece of equipment and needed emergency attention. Then, too, she didn't miss any work.
Cherry Re-Vamps Desperate Housewives
October 05, 2006
We don’t just write about “Desperate Housewives” because we like the soapy show. We write about it so we can print creator Marc Cherry’s name.
Isn’t it the best drag queen name ever? And yet, it’s his real name.
Anyway, he’s got some interesting things to say about the new, third season of DH. He is confident that the Sunday-night show is in for better times after last year’s downer.
''Season one was a tidal wave. The success, the ratings, the attention, the workload. By the time I finished the season, I was intellectually, morally and spiritually spent _ not to mention physically,'' he told The Associated Press.
For a project intended to represent one person's voice, which runs counter to most of TV, the effect was inevitable.
Cherry, entering the second year already drained and hit with a studio request for extra episodes, was behind from the start. As he scrambled to revamp story lines written by others, he said, the show lost ''a large sense of its identity because I wasn't driving the train.''
But he argues that critics were overly harsh in their blanket condemnation.
''The biggest failure of season two was a lack of consistency. It's not like every episode sucked. ... I'm immensely proud of some of the stuff we did,'' he said.
Audience loyalty allowed ''Housewives'' to finish the season ranked No. 4 in the ratings despite its sophomore woes. A shockingly high rating compared to the grumbling of fans. But maybe grumbling fans are still fans -- so people should be happy they’re grumbling.
And when are best-named dude is done with the show?
He vows that he's done with TV. The next stop is Broadway.
''I'll take whatever money I've made, I'm going straight to theater and writing books for musicals,'' said Cherry, who started as a musical theater performer and counts ''Sweeney Todd,'' ''A Little Night Music,'' ''Gypsy'' and ''Wicked'' among his favorites.
''I feel like I really just started out learning how to write. I really know a lot about dramatic structure and how to paint characters. ... Now I would love the time to really dig deep and do something great.''
___
On the Net:
http://www.abc.com
TiVo Stock Market Stumble
October 04, 2006
Most folks think of TiVo as that box in their living room. But it’s a real company with dollars and scents (and sense?). TiVo is also a company whose stock price fell nearly 7 percent in after hours trading Tuesday when the digital video recording provider said an appellate court had given EchoStar Communications Corp. a reprieve in the pair's ongoing patent battle.
Oh the bullies of Silicon Valley.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted EchoStar's request for a stay on an injunction that would have banned the satellite TV provider from making or selling DVR products in the United States, TiVo said. As a result, the ban, which also would have forced EchoStar to disable machines already found in customers' homes, will be postponed, pending the outcome of EchoStar's appeal.
Basically, the fight is over who gets to make DVRs for the home. TiVo, or everyone else.
Springer Dances Night Away
Although we let a critic cry out on our very own website -- Make It Stop: Celeb Reality Shows – we’re going to give a shout-out to Jerry Springer for stepping into a new spotlight. Springer is jumping at the chance to appear on ''Dancing with the Stars.''
Springer says he’s been appearing on the ABC reality show to learn the waltz for his daughter's upcoming wedding.
Oh, yeah. We believe that.
He and partner Kym Johnson have so charmed viewers that they've avoided elimination for the last two weeks.
''This is the first time I've done TV being myself,'' Springer told The Cincinnati Enquirer. ''My TV show isn't really me or about me. I just introduce the guests and let them go at it.''
Springer acknowledged he's not a very good dancer. The judges ranked his tango second-worst last week, but viewers liked him far better. Half of the vote total comes from the public.
''Obviously, everyone is a better dancer than I am,'' Springer said.
Eureka Ends and Begins
October 03, 2006
October 3: Premieres and Finales. Really. As the weather (at least on the east coast) is Indian Summer warm, the fall television season is in full crazy swing with shows coming ON and OFF the air faster than we can say full-crazy-swing.
Tonight, “Friday Night Lights” premieres at 8pm on NBC. The movie was a hit, the book before that was a bigger hit. Will the TV show work? It’s anyone’s guess. But America LOVES football, so probably.
On The CW, “Veronica Mars” at 9pm. And on Univision, “Mundo de Fieras” at 9pm. (Somebody’s gots to be doing some Tivo-ing.)
But more importantly: the finales!
On Bravo, new cable star Scotty Brown bows out on the last episode of “Million Dollar Listing” at 9pm. And “Eureka” on Sci Fi wraps at 9, too. (More Tivo-ing needed.)
Thinking of “Eureka,” the good news for fans is that Sci Fi has ordered a new season, so the show lives. Watch for new episodes next year.
Not-So-Fresh Prince of New Jersey
"Bachelor" watchers beware. According to Radar, the reality show's new Roman Prince is really just a regular schlub form Short Hills, New Jersey.
Which doesn’t mean he’s not handsome, or a catch. Word is that he’s a cool dude.
But, don’t these reality shows do background checks? Imagine if our Bravo’s “Queer Eye” guys weren't really gay? Or the “Million Dollar Listing" brokers never passed their Real Estate tests?!
As if!
The online 'zine says that "Prince" Lorenzo Borghese who is courting the 25 desperate woman, not only doesn't hail from Rome where the show is filmed, but until he got the gig on the Bachelor probably never even visited Rome nor spoke a word of Italian.
It seems the Bachelor producers went as far as enrolling Borghese into a Berlitz course hoping he'd seem a bit more authentic. ABC denies knowledge of this.
The show also claims Borghese was born in Milan, raised in Connecticut and calls Rome his "second home." Radar says their background check revealed that Borghese has had no previous address other than the one in Short Hills, New Jersey.
As for the title of "Prince" - that part actually, oddly, seems to be true, as it is with just about every other schmuck in the Eternal City, although Italy hasn't recognized titles since 1947.
So what do his 25 potential brides think? Radar indicates they aren't bothered by the Princes less-than-accurate background. He's still a prince, which will make them -- even in Jersey – potential princesses.
To Russia, With Ratings Love
The Russkies are totally stealing our ideas.
Chill, Captain America, it isn't state secrets, it's "Perfect Strangers" and "Full House."
That's right, according to Reuters, Warner Brothers is aggressively looking at it's library of cancelled shows to remake them for foreign audiences.
The Russian redux of "Perfect Strangers' premiered a week ago on Russia's Ren TV. Good ol' "Cousin Larry" and "Balki" have been translated into "Ivan" and "Andrei" for Russian audiences. Andrei is an émigré from a former Soviet Republic, who moves in with his Russian cousin in Moscow -- cultures clash, hilarity ensues, standard TV fair.
Next up for the Moscow makeover: "Suddenly Susan." The show which starred Brooke Shields as a goofy San Francisco columnist seems to be the perfect innocuous fit for the Russians.
Oh, those whacky Moscovites! That show totally sucked.
Warner is shooting 40 episodes of "Susan" with CTC, a Russian broadcaster that has also committed to 40 episodes of "Step by Step" and 20 episodes of "Full House."
And we thought only America liked