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Home | TV

Tori Spelling Joins 90210 Cast

Tori Spelling is joining the cast of the new Beverly Hills 90210 spinoff. She'll join Jennie Garth in the show which will air on the CW. Alas, we've heard no plans to hire Shannon Doherty. We need our Brenda fix.

Posted on May 12, 2008
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The Stephen Colbert - Rain Dance Off

At last! Stephen Colbert finally gets his dance off with Rain. And it gets....intense. Take a look:



Posted on May 10, 2008
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Britney on the Comeback Trail

Photo of Britney Spears and Neil Patrick Harris


Britney and Neil Patrick Harris take a break from filming her second appearance as the receptionist Abby on How I Met Your Mother. She's looking good and reportedly was easy to work with. Could this really be her comeback? It's looking more and more likely.

(Photo: Courtesy CBS)

Posted on May 9, 2008
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Kathryn Heigl Wants Out of Grey's Contract

Photo of Kathryn HeiglGrey's Anatomy star Kathryn Heigl wants out of her contract so she can focus on her film career.
Just weeks after Grey's Anatomy returned with new episodes, sources are saying Katherine Heigl is itching to hang up her scrubs. She's working really long hours and is ready to move on,' a source close to the actress told Us Weekly.

Fifteen months ago, Heigl renegotiated her Grey's contract. The net result from that: Because the negotiations went public and she got the raise she wanted from the show, Heigl proved she wasn't about to become an of-the-moment primetime star. Additionally, Heigl has had tremendous big-screen success with her leading roles in Knocked Up and 27 Dresses.
Alas, it appears that the powers that be have no intention of letting her out of her contract. She'll just have to keep working on a hit tv show: what a tragedy.

Posted on May 8, 2008
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Brooke Shields on Hannah Montana

Brooke Shields discusses her role on Hannah Montana as Miley's mother. The story goes back in time to explain how Miley's parents met. Check out Billy Ray's out of control mullet:



Posted on May 3, 2008
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Rolling Stone Visits The Hills

Cover of Rolling Stone magazine


The cast of The Hills appears together on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, which seems like an incredibly odd choice for a cover story. The feature article talks about the show, its unbelievable popularity and the infamous Heidi/Lauren feud.
"People love feuds," says Spencer, taking a chomp of quesadilla. "Who were Paris and Nicole before they weren't friends? That's when they became superstars. If Lauren and Heidi were friends, people wouldn't tune in."

Every rivalry needs its black hat, however, and Heidi, through Spencer, has eagerly, and perhaps too ingeniously, complied. The pair now operate, sometimes to the dismay of MTV handlers, like a MySpace edition of Bonnie and Clyde — courting reporters, vacuuming paparazzi attention, and deflecting Hills hype to outside projects like Heidi's Heidiwood clothing line and her would-be music career, not to mention her new nose and breasts ("It was the right thing for my life," she says unabashedly). This winter, a homemade video Spencer shot of Heidi prancing on a beach to her dance single "Higher," groundbreaking only in its lack of self-awareness, quickly got more than 1 million Web hits. The pair engender eye-scorching animosity on the Internet, but in their minds, at least we're paying attention. "Good girls are so vanilla," Heidi says. Spencer is routinely referred to as "the most hated man on television" — but he wears the title like a badge ("Who is that person they always compare me to, on Dallas?" he asks).

"It's jealousy, man," Spencer says. "It's human. I'm jealous of Jay-Z, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch. I feel for these people who wish they could be on reality television and not in their cubicles. You got to thank your haters."

"You have to understand, we have so many fans," Heidi says. "The haters are the ones who ask us for photos. The haters are the ones who are downloading songs." She looks out at the restaurant, which is packed. Don Antonio's has always been a popular joint, but since she and Spencer started eating here on The Hills, it's getting crazy, she says. "The world works on haters now."
Heidi and Spencer are everywhere. They even attended the White House Press Correspondents' Dinner for some unfathomable reason.

Posted on April 29, 2008
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Britney Spears to Guest Star on How I Met Your Mother

Britney Spears will appear on the How I Met Your Mother sitcom on Monday night. Here are a couple sneak peaks from the show.





Posted on March 23, 2008
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Beverly Hills, 90210 Spinoff In the Works

Photo of original cast of Beverly Hills 90210They're Back! A sequel to Beverly Hills, 90210 has been greenlit and will be headed to a television near you in the near future.
he CW network is developing a contemporary spinoff of Aaron Spelling's seminal 1990s teen soap "Beverly Hills, 90210," sources said. Details on the project -- including which if any of the characters on the original series will make the transition to the spinoff -- remain sketchy. The spinoff, which is close to getting a writer, has been put on the fast track by the network. It is expected to decide whether to order a pilot by the end of the month. According to sources, "Beverly Hills, 90210" creator Darren Star is not involved. This would be the second spinoff from the series about privileged teens living in Beverly Hills, which aired on Fox from 1990-2000. The first one, the Star-created "Melrose Place," had a successful seven-year run on Fox. It didn't feature any major characters from "Beverly Hills."
We have to know: will any of the original cast be in it? Maybe as alcoholic, drug-addicted, dysfunctional parents? Because we would love to see Shannen Doherty back in the zip code that made her a star.

Posted on March 13, 2008
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Dr. Phil Apologizes -- Sort Of

In the wake of the tsunami of bad news that Dr. Phil has been getting, he talked to USA Today about his actions regarding Britney Spears. Now he says he was wrong to make a statement to the press about Britney's condition. But he's hardly contrite. He says he said that before he talked to her, as well. Like that helps.
"Was it helpful to the situation? Regrettably, no. It was not, and I have to acknowledge that and I do," the talk show host told his audience Thursday during taping of a Dr. Phil episode that will run Monday. "I definitely think if I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't make any statement at all. Period."

At the request of Spears' parents, McGraw says, he visited the pop star as "a friend and ally of the family," not as a psychologist. He stopped practicing years ago and is not licensed in California.

*****

He hoped for a "gentle and relaxed dialogue that might be of value" in helping Britney find medical professionals should she seek help. He would not discuss details of the conversation or respond to some reports that the 26-year-old singer did not take well to the visit.

McGraw says he issued the statement to ET because he knew the media would see him and he wanted to explain why he was there. He disputes those who say he inappropriately discussed her condition in the statement, which referred to Spears being "in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention." "I said that before I ever met her," he says.
When asked if he could do it again, would he still go see her, he replied "How do you not?" because her parents asked him to do it. But he wouldn't have issued a statement about it. Live and learn, Dr. Phil.

Posted on January 18, 2008
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Spears Family Blasts Dr. Phil

The Spears family has blasted Dr. Phil for his unprofessional behavior concerning Britney's latest breakdown.
Lou Taylor, the family's spokeswoman and a former business manager of Lynne and Jamie Lynn, appeared on The Today Show Wednesday to make the family's anger and disappointment over the betrayal known, as well as to clear up what part exactly they would have played in the scrapped Dr. Phil Now special—namely, none. "What's wrong with Dr. Phil's statement is that he made a statement," Taylor said, referring to the pop psychologist's public diagnosis that Spears was "in dire need of medical and psychological intervention."

"The family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements. Any statements publicly that he made, because he was brought in under this cloak of trust, are just inappropriate. We feel like, to set the record straight, we need to say that." In previous statements made during his weekend media blitz, McGraw said he paid Spears a visit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Saturday morning, appearing just as she was being discharged, only at the request of the Spears family, whom he said contacted him for guidance roughly a year ago.

As for the highly touted special, Taylor did acknowledge that McGraw approached the Spears clan with his plan of an hourlong special devoted to the troubled singer, "but it was decided it would be detrimental for anybody to ever do that." "They were not going to do a show...he was not invited to make this a public display or part of the media."

On a personal note, Taylor said she felt the request itself was a sort of betrayal and that it was "inappropriate for him to even be self-serving in bringing something like that up, because that would not be a vector in getting Britney help." She also said McGraw's loose lips and handling of the aftermath of his brief visit has likely "compromised" the relationship between Britney and her mother and sister.
Dr. Phil has created a PR disaster for himself. He looks unprofessional and totally self-serving. Apparently his newfound fame has destroyed his good judgment.

Posted on January 9, 2008
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Daniel Dae Kim Arrested For DUI

Mug shot of Daniel Dae KimActor Daniel Dae Kim has fallen victim to the Lost curse. He was arrested for DUI in Hawaii, just like Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros before him.
Daniel Dae Kim, who stars as Jin-Soo Kwon on ABC's hit TV series "Lost," was arrested early this morning on suspicion of drunken driving. Details of his DUI arrest haven't been released yet, but police said he was arrested around 3 a.m. He was booked at the Honolulu Police station downtown, posted bail and was released at 5:05 a.m.

Kim didn't say anything as he left the station. He was escorted by two police officers to a silver SUV that was waiting for him just outside the police station's receiving area. Wearing a polo shirt, khaki shorts and his hair grown out, Kim kept his head down as he brushed past media, stepping into the front passenger's side of the SUV, which quickly whisked him away.
What in the world is happening on the set of Lost? Why is everyone in the cast always driving around at three in the morning, wasted out of their minds? It really is a curse. Even ("Mr. Eko") got arrested as charged with driving without a license. He was able to provide proof of a valid license, though, so the charges were dropped. Still, if we were on the cast of Lost, we'd hire a driver the whole time we were on the island.

Posted on October 25, 2007
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Heidi Klum Overshares on Oprah

Photo of Heidi Klum and Seal on the Oprah Winfrey Show Heidi Klum and Seal visited with Oprah and Heidi told the story of how she first fell for Seal and his impressive assets. The interview will air Thursday, October 24, 2007, and is part of her Superstar Couples episode.
"I met him in a hotel lobby in New York City and he came in just from the gym and I was sitting there and I was, like, wow." Wow, as in Seal was wearing bicycle shorts. "And I pretty much saw everything," says Klum. "The whole package."

From that moment on, the passion never died. The couple, in a rare joint television interview, say on The Oprah Winfrey Show that they've worked to keep those early feelings alive. "The most common hiccup," says Seal, is when the first child comes along. "And it turns into all about the kids, which is understandable because they're miraculous. But then you've got to put each other first. You know, she will always be number one for me."

"Is it true?" asks Winfrey. "I have the most romantic husband," says Klum. "I do."
Wow, indeed. That was definitely Too Much Information. How about "He looked so cute in his bike shorts"? Or, "I could tell he had a great personality," or even "I've always loved his music." And they say romance is dead.

Hopefully Heidi will keep her mind on fashion because we can't wait until Project Runway premieres!

Posted on October 24, 2007
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Ciara Shows Tyra the Booty Dance

We love Tyra, especially when she brings the crazy. Here's a clip of Tyra getting jiggy with Ciara. Ciara teaches Tyra her famous booty move from her video. They're both in skirts and stilettos, crawling around on the stage floor while yelling "No booty shots!" to the cameraman.



Posted on October 15, 2007
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How to Get An American Accent

The British Invasion is in full swing. Hugh Laurie plays American Dr. Gregory House and Michelle Ryan -- the new Bionic Woman -- is actually British. So, how do all these British actors learn to do an American accent good enough to fool Americans? See the video as one Brit tries to shake the sound of London and pass as a native.



Posted on September 24, 2007
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Marcia, Marcia, Marcia...Is That Really You?

Jan and Marcia on The Brady BunchWe had already come to terms with the fact that Eve McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch, was writing a memoir which would reveal her wicked past which was full of eating disorders, drugs and sleeping around. Well it gets even more naughty. Maureen reveals her lesbian affair with Eve Plum, who played her sister Jan on the show.
Maureen McCormick details her lesbian experiences with Jan (Eve Plumb) in her tell-all book which hits shelves in 2008.

A source told The National Enquirer, "The most explosive comments will be how the then-blonde, blue-eyed cutie developed a crush on Eve Plumb, which led to some sexual play. This book will certainly come as a shocker. While Maureen is not a lesbian, she reveals there were some sexual hijinks going on behind the scenes. It's bizarre because she played such a virginal character on the show."
Good grief -- Marcia and Jan, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Why in the world did Maureen wait this long to write this book? Girlfriend could have jump started her career years ago with this bombshell.

Posted on September 21, 2007
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Justin Talks To Oprah

Photo of Justin Timberlake on Oprah Winfrey ShowJustin Timberlake sits down with Oprah Winfrey today to have a chat. Here's a preview of what he says about Britney:
Oprah: What do you think is going on with Britney?

Justin: I don't know, to be honest with you. I haven't spoken to her in years. I mean, there's no ill will-I have nothing but love for her. It's funny because we dated each other at a time...wow, I haven't talked about this in a long time. It's interesting.

Oprah: But you've never talked about it to me, so it's okay.

Justin: Hey, let's get it in, girl.

Oprah: Let's get it in.

Justin: We were teenagers, you know?

Oprah: Yes, famous teenagers.

Justin: I think that's basically the best way to describe what happened to us. I think she's a great person, and I don't know her as well as I did ... What I do know about her is she has a huge heart, and she is a great person.
Justin is taking the high road -- well, good for him. It's interesting that he says he hasn't talked to her in years. We thought there was an attempt at some kind of collaboration to help her career. We'll be tuning in today to find out, that's for sure.

Posted on September 19, 2007
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Writers Write, Inc. Launches Fantasy and Science Fiction Blog

Writers Write, Inc. has added a new blog to its blog network called FantasySFBlog.com. Fantasy/SF Blog is a daily blog covering what's new and interesting in the worlds of fantasy, SF, and horror, including books, movies, TV and gaming.

Recent posts include:

  • Lost: The Orchid Orientation Video
  • Is Peter Jackson Back on Board for The Hobbit?
  • Finalists Announced For British Fantasy Awards
  • Saw IV Coming in October
  • Will Tom Cruise Join the Star Trek Cast?
  • The Dresden Files Is Cancelled
  • ABC Offers Masters of Science Fiction
  • The Beowulf Trailer is Here
  • Johnny Depp Is Barnabas Collins

    RSS subscription informaton for the Fantasy/SF Blog can be found here.

    Posted on August 15, 2007
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    Tammy Faye Bakker Messner Dies at 65

    Photo of Tammy Faye MessnerTammy Faye Bakker Messner died this past Friday at the age of 65. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1996 and seemed to win her battle with cancer. But it came back and spread; she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004. Her cancer was inoperable and she lost weight until she weighed only 65 pounds (she was 4' 11"). Her final interview was on Larry King Live last Thursday. In the interview she showed her indomitable spirit and her love for others.
    Joe Spotts, her longtime manager, told The Washington Post last night that she had been cremated and buried in a "remote location."

    He said she wanted to do the interview "because she knew the end was near and wanted to talk to the people and be with the people one more time." She "held on just for that," he said.

    In the interview, she told King that "I talk to God every day. And I say, 'God, my life is in your hands and I trust you with me.' "
    She was really funny on The Surreal Life, in which she lived in a house with Vanilla Ice, Erik Estrada, Ron Jeremy and various other random celebrities. She was especially loved by the gay community, being one of the only evangelical leaders who embraced gays and fought for gay civil rights. She once said that listening to Jerry Falwell talk made her head hurt, although she said she forgave him for hurting her after the PTL scandal. Farewell, Tammy Faye -- you will be missed!

    Posted on July 23, 2007
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    SpongeBob in Dubai



    Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants recently visited Dubai to take in Dubai's architectural attractions including the Burj Al Arab hotel. Nickelodeon and United Arab Emirate's based Al Ahli Group announced that SpongeBob along with other Nickelodeon properties will be the newest additions to the giant Al Ahli park development currently underway in Dubai and set to open in 2011. Over 60 million people watch SpongeBob each month and this likely includes some Dubai residents. Dubai is also building other things including a Dubia Space Port and Ski Dubai, an indoor ski slope.

    Posted on May 17, 2007
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    It's a Dancing 90210 Reunion

    Photo of Tori Spelling, Jenny Garth and Jason Priestly at Dancing With the StarsDancing With the Stars contestant and former Beverly Hills 90210 star Ian Ziering was happy to see his old castmates show up to support him in his bid to be a dancing champ. Former 90210 co-stars Jason Priestly, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling loudly applaud Ian's every move during the April 30th competition.

    But where is Shannon Doherty? Does she have no sense of 90210 loyalty? Or did Tori refuse to show if Shannon did? Now that we think about it, Shannon herself would make a great Dancing With the Stars competitor.

    Posted on May 2, 2007
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    Daily Show and Colbert Viewers are the Most Informed

    A new Pew study concludes that the most well-informed Americans watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
    A new survey of 1,502 adults released Sunday by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that despite the mass appeal of the Internet and cable news since a previous poll in 1989, Americans' knowledge of national affairs has slipped a little. For example, only 69% know that Dick Cheney is vice president, while 74% could identify Dan Quayle in that post in 1989.

    Other details are equally eye-opening. Pew judged the levels of knowledgeability (correct answers) among those surveyed and found that those who scored the highest were regular watchers of Comedy Central's The Daily Show and Colbert Report. They tied with regular readers of major newspapers in the top spot -- with 54% of them getting 2 out of 3 questions correct. Watchers of the Lehrer News Hour on PBS followed just behind.

    Virtually bringing up the rear were regular watchers of Fox News. Only 1 in 3 could answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly. Fox topped only network morning show viewers. Told that Shia was one group of Muslims struggling in Iraq, only 32% of the total sample could name "Sunni" as the other key group.
    The study also found that 9 in 10 people surveyed had heard about President Bush's troop surge in Iraq.

    Posted on April 16, 2007
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    Wear Your Remote on Your Head

    Remote WranglerAmerican Inventor Spot reveals an unusual way to reduce the amount of time you spend looking for that lost remote. You simply wear them on your head with a contraption called the Remote Wrangler that uses velcro to let you stick the remotes to your head. It should be easy to find your remote if it is stuck on your own head.
    The Multimedia Remote Control Wrangler (aka Remote Wrangler) has taken a novel approach to remote control storage that will be sure to take the world by storm, head first. It will certainly win the hearts (and heads) of those frustrated consumers who have had enough and are ready to regain control over their lives and remote controls. No more digging under seat cushions through Cheetos and Fig Newton crumbs searching for the remote you had just 5 minutes ago. All your controls are now only a head scratch away.

    If you can get past the slightly unusual concept of storing devices on your noggin, you may grow to appreciate the ease of using the Remote Wrangler. Keeping comfort and accessibility as the main focus, remote controls (and practically any small handheld device) can easily be attached (and detached) with a Velcro-like material. Made from a stretchable fabric, the headpiece comfortably conforms to the face and feels like a second skin, minus the acne. As an added benefit, a surprisingly quiet and effective battery powered and remote controlled temporal massager is built into the headpiece
    What would Dr. Robert Adler have thought about the remote wrangler? A key wrangler and wallet wrangler might be useful as well. If everything is stuck to your head you will never lose it. (via Sci Fi Tech)

    Posted on February 28, 2007
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    Time Warner Marketing Campaign Creates Bomb Panic in Boston

    MoononitesIn a unwise and poorly planned publicity stunt Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner, placed small electrical devices containing batteries and blinking lights in various locations around the city of Boston. The devices featured one of the mooninite creatures from the Aqua Teen Hunger Force cartoon. The mooninite seen on the devices found in Boston even has his middle finger extended as if he is sending a very rude message to Boston metropolitan area and its 2.8 million residents. Reuters reports that the small devices were initially perceived as bombs. The Boston police force was sent into action.
    The day-long scare began when a suspicious package was found on a steel beam under a bridge in the morning. Police stopped traffic on a major interstate highway north of Boston, cordoned off the area, deployed a bomb squad and blew it up.
    One mooninite threat destroyed -- but it would not be the last.
    By afternoon, at least eight other similar suspicious packages were discovered, each triggering a security alert involving emergency crews, federal agents, bomb squads, police and the U.S. Coast Guard.
    Turner Broadcasting issued an apology and said they had given law enforcement officials the location of the mooninite magnetic lights in advance.
    "The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner Broadcasting System Inc., a unit of Time Warner Inc., said in statement.

    It said the devices were part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 American cities for an animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" produced by its Adult Swim brand. They had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

    "We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," said Turner, adding that it had contacted law enforcement officials to give them the precise locations of the packages.
    If Turner Broadcasting really did contact law enforcement as they claim their message must not have gotten out because the city of Boston went into full alert to find and remove the threat and protect the city.
    The discoveries in Boston triggered the biggest city-wide security alert since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

    It forced the U.S. Coast Guard to close the Charles River that feeds from the Atlantic Ocean into the city and caused authorities to shut down major bridges linking Boston with neighboring Cambridge along with several roads.

    "This has taken a significant toll on our resources," Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis told reporters.
    Boston has every right to be angry at Time Warner for this stunt. Everyone knows that putting devices containing wires or batteries in strange spots all over town is going to raise an alert in this day and age. Turner Broadcasting's publicity team must not have noticed the bomb scare Mission Impossible III generated last year when small plastic boxes with wires poking out of them were placed in newspaper racks to promote the movie.

    Update 2-1-07: Some Mooninite marketing prank videos can be found on VideoNacho.com.

    Posted on January 31, 2007
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    K-Fed Superbowl Ad Infuiates Restaurant Industry

    Kevin Federline's new ad which will run during the Superbowl has absolutely infuriated the fast food industry, which claims that the ad makes fun of people who flip burgers for a living.
    A restaurant trade organization has expressed "serious concerns" about an upcoming Super Bowl ad featuring Britney Spears' estranged spouse going from the recording booth to the fast-food counter. The 30-second ad for Nationwide insurance is scheduled to air during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4.

    In a letter to Nationwide, Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association, charged that the ad "give[s] the impression that working in a restaurant is a demeaning and unpleasant," and stands as a "direct insult to the 12.8 million Americans who work in the restaurant industry."

    Nothing personal against Mr. "Popozao," mind you. "It's not about Kevin Federline," Chrissy Shott, spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association, said Wednesday. "...It's about the ad." Though the association hasn't seen the as-yet unaired ad, it believes, based on reports, that its depiction of Federline joining the fast-food employment ranks is something less than inspirational.

    "It gives the impression that it's demeaning," Shott said. The Anderson letter, dated Monday, expresses the hope that Nationwide won't air the ad, and warns if the company does it'll alert its members--"many of whom are customers of Nationwide." According to Nationwide, the restaurant group can't see the Happy Meal for the fries. "The intent of the ad isn't to offend or insult the many fine individuals who work in the restaurant industry," Nationwide spokesman Eric Hardgrove said in a statement to Reuters. "The focus of the ad is the element of surprise, not the setting of a fast-food restaurant." The ad is part of Nationwide's "Life Comes at You Fast" campaign.
    Life certainly came at K-Fed fast. One minute he's Mr. Britney Spears living in a Malibu mansion and partying in Vegas every weekend and the next minute he's broke. Although he might have a promising future in the fast food service industry if he apologizes profusely for making the ad.

    Posted on January 24, 2007
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    Billboard Awards Go On Without Britney or Paris

    Photo of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton The Billboard Awards took the adage "the show must go on" to heart: tonight's show literally had no hosts at all. Britney Spears and Paris Hilton were supposed to host, but both backed out at the last minute, infuriating producers. But Mary J. Blige didn't care. She won big.
    An R&B veteran and a young upstart won big Monday night at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards. A 17-year-old lothario, Chris Brown, took home new artist of the year, male of artist of the year and artist of the year awards. Newcomers Rihanna and idol-turned-country star Carrie Underwood also walked away with high honors at the two-hour show aired live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But it was a seasoned artist that took home the most honors. R&B diva Mary J. Blige's comeback album, "The Breakthrough," delivered nine awards to the 35-year-old singer, including R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the year, female R&B artist of the year and R&B/Hip-Hop album of the year.

    The album debuted at the top of the Billboard charts in December 2005 and has sold 2.6 million copies since. Blige, in white go-go boots and a sparkly mini-dress, rocked the full house by belting out a medley of her "Enough Crying" and "Take me as I am." It was an 18-year-old from Barbados that edged out Blige and Beyonce for the top songstress honor. "I really can't feel my legs, this is phenomenal," said Rihanna as she accepted the award for best female artist of the year award. "That was a really tough category."

    Janet Jackson opened the show with a nod to the old and the new. Sporting a short bob haircut and a belly-baring white turtleneck sweater that offered no chance of wardrobe malfunction, Jackson performed her 1980s classic, "The Pleasure Principle," mixed into "So Excited," a single from her 2006 comeback album, 20 Y.O.

    *****

    The telecast did not, however, feature Tinseltown's duo du jour - heiress Paris Hilton and mom-gone-wild Britney Spears. After their recent binge of late-night partying, it was reported that the new best friends would be co-hosting the show. But neither appeared and the show went on without a host, a lineup of presenters filling in to move things along.
    Paris' rep said that she backed out at the last minute because the script was offensive, because it insulted all of her friends. Britney gave no reason for her departure from the show, but it's really odd. Maybe she was worried the writers couldn't resist throwing in a line about her aversion to wearing underwear. Still, how could a girl that flashes her bits in public four times in one week possibly be embarassed by anything? And as for Paris, well, who knows why she really backed out. Maybe they wouldn't let her sing. That has to be it.

    (Photo courtesy Splash News.)

    Posted on December 4, 2006
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    Conan O'Brien to Host Emmys

    Photo of Conan O'BrienConan O'Brien has been selected as host of the the Emmys, which will air on NBC, Sunday, August 27 at 8 pm Eastern time.
    The announcement was made jointly today by Dick Askin, Chairman and CEO, Television Academy and Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment. "Conan was a natural choice," said Reilly. "His comedic talent and hosting expertise coupled with his charm and spontaneity will make for a great show."

    "We are excited about creating a dynamic and innovative Emmy telecast with our imaginative, award-winning executive producers Ken Ehrlich and Jeff Ross," added Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President, Late Night and Primetime Series, NBC Entertainment. "And Conan has proven to be a perfect Emmy host -- he loves TV and is very funny and unpredictable."

    "Conan did a tremendous job when he hosted the Emmys back in 2002 and we are thrilled that he's returning," said Askin. "His style of comedy and humor is sure to make this telecast a memorable one and we are thrilled to working with him again."
    We like Conan -- we know he'll do a great job.

    Posted on August 17, 2006
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    CBS' Eggstraordinary Ad Campaign

    Photo of CBS egg adsProving that someone at CBS is a few yolks shy of an omelet, the CBS ad department has decided to run a big campaign for its fall tv lineup on eggs. Yes, that's right: those white things you crack open and scramble in a pan have now become the lastest organic billboard.
    CBS is enlisting eggs in its scramble to attract viewers. The CBS logo and slogans promoting the TV network and its series will appear along with coded expiration dates on eggs sold by grocers — just another promotional measure in the competitive world of television. More than 35 million eggs will be marked with phrases such as "CSI: Crack the Case on CBS" and "The Class, New Grade-A CBS Comedy" as part of a deal between the CBS Marketing Group and EggFusion, an egg-coding company. The campaign will begin in September, when the fall TV season begins, CBS said Saturday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

    However, CBS isn't putting all its eggs in one marketing basket. The campaign is part of what the network is calling its "Outernet strategy," an effort to reach viewers "outside their homes as they go about their daily lives," the network said in a statement. EggFusion, based in Deerfield, Ill., will use laser technology to create the expiration dates and "On-Egg Messaging," the release said.

    Other networks have tried offbeat ways to attract viewers, such as putting messages about shows in public restrooms or, for ABC's "Desperate Housewives," using dry-cleaning bags to promote the series.
    What eggaxctly is CBS thinking here? Apparently, CBS totally committed to its "Outernet Strategy" -- no Internet, Internets or Interweb advertising for them. So, what's next? iPod ads stamped onto oranges? Tiny MP3 players embedded in your Starbucks cup that feature Bono yelling "Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce!!!"? Airborne holograms that follow us around screaming ads at us? The Outernet is clearly no longer safe.

    Posted on July 17, 2006
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    Writers Write, Inc Launches WatchersWatch.com

    We love to watch! TV, Film and video, that is. We're happy to announce the launch of WatchersWatch.com, our new blog about what's hot in movies, television and videos.

    What's hot this week at WatchersWatch? Why it's the Da Vinci Code, of course. Dan Brown's international bestseller opened in wide release Friday, May 19, 2006 and has already made $224 million worldwide in its first weekend, making it the second biggest opening weekend of all time.

    You can find our Da Vinci Code review roundup, the scoop on the new fall TV shows and much more at: http://www.watcherswatch.com

    Posted on May 21, 2006
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    J.J. Abrams To Direct New Star Trek Film

    J.J. Abrams has agreed to direct a new Star Trek movie, which is nothing but good news as far as we're concerned.
    "Mission: Impossible III" director J.J. Abrams is going from Cruise control to warp speed. A couple of weeks before the arrival of Tom Cruise and `M:I3,' Abrams has committed to produce the 11th "Star Trek" feature film and there are plans for him to direct as well, Paramount Pictures announced Friday. Abrams also will write the script with his "Mission Impossible III" co-writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Paramount spokeswoman Nancy Kirkpatrick said.

    The studio is hoping to release the new "Star Trek" film in 2008. No plot for the movie has been nailed down and no one has been cast for the film. The "Star Trek" franchise covers several centuries of a future in which humans make their way in a universe populated by a bewildering variety of aliens, from the ultra-logical Vulcans to the merciless, hive-like Borg. The starship Enterprise in various incarnations was the focus of the original series and many of the movies. Two "Star Trek" TV series followed the exploits aboard a space station called Deep Space Nine and a marooned spaceship, Voyager.

    Abrams created the hit ABC series "Lost" and Paramount hopes that "Lost" producers Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk will produce the movie, Kirkpatrick said. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy portrayed Kirk and Spock in the original "Star Trek" TV show in the 1960s and in numerous movies but "they have not yet been approached," Kirkpatrick said. Shatner, 75, currently stars in the hit series "Boston Legal" winning an Emmy for his role as an egotistical attorney.
    So, let the casting ideas begin...

    Posted on April 24, 2006
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    Mormons Have No Love for Big Love

    HBO just loves to get a rise out of people. The same people that brought you The Sopranos and Sex and the City aired the first episode of Big Love, a drama about the difficulties of being a polygamist. The show stars Bill Paxton. His three wives are played by Ginnifer Goodwin, Chloe Sevigny and Jeanne Tripplehorn. The stresses of three wives cause Paxton's character to turn to Viagra to fulfill his husbandly responsibilities. Needless to say, the Mormons aren't too happy about the show.
    Big Love, the latest series from the cable channel HBO, aims to inject prime time territory with human drama, conflict and plenty of sex, incurring the wrath of the Mormon Church in the process. The series features Bill Paxton, who played a scientist in the 1996 film Twister, as a businessman with seven children by three wives who live in adjoining houses in suburban Salt Lake City. The consenting "sister wives" share a garden and devise a rota for who gets to sleep with their husband on which night. But tensions build when the husband spends the night with the wrong wife.

    Then, because of his father's illness, he has to return to the breakaway polygamist sect he abandoned as a teenager. The series of hour-long episodes, produced by Tom Hanks, contains references to the Mormons - officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church no longer condones polygamy, although an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 Americans in Utah and Arizona still engage in plural marriage. HBO has sought to make clear that its drama is not intended to depict reality, prefacing the first episode with a disclaimer saying the Mormon Church outlawed polygamy in 1890.

    Its creators say that although the show has humour, it is designed to be earnest and reflective rather than mocking.
    Mocking? That's absurd. This sounds like a very serious, important show that we might have to devote some serious study to. Chloe Sevigny? Why does that name make us think of bunnies? Maybe brown bunnies? Something like that.

    Posted on March 13, 2006
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    Tia Carrere to Dance With the Stars

    Tia CarrereABC has announced the new contestants for the second season of Dancing With the Stars, which premieres on January 5th, 2006 at 8:00 pm ET. Here's the list:

    Wayne's World star Tia Carrere
    Journalist Giselle Fernandez
    George Hamilton
    WWE's Stacy Keibler
    ESPN's Kenny Mayne
    Super Bowl champ Jerry Rice
    Rapper Romeo
    Oscar winner Tatum O'Neal
    Soap Talk's Lisa Rinna
    98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey

    OK, Tia Carrere was not just the star of Wayne's World. She also played university professor by day, adventurer by night Sydney Fox in the TV show, Relic Hunter, which -- alas -- prematurely cancelled by an uncaring network. She just had a baby in September, and is clearly on the comeback trail. Oh dear, did we just give away who we'll be rooting for? Because it sure won't be Lisa Rinna.

    Posted on December 9, 2005
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    Lewis Black Visits the Weather Channel

    Lewis Black on the Weather ChannelNow there's something you don't see every day: Daily Show comedian Lewis Black visited The Weather Channel, to discuss his views about the weather.In one segment Black had a heated discussion with The Weather Channel's Dave Schwartz in which Black informed Schwartz that meteorologists have the easiest job in the world -- and that if he had known how easy it was, he would have gone to weather school instead of theater school. Black also had several discussions about global warming (which he says is a serious, real problem) and even tried his hand at forecasting by reading the big weather maps.

    You can see the (very funny) clips of Lewis' visit to The Weather Channel here.

    Posted on November 11, 2005
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    Star Wars Expands to Live Action TV

    Clone Wars DVDThe Star Wars universe continues to expand. Revenge of the Sith is being released on DVD, and Lucasfilm has just opened a digital animation studio in Singapore. Lucas is also expanding its popular Clone Wars cartoons which air on Comedy Central.
    Lucasfilm's Star Wars spin-off TV series Clone Wars is the studio's first project. This is an extension of an existing Cartoon Network show, whose five-minute episodes will now be extended to half-hour programmes following the battles led by Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and other Jedi knights against the Army of the Republic (which feature in the cinema franchise at the end of Episode II: Attack of the Clones). It is planned that the series will be completed next year.

    Lucasfilm is also working on a live-action TV series joining the dots between the end of Revenge of the Sith and the first Star Wars film, with George Lucas expected to direct.

    George Lucas himself did not attend the studio's grand opening, but invited guests were greeted instead with a traditionally auspicious lion dance, a feng shui master's blessing and the unveiling of a rather less traditional Yoda statue at the studio's entrance.
    Live action Star Wars TV show directed by Lucas, eh? That should certainly be interesting.

    Posted on October 27, 2005
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    War is Not Smurfy

    War and SmurfsA Belgian UN advertising campaign to illustrate the ravages of war shows the Smurf's village being bombed. Smurf homes are destroyed and Smurfette is killed. The BBC describes the attack on the Smurfs.
    The 20-second clip opens with the Smurfs happily dancing and singing their theme song accompanied by birds and butterflies.

    But then planes appear which drop bombs on the idyllic scene, setting fire to the blue-skinned characters' houses.

    One character, Smurfette, is killed and others run for cover while a baby is left crying in the middle.

    The ad finishes with the message: "Don't let war affect the lives of children."
    Poor Smurfette -- she was the only female smurf as far as we can remember. It sounds like an effective ad campaign.

    Posted on October 16, 2005
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    Be a Character in The O.C.

    Fans of the TV show The O.C. will soon be able to get simulations of the O.C. world and lifestyle on their handhelds.
    According to The Hollywood Reporter, publisher Gameloft will announce its multiyear licence for the mobile games today. The company has been responsible for creating mobile games such as War of the Worlds and a game based on Peter Jackson's upcoming remake of King Kong.

    Gameloft president Michel Guillemot has stated that the first game, scheduled for release next year, promises to allow players to take the role of one of the show's four main characters or to create a new one of their own to make it in the OC community.

    Gameplay will be akin to The Sims, with players aiming to make their characters fit in the OC world, date the right people and move in the rights social circles.


    Posted on September 27, 2005
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    Martha Stewart and the Desperate Housewife

    She's back! Martha Stewart has done her time and is back on TV, with not one but two new shows. Martha debuted her new daytime show yesterday. She rolled out a new persona: more self-deprecating, funnier. She joked about her ankle bracelet and entertained Marcia Cross, who plays crazed homemaker Bree Van De Kamp on Desperate Housewives. Marcia is no Bree, it turns out. She's severely domestically challenged; she had to be taught how to scramble eggs properly and how to fold a t-shirt the right way. She doesn't cook or bake at all.

    And speaking of Desperate Housewives, the rumor is that Bree's husband Rex really is dead. And that makes us very, very angry.

    Posted on September 13, 2005
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    The Apprentice Heads to China

    How do you say "You're Fired!" in Chinese? We're about to find out, because The Donald and his hit show The Apprentice are heading to China.
    Communist mainland China will soon have its own version of "The Apprentice" — Donald Trump's reality TV tribute to capitalism. Trump will be the executive producer of the Chinese show, which will be hosted by Beijing property mogul Pan Shiyi, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported Sunday.

    The newspaper said China's version would closely follow the U.S. original, in which contestants compete for a job with Trump. Details of the deal are under negotiation.

    The show will run in direct competition with "Wise Man Takes All" — which was inspired by "The Apprentice" and backed by Trump's business partner, Vincent Lo Hong-sui. That show offers a cash prize of about $123,400.
    So, Trump will produce but won't actually star in the Chinese version? Now that's disappointing. We want to see Donald navigating the cultural minefield of U.S.-Chinese relations. Let's hope that "Beijing property mogul Pan Shiyi" has some really groovy hair.

    Posted on August 22, 2005
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    Time For a Dance-Off!

    After the ridiculously rigged ending to Dancing With the Stars, John O'Hurley has been granted a do-over. On September 20th John O'Hurley and Kelley Monaco (and their respective dance partners) will face each other in a kind of Sudden Death Overtime of Dance. The results will be aired on September 22nd (both shows are on ABC). But here's the kicker: no judges will vote, only the viewer audience, says People magazine:
    General Hospital actress Monaco, 29, and her professional dancing partner beat out O'Hurley (who played catalogue king J. Peterman on Seinfeld) on the hit ballroom dancing competition show on July 6.

    The victory was viewed by many as an upset over the popular O'Hurley and prompted skepticism over whether Monaco had been favored because she worked on another ABC program. The network has denied the claims, and Monaco publicly defended her victory.

    "That was insulting. I worked my butt off," she told PEOPLE earlier this month. When asked by reporters if she was up for a rematch, Monaco said, "Bring it on. You want a dance-off, come on up here. I'll give you a dance-off."

    As the contest unfolded on the show Monaco was often criticized for her performance, yet she managed to avoid being voted out each week – even drawing perfect scores late in the competition. For the rematch, each pairing will perform Latin, ballroom and freestyle dances. Unlike the original series, however, they will be judged by viewer votes only, rather than by a combination of scoring by the public and judges alike.
    Oh, please! Like this one won't be rigged, too! Of course that won't keep us from tuning in, of course.

    Posted on August 19, 2005
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    Paula Abdul Cleared of Dastardly Allegations of Impropriety

    Variety reports that Paula Abdul has been absolved of all wrongdoing and will keep her job as a judge on American Idol.
    According to a statement issued by Fox and the producers of the reality hit, an outside law firm has concluded that Corey Clark's claims of a sexual relationship with Abdul "have not been substantiated by any corroborating evidence of witnesses."

    Abdul admitted she had phone conversations with Clark while he was a contestant, but the independent counsel concluded there was "insufficient evidence that the communications between Mr. Clark and Ms. Abdul in any way aided his performance. Further, we are confident that none of these communications had any impact on the outcome of the competition." Bottom line? "Paula Abdul, therefore, can continue as a judge on 'American Idol,' " the statement by the net and producers 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia said.

    Fox and the producers said they will implement "an enhanced non-fraternization policy aimed at preventing any future incidents that could even appear to call into question the relationships between contestants and judges or any other individuals working" on the show.

    "I'm grateful this ordeal is over, and I'm so looking forward to getting back to the job I love," Abdul said, in a statement.
    At last, our long national nightmare is over.

    Posted on August 15, 2005
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    GSN Turns Dodgeball Game Into Hit Show

    Remember the hilarious film called Dodgeball starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn? Well the GSN cable network has taken the idea from the film and turned Dodgeball into a real sport. Even more surprising is the fact that people are watching GSN's Extreme Dodgeball -- it's the number one show on the network for ages 18 to 34. The teams, which compete for a championship victory prize of $170,000, have ridiculous names like the Chicago Hitmen, New York Bling, L.A. Armed Response and the Philadelphia Benjamins. An Associated Press article has more about the "new" sport.
    "Our version of dodgeball has moved away from the fourth-grade game and moved toward the NBA more than anything else," says executive producer Mark Cronin in the newly designed arena at Hollywood Center Studio. "It's an exciting sport to watch and it's an exciting sport to play."

    The schoolyard game, discouraged in some areas for being too violent, has become an all-out sports craze on college campuses and among adults in recent years.

    "Dodgeball is the new softball - it's very social," says GSN President Rich Cronin (no relation to the show's producer).

    "We came up with the idea a year ago when we noticed it was catching on on college campuses. Then we read about the dodgeball movie (starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn) and we thought, `Great, we will debut our dodgeball series at the same time as the movie. We'll jump on this hot trend of dodgeball as a growing sport (and) help fuel the trend.' That's exactly what happened."

    "Extreme Dodgeball" is now the highest-rated show on GSN among 18- to 34-year-olds, according to the network, and in many ways has become key to the channel's programming strategy.


    Posted on August 5, 2005
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    Farewell to James Doohan

    Actor James Doohan, most famous for playing Lt. Montgomery Scott or Scotty on the original Star Trek died this week at the age of 85. StarTrek.com reports:
    Doohan died in his sleep at his home in Redmond, Washington, at 5:30 a.m. local time with his wife Wende at his side. Cause of death was pneumonia, complicated by Alzheimer's disease, according to Doohan's agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens of Los Angeles.

    Private services will be held in Redmond, but a public memorial will be held in Los Angeles on a date to be announced. According to Stevens, the family will fulfill Doohan's wish to have his remains shot into space on a "Memorial Spaceflight" provided by Space Services Inc. of Houston. Similarly, a portion of Gene Roddenberry's ashes were sent on such a flight in 1997. The date of cremation and of the spaceflight are not yet known.

    Doohan is survived by his wife of 28 years, Wende, and their 5-year-old daughter Sarah, along with six adult children — Larkin, Deirdre, Christopher, Montgomery, Eric and Thomas — and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

    In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Doohan's name to his favorite charity, Cowboys for Kids in Arizona (contact information can be found at www.cowboysforkids.net).

    Star Trek Executive Producer Rick Berman commented today on the loss of Doohan: "I worked with Jimmy on an episode of Next Generation ["Relics"] as well as on "Star Trek Generations." He was a gentle and lovely man, as well as an extremely talented actor. We are all very saddened by this news."
    No matter what happened to the warp reactor or the dilithium crystals, Scotty was always there to fix it. And James Doohan the actor never got cross with endless fans who yelled "Beam me up, Scotty!" at him all over the world. Doohan came to terms with his iconic status and was a fan favorite at conventions. Doohan was a pretty cool guy; he was also an actual war hero, who fought in World War II and was wounded during the D-Day invasion. And, of course, he made engineers look cool. CNN has the full obit here.

    Posted on July 21, 2005
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    Resistance is Futile

    Photo of Jeri Ryan in her Star Trek: Voyager costume Film Force shares the news that Jeri Ryan is joining the cast of The O.C. You remember Jeri? She played the bold Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager and wore that catsuit.
    Star Trek: Voyager's Seven of Nine, Jeri Ryan, is beaming down to Newport Beach. The Hollywood Reporter tips that Ryan will be appearing in a recurring role on The O.C. during the forthcoming third season. In a seven-episode story arc, Ryan will reportedly play "a mysterious woman Kristen Cohen (Kelly Rowan) befriends in rehab." Ryan, who also starred in Boston Public, has appeared in the films Down With Love and Dracula 2000. The third season of The O.C. kicks-off on FOX on Thursday, September 8th at 8/7c. Fans of the hit dramedy will want to mark their calendars for August 23rd, when the complete second season drops on DVD.
    We're not sure what to make of this, but one thing's for sure: Resistance is Futile.

    Posted on July 14, 2005
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    John O'Hurley Was Robbed

    John O'Hurley dancing Well, it's official: Dancing With the Stars was rigged! John O'Hurley (who played J. Peterman on Seinfeld) and his partner Charlotte Jorgensen gave a stunning performance at the finale this evening. John shimmied. He shaked. He hurled Charlotte over his shoulder, as carefully coached by Patrick Swayze (ok, the Swayze thing was a trifle weird, but hey...he can dance.) Charlotte took her hair out of her bun and turned into a Rockette. The judges were ecstatic......

    Then, out came Kelly Monaco and her stoic Russian partner, Alec Mazo. They did the rhumba/samba/salsa combo. She stumbled. She missed steps. And when she did a walk-over off the steps she nearly fell. In fact the Russian lost his cool and closed his eyes in terror as she ran up behind him for the windmill lift. She made it without falling on her ass, but she did land on both knees so hard after one move that we swear, we heard cartilage pop....And yet the judges (after first inhaling as if steeling themselves for the lie) gave them all 10's! And they won.

    OK, here's our theory. There is no question O'Hurley and Charlotte won. But the execs at ABC were worried that the demographic was skewing too old, so they picked the plucky Kelly who plays Sonny Corinthos' pregnant mistress on General Hospital. She's funny. She's likeable. And she looks really hot in her rhumba outfit. But she can't dance to save her life.

    We thought reality TV was real. That it wasn't rigged. When we found out that those "unscripted moments" on reality shows are actually written by writers and editors who now want to unionize, we didn't want to believe that it was all a scripted sham. But now we do. We're crushed. And O'Hurley was robbed.

    Posted on July 7, 2005
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    High Def TV: A Movie Star's Nightmare?

    Halle Berry About 18 million people in the U.S. have High Definition TVs. Although most major shows are filmed in Hi Def, most Americans aren't really seeing what's there: wrinkles, acne scars and much worse are all now horrifically visible on the super-huge screens, which magnify every pore, scar and wrinkle. And that's got onscreen talent and makeup artists very, very worried.
    "I'm seeing people in a whole new way," says Phillip Swann, president of OnHD.TV, an online magazine. "If somebody's aging or if they've got any old acne damage, it just jumps out at you. They've got no chance." The editors of OnHD.TV examined several dozen stars and compiled a list of heartthrobs who (they claim) wither under the unblinking gaze of high-def, including Cameron Diaz ("littered with unfortunate pockmarks"), Jewel (whose makeup "looks like it was done by Ringling Brothers") and Bill Maher ("scary"). I've seen the effect myself: when I recently watched a high-def close-up of Bradley Whitford -- a handsome star of The West Wing -- a normally insignificant mark on his forehead suddenly stood out like a third eye. I couldn't stop staring.

    The high-def format's merciless gaze isn't solely a matter of screen resolution. Color is a factor, too. For years, government standards have limited the range of colors available to broadcasters, based on the technological limits of the time. With high-def, more colors can be used, including some formerly forbidden shades of red -- which means that blotches, zits and tiny nose-veins can be presented with the brutal clarity of a surgery textbook.

    "It's almost too realistic, too digital and computery," complains Alexis Vogel, a veteran celebrity makeup artist who recently worked on Stacked, a high-def show starring Pamela Anderson. "We'd all like to go back to the old days." Makeup artists are now engaged in an arms race with the new medium. But they face a paradox: while makeup is more necessary than ever, its artifice is more obvious. You can't slather on powder when every grain looks like a boulder on your client's face. And interestingly, many cosmeticians predict that high-def could actually reduce the amount of plastic surgery in Hollywood, because the tiny seams look Frankensteinian at such high resolution. High-def is, in essence, a medium peculiarly unsuited to dissembling. "It's harder to change people from their natural form," Vogel adds.
    So what does this mean? Some makeup artists are working on makeup that works with hi-def, but people who look stunning with no makeup will do best: anyone under 18 will flawless skin will look just fine. But there are a few stars who are said to actually look better in hi-def: Anna Kournikova, George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones "glow like supernovas." And Vogel tells The New York Times that "in high-def, Halle Berry's skin is so beautiful and flawless, she's almost a genetic freak." What a lovely compliment.

    Posted on June 11, 2005
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    Dancing With the Stars is a Hit

    Dancing With the Stars ABC executives were shocked to find out that their new reality TV show, Dancing With the Stars was a ratings hit in its Wednesday night slot. Its debut was one of the most watched programs of last week, and this week's ratings simply blew away the competition. The reality series, which pairs celebrities and professional dancers in a competition, averaged 14.9 million viewers and a 4.7 rating/14 share in the demographic, according to preliminary ratings results from Nielsen Media Research. That's up from the 13.5 million viewers who watched the debut last week. Viewers just loved watching Evander Holyfeld and Rachel Hunter trip the light fantastic.
    The ballroom dancing competition series also grew its ratings strongly from its first half-hour to its second (adding over a million viewers in the process) -- indicating that unlike Britney Spears' new UPN reality show, viewers liked what they saw and are likely to tune back in again.

    Dancing with the Stars' surprisingly strong debut ranked it as the most watched summer series premiere since CBS's smash-hit Survivor premiered back on May 31, 2000 and as the best Adults 18-49 summer debut since the NBC's Last Comics Standing premiered on June 10, 2003.

    In an unusual bit of network candor, even the ABC executive responsible for the series had acknowledged odd nature of the series. "I am fully aware that this may sound like the craziest show anyone has ever heard of," ABC alternative programming executive vice president Andrea Wong had stated in the network's April announcement of the six-episode series.

    "But in a world where it's easier for reality series to imitate than innovate, I just loved how fresh this format is. And the show's global success just shows how audiences around the world find it to be surprising, and undeniably fun," she added.
    We think it's the whole Shall We Dance Effect. Jennifer Lopez has made ballroom dancing hot.

    Posted on June 9, 2005
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    Tom Cruise Loses It on Oprah

    Pictures of Tom Cruise Losing It on OprahWell, apparently it's official. Tom Cruise is officially off his rocker, bigtime. He was so cute and likeable in Risky Business, Top Gun and even in Minority Report. We loved his marriage to Nicole Kidman. But somehow, after that divorce, it all went downhill. First, there was the giant Church of Scientology tent on the set of War of the Worlds, where cast and crew were welcome to get a massage. Then, he starts a PR blitz about his love life the likes of which no one has ever seen from the normally taciturn star. (Well, taciturn when the press asked him questions about his love life, anyway).

    So then he announces to the world that he caught an episode of Dawson's Creek, was blown away by 26 year-old Katie Holmes, and asked her out on a date. The next thing we know, they're holed up at the Hotel Hassler in Rome, in a rose-strewn suite and canoodling in public. Then, he gives an interview with -- wait for it -- the most obnoxious presence on entertainment TV, Billy Bush of Access Hollywood. In that interview, he bags on poor, sad Brooke Shields for taking Paxil to combat her post-partum depression. He said she should have taken Scientology Vitamins instead of "mind-altering drugs" and then made a snide remark about how her career's going nowhere. What in the world did Brooke Shields ever do to him?

    But all of that was just the appetizer to the full meltdown on The Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday. "I can’t be cool. I can’t be laid-back," an exuberant Cruise told Oprah. "Something happened and I want to celebrate it."

    The New York Daily News shares:
    A starry-eyed Cruise got down on his knees and repeatedly jumped up on the couch like a Robin Williams comedy act, saying that his love for Holmes was "beyond cool."

    Will he propose? His answer did more than leave the door open. "I’m going to discuss it with her," the twice-divorced actor said. "Honestly, I haven’t (had this kind of experience before)."

    Later in the show, Cruise went backstage to bring out Holmes, who was quoted in Seventeen magazine last fall as saying she grew up wanting to marry the Risky Business star. "I’m glad I was a big dreamer," she told Winfrey.
    Before he dragged Katie onstage for an impromptu makeout session, he tried to get Oprah in a hammer lock, but she fended him off. (Apparently, all those workout sessions with Bob Greene have paid off.)

    We feel faint now. More as the story develops.

    Posted on May 25, 2005
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    We Can't Handle Britney's Truth

    Britney Spears and Kevin Federline on Chaotic Ok, we'd seen Nick and Jessica on Newlyweds. And that worked. But in Britney and Kevin: Chaotic's first hour, Britney herself wielded the digital recorder on just about everyone but herself. Frankly, the first fifteen minutes were boring. Then it got a little more interesting as Britney filmed paparazzi trying to get shots of her and she started to ask some of her assistants personal questions. Surely now she's going to talk about her beauty routine, exercise routine or practice some dance steps? Apparently not.

    Britney has an appealing sweet side to her that does come through on the show. She doesn't seem spoiled or mean. Just unbelievably silly. But we think CNN's Tucker Carlson got it right. When asked what he thought about Britney after he interviewed her, he replied that he just couldn't get past how very young she seemed. In these home movies, she acts and sounds like she's about 14 years old (there were endless shot of her filming up her own nose, or making pig faces). There were some interesting clips of her getting ready to go on stage -- she is clearly completely fearless when it comes to performing -- and a total pro. When it gets really hard to watch is when he appears and by he we mean Britney's now-husband, then crush -- the absolutely ghastly and horrifically lazy Kevin Federline -- who takes longer to get ready in the morning than the world's most famous pop idol. He's taciturn. He's grumpy most of the time. He "doesn't believe in marriage" (no doubt that's what he told poor Shar Jackson). But most surprising of all -- he's a redneck with a horrible southern accent, which is really weird considering that he was born in Fresno, California. ("Payba-a-ack's a biatch, Britnaaaaaaay" he drawled when she filmed him in the shower.) A redneck, no good, two-timing, freeloading gigolo. Our heads are starting to hurt now.

    Tony, Britney's bodyguard took an instant dislike to the Foul Federline and wasn't shy about saying so on camera. The scenes from next week show the large Tony squashing K-Fed into the floor like a bug, which made us very happy.

    The most striking thing about the film is Britney's naïveté and immaturity. She is the opposite of her fearless stage personality. She appears vulnerable and desperate for anyone's affection. She also seems unaware that at the time these videos were shot Foul Federline's girlfriend Shar Jackson was at home in California, pregnant with K-Fed's second child. We wanted to stop the tape and yell "Britney what are you thinking? He's a snake!" But it's far too late for some sage dating advice -- and that's what made it hard to watch. Britney's continual burping and incessant exclamations of "Ya'll I'm such a dork!" weren't easy to bear, either.

    Ok, fine, it's a train wreck. We'll tune in next week -- but only to see the Foul Federline get squished by Tony.

    Posted on May 18, 2005
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    The Return of Gumby

    Gumby and Pokey It's been 50 years since the little claymation figure named Gumby was introduced. Of late, Gumby hasn't been much in the spotlight. But with a 50 year anniversary and a new art exhibit, Gumby is ready for his comeback. Gumby has a game coming out this summer and a DVD with episodes from the 1980s. And it's nice to hear that 83 year-old Gumby creator Art Clokey is still active, as well.
    "Gumby and Friends: The First 50 Years" attracted fans of all ages at Saturday's opening at the historic Lynn House Gallery in Antioch, about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco. Creator Art Clokey, now 83, signed Gumby figurines at the two-story exhibit, which featured photographs, toys and other memorabilia.
    The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City will begin a six-month long exhibition in mid-June featuring Gumby and his creator, Clokey.

    Hey, we like Gumby!

    Posted on May 17, 2005
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    Britney and Kevin: Chaotic Expected to Overload Tivos Everywhere Tonight

    Britney and Kevin At last it's here: the debut of Chaotic, the behind the scenes look at the elegant style and timeless love of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. The show, which is expected to overload Tivos everywhere, airs tonight on UPN at 9:00 pm Eastern time. Fox News (via The New York Post) has the scoop:
    A raw, personal