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March 2007
Slimy ‘Kids’ Choice Awards’ comes to Nickelodeon on Saturday
When next year’s long-winded, hideously dull Oscars roll around again, I have two solutions: green slime and loud burps. Seriously.
“The Kids’ Choice Awards,” airing live Saturday at 7 p.m. on Nickelodeon, is watched by millions and enjoyed by everyone in front of and behind the cameras.
Why? As previously mentioned, green slime and loud burps.
Yes, it is aimed at kids and tweens, but the participating celebs — and there are dozens of big names every year — take great delight in showing up. And they love having gobs of green goo dropped on their heads.
Among the galaxy expected to attend this year are nominees Will Smith, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Queen Latifah and Johnny Depp. Musical performers include Gwen Stefani and Maroon 5.
Categories, decided in online voting, include movies, TV, music and sports. More than 25 million votes were cast last year. As of this week, more than 32 million votes have been cast this year.
The awards are orange-blimp trophies — highly coveted in Hollywood. Seriously.
Justin Timberlake, winner of the Loudest Burp contest of 2006, is the host. (Previous burp winners include Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba and Hugh Jackman.)
‘The Dream’ has died
After two miserable outings, ABC’s ill-conceived reality show “The Great American Dream Vote” is dead. Couldn’t have happened to a more worthy candidate.
Silly people with foolish dreams begged viewers to vote for them — so they could get their pig farm or whatever. Nobody cared, thank heavens.
Host Donny Osmond led the effort, but the show debuted with fewer than 6 million people watching — and dropped off 18 million people from the show before it, “Dancing with the Stars.” Finishing fifth in the time period warrants the quick hook ABC gave “Dream.”
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TV kudos, C-SPAN’s bus and more movies-on-demand
Austin racked up another batch of awards for TV and radio news today.
The Radio-Television News Directors Association announced its 2007 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, given for excellence in electronic journalism. Three Austin TV stations and one Austin radio station picked up prizes.
KVUE was honored for overall excellence, investigative reporting and broadcast-affiliated Web site.
News 8 Austin won for news documentary, sports reporting and writing.
And KEYE picked up the award news series.
KUT-FM, our public radio station, received three awards — for feature reporting, news documentary and use of sound.
The Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious regional awards for broadcast media and have been around since 1971. Austin competes in Region 6, which is Texas and Oklahoma.
To see the complete list of winners, check out the association’s site.
Here comes the bus
C-SPAN is lumbering into Austin this weekend with its brand-new Campaign 2008 Bus. The 45-foot mobile production studio is traveling around the country to promote the cable network’s “Road to the White House” political program, now in its 20th year.
The program — and the bus — travels to major political events, including debates and speeches in early primary states, and makes it a point to visit state capitols as part of an educational component for students and teachers.
The C-SPAN bus will be open to the public Friday, from 9 a.m. until noon, at the LBJ Library & Museum, and Monday, from 8 a.m. until noon, at Huston-Tillotson University.
It will also be parked at Canyon Vista Middle School on Friday from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and Bowie High School on Monday from 1:30 to 4 p.m. — but it will be open to students and teachers only at those school locations.
Guinea pigs for Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable in Austin is test-launching a new movies-on-demand service that will make Warner Bros. movies available to digital cable subscribers on the same day they are released on DVD.
But you can’t linger over them. They’re only accessible for a 24-hour period. And copies cannot be made.
This new service, available today, is called Day-and-Date Movies on Demand. Digital cable customers can find the titles in the “all new” and “movies A-Z” categories on their movies-on-demand menu.
First up? “DeepSea 3D,” “Happy Feet” and “Blood Diamond.” Coming April 3 is “Letters from Iwo Jima.”
Besides Austin, the new service is being tested in Columbus, Ohio.
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The other-worldly ‘Idol’
Can we please throw this baby out with the bathwater?
On last night’s “American Idol” the ever-weird Sanjaya massacred the No Doubt number and stunned the world with yet another bizarre hairdo. He looked like a skinny rooster with an enormous tuft sprouting from his head.
The fake Mohawk and the 17-year-old Sanjaya’s other-worldly performance left Judge Simon shaking his head and smiling an uneasy smile. “I don’t think it matters what we say. I think you’re in your own universe.”
Oh, yeah. And the terrifying thought is that millions of people are voting for him. Sanjaya’s support is an odd combination of love and hate. On the love side are the “tween” girls who scream and weep the minute he sets foot on the stage. On the other side are people aligned with the Votefortheworst site and shock-jock Howard Stern, who urge people to boost Sanjaya to victory.
It’s the height of cynicism to push an unworthy candidate toward victory. Don’t do it. Surely TV viewing hasn’t sunk to this level.
The Queen picks another best-seller
Oprah Winfrey, whose Book Club picks guarantee swarming sales, has chosen Cormac McCarthy’s super-dark novel “The Road” for her latest anointing.
McCarthy (“All the Pretty Horses,” “Blood Meridian”) is famously reclusive when it comes to media exposure, so it will be interesting to see if he agrees to sit down with Oprah on her daytime chat show.
“The Road” was published last fall and is considered a contender for the Pulitzer Prize, to be announced in April. It is a lean account of a father and son struggling to survive in an apocalyptic aftermath.
Oprah took a break from recommending books after she was burned by James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces,” an alleged memoir that turned out to be fabricated. But then she got back into the swing with a huge push for Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust saga “Night” and, most recently, Sidney Poitier’s memoir “The Measure of a Man.”
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The dirt on ‘Dirt’s’ season finale
Yes, Jennifer Aniston plays a lesbian in her guest appearance on Courteney Cox’s cult-fave cable series “Dirt”. But no, the former “Friends” stars do not share a passionate lip-lock. That’s a fantasy that will have to go unfulfilled.
FX’s freshman melodrama, about the goings-on at a ruthless Hollywood gossip magazine, airs its season finale tonight at 9 on FX.
How did the rumor of lesbian lust, which swept real-life gossip rags and Internet sites weeks ago, get started?
There is a scene in the finale in which Cox, who stars as the tabloid’s frosty editor Lucy Spiller, plants a perfunctory peck on guest star Aniston, who guest stars as a rival rag editor, after they meet for a business lunch.
That’s it, folks. There’s no girl-on-girl sex action.
Best friends in real life, Cox and Aniston have been planning their joint appearance on “Dirt” for months. Monica and Rachel, as they are fondly remembered from “Friends,” apparently had a swell time with the episode — and the controversy that instantly swirled around the scene shot on Jan. 18.
Smart money says the whole thing was planned, since “Dirt” isn’t exactly a blockbuster hit, and FX hasn’t yet decided if a second season will be made. Cox is hanging on by her blood-red fingernails.
In keeping with other FX series, notably “Rescue Me,” “The Shield” and “Nip/Tuck,” Cox’s “Dirt” is awash in a seedy world. But unlike those other series, it is not portrayed nearly seedy enough.
Yes, Lucy is a scheming, back-stabbing, power-hungry woman, but she could use a lot more dark to her dark side. If “Dirt” returns, let’s hope Lucy sinks a bit deeper into this glitzy abyss.
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Couric shines in ‘60 Minutes’ interview with Sen. Edwards and Elizabeth
It could have been soft and squishy and embarrassing, but Katie Couric’s interview with former Sen. John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth was surprisingly tough last night.
On last night’s edition of “60 Minutes,” Couric landed the first of what is likely to be dozens of joint interviews with the Democratic presidential hopeful and his wife, who last week revealed that her breast cancer has spread to her bones. It is considered incurable but treatable.
Couric’s husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998, so her sit-down with the Edwardses could easily have deteriorated into a weep-fest. Instead, Couric focused on the growing concerns about the candidate’s decision to stay in the race.
The CBS anchor asked the couple point-blank why they were choosing political ambition over family. The couple plans to hit the campaign trail together and stay there as much as possible. Besides a teenage son who was killed in a car accident years ago, the Edwards family includes a grown daughter but two very young children, ages 6 and 8.
When Elizabeth told Couric she thought one of the most important things a parent can give a child is “wings to fly,” Couric responded, “But they’re really baby birds.” Both parents seemed eager to change the subject after that.
Couric asked the senator how he can promise supporters that he’ll be in the race to the end, when he’s also said he will be with his wife if her illness worsens. The Edwardses staunchly maintained their optimism.
The only hard question Couric didn’t ask was what effect Elizabeth’s health crisis will have on the former senator’s fundraising. With the possibility that John Edwards will have to drop out of the race, will donors continue to invest in his presidential campaign? If the money dries up, won’t his campaign dry up, too?
All in all, Couric did a good job with this piece — no giggling, no weeping, just questioning.
You can watch the interview on CBS’s web site.
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Travel the world in HD with ‘Planet Earth’
Got a new HDTV and hungry for something to watch that really makes you glad you spent all that money?
“Planet Earth” is just for you. Discovery Channel’s new 11-part series, which debuts Sunday night at 7, is the ultimate eye-catching HD. (It looks fabulous even if you don’t have HD, so no worries if you’re not there yet.)
Filmed in gorgeous high-def over five years and 200 locales, “Planet Earth” makes Disney’s old “Living Desert” series look like still photography.
The BBC sent 70 photographers around the world to document nature in all its glory — and sometimes its horror. Yes, animals eat animals. The food chain is illustrated up close and personal, so if you’ve got super-sensitive children, you might want to keep that in mind.
On the other hand, what better way to explain that particular aspect of nature? This gorgeous program, showcasing wildlife and even wilder geography, is family viewing at its best — and educational television at its most enthralling.
Who knew snow falls in the Gobi Desert? OK, maybe you did, but I didn’t. I thought deserts were hot and dry.
Even Oprah Winfrey couldn’t stop gushing about the series a few weeks ago, when she featured it on her daytime talk show. It probably takes a lot to make the hyper-energetic Oprah sit still for anything, and she said she watched all 11 hours.
If you can’t commit to that much time, each hourlong episode, narrated by Sigourney Weaver, stands alone. And the five-DVD set will be released April 24.
Here’s the schedule:
March 25, 7-10 p.m. (three episodes)
April 1, 7-9 p.m. (two episodes)
April 8, 7-9 p.m. (two episodes)
April 15, 7-9 p.m. (two episodes)
April 22 (7-9 p.m.) (two episodes)
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The fate of favorite TV shows …
The broadcast networks won’t announce their new fall schedules — a trumpeting spectacular that includes renewals, new series and, by not being mentioned at all, cancellations.
This is the time of year when lots of producers and actors are on pins and needles, waiting to find out if they’ll have jobs next season. “Friday Night Lights” folks aren’t the only ones whispering little prayers for survival.
If you’re keeping track (and, of course, I am), here’s a quick rundown of shows that have earned early pickups.
ABC
“Ugly Betty” — Duh. Of course a show in the Top 20 will be back, especially when it stars the season’s breakout cutie, America Ferrera.
“Men in Trees” — Anne Heche’s Alaskan adventure has done well, considering it’s on Friday nights, so she and her off-and-on hunky woodsman will be back.
“Brothers & Sisters” — This one wasn’t even a question mark. Sally Field heads a top-notch cast in a show with superb writing and interesting characters.
“Boston Legal” — Denny and Alan, together some more.
“Grey’s Anatomy” — Yes, but will the actors who are feuding about their salaries come to terms? And will Isaiah Washington make it through his homophobia-induced rehab?
“Desperate Housewives” — Of course. It may have lost a little heat, but it’s still hot.
“Lost” — Interesting, especially since ratings are falling and producers have been talking all season about how to wrap up the show.
Plus, all the cheap reality shows: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “The Bachelor,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Wife Swap,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
NBC
“Heroes” — Look for this one to explode next season. It might have been the surprise hit this season, but the sci-fi drama has only just begun to fly.
“My Name Is Earl” and “The Office” — Of course. NBC needs something to make people laugh.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” — The highest-rated of the “L&O” franchise, this is the only one with an early pickup. The original might be on the ropes, and “Criminal Intent” might be close behind. Is Dick Wolf’s empire finally crumbling?
“Las Vegas” — Ick, ick and more ick. Somebody in NBC’s corporate offices loves this show. Or maybe James Caan is threatening the brass.
CBS
No official early pickups, but all the “CSI” shows are safe, along with “Without a Trace,” “60 Minutes,” “The Unit,” “Criminal Minds,” “Shark” and “Survivor.”
On the bubble? Probably most of CBS’s comedies.
FOX
“Prison Break” — We can’t leave these guys wandering around the country, now can we?
“24” — Jack is back, for as long as we can suspend our disbelief.
“House” — Grumpy but wildly popular, the Bad Doc returns.
“Bones” — Started slow but has begun to grow. There’s a late-blooming buzz about this show. And it’s well-deserved.
“American Idol” — Gee, do you think?
CW
“Everybody Hates Chris” — Cheers to the little weblet for standing by this remarkably sweet, funny show based on Chris Rock’s childhood. Ratings are dismal, but there ought to be a place for good comedy with a big heart. Thanks, CW.
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Slammin’ Sanjaya
If Sanjaya isn’t voted off “American Idol” tonight, I’m gonna demand hazardous duty pay for having to watch him next week.
The floppy-haired teenager with the blinding white grin and over-plucked eyebrows was excruciating in his impersonation of a hard rocker. Sanjaya trying to channel the Kinks? Painful.
I don’t care how many weeping tweenage girls are text-voting on their pink sequined cells, this Sanjaya business has got to stop. Now. It would be the end of “Idol” as a hit show if someone with so little talent actually won.
I’m sure Sanjaya is a nice guy, but “Idol,” as the judges keep trying to tell the audience, is a SINGING COMPETITION.
And yet, last night Randy said said it was Sanjaya’s best performance — which, of course, isn’t really much of a compliment. And Paula wiggled her praise, too. Only Simon was left to roll his eyes with the only honest assessment.
Will the parents of that sobbing little girl, Ashley, please ween her from “Idol?” She’s clearly too emotionally involved with it. The camera zeroed in on her sobbing and stayed there. When Ryan brought her up on stage at the end and introduced her to all 11 finalists, the sobbing became so violent I was afraid she’d drop dead on the spot.
More escape to come!
Fox has given an early pickup to “Prison Break,” the superb little series that has been chugging along for two seasons with only so-so ratings but great critical buzz.
The first season found brothers Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield planning their escape from prison and trying to unravel the conspiracy that unjustly brought Lincoln to Death Row to begin with.
This season, the brothers and six other on-the-lam convicts have been fleeing evil government folks and nutty FBI folks.
What will be the premise for a third season? No word. At least one or two of the supporting players will undoubtedly wind up dead — hopefully NOT “T-Bag,” arguably the juiciest, slimiest villain ever seen on the small screen. Maybe the brothers will wind up back in prison next season.
“Prison Break” airs its season finale April 2.
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Evil prez turns funny
Evil President Logan might or might not be currently dead on “24” — after wacky wife Martha plunged the kiwi knife into him last week. He was last seen bleeding and wheezing on an ambulance gurney. No mention of him in this week’s episode.
But Gregory Itzin, the Emmy-nominated actor who plays the disgraced former commander-in-chief, is definitely alive and kicking in real life.
ABC has signed Itzin to star in a comedy pilot, tentatively titled “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office,” for consideration for the network’s fall schedule.
The show will be about the challenge of one particular nice girl, played by Jayma Mays, to thrive in the back-stabbing corporate culture of an office. Itzin will play a high-level executive, presumably either inept or mean and creepy. Hard to imagine Itzin playing a sweet, smart-as-a-whip guy.
But it’s a comedy, so anything’s possible.
We have more, but watch few
The typical American home received 104 channels in 2006, Nielsen Media Research said Monday.
That’s up from 61 channels in American homes in 2000. In 1990, most homes had only 33 channels.
But while the number of available channels is growing, most viewers watch only 15 percent of those 100-plus channels. Choice might be everything, but favorites still rule — and broadcast network channels are still the big favorites.
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It’s hoofin’ time again — but will one leg go flyin’?
Watching a clumsy but well-buffed football star blossom into a graceful, passionate ballroom dancer was the main joy of last season’s “Dancing with the Stars”.
Former Cowboy great Emmitt Smith not only conquered the challenge, he won the trophy. It didn’t hurt that his professional partner was Cheryl Burke, who can turn just about anybody into Fred Astaire.
If we are to believe the ABC promos, the big deal for tonight’s fourth-season debut (at 7 p.m.) should be the suspense generated by Heather Mills’ prosthetic leg. Will the ex-Mrs. Paul McCartney, who desperately needs some good press, fling the leg off during the paso doble? If so, will she bravely keep going on the remaining leg?
The charm of “Dancing” used to be the pairing of B-list celebs, such as John Hurley, with fabulous professional hoofers who try to transform the clumsy ones into spinning swans.
Now, apparently, we are supposed to be intrigued by the possibility of a limb disconnecting. There’s even an online casino betting line on the fate of Heather’s leg.
Sounds desperate and cheap to me, but I’ll take a gander anyway. I fell for “Dancing” hook, line and sinker last time around — for the dancing and for Emmitt, not for flying body parts.
Besides Mills, whose celebrity is tied to the Beatle she’s battling in a London court, the new contenders are boxer (and Muhammad Ali daughter) Laila Ali, NBA vet Clyde Drexler, Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus (minus the mullet), former N Sync singer/actor Joey Fatone, former Miss USA Shandi Finnessey, ex-“Entertainment Tonight” anchor Leeza Gibbons, model Paulina Porizkova, actor John Ratzenberger (Cliff on “Cheers”) and former “Beverly Hills, 90210” guy Ian Ziering.
If anyone has a leg up (so to speak) on the competition, it would seem to be Ziering, who has the good fortune of being paired with Burke.
Tom Bergeron and E! Entertainment reporter Samantha Harris are return as well-dressed but often goofy hosts.
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‘Lights’ on Bravo, Anna Nicole on ‘L&O,’ ‘Biscuits’ honored by Lege
Disappointing ratings notwithstanding, “Friday Night Lights” looks like a slam-dunk for renewal. It probably won’t get a full, 22-episode order, but it’s a safe bet that it will at least be back for 13 episodes in the fall.
The latest clue is NBC’s announcement that 10 episodes of the wildly acclaimed Texas drama will be repeated on the NBC-owned cable channel Bravo — starting tonight at 6.
For the next few weeks (through Friday, Apr. 13, to be exact), Bravo will air episodes Fridays at 6, followed by three back-to-back episodes Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m.
It’s not a particularly good sign that “Lights” is airing its season finale on Apr. 11 — instead of during the May sweeps. But it seems highly unlikely that NBC would rerun episodes on cable if it planned to axe the show when the new fall season is unveiled in early May.
People who would like to swamp the appropriate network executive with letters of support for “Lights” should pen them to:
Kevin Reilly, president, NBC Entertainment; 3000 W. Alameda Ave.; Burbank, CA 91523.
‘Law & Order’ rips Anna Nicole from the headlines
Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order” franchise, famous (or infamous) for spinning true crime into semi-fiction on TV, is planning to do an episode on the sordid saga of Anna Nicole Smith.
“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” will put its own twist on this already twisted story about the former Playboy model’s mysterious death and bizarre, post-mortem legal battles.
No word on who will play the blonde bombshell — or even if she’ll be seen in the episode. But Jon Lovitz is rumored to be set to play Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole’s lawyer, alleged lover and contestant for the role of Baby Dannielynn’s daddy.
Cheers for ‘The Biscuits’
KLRU’s home-grown kiddie show “The Biscuit Brothers will be honored by the Texas Legislature on Tuesday. Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, will introduce a bill saluting the show for its contribution to children’s education by way of wholesome fun and good music. Check out the bill’s text on the Brothers’ Web site.
Following recognition in the House, the Biscuit Brothers will be performing live in the Capitol Rotunda at noon Tuesday. The concert is free and open to the public and will feature songs from the new album, “Old MacDonald’s EIEI Radio.”
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Wife-swapping in Austin’s tony Pemberton?
Good lord, there’s wife-swapping going on in West Austin’s tony Pemberton Heights neighborhood!! Right now!! And it’s being filmed for CBS!!
Deep breath … OK, it’s fiction, but so what?
CBS is filming “Swingtown,” a pilot for an hourlong drama that may or my not be picked up for the new fall TV season. Trucks and cameras set up shop on the well-heeled Pemberton Place on Tuesday and are scheduled to depart next Wednesday.
The drama, which sounds more like a serialized melodrama, is about married suburban couples in the 1970s who get their kicks experimenting with open marriage and wife-swapping. (I’m not making this up. Seriously.)
The “action” is supposed to be taking place in Chicago, not Austin, so if this project makes it to the fall schedule, don’t look for any recognizable Austin scenes — or Pemberton residents.
Andy Richter and Jeff Goldblum try again
Two promising new series arrive tonight, as midseason officially gets underway.
The small but dedicated band of fans of the late-great comedy “Andy Richter Controls the Universe” likely will fall hard for NBC’s “Andy Barker, P.I.” (8:30 p.m. on KXAN). Conan O’Brien’s former sidekick is perfect — and perfectly hilarious — as an accountant who is mistaken for the private eye who used to work in Andy’s strip-mall office.
In Andy’s sitcom universe, that bizarre case of mistaken identity spins him into a whole new fish-out-of-water existence.
The premise is absurd, of course, but the show is skillfully written (by Conan O’Brien and Jonathan Groff) and acted. Besides Richter, the wacky ensemble includes Clea Lewis as Andy’s wife, Marshall Manesh as a falafel shop owner, Tony Hale as a video store manager and Harve Presnell as the P.I. for whom Andy is mistaken.
“30 Rock,” whose spot “Andy” is taking, returns Apr. 5.
Also debuting tonight is NBC’s “Raines” (at 9 p.m.), starring Jeff Goldblum as a noir-style police detective who not only sees but talks to dead people. Think “Columbo” meets “Ghost Whisperer.” Only better.
What makes this one work is Goldblum’s off-kilter style and quick, sardonic wit. The actor has participated in a good deal of bad stuff, but he’s always been capable of better. Anyone who remembers the old “Tenspeed and Brown Shoe” (with Goldblum and Ben Vereen) knows that’s, and “Raines” is reminiscent of that light-hearted 1980 sleuth series.
Raines has suddenly begun hallucinating the victims in the murder cases he’s trying to solve. Nobody else can see them, which makes Raines a bit self-conscious and unsure about how to deal with the dead ones, who inspire and assist him in cracking the cases.
Goldblum is goofy and stylish, which is an odd combo but works beautifully in this show. The whodunnit cast also includes Matt Craven, Nicole Sullivan, Linda Park, Madeleine Stowe, and Malik Yoba.
Created by Graham Yost (HBO’s “Band of Brothers” and NBC’s tragically canceled “Boomtown”), “Raines” looks like it just might be a winner.
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‘Lights,’ ‘Idol’ and Dumb Donald
Where the heck is “Friday Night Lights?”
For the second week in a row, “Lights” is off the air, replaced by “Dateline NBC” at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Big bummer, but the show will be back to finish out its run.
Last night, the cast and crew held their wrap party at Six Lounge, the bar/club on West Fourth Street in the warehouse district.
The show ended its first season of production last weekend in Dallas, at Cowboy Stadium where the Dillon Panthers will play for the state championship. The season finale is scheduled to air April 11.
“Lights” is still waiting to hear whether NBC will pick up the series for next season. And it’s still waiting to hear if the city of Austin and state of Texas will offer financial incentives to keep the production here. Neighboring states such as Louisiana and New Mexico are pursuing the production with a vengeance.
Officially, NBC doesn’t announce its fall schedule until early May, but it is likely that the network will let the “Lights” folks know in mid- to late April. Fingers crossed.
‘Idol’ dozen disappoint
In Tuesday’s performance by the “American Idol” final 12, there were more misses than hits.
Three contestants forgot lyrics — Brandon, Haley and Stephanie. And even Blake, arguably the best of the guys, was less than impressive. It’s way past time to get rid of whispering mop-head Sanjaya. Come on, girls. Just because he’s cute and a “sweet soul,” as Paula says, doesn’t mean he can be a pop star.
Song selection shouldn’t have been a problem. How hard can it be to find a good song among Diana Ross’s collection of hits? And the Motown diva was even available to advise the wannabes.
As expected, front-runners Melinda and Lakisha were nothing short of fabulous. Perhaps surprisingly, so was Jordin. She totally wowed all three judges.
But overall, “Idol” contestants this season are weak compared with previous seasons. With a couple of months to go, it already seems like we’re down to a tiny few possibilities. Or an embarrassing winner.
The good news is that tonight’s results show is only a half-hour episode (8-8:30 on Fox).
Boo on The Donald
Why can’t Donald Trump just slink off somewhere and enjoy his wealth?
Well, he could, but then he wouldn’t be generating publicity for his soon-to-die reality show “The Apprentice.” Absolutely nobody is talking about this NBC dud now.
Hence Trump’s constant attacks on Rosie O’Donnell. The latest spew came after O’Donnell told the audience on “The View” Friday that she has suffered from depression since 1999. She uses medication and “inversion therapy” (in which she hangs upside down for several minutes each day).
“I have no compassion for Rosie,” Trump said with an orange-hued sneer. “I think she suffers from depression probably because she beats up so many people… . The picture of Rosie hanging upside down is a very, very unattractive picture… . If I looked like Rosie, I’d suffer from depression also.”
The Donald is beyond mean. He’s evil. Let’s ignore.
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‘24’ still shocks (SPOILER ALERT)
SPOILER ALERT
(If you haven’t yet seen last night’s rollicking edition of “24,” read no further.)
Good old “24” can still pull off a surprise or two, can’t it?
Last night wacky former first lady Martha chopped up a kiwi and then chopped up her estranged husband, former President Charles Logan. She stabbed him right in the shoulder while waiting to save the country with a phone call to Russia’s first lady.
We knew Martha had problems beyond last season’s alcoholism and drug addition, but did we know she was homicidal? I think not. Even President Logan’s former secret service agent Aaron seemed surprised by Martha’s massive mean streak.
Unless they’re dead, characters on “24” are rarely really gone. Jack Bauer needs all the help he can get thwarting the nuclear attack, and the disgraced former prez, despite being under house arrest for his role in the assassination of David Palmer and despite his precarious position in the ambulance last night, is probably still among us.
And Martha? I’m fairly certain Jean Smart, who plays the troubled one, signed on for more than one episode this season, so watch out for more Martha.
A good start for ‘The Riches’
I’m going to withhold final judgment until I see more than one episode, but I was really intrigued by last nigh’s debut of the new FX series “The Riches,” starring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver.
The concept is a stretch — thieving “travelers” assume the identity of an upstanding lawyer and his family after a tragic car crash — but the dark characters and dark humor are compelling.
As is the case with all of FX’s drama series, this one asks us to accept main characters who are more than a little bit morally, ethically and even legally challenged. “Rescue Me,” “The Shield” and “Nip/Tuck” require viewers to root for an often revolting cast of characters. So does “The Riches.”
But the acting and writing are so, well rich that it almost doesn’t matter how despicable they all are.
Cheers for News 8
Congratulations to News 8 Austin. Our 24-hour local news station has won a Walter Cronkite Award, bestowed by the University of Southern California’s School of Journalism.
This is the second year News 8 has won a Cronkite in the category of “local cable station, small market.” News 8 was saluted by the judges for its political coverage during 2006, citing “an innovative series devoted to the issues that arose within four families of voters.”
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Cavemen, really?
So here’s what I’m thinking:
If the Geico cavemen are worthy of their own sitcom, which apparently ABC thinks they are (a pilot is in development), then why not spin off commercial characters who are actually funny? Or even interesting?
The first worthy nominees that come to mind are the two nitwit guys on the Sonic commercials. Theirs is a partnership that works, whether they’re sharing popcorn chicken (and wondering if the nuggets came off a “chicken cob”) or arguing over who gets to order at the drive-in window.
The Sonic guys have perfect chemistry and perfect timing. I say give ‘em a sitcom. At least they wouldn’t need three or four hours of makeup to get ready for the cameras.
Don’t believe me? Check ‘em out on YouTube.
Years ago the animated California raisins got their own kiddie cartoon show, and I’ve heard rumblings that the current population of M&M characters might be worthy. But I don’t think so. Besides, who wants their kids watching a show about candy.
I think a daytime serial starring the Dove “real women” might fly. Aren’t we all sick of seeing skinny gals with huge fake boobs on the daily sudsers? I am, and the Dove women are (a) normal sized to plus-sized and (b) a few years past 40. Like maybe, in some cases, nearly 60.
Anyone connected with any pizza ad should be banned from spinoffs. They’re mostly annoying. Ditto for furniture and local car commercials.
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Bad votes on ‘Idol’
In whittling down ‘American Idol’ wannabes to the final dozen, the show received 37 million phone and text-message votes this week.
And right about now, I bet the three judges are squirming. Will this be the the first time a true loser wins? Will the record company that awards the contract be saddled with a wispy disappointment like Sanjaya?
Of the four contestants who got the boot Thursday night, two should have made the cut, and two who did survive really and truly shouldn’t have.
Voted off the “Idol” island last night were Sabrina Sloan and Sundance Head, who clearly deserved to stay.
“I’m speechless,” judge Paula Abdul said. “This is a singing competition, and Sundance, you’ve been one of our finest. … This is mind-boggling.”
Even perky host Ryan Seacrest seemed stunned by the results. Besides Sundance and Sabrina, Jared Cotter and Antonella Barba (whose racy photos on the Internet stirred up a ruckus) were sent packing.
“How’d this happen?” Seacrest asked the judges when the dust had settled.
Randy Jackson shook his head and said “America got this one wrong, dude.”
As for Sanjaya Malakar (who can’t seem to decide on a singing style or a hairstyle), Cowell wondered if the people who voted for him had the volume turned down on their TV sets.
I’m not going to miss Antonella or Jared for a second, but Sundance and Sabrina leave a big hole — talent-wise and personality-wise. Instead of that duo, I would have happily ejected goofy-looking Phil Stacey and marginally talented Haley Scarnato.
We still have some formidable talent. It’s not exactly a stretch to predict that a woman will win “Idol” this time around. My money is on Melinda Doolittle or Lakisha Jones.
Nevertheless, Blake Lewis, the beat-box guy, is wildly talented, and so is curly-mopped Chris Sligh. On the women’s side, rocker Gina Glocksen is making a surprising surge — at the right time in the competition. America loves to see a contestant blossom, and that’s exactly what Gina is doing now.
BUT … I still think this “Idol” is Melinda’s or LaKisha’s to lose. They’re both just so consistently fabulous, it’s hard to imagine they won’t face off in the May finale. If it turns out to be Sanjaya and Haley, that’ll be tragic.
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Katie gets a new boss at CBS News
Quick! Fire the producer, change the set!
Such are the traditional first steps taken when news ratings collapse. And Katie Couric’s performance for “The CBS Evening News” in the February sweeps sagged pretty good.
Today CBS News will announce that executive producer Rome Hartman is fired and former CNN and MSNBC president (and former ABC News producer) Rick Kaplan has taken over.
No word on the redesigned set, but change is bound to come. Those too-comfy interview chairs, the ones that allow Couric to loll back into her “Today” show style, have got to go.
The CBS newscast has been a distant third — currently behind ABC and NBC — for years, dating back to Dan Rather’s tumultuous reign. But Bob Schieffer, who temporarily took over as anchor after Rather’s departure, had better ratings than The First Female Anchor of a Nightly Network Newscast.
In the recently completed February sweeps, Couric’s newscast sank lower than her first rating period last November — when a good deal of curiosity lingered from her Sept. 5 debut.
At first, the broadcast attempted to distinguish itself with longer news features, face-to-face interviews conducted by Couric and a commentary segment dubbed “Free Speech” that presented regular and famous Americans (such as Rush Limbaugh) popping off on various topics. The latter feature bombed and was dropped after a couple of months.
Network newscasts that try to reinvent the wheel rarely succeed, and CBS appears poised to return to a more traditional broadcast that will feature Couric as a more traditional anchor — instead of an adaptation of the perky morning persona for which she is so well-known.
Cavemen vs. gecko
Wouldn’t we really rather have a gecko?
In case you haven’t heard, ABC is crafting a pilot for a comedy series that will star the sad-sack cavemen from the Geico commercials. You know, the guys who feel unappreciated by modern society.
The show will feature three modern-day Neanderthals trying to live normal lives in Atlanta.
The wisecracking Cockney lizard is so much funnier, but maybe he wasn’t available this pilot season.
The last time a TV series was based on a commercial was when Quiznos spun “Baby Bob,” the grown-up talking baby from the sandwich ads. “Baby Bob” aired on CBS for a few weeks in 2002 and then, happily, faded away.
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These ‘Bells’ don’t toll for me
David E. Kelley, who has long been one of my favorite writer-producers, has turned to mindless, lazy fluff with his new Fox series, “The Wedding Bells.”
The show, which debuts tonight at 8, goes for totally predictable situations (yes, there’s a runaway bride) in its half-hearted attempt to find humor and drama in a wedding business owned by three sisters.
Jane (Teri Polo) is the leader of the sister trio, a gung-ho type whose own marriage is so miserable that she finds it necessary to flirt with her company’s chef. Sammy (Sarah Jones) is the stereotypical horny gal, and Annie (KaDee Strickland) is the sad-sack who can’t let go of her ex-boyfriend (Michael Landes) — the company’s wedding photographer.
Kelley’s outstanding series — including “The Practice,” “Ally McBeal,” “Boston Public,” “Boston Legal” — are all known for quirky characters and funny but thought-provoking scripts. Sexual politics, racism and all things politically incorrect are favorite topics of pointed satire.
But the characters on “The Wedding Bells” are simply boring and the topics bland. There is irony and meaning to be derived from the outrageously expensive wedding fads that swallow up families of the soon-to-wed, but this show — at least in the early going — doesn’t get much deeper than a flaming wedding dress, a fey groom and an exceedingly grumpy bride.
This isn’t the first time Kelley has churned out a bummer. (Remember “Girls Club?” No? Well, good for you.) But the number of misses are small compared with the roster of impressive hits.
If watching three pretty women baby sitting an assortment of ridiculous Bridezillas sounds good to you, take a look. But if you’re a fan of Kelley’s best work, don’t depress yourself.
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KVUE is No. 1 in local news — again
In the recently completed Nielsen ratings for February, KVUE dominated in every major local news period, starting with the early morning news and winding up with the late news at 10 p.m.
KVUE’s 5 p.m. news, anchored by Olga Campos and Tyler Sieswerda, raked in almost three times as many viewers as KTBC, the closest competitor.
But a harbinger of things to come may be KEYE squeaking out a second-place position at 10 p.m., bumping KXAN to third place. Is “The Ron and Judy Show” on KEYE finally catching on? The CBS station has had lots of ups and downs, but maybe the big ship is turning around.
On the other hand, KEYE finished dead last in the early morning news race and third at 5 and 6 p.m. Changes in local news tend to be glacial.
KXAN, meanwhile, has suffered through considerable behind-the-scenes tumult (churning through several news directors and a station manager). And it hasn’t helped that NBC is in a major slump. Nevertheless, KXAN remains a strong contender at 6 p.m. and only a fraction behind KEYE at 10 p.m.
Look for more details on the February sweeps in Diane Holloway’s March 13 column.
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Austin’s local TV news hauls in awards!
Once again, Austin stations raked in awards from the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters.
In the Division 2 category, KVUE brought in the most awards, but all of Austin’s news stations, including Time Warner’s News 8 Austin, picked up honors.
Here is the list of our distinguished winners:
NEWSCAST
KSAT, San Antonio
KTBC, Austin
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin
SPORTSCAST
KENS, San Antonio
KENS, San Antonio
Hon Men: News 8 Austin, Austin (Jeff Power)
WEATHERCAST
KTBC, Austin (Scott Fisher)
KVUE, Austin (Ilona Torok)
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin (Mark Murray)
NEWS ANCHOR
KXAN, Austin (Michelle Valles)
WOAI, San Antonio (Randy Beamer)
Hon Men: News 8 Austin, Austin (Paul Brown)
SPOT COVERAGE/STATION
KVUE, Austin. Flash Flood
KTBC, Austin. Underground Explosions
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin. May Storm
SPOT STORY/Individual
KVUE, Austin. Hays County Fire. Rudy Koski & Todd Rogenthien.
KVUE, Austin. Shoal Creek Flood. Lee McGuire.
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin. San Marcos Hail. Kevin Peters & John Fisher.
FEATURE/SERIOUS
KENS, San Antonio. The Dead in our Midst. Joe Conger & Michael Humphries.
KEYE, Austin. Unwed Mothers. Seema Mather.
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin. Amputee Golfers. Clara Tuma & Doug Naugle.
FEATURE/LIGHT
KXAN, Austin. J.L. Henry Mason. Jim Swift
KVUE, Austin. Band Fundraiser. Clara Tuma & Todd Rogenthein
Hon Men: KTBC, Austin. Videogamers. Craig Lucie, Chris Walker, Dan Goodman.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
KEYE, Austin. Stolen from the Grave. Nanci Wilson & Joe Moreno
WOAI, San Antonio. SAWS: Down the Drain. Tanji Patton, Mandi Johnston, Joey Mendoza.
Hon Men: WOAI, San Antonio. Sleeping on the Job. Jaie Avila, Joey Mendoza, Mandi Johnston.
PHOTOJOURNALISM (station)
KENS, San Antonio.
KVUE, Austin
Hon Men: KXAN, Austin.
PHOTOJOURNALISM (individual)
KVUE, Austin. Todd Rogenthein
KENS, San Antonio. Michael Humphries.
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin. Doug Naugle
SPORTS STORY
KEYE, Austin. Amputee Golfers. Skip Baldwin & Anthony Geronimo
News 8 Austin, Austin. Trading Helmets. Crestina Chavez & Chris Hardie
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin. Penguin Pride. Brian Mays
DOCUMENTARY
News 8 Austin. The Tower Shooting. Paul Brown & Rachel Elsberry
WOAI, San Antonio. Mission in Iraq. Randy Beamer, Maritza Nunez, Chris Graczyk.
Hon Men: KTBC, Austin. Tour of Duty. Arezow Doost, Chris Walker, Pam Vaught
SERIES
News 8 Austin, Austin. The Tower Shooting. Paul Brown & Rachel Elsberry.
KVUE, Austin. Star Loan Money. Christine Haas & Todd Rogenthein.
Hon Men: KEYE, Austin. Austin’s Miracle in India. Seema Mathur.
BEAT REPORTING
WOAI, San Antonio. Jaie Avila
KVUE, Austin. Elise Hu
Hon Men: News 8 Austin. Amy Hadley
REPORTER
KVUE, Austin. Melissa McGuire
KENS, San Antonio. Barry Davis.
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin. Kevin Peters
GENERAL ASSIGNMENT
KVUE, Austin. Bereavement Photography. Melissa Gale & Doug Naugle.
WOAI, San Antonio. Bloody Leak. Delaine Mathieu & Francisco Barragan.
Hon Men: KXAN, Austin. Day Labor. Chris Willis & Frank Martinez
WEB SITE
KVUE, Austin.
KSAT, San Antonio.
Hon Men: News 8 Austin
MAGAZINE/SPECIAL
KTBC, Austin. Tour of Duty. Arezow Doost, Chris Walker, Pam Vaught.
KEYE, Austin. Sunday Sports Extra. Skip Baldwin & Anthony Geronimo.
Hon Men: KVUE, Austin. Town Hall Meeting: Austin’s Quality of Life. Kathy Hadlock.
Permalink | | Categories: Local news
Presidential contenders popular on TV … for now
Will we still love them in November ‘08?
The media and the viewing/reading public are showing an unusual interest in the next presidential election. According to a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll, two-thirds of the people responding said they were following the campaigns “closely.”
Part of the reason is dissatisfaction with President Bush, whose poll numbers have dipped below 30 percent. Also, the ‘08 election will be the first contest in decades with no incumbent president or vice president involved.
But perhaps the main reason is the cast of characters has stirred up a lot of excitement. Democrat Hillary Clinton could be the first woman elected president and Barack Obama could be the first African American sitting in the Oval Office. On the Republican side, the stars being followed include Sen. John McCain and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
All of which has added up to lots of coverage. The Tyndall Report, which chronicles network news coverage, has found that so far this calendar year (through Feb. 27), campaign news gobbled up 95 minutes of the nightly newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC.
In February 1991, the three newscasts together spend less than a minute on the early campaign developments.
Tyndall doesn’t measure 24-hour cable news network. If it did, the ‘07 coverage would have been astronomical. … at least until Anna Nicole Smith’s death, which effectively bumped most political coverage off cable airwaves for weeks.
During the week of Feb. 18, presidential politics was second only to the Iraq War in broadcast, cable, Internet and print journalism — according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
It’s good to see the voting public stirred up about politics. But it will be not so good if campaign fatigue sets in long before it’s time to go to the polls.
Image Awards
No surprises — well, maybe one — at the NAACP Image Awards, which Fox televised on Friday.
Oscar winners Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”) and Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) added to their trophy collections.
“Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith and his son Jaden, won best picture honors.
“Ugly Betty” won the top TV award, and Vanessa Williams won for best supporting actress in a comedy.
The surprise? Isaiah Washington won the best actor award for “Grey’s Anatomy.” Washington, who was loudly criticized for uttering a gay slur on the set of his hit show and then again at the Golden Globe Awards (in reference to co-star T.R. Knight), has said he’s “in rehab” for his streak of prejudice.
Permalink | | Categories: News coverage
Anna Nicole story lives on … despite burial
Don’t think for a minute that today’s elaborate, pink-flower festooned burial of Anna Nicole Smith will be the end of her.
No, this story has the longest, most energetic legs of any story we’ve seen in the tabloid genre for years. The Voluptuous One’s death Feb. 8 was such a big deal that CNN’s Wolf Blitzer turned over his two-hour political show, “The Situation Room,” to her demise that day.
“Entertainment Tonight” has opened a virtual Bahamas bureau dedicated to Mark Steines’ way-too-sympathetic coverage of Howard K. Stern, Anna’s weepy beau and one of several possible fathers to 5-month-old Dannielynn.
The fight for custody of the body of Texas Playboy model and celebrity extraordinaire may be over (she’s being buried in the Bahamas, not returned to Texas where mom Virgie wanted her), but we’ve still got at least two major developments on the horizon: the toxicology report, due next week, that will tell us what caused Anna Nicole’s death, and the results of a California paternity test to determine who really did father the baby girl.
These two lingering plotlines will be enough to keep The Anna Nicole Story going.
But what if the mainstream media decided to ban further coverage of Anna Nicole? Would the world collapse?
The Associated Press decided to ban its celeb-obsessed coverage of heiress-model Paris Hilton. The blackout started Feb. 19, and apparently none of the AP’s clients cared — or requested new Paris stories. When the famous-for-being-famous girl was popped for driving without a license on Feb. 27, the ban was lifted.
A blackout of Anna Nicole coverage would be oh-so-refreshing, but I’m living in the real world and don’t for a second think that will happen. We’re stuck with this sordid melodrama for a very long time.
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‘Wedding Bells’ and toasters
How desperate is David E. Kelley to promote his new Fox series, “Wedding Bells”?
He sent toasters, wrapped up in lovely wedding-gift paper and ribbon, to TV critics around the country. As if that’s going to make us praise a show that looks and sounds very much like “The Love Boat” meets “Bridezilla.” And as if any critic with an ounce of ethics would accept such a “gift.”
(Just so you know, mine has been re-gifted to a charity supported by the American-Statesman.)
Kelley is the wildly talented writer-producer who gave us “Picket Fences,” “Ally McBeal,” “Chicago Hope,” “Boston Public,” “The Practice” and the current gem “Boston Legal.”
Of course Kelley also gave us the lamentable “Girls Club,” a fluffy thing about three way-too-beautiful lawyers toiling in San Francisco. It’s hard to know if these blips are creative crises or the result of some bizarre contractual condition with a network.
“The Wedding Bells” (8 p.m. Wednesday) is about three sisters (one prim, one normal and one free-spirited) who run a wedding-planning business they inherited from their divorced parents. Recognizing that “Bells” will need all the help it can get, Fox has slotted the newcomer after “American Idol.”
Maybe a deep hunger for fluff will propel Kelley’s latest offering to hit status, but, really, the toaster is just an annoyance.
Speaking of fluff …
“Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader,” that icky game show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy and designed to make snotty kids feel superior to their parents, is a big-time hit on Fox.
The show raked in 26.5 million viewers on Tuesday, making it the most-watched series debut in Fox’s history — and one of the most popular series debut on any network in nearly a decade.
In other depressing rating news, the premiere of NBC’s extremely fine new mob drama, “The Black Donnellys,” died on Monday night. The 7.9 million average makes “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” look like a blockbuster. It may not help “Studio 60” land a second-season renewal, but the weak ratings make the future of “Donnellys” look exceedingly black.
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