Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2007 > August
August 2007
‘Smarter’ celebs, ‘South Park’ keeps going, Fred Thompson on ‘Law & Order’
Is Clay Aiken smarter than a fifth grader? How about Kellie Pickler and Regis Philbin — are they smarter than a fifth grader?
We’ll find out in the weeks following the Thursday (Sept. 6) return of Fox’s surprise hit game show “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader.”
A series of celebrity contestants will appear on the show, mostly during November sweeps, but also scattered throughout the fall season. It’s always amusing to embarrass stars by displaying their stupidity, so look for fifth graders to be smarter more times than not.
Oh, my god … They’re NOT killing Kenny!!
Comedy Central has extended the life of “South Park,” that dirty little cartoon we can’t help howling at, through the 2011 season. That’s 42 more episodes of Cartman and the gang churning out social and political commentary, along with a lot of silly bathroom humor.
“Three more years of ‘South Park’ will give us the opportunity to offend that many more people,” said Matt Stone, who created the show along with Trey Parker.
Fred Thompson’s ‘Law & Order’ episodes to stay on TNT — for now.
Cable network TNT could find itself being forced to offer Rudy Giuliani his own cop show if his campaign decides to challenge the FCC’s equal-time provision. Well, not really …
Fred Thompson, who plays District Attorney Arthur Branch on the “Law & Order” series, is expected to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president on Tuesday. TNT announced today that it will NOT take reruns of the NBC series off the air.
Thompson’s political ambition triggered concerns that other candidates could demand equal time if an opponent is featured on the air outside of news programming. The rule FCC came about because the broadcast networks provide free, over-the-air programming.
The FCC doesn’t have the same authority over cable that it has over broadcast, but the equal time rule has never been challenged on cable before. Now that the overwhelming majority of Americans (more than 75 percent) have cable, a Thompson opponent could very well ask the FCC to force cable to provide equal time.
NBC has already said it will pull “Law & Order” reruns featuring Thompson the day he formally declares.
Thompson has appeared in 116 episodes of “Law & Order” and its spinoffs over the past five seasons.
KVUE’s weatherman wings it well!
Mark Murray gets the Golden Remote Award for stretching a 30-second weather tease into almost the entire first half of last night’s 10 p.m. news.
KVUE was felled by audio problems in the studio Wednesday night that affected anchors Tyler Sieswerda and Christine Haas but not Murray, huddled in his weather pod.
While the station wrestled with the audio problem, Quick-on-His-Feet Mark, the Music-Loving Meteorologist, plowed ahead, serving up hour-by-hour weather for Austin, Texas, the Southwest and much of the United States. All the bells and whistles of TV weather made an appearance, and Murray filled time without skipping a beat.
After a few extra-long commercial breaks, sometime around 10:15, Sieswerda and Haas were audible at last and started the newscast.
“Well, better late than never,” quipped Sieswerda upon returning.
Technical difficulties happen. It’s how you handle them that counts, and KVUE’s Murray charged ahead in splendid fashion. But I bet some weary late news watchers wondered if we were in a major weather crisis when they saw him flying solo through a big chunk of the newscast.
Dave & Oprah — Together again!
Whatever nasty feud existed between Opray Winfrey and David Letterman is officially over.
Dave, who NEVER does talk shows other than his own (maybe once or twice on pal Regis Philbin’s morning yapper), will plop down on Oprah’s couch on Sept. 10. What will he talk about? Geez, it’s hard to know. Oprah usually has themes to her shows. Maybe late-life celebrity dads? We’ll see.
The decade-long bad blood between the powerful show-biz duo apparently began when Letterman started making frequent jokes about her exploding wealth and her weight battles. Winfrey was not amused and declined several invitations to appear on Letterman’s “Late Show.”
But in 2005, Winfrey decided to drop by Letterman’s gig on her way to the opening of her Broadway production of “The Color Purple.” When she arrived, Letterman was at the curb to meet her and escorted her inside. He also escorted her out when she headed for the theater. And the two appeared in a Super Bowl ad together in February.
Kissing and making up no doubt benefits crusty Dave more than the beloved Oprah.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Local news
Mark Cuban, Wayne Newton and Marie Osmond on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Unless he’s been harboring a secret talent all these years, I’m predicting that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will be the biggest dud (not dude) on the new season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
The celeb contenders were announced this morning on “Good Morning America.” When the new season of this hit reality show debuts Sept. 24, there will be a dozen alleged “stars” (really? Mark Cuban is a star?). That’s the biggest batch ever to compete. Look for the bad ones to drop like flies pretty quickly.
Six men and six women will be paired with a dozen returning professional hoofers who will attempt to forge the amateurs into some semblance of grace and strength.
Remember conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who sat in a chair while his partner danced around him in a previous season opener? He didn’t even try and, despite his cute bow-tie, was bumped immediately. Cuban could follow in Carlson’s clumsy footsteps. Cuban’s partner is Kym Johnson.
Other stars announced for “Dancing” are:
Melanie Brown, aka “Scary Spice,” member of the British pop group the Spice Girls. Partner: Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Wayne Newton — really, I’m NOT making this up. The Vegas legend with the shiny helmet hair will be paired with two-time champ Cheryl Burke.
Marie Osmond — again, I’m NOT making this up. The big-toothed “Donny & Marie” grinner will be whirled around the dance floor by Jonathan Roberts.
Jane Seymour, British-born star of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and countless gauzy miniseries. Partner: Tony Dovolani.
Helio Castroneves, two-time Indianapolis 500 champ. Partner: Julianne Hough.
Jennie Garth, former “Beverly Hills 90210”star. Partner: Derek Hough (brother of the aforementioned Julianne Hough).
Sabrina Bryan, former member of the Disney Channel’s singing group The Cheetah Girls. Partner: Mark Ballas.
Josie Maran, magazine model and Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition star. Paired with Alec Mazo.
Cameron Mathison, popular soap star from “All My Children.” Partner: Edyta Sliwinska.
Floyd Mayweather, aka Pretty Boy Floyd, six-time world boxing champ in five different weight classes. Partner: Karina Smirnoff.
Albert Reed, 22-year-old Abercrombie & Fitch model with legendary catwalk grace (not to mention fabulous abs). Partner: Anna Trebunskaya.
Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris return as hosts, along with the judging trio of Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
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‘Friday Night Lights’ on DVD today
In these steaming, dog days of summer, what could be better than a total immersion in an entire season of one of the best dramas ever produced for television.
Yep, today’s the day you can purchase the first season of the Austin-filmed “Friday Night Lights” on DVD ($30). The boxed set includes all 22 episodes on five discs, plus a 22-minute making-of documentary and about an hour of scenes that didn’t make it onto NBC’s scheduled telecasts.
If you’re among the many who never knew what all the critical raves were about last season, the DVD will answer those questions. If you’re already a fan (and if you’ve ever seen the show, you are a fan), the DVD will get you pumped for the second season premiere, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 5.
This heart-warming and heart-wrenching family drama is more than just a high-school saga about football. It’s about a group of very real teenagers, their parents and the small town of Dillon, Texas, in which they live. There are universal truths and tragedies throughout, along with an occasional dose of humor — often supplied by non-football guy Landry.
Although snubbed by the Emmys (except for nominations for director/creator Peter Berg and casting), “Lights” boasts stellar performances by Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford, Adrianne Palicki, Jesse Plemons, and many more wildly talented young actors.
If you’re too lazy to head for Best Buy or any other DVD-selling outlet, you can enter a contest now for a chance to win the boxed set from Zap2it.com. Two winners will each receive the DVD box set. You must be 18 years or older to enter.
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‘Anti-Americans’ lands tonight, ‘Big Love’ flew last night
Do Europeans love us or hate us? That’s the question posed in the PBS documentary “The Anti-Americans” tonight (at 10 p.m. on KLRU Channel 18).
The answer is a clear-cut: they hate us and love us. They love our independent spirit and free-wheeling culture, but they’re not too happy with our egotism and our politics — especially our conduct in the ongoing Iraq War.
Before you decide that a rerun or local news would be more entertaining than a stuffy PBS doc, you should know that this film, though serious in its reporting, is loaded with humor.
Where else can you see French puppets putting on a newscast? Or Polish country-western singers and their cowboy-hat-wearing fans partying down? Or an opera based on “The Jerry Springer Show?”
“The Anti-Americans” is the brainchild of filmmakers Louie Alvarez and Andy Kokler, who worked with Austin filmmaker Paul Stekler on his film “Vote for Me: Politics in America.”
Polls have found that about half of Europeans love us, while the other half loathes us. Who feels that way and why? The filmmakers trotted through France, the United Kingdom and Poland to take the pulse of Europeans and their feelings toward Americans. What they found was an interesting and sometimes deeply funny combination of envy, pride, misunderstanding and awe.
The final product is whimsical, intriguing and just a tad unnerving. Check it out.
‘Big Love’s’ big finale
Throughout the entire second season of this oddball polygamy drama, Bill Hendrickson has been undertaking some risky adventures — at home and in business.
They all came back to haunt him in last night’s season finale on HBO. If you haven’t seen the episode, THIS IS YOUR SPOILER ALERT.
I haven’t been a huge fan of this show until recently, and I’m still bothered enough by the premise that I’m sometimes uncomfortable watching it. Why should I feel any empathy or sympathy for a family that chooses to live like this? One man, three wives, several children and a lot of secrets. All very shady and very, very weird.
But the fine writing and sterling acting has won me over, more or less, and last night’s episode was terrific. Unlike some season enders, this one actually wrapped up some things. Bill got his comeuppance from first-wife Barbara over his underground gambling deal and his flirtation with the prospect of adding a fourth wife. That could still happen, of course, but Barb made clear that she will be Wife No. 1 or not at all. Nicky and Margene can never get in her way.
Roman Grant was saved and then put out to pasture, but we can probably expect his evil influence to return next season. The power plays in business are much creepier than the domestic dramas, and I can’t wait to see how all this shakes down next season.
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Oprah to tackle O.J. book controversy
Oprah Winfrey will host (referee?) what could be a major knockdown between the families of the two people O.J. Simpson was acquitted of killing, ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman, over the publication of O.J.’s book “If I Did It.”
Denise Brown, sister of Nicole, and Fred and Kim Goldman, father and sister of Ron, agreed to sit down with each other on the Sept. 13 edition of “Oprah.” The normally civilized talk show could well turn into a nasty installment of “Jerry Springer.”
You might recall that O.J.’s book, which he claimed was not a confession but a rumination on how he might have murdered his wife, was ditched by the publisher a few years ago because of controversy and protests surrounding the project. Both the Brown and Goldman families were opposed to the book then — especially to O.J. making money from it.
But in the past few months, the Goldmans reached a deal with a New York publishing company to release the book, with the proceeds going to the Goldman family in an effort to receive the $33.5 million they were awarded in a civil suit that found O.J. liable for the murders.
Denise Brown is horrified by the prospect of details of her sister’s 1994 slaying being released in a book-for-profit and wants “If I Did It” to be ditched for good.
Oprah will attempt to moderate this “discussion” and also promises to offer her own opinion. It’s just a guess, but I’ve got a feeling she will not be sympathetic to the Goldmans. Of course if she is in favor of the book’s publication, it’s practically a guaranteed best-seller. Yikes.
‘Anchorwoman’ axed after one show
Fox’s new series “Anchorwoman,” which premiered Wednesday, has been canceled. The reality show was about the desperate decision of Tyler station KYTX to hire bikini model Lauren Jones to anchor its low-rated local news. The national ratings — 2.7 million viewers — for the Fox show were almost as low as the local news ratings for KYTX, so “Anchorwoman” has signed off.
If you’re desperate to find out how Jones fared at the station, you can catch the unaired episodes on Fox’s Web site.
Permalink | | Categories: Reality TV
‘Kid Nation’ — child abuse as entertainment?
It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but “Kid Nation,” the new CBS reality series that placed 40 children in the New Mexico desert to build a society without contact with their parents for 40 days, is boiling into a nasty controversy.
Charges of child abuse and violation of child labor laws have been surfacing for months, but with the Sept. 19 premiere of the series approaching, the controversy is heating to the point where some people wonder if the show will actually get on the fall schedule.
Filmed in a deserted town near Santa Fe, the series has been criticized from the get-go by state officials there, who claim the production violated child labor and welfare laws because the kids were filmed 24/7 under harsh conditions.
Not surprisingly, there were physical and emotional injuries along the way. A 12-year-old girl from Georgia suffered facial burns while cooking, and several scrapes and even a broken bone were reported. A few kids, who ranged in age from 8 to 14, took advantage of the option to leave because they were so upset by conditions in the camp.
CBS issued a statement to the New York Times on Tuesday:
“These kids were in good hands and under good care with procedures and safety structures that arguably rival or surpass any school or camp in the country.”
The kids and their parents signed contracts stating they would not discuss the filming for three years after the show airs (a $5 million penalty is in place), and the children signed away “rights to their life stories in perpetuity.”
A stipend of $5,000 for those who stuck it out seems paltry compared with the unhappy circumstances that unfolded. Since all participants were minors, the question that should be raised here, besides where is CBS’s sense of shame, is WHAT THE HECK WERE THE PARENTS THINKING?
‘High School Musical 2’ — once more with feeling
An encore presentation of the record-setting movie musical “High School Musical 2” will air tonight at 7 on the Disney Channel.
The movie debuted last Friday after months of breathless anticipation and became the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time in total viewers (17.2 million) and kids 6-11 (6.1 million) and the most-watched entertainment program ever among tweens 9-14 (5.9 million).
Over the weekend, “High School Musical 2” delivered 33.1 million total viewers for the three telecasts that aired Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Oh, and one more thing: the soundtrack debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
Permalink | | Categories: Reality TV
Bimbo or ‘Anchorwoman?’ You be the judge
Poking fun of local TV news, dumb blondes and Texas is such old news, but Fox’s condescending new reality show “Anchorwoman” is hellbent on showcasing all of the above.
“Anchorwoman,” which debuts at 7, plops buxom blonde swimsuit model/WWE “vixen” Lauren Jones onto the local news desk at KYTX, the CBS affiliate in Tyler. Embarrassment and (allegedly) hilarity ensue, as the anchors and reporters take offense at the stunt pulled by station manager Phil Hurley in a desperate attempt to boost ratings.
Jones, of course, has no experience whatsoever — in either journalism or, apparently, reading. She arrives in stiletto heels, miniskirt and barely-there tank top and proceeds to wobble through words on the TelePrompTer. If cleavage were brains, she’d be genius.
Newsroom colleagues, not surprisingly, do not respond well, but the show makes sure to poke fun at them, too — which is not to say some of them don’t deserve it. I mean, how do you take a local newscast seriously that boasts Stormy the Weather Dog on staff? And the irritated anchor Annalisa Petralia, who whines about the possible demise of her journalistic credibility, is seen concluding a report on men not washing their hands after going to the bathroom with the following: “That’s why boys have cooties.”
Now that’s serious journalism, right? “Anchorwoman” has its moments of cheap laughs, but, really, the whole concept is so yesterday.
Texas vs. Yale
It doesn’t happen very often, but tonight the Texas Longhorns take on the Yale Bulldogs.
Huh? Yep, the two universities’ business schools are going head-to-head for the $200,000 prize in CNBC’s “Fast Money MBA Challenge.” The universities have been battling for more than a month and are the last two biz schools standing.
The championship game is at 8 p.m. on CNBC, telecast from the Nasdaq Stock Market’s Times Square studio in New York. The team with the best market value of the stock portfolios they’ve created wins.
The $200,000 prize, to be split among the winning team members, must be used for tuition, school loans, books, room and board or other school related expenses.
CNBC viewers can guess who will win tonight’s battle by text messaging or signing up via the Web at mbachallenge.cnbc.com to be entered to win an iPhone from Apple. The winner will be announced live at the end of the program.
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Janeane Garofalo on ‘24?’ Really?
Apparently it’s not a joke, although it certainly seems like a good one:
Janeane Garofalo, known for her wry comedy and liberal politics, has signed onto the new season of “24.” Details are sketchy, but she’ll play a government agent who is investigating some horrible new crisis plaguing Jack Bauer.
The potential for cat fights with pouty Chloe, played by a sometime standup comic Mary Lynn Rajskub, seems great. It’s about time we saw Chloe doing something besides panting after Jack while other guys pant after her.
You’ve probably read that shooting has started and stopped a couple of times on the tension-filled real-time terrorist drama, most recently on an Africa-filmed story line. But production is said to be back on track for a January return.
The plot will shift away from Los Angeles and the strict confines of CTU, and there will be a new president in the White House. “24” gave us America’s first African American chief exec; now it’s giving us our first female prez.
Cherry Jones has been elected president on the upcoming seventh season of “24,” sources said. She won Tony Awards for “The Heiress” and “Doubt,” and appeared in the movies “Ocean’s Twelve” and “The Perfect Storm.”
Is this an omen? Will “24” mirror a real-life lady prez? The decision seems timely, what with Hillary Clinton considered the front-runner of the Democratic Party — and the Democrats considered front-runners due to war fatigue with the Republican administration. We’ll see.
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‘HSM 2’ pops tonight! And ME TV needs two veejays!
Got “tweens?” If so, you better load up on pizza, because tonight’s The Night. If you are a tween, then you already know tonight’s The Night.
“High School Musical 2,” the breathlessly awaited sequel to the Disney blockbuster movie, premieres tonight at 7 on the Disney Channel. It repeats Saturday and Sunday night, too, but all those pink cell phones will be buzzing after tonight’s premiere, so you might as well prepare for the onslaught.
The production numbers are bigger and better than the original, and the story is just as silly and sappy … the way it’s supposed to be, apparently. Troy and Gabriella are still as sweet and pie-eyed as ever. Gotta love ‘em.
So enjoy, enjoy and enjoy some more! “HSM 2” is destined to be around a long time — at least until the next TV movie comes along and the big-screen version in 2008 and the destined to be No. 1 CD and DVD.
Wanna be a VJ?
To celebrate its second anniversary, ME Television, the 24-hour regional music and entertainment channel based in Austin, is kicking off a search for two new veejays.
The search will become part of a new reality series, “The Next Veejay,” scheduled to premiere on ME TV (Time Warner’s Cable Channel 15) in October.
The first round of auditions will be held Thursday, Aug. 30, from noon until 8 p.m. at Midnight Rodeo, a country bar at 2201 E. Ben White Blvd.
What exactly does a ME TV veejay do? Duties include covering Austin’s music and entertainment events — such as the Austin City Limits festival, South by Southwest and Musicfest in Steamboat Springs, Colo. — and interviewing celebrities.
How much does it pay? Depends. ME TV folks won’t give a dollar figure, but it is a paid part-time position, so presumably a few bucks are involved but not enough to live on.
The veejay search will consist of four rounds:
Open call. Applicants are prescreened, interviewed and asked to perform sample commercials.
The top 20 applicants will be called back for more of the same.
The pool of 20 will be winnowed to five finalists
Two winners will be announced.
Permalink | | Categories: Entertainment
TV Land salutes Elvis on the 30th anniversary of his death
Elvis left the building for good 30 years ago today, and the cable network TV Land is all shook up about it — for the entire month of August.
The Big E’s movies, concerts and specials are gobbling up TV Land’s schedule in tribute to Presley’s relatively short life but big-time career.
Tonight at 9 is “Myths and Legends: Elvis,” which purports to answer some of the bigger mysteries and questions surrounding Elvis Presley. Is he really related to Oprah Winfrey? We’ll find out for sure tonight, but I’m guessing the answer is no. O would have mentioned E in her family tree by now, don’t you think?
Joe Esposito, Elvis’s best friend and former bodyguard, and Linda Thompson, the King’s former girlfriend, hawked the special at the Television Critics Association meeting in Los Angeles last month. Pretty much all anyone wanted to know from these two close pals was why nobody could prevent Elvis’s downward spiral into the drug overdose that took his life.
Both Esposito and Thompson said everybody in his inner circle tried to reason with Presley, but to no avail. Thompson correctly pointed out that there was no Betty Ford Center all those years ago, and going to rehab anywhere wasn’t the rage then that it is today. Neither was the now oft-practiced art of intervention.
The TV Land specials this month, not surprisingly, focus on Elvis at his peak, not in his bloated Las Vegas decline.
“The last five years of his life were hard,” Esposito said. “Turning 40 affected him tremendously. He was fat and 40, and physically he just wasn’t well. He lived to perform on stage. He was so bright and intelligent, and he had creative disappointments. He got bored, and the other problems were the Band-Aid, not the cause.”
Specifically, Esposito said Elvis longed to be taken seriously as an actor, to take on challenging roles instead of the fluffy pop musicals he was forced to take by his domineering manager by Colonel Tom Parker.
To remember Elvis at his best, check out TV Land — tonight and for the rest of August — for concert specials, especially his 1968 “comeback.”
Permalink | | Categories: Entertainment
The good and bad
It’s a good news/bad news kind of day for Austin-connected TV shows.
“Friday Night Lights” is adding a fine veteran actor to the cast, at least temporarily.
Chris Mulkey, most recently of AMC’s Emmy-nominated movie “Broken Trail” and late of the super-weird series “Twin Peaks,” will step in to coach the Dillon Panthers while Eric Taylor is off fulfilling his dream of coaching a college team in Austin.
We already know that Kyle Chandler’s Coach Taylor will race back from Austin in the season opener (Oct. 5) to be with Connie when she gives birth. And we know that Coach Taylor will not be permanently separated from the Panthers.
Mulkey’s role is dubbed “recurring,” so presumably his hard-nosed coaching will not last long. He joins a couple of other new faces on “Lights.” Glenn Morshower (Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce on “24”) will play Landry’s father, and Daniella Alonso (Anna on “One Tree Hill”) will play a nurse who helps Matt Saracen care for his befuddled grandmother.
The bad news? Well, we knew it was coming, but now it’s official: HBO has axed the surf noir drama “John From Cincinnati” starring Austin actor Austin Nichols. The show, created by “Deadwood” genius David Milch,” never caught on with viewers in the Sunday time slot previously occupied by “The Sopranos.” And more than a few TV critics didn’t know what to make of it.
Guess we’ll never know exactly what John (alien? angel?) was or where he came from.
Axed not once but twice
Getting canceled is humiliating, but getting canceled twice? Wow, that’s really insulting.
ABC brought back its fall ‘06 serial drama “The Nine” this summer, after axing it in the spring. Ditto the comedy “The Knights of Prosperity.” Now both are gone again. “The Nine,” which attracted fewer than 2 million viewers in its second week, was yanked after only two episodes, and “Knights” didn’t even make it past one week after drawing only about 2 million viewers.
No doubt about it, viewers rejected both shows.
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Mandy’s out, Mantegna’s in, Kisses head for Olympics
Joe Mantegna, one of acting’s all-time utility players, will fill the role emptied by Mandy Patinkin’s sudden departure from “Criminal Minds.”
Most recently Mantegna has been seen in USA’s summer hit “The Starter Wife,” and he has long supplied the voice for Fat Tony on “The Simpsons,” including the big-screen version. Other TV credits include “Joan of Arcadia” and “First Monday.”
You might recall that last month Patinkin decided to bolt from his starring role as the master profiler Jason Gideon on CBS’s “Criminal Minds.” No excuse was given, although CBS entertainment chief told TV critics it was “personal issues.” (Patinkin darkly implied “creative differences” in a Hollywood trade account.) Patinkin pulled the same disappearing act years ago when he marched off the set of “Chicago Hope.”
You’d think that producers would finally get the message now: Patinkin cannot be depended on to stick with an ongoing series. This could be the last straw for the show biz vet — who has said many times that he prefers singing to acting. Now he might not have to choose.
Kisses to Beijing
Hershey’s Kisses are going to the Beijing Olympics.
Yep, the U.S. Olympic Committee has designated Hershey as the “official supplier” of chocolate to the U.S. Olympic team for the 2008 summer games.
Did you know the Olympic team had official chocolates? I didn’t, but if it’s OK for those muscular track and gymnastics stars to gulp Kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kats, then it’s OK for you and me to do the same.
And we can expect to see Mounds of Hershey’s ads during the the Beijing Olympics.
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‘Californicaton’ — Duchovny gets nekked for Showtime comedy!
Fans of the late-great “X-Files” always knew that David Duchovny was sexier than his straight-laced FBI agent Fox Mulder.
In ‘‘Californication,’’ Showtime’s new comedy debuting tonight at 8:30, the actor lets loose — disrobing and bedding a series of naked women, including an underage cutie that he didn’t bother to notice was underage. These are not abstract aliens from outer space, mind you. They are starstruck Hollywood types happy to bed a once-famous writer.
Duchovny plays novelist Hank Moody, an intellectual who has developed serious block since one of his books was transformed into a really horrible movie. Hank is probably too young for a midlife crisis, but he’s definitely having a crisis of confidence — and he’s acting out in sexually inappropriate ways.
Despite all the activity the show’s title implies, Hank is deeply in love with his ex-girlfriend (Natasha McElhone) and struggling to be a worthy father to their 8-year-old daughter. It’s the conflict that makes the raunch worthwhile.
“Californication” goes for more shock than necessary (if my count is correct, Hank beds four women in the pilot), but the show is smart and ripe with possibility.
Surf’s down …
HBO’s “John From Cincinnati,” the TV version of an acid flashback, ended its first and likely only season Sunday night.
Big questions were not answered, but I’m pretty sure creator David Milch never intended to wrap up this darkly amusing adventure in surrealism.
Mitch’s levitation finally was witnessed, and John (played by Austin’s own Austin Nichols) surfed his way back from oblivion with Shaun at his side. Cass’ camera had something to do with relaying messages from beyond, and we sort of know that John was able to communicate directly through the Internet without any visible means of Web connection.
But mostly we were left dangling in midair, just like Mitch.
Where had John and Shaun really been? Not clear, but the opening scene showed clouds and blue sky. Was Cincinnati a euphemism for heaven? Was John, who babbled endlessly about his Father, supposed to be an angel/messenger who dropped into Imperial Beach to help out the dysfunctional Yost family?
Or, as Bob Dylan’s song “Series of Dreams” (used extensively in last night’s episode) implied, was it all a dream?
Anything’s possible, but we’ll never know for sure. It’s impossible to describe “John From Cincinnati” or to explain why a handful of people like me loved it. Just a weird ride, from beginning to end.
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‘John From Cincinnati’ surfs off Sunday
With that blank look on his face and that mile-high pompadour, John from Cincinnati is fond of saying, “The end is near.”
It really is now. After a 10-week run filled with metaphysical mystery and nonsensical plot twists, HBO’s “John From Cincinnati” catches its last wave Sunday night at 8.
HBO has not officially picked up or canceled “John,” but this likely the end of the run. Viewers have drifted away, apparently too challenged by the perplexity of it all.
The title character, you might recall, is Austin Nichols of Austin, Texas. He’s been terrific throughout the series and is destined for bigger, possibly less confusing things.
Critics either loved or hated “John.” There was absolutely no middle ground. I’m at a loss to explain why I loved it, but I did. Slogging through life-giving birds and other bizarre miracles and the relentlessly hysterical Rebecca De Mornay’s performance as Cissy had its challenges. But I found the surreal nature of a “surf noir” drama inexplicably mesmerizing.
Is John an angel who comes to Earth to save the dysfunctional Yost family? Is he simply a mentally challenged innocent? A savant? Or an alien from outer space who plopped onto Imperial Beach in a random landing?
One thing is certain: John Monad is not from Cincinnati.
Creator David Milch has hinted that most of the mystery will be solved in the season (series?) finale on Sunday. Dope-smoking teen surfing sensation Shaun will either return — or not. Mitch will either find out why he occasionally floats several feet off the sand — or not.
And at least something about who John is and why he’s hovering around Imperial Beach will be revealed. That much HBO has promised.
“John From Cincinnati” won’t go down in history as one of HBO’s best or brightest, but it’s definitely been an intriguing, head-scratching diversion this summer. And we’ll definitely be seeing home-boy Austin Nichols again. He’s way too good to disappear.
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Meerkats return
They’re squirrel/rodent-like creatures, which, really and truly, should make them loathsome, but meerkats have proven themselves to be totally lovable on Animal Planet’s remarkably human series “Meerkat Manor.” There’s something inexplicably heart-warming about the upright little bandits.
This imaginative take on the reality genre returns Friday night at 7:30 for its third season. Thanks to the miracle of fiber optic photography, the African saga takes us beneath the desert and into the lives of the Whiskers clan.
You might recall that the Whiskers were evicted from their burrow at the end of last season and were searching for a new home in a less hostile environment. The tiny, fun-loving predators — Flower, Tosca, Zaphod, Mitch, Rocket Dog, etc. — are pursued by nasty rival clans, and the drama gets pretty intense.
Watching the meerkats is oddly calming and other-worldly. The narrator, of course, tells us what we’re supposed to be seeing, but the voice is unobtrusive and the focus is always on the perky fuzzies we’ve come to know and love.
It sounds ridiculous, I know, but “Meerkat Manor” is packed with life’s principal dramas — romance, family and life-and-death struggles. It’s a lot more fun to watch than, say, “Big Brother.”
Need some ‘Flash’ in your life?
The Sci-Fi Channel, which hit pay dirt with “Battlestar Galactica,” is taking a stab at reviving “Flash Gordon.”
The new version, starring Eric Johnson as the ordinary fellow-turned superhero, debuts Friday night at 8.
As Earth’s last defense against the evil dictator Ming (John Ralston), Flash and pals Dale Arden (Gina Holden) and Dr. Hans Zarkov (Jody Racicot) are comic-book heroes in live-action form.
The result is pleasant to look at, but don’t expect the same depth and intrigue of “Battlestar.” This one is all “Flash” with very little substance — at least in the early going.
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Austinite is the new ‘Bachelor’
Ta-da! Brad Womack, who owns several Austin bars — including the Chuggin’ Monkey and the Dizzy Rooster — has been chosen to star in ABC’s new season of “The Bachelor.”
Womack, 34, is billed by the network as the reality romance series’ very own “McSteamy.” You be the judge.
Apparently owning or co-owning (with brothers Chad and Wesley) all those fabulously popular bars in town has not helped Womack find a suitable babe-mate, so he’s going to let producers of “The Bachelor” help.
Born in Atlanta, Womack moved to Texas when he was 12 and attended Texas State University for a year before taking an 8-year odyssey working in oil fields around the country.
His next career was bartending with twin brother Chad. They saved their money and bought their own establishment and have been adding to the Womack Family Bar Empire ever since.
“The Bachelor” begins its new season on Monday, Sept. 24 on ABC.
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Check into ‘Hotel Babylon’ on BBC America
BBC America’s “Hotel Babylon,” premiering tonight at 8, is a sexy, fun-filled look at the luxury hospitality business from the inside out.
Max Beesley stars as Charlie, the hotel’s new deputy manager who doubles as the series’ wry narrator.
This British import is not to be confused with anything remotely resembling Aaron Spelling’s eye-candy series “Hotel” from 1983. This one can best be described as glamorous and raunchy.
“The language standards are different in the UK,” executive producer Gareth Neame said recently in Los Angeles. “After 10 p.m., you can say (the F word) all you want — and things that are much worse, frankly. This show is quite saucy by American standards, because European audiences want more. There’s a huge cultural difference when it comes to language and sex.”
Former “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” co-star Anthony Stewart Head guest stars in the opener as a suicidal jingle writer.
‘‘Hotel Babylon,’’ based on a book by Imogen Edwards-Jones that allegedly recounts real hotel horror stories, the London setting affords all kinds of drama with rock-star and European blue-blood guests — along with prostitutes and assorted hangers-on.
Tired of all the summer’s reality? Ready for something edgier than “The Closer?” Check into “Hotel Babylon” for a bit of saucy fun.
Meanwhile, Down Under …
The umpteenth edition of MTV’s “Real World” debuts tonight at 9 — this time based in Sydney, Australia. And, like just about every other reality show, there’s an Austinite in the mix.
KellyAnne, 20, describes herself as “a tease who craves the attention of men.” MTV describes her as “hot and scheming.” Bottom line: she’ll be in a hot tub slurping booze before the first commercial.
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Grinning Drew’s got the ‘Power’
Most of you TV blog readers (and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time) surely know by now that I’m not a fan of reality TV.
More often than not, it’s cheap and tawdry and spends an inordinate amount of time making fun of alleged real people — who really aren’t all that real because they’ve been cast to play certain parts in the manufactured reality of television.
But I digress … If I were going to subject myself to a new summer reality show it just might be Drew Carey’s “Power of 10,” which debuts tonight at 7 on CBS.
The big draw for me is Carey, a genuinely funny, regular guy from Cleveland whose enthusiasm and good cheer are totally contagious. He really is intrigued by the format, and he really does enjoy interacting with the contestants.
Here’s the deal for “Power of 10”: Players have to guess within a certain range of percentage points how Americans responded to a variety of survey questions. The top prize is $10 million, and if the answers are correct, the top can be reached quickly — in five questions.
Carey told TV critics in Los Angeles last month his interest was piqued by the fact that a lot of people don’t think the way he assumed they did. For example:
Outside of California, only 12 percent of Americans know the name of their governor. Californians, of course, have a muscle-building star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for their governor, so he’s kind of hard to miss. Including California in the percentage total, a whopping 20 percent of Americans can name their governor. Guess Rick Perry needs a name tag.
A big majority of respondents, 69 percent, say that if they saw a Mexican national trying to cross the U.S. border illegally they would phone police.
A shocking 18 percent of those polled said they would never vote for a black person for president. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Carey, who devours newspapers and considers himself a student of political and current affairs, thinks “Power of 10” could stir up some water-cooler conversation around the country. He hopes it does.
“The show takes you out of your comfort zone because you’re going to see that a lot of people don’t think the same way as you do and don’t have the same beliefs that you do,” Carey said. “I hope it makes people think about that stuff. It’s going to shake a lot of people’s beliefs.”
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‘New Amsterdam,’ we knew you so well
The new season hasn’t even begun yet, but we’ve already had the first cancellation.
Technically it’s a postponement, but it’s never a good sign to be announced for the fall schedule and then taken off.
The victim is “New Amsterdam,” loudly touted by Fox when the fall lineup was announced in May. The dark and intriguing drama focused on a New York homicide detective with a secret: he’s immortal.
In 1642 a handsome fellow named John Amsterdam was a Dutch soldier in the colony of New Amsterdam. After he saved the life of an American Indian girl, she cast a spell of immortality that cannot be broken until he finds true love. Apparently the guy is incredibly picky because he’s still single centuries later. (P.S.: He looks really good for his age.)
Whatever. “New Amsterdam,” starring a promising Dutch actor named Nikolaj Coster Waldau, has been held back for midseason. Why? Because Fox is so thrilled with the summer hit “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” that it has given the time slot to the reality show. Go figure.
Speaking of reality …
The new sub-genre of reality TV apparently is the weight-loss contest.
“Biggest Loser,” “Shaq’s Big Challenge,” “Celebrity Fitness Club,” blah, blah.
Now comes the rather offensively title “Fat March”, which puffs and wheezes onto ABC tonight at 8 p.m.
A dozen overweight folks line up at the starting line of the Boston Marathon and wind up in Washington, D.C. During the 600-mile trek, the tubby twelve will lose a bunch of weight, and the one who loses the most wins more than $1 million.
Yes, tears will be shed, and people who choose to watch this train wreck will have to judge for themselves whether health, amusement or humiliation is the goal of the series.
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Sexy ‘Jekyll’ on BBC America, Austin trivia king hosts a party
Looking for a fun twist on a classic horror tale? Check out the debut of BBC America’s new series “Jekyll” on Saturday night (at 7 p.m.).
Described by writer-producer Steven Moffat (“Doctor Who”) as “a cross between a modern horror story and ‘The Odd Couple,’ ” the series based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novella stars James Nesbitt as the tortured doc with a mean streak and a morbid sense of humor.
“Dr. Jackman has left the building,” the transformed creature tells his wife when she finds him roaming the kitchen one night. “It’s time for the night shift.”
The guy with the split personality is named Dr. Jackman here because, really, you’d have to be an idiot to be unaware of what’s happening to you when you suddenly shift into a murderous fellow called Mr. Hyde. Jackman is a direct descendant of Dr. Jekyll but initially unaware of the family tie.
The physical transformation from Jackman to Hyde is relatively subtle — red contact lenses, mussed hair, menacing facial expression.
“This is a modern Hyde,” Nesbitt (“Match Point,” “Bloody Sunday”) said in Los Angeles recently. “He’s seductive, cool and sexy — not monstrous like the Victorian version. You have to do very small things to make a big difference. It’s better than, you know, going behind the sofa and coming back with a big hairy arm. You have to make the fantastical believable for this.”
Besides its sly humor, “Jekyll” does have some bloody thrills.
“If something gets in his way, he’ll either eat it, kill it or have sex with it,” Nesbitt chirped proudly.
Austin’s ‘Millionaire’ just might buy you a beer
Austin trivia master Ed Toutant, who won $1.871 million on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” in 2001, is back for more on the Game Show Network’s new “Grand Slam” this weekend.
The series — featuring 16 top winners (including “Jeopardy!” star Ken Jennings) from several TV games shows — will compete for $100,000. The winner-take-all tournament debuts Saturday at 6 p.m. on GSN, but Toutant’s not on board until the Sunday episode at 6 p.m.
Toutant, 55 and retired from IBM, is hosting a viewing party at Mother Egan’s Irish Pub (715 W. Sixth St.) on Sunday, with the fun set to begin around 5 p.m.
The competition was taped in New York last month, so Toutant knows how far he got — but we don’t. Maybe he’ll buy lots of beer, maybe not.
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More hype for ‘The View’
Is it possible for “The View” to generate more hype?
Apparently so, but at least this time it’s good news about the Barbara Walters daytime talker.
On the heels of the Star Jones huff-off and the surprisingly quick Rosie O’Donnell departure comes Wednesday’s announcement that Whoopi Goldberg will join the group in September.
Walters must be relieved and thrilled to have finally found someone who can give the show the edge it needs. But she’s probably also got her well-manicured fingers crossed that Whoopi won’t blow up in her face.
In her favor, Whoopi is funny, smart and opinionated. Mostly she’s to the left of center, but she said Wednesday that she sometimes agrees with the show’s conservative voice, Elisabeth Hasselbeck. On the surface, it seems like Whoopi will nestle in well with Joy Behar, too — both are comedians who are quick and sharp.
By her own admission, Whoopi is out of the loop on celebrity gossip, but that can work in the show’s favor. She would work well as the voice of the Why Should We Care? segment of the audience. Because, really, why should we care about Paris, Lindsay and the rest?
There’s still one more position to fill on “The View,” but Walters apparently is in no hurry to fill it. Actress and occasional guest Sherri Shepherd is rumored to be in the running, but word Wednesday was that her money demands were too steep. And Kathy Griffin of “My Life on the D-List” fame also is being considered.
Boring. I’m beating the drum for Margaret Cho, who might not be available or interested but would be terrific.
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KXAN News: shifting and expanding
KXAN is shifting and expanding its local news. Viewership for TV news might be splintering and declining overall, but KXAN believes it’s time to grow.
“It’s more about what we feel is our core competency and core business,” said station general manager Eric Lassberg.
Starting Tuesday, Sept. 4, the NBC affiliate’s late afternoon news will move from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. And then on Monday, Sept. 10, the station is adding an hour-long newscast at noon.
Before all you “Jeopardy!” fans have a cow, the enduringly popular game show is not going away. It will air for an hour, from 4 to 5 p.m., with a rerun from the previous season leading off at 4 p.m. and the new episode a half-hour later.
“I’m hoping that people who really love ‘Jeopardy!’ will be pleased because they’ll have an hour,” Lassberg said. “It’s really just an hour time-shift.”
The station’s 5 p.m. news will have the same anchor team on board: Robert Hadlock, Michelle Valles, Roger Wallace and Jim Spencer.
KXAN resisted having an early-evening newscast for years, at least partly because “Jeopardy!” has been so successful against the other local stations’ 5 p.m. news. A few years ago, KXAN introduced the 4 p.m. news, but the audience available at that time of day is considerably smaller than the 5 p.m. time slot.
“We’re in the news business, and we’re serious about news,” Lassberg said. “It just makes sense from the viewers’ standpoint to do it at 5 p.m.”
The noon newscast — to be anchored by KXAN’s early-morning team of Tonya Kerr and Chris Willis — will launch the same day that NBC’s “Today” adds another hour.
I know your head is spinning at this point, but here’s how KXAN’s daytime schedule will look as of Sept. 10:
7 to 9 a.m. “Today”
9 to 10 a.m. “Live with Regis and Kelly”
10 a.m. to noon “Today”
Noon to 1 p.m. “KXAN News”
1 to 2 p.m. “700 Club”
2 to 3 p.m. “Days of Our Lives
(Note: “Montel Williams” moves to KXAN’s sister station KNVA at 11 a.m. weekdays.)
Why is British TV filming in Austin?
“Wire in the Blood”, a popular procedural crime drama produced by the BBC, is filming an episode in Austin right now.
The series, which returns to the BBC America schedule sometime in the fall, focuses on an enigmatic clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill, played by Robson Green.
What does this have to do with Austin? Tony becomes an expert witness in the case of an American Iraq War veteran accused of killing his family. The killer claims he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Tony is hired to prove the claim is false, and he winds up in an Austin courtroom to make the case.
“I think it is a huge achievement for a small indie to move from the northeast of England to make a film in Austin, Texas,” executive producer Sandra Jobling said in a statement. “We are relishing the challenge of learning a new system of production and working closely with our American colleagues.”
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