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The real Jersey Shore doesn't like Jersey Shore
5 hours ago
This just in from TV Squad's Department of the Blatantly Obvious: residents of Jersey's Seaside Heights don't like the Jersey Shore gang.
Some of the town's natives told The Hollywood Reporter that they feel the popular MTV reality show gives their little corner of the universe a very bad image in the eyes of the viewing public.
One woman who described the town as a very quiet and charming place told the publication, "They should call it 'North Jersey Shore.'" So if you're from Seaside Heights, do you agree with her?
Filed under: Other Reality Shows
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- Danny Gallagher
Jay Thomas returns to the Late Show to save Christmas for the world
5 hours ago
I don't care how bad your Christmas is going. It doesn't matter if the family tree caught fire and burned every present under the tree, including that fireproof safe your aunt sent you at the last minute. Jay Thomas will save it for you.
Every year at Christmas time except in 2007 because of the Writer's Guild Strike, the actor and comedian goes to David Letterman's Late Show to help Dave knock the meatball off the Christmas tree and tell the greatest showbiz story I've ever heard in my life. If you don't want to spoil the story for you and your family when he returns to the Late Show on Wednesday, go ahead and watch it anyway. It will Still be just as funny. I've heard it a thousand times and Thomas' style and delivery just makes it funnier.
Filed under: Late Night, Video, Celebrities, Reality-Free
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- Danny Gallagher
Ricky Gervais' podcast coming to HBO
6 hours ago
Remember The Ricky Gervais Show? That hilarious podcast that featured the genius of Karl Pilkington and was the most downloaded thing in the history of the universe of everything? It's coming to HBO.
The world's most successful podcast is getting the television treatment next year starting on February 13.
So how do you turn a podcast into a TV show? That's simple. You animate it. Episodes of the podcast featuring Gervais, Stephen Merchant and the aforementioned Pilkington will be turned into cartoon creatures for the TV version. I came to the podcast very late in life and am sure that will count against me at my karma hearing in the afterlife, but this should more than make up for it.
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Animation, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
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- Danny Gallagher
Silverman and Martin return to Comedy Central
7 hours ago
Comedy Central has announced that The Sarah Silverman Program will begin its third season and Important Things with Demetri Martin will begin its second season this coming February. It looks like Sarah Silverman's show made it despite the budget cuts.
Silverman's show was hilarious in its first season. The second season wasn't quite as good. The entire concept around her character gets grating over time (I find the same is true of her stand-up). The conclusion is that Sarah Silverman is best in small doses. Having a character that is so self-absorbed and unrecognizing of her own mistakes only works for characters like Master Shake. Of course if she actually learned a lesson, then the show would be over.
Having not seen any episodes of Demetri Martin's show, I cannot comment. I did enjoy his appearance on Flight of the Conchords (I still hum "Doggy Bounce" sometimes). How …
- Brad Trechak
Survivor runner-up Russell has a new web site
11 hours ago
If you watched the season finale of Survivor the other night, you probably noticed that, unlike a lot of runner-ups in the past, Russell Hantz was openly bitter and angry about not winning. He didn't try to hide it, which probably proved to the jury that they were right in voting for Natalie in the first place.
But Russell still thinks he should have won and he has just launched a new web site called RussellGotScrewed.com, where he asks you to vote for him if you think he's "America's Top Survivor." You can also make donations or buy shirts and other things in his store. Proceeds go to St. Jude's Hospital, which is a great thing, though I'm not sure exactly what he wants to accomplish with the whole "vote for me" thing. Maybe he wants a recount.
He even told Natalie on the finale that if she asked …
- Bob Sassone
Twelve Days of Festivus: Two series finales
12 hours ago
On the second day of Festivus, TV gave to me... two series finales.
Shows end all the time. Sometimes shows purposefully bow out to end on a high note, and sometimes shows unexpectedly get axed. Some pack a punch in their short lives, some get drawn out over several decades and end amidst a chorus of "Finally!" Seriously. Shows end all the time.
Which is why it's absolutely cruel that I was assigned to pick only two 2009 series finales to write about. Come on! Two. That's a lot of pressure to put on a girl.
Continue reading Twelve Days of Festivus: Two series finales
Filed under: OpEd, Festivus, Reality-Free
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- Annie Wu
Comcast launches new online video service today
12 hours ago
Buying NBC isn't the only big news from Comcast happening at the end of the 2009. Today they're launching a new online on-demand service. It's only for Comcast customers, but I'm a Comcast customer, so I'll be able to watch it!
It's called XFinity, which sounds like that name for the next Stargate spinoff but is actually a new part of the Fancast site where you can watch TV shows from channels like HBO, AMC, A&E, Starz, The History Channel, and Cinemax. That means you can watch shows like True Blood, Entourage, Mad Men, The Colbert Report, Big Love, and many other shows. (By the way, right now Fancast is running a marathon of Friends Christmas episodes.)
Now that Comcast owns a big chunk of NBC, I wonder how this service could someday be combined with Hulu in some way, or if launching this service will affect Hulu in other ways. …
- Bob Sassone
TV franchises offer up last minute Christmas gift ideas
13 hours ago
Norad is already tracking Santa Claus and his airborne reindeer team as it heads south from the North Pole and ignores boring Canada to give delightful Christmas presents to all the good American boys and girls. Fortunately, the U.S. Air Force apologized for that anti-aircraft missile that almost nicked Dasher. They sent a fruit basket and everything.
The point is that you don't have much time to snag holiday toys for your TV fan friends and those few kids you actually like. Fortunately, there still some popular toys out there that can serve multiple gift giving purposes.
The I Love Lucy Barbie from Mattel (right) sells for $45, so it might be more appropriate for an adult toy collector (an adult who collects TV-related toys, I mean). But, a Barbie is a Barbie, and few girls would turn one down -- even if it features Lucy Ricardo auditioning for a …
- John Scott Lewinski
Review: Men of a Certain Age - Mind's Eye
13 hours ago
(S01E03) If there was any doubt that this show's goal was too be completely authentic and realistic, I think a discussion about how many creams Owen uses on his ass just about seals the deal. I can only imagine what the waitress thinks of the bits and pieces she overhears of the boys' various conversations. But it does make it perfectly clear why that diner table has become the symbol of the show.
These boys have been a part of each other's lives for so long now that they're family. The fact that they're able to have conversations like we see each week, that certainly go deeper and more intimate than most "guy" friendships would ever be allowed, is a testament to that.
Continue reading Review: Men of a Certain Age - Mind's Eye
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
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- Jason Hughes
What's On Tonight: Carrie Underwood, Scrubs, Ecw
13 hours ago
At 7, ReelzChannel has a new Hollywood Dailies with new contributor Richard Roeper. 8, Fox has Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special. Espn has the Maaco Bowl, Byu vs. Oregon State. At 9, ABC has a new Scrubs, then a new Better Off Ted. Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9, followed by a new Ghost Lab. History Channel has two new episodes of How The Earth Was Made. BBC America has a new Britain's Missing Top Model at 9. Comedy Central has four Christmas episodes of South Park starting at 9. At 10, Syfy has a new Ecw. A&E has two new episodes of Paranormal State at 10. Also at 10: HBO has a new Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
Check your local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Carrie Underwood, Scrubs, Ecw
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, …
- Bob Sassone
NBC affiliates don't want Leno
15 hours ago
It's not news that Leno's 10 Pm show is doing somewhat poorly in the ratings. It also shouldn't be news that some NBC affiliates are starting to question the wisdom of removing scripted programming from the 10 o'clock hour.
Imagine if you're an affiliate and your 10 P.M. programming was losing in the ratings to some cable network (reminiscent of the movie Uhf). In effect, more people are watching programming that they have to pay for than the product you're offering for free. The affiliates could put local programing such as news at that hour and get higher ratings.
It's entirely possibly that Leno's ratings will rebound and NBC executives will be laughing about this next year (although admittedly not likely). From a personal standpoint, three hours of nighttime talk show is too much, no matter how much cheaper it is for the network.
Will NBC have an affiliate revolt on its hands? …
- Brad Trechak
All Jason wants for Festivus
15 hours ago
I am knee deep in the holiday spirit and drunk on power. Only I can reach the top of the tree, so what goes up there is up to me ... so long as my wife approves. With television mostly in reruns, I find myself with extra time in my head, and when I spend time in there I find things. Things like what I want for Festivus!
MTV and VH1 to play music videos. I'm from the MTV generation, which means I have no problem sitting around watching music videos for hours and hours. I love music. I love videos. The music industry would probably appreciate it, too. I don't like feeling like I need to take a shower while watching any one of their trashy reality shows. Lost to blow us all away with a Satisfying conclusion. No fade to black, no comas, no Bob Newhart waking up next to his wife. …
- Jason Hughes
Top Stories of 2009: Reality scandals
16 hours ago
It's interesting when one takes the time to look back back at 2009, several scandals that occurred this year were related to television. There were four big reality scandals that occurred in 2009, most of them happening in the second half of the year. They have stayed fresh in pop culture buzz.
This list doesn't count Jon & Kate's drama, all the injuries on Survivor, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars, Chima's explosion on Big Brother, or Adam Lambert's sexual preferences. Those events pale in comparison to the five scandals listed.
Continue reading Top Stories of 2009: Reality scandals
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Big Brother (Us), Celebreality
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- Michael Pascua
Glee and Breaking Bad top the Satellite Awards
17 hours ago
The winners of 2009 Satellite Awards were announced on Sunday in Los Angeles, and when you look at the winners on the television side, you have to like the choices. Most of these shows and actors have been on our year-end "best" lists, and if I were to guess, I think you'll see many of these names on the Prime time Emmy nomination roster.
The first thing that jumped out to me was Glee. The Fox musical dramedy was a winner in five different categories, including actors Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth -- for her guest role -- recognized. And the show was named Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical.
Continue reading Glee and Breaking Bad top the Satellite Awards
Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Dexter, Awards, Damages, Breaking Bad, Reality-Free, Mad Men, Glee
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- Allison Waldman
So what did you think of Diane Sawyer's first night?
18 hours ago
So Diane Sawyer took over for Charles Gibson last night on ABC's World News. I don't know how "important" her first episode was. She's filled in on the show before and obviously wouldn't suddenly start yelling expletives or start drooling. She handled herself fine (though if I want to see a chick read the news I watch Katie on CBS). What did everyone else think?
View Poll
Filed under: News, TV Squad Polls, Celebrities, Reality-Free
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- Bob Sassone
Review: The Closer - Dead Man's Hand (season finale)
23 hours ago
(S05E15) I can't believe we're already at the end of the season for The Closer. Alas, it's true. Until next summer, this is it for Brenda and Fritz and the Major Crime Unit. Fortunately, they saved a good one for the finale. Has Brenda been so hip-deep in work that she's neglected the important things in life? That seemed to be one of the concerns, as well as the fun of dealing with someone who -- at best -- is a thorn in Chief Johnson's side. For all that and more, jump to the next page and tell Joel the cat he's not allowed on the table.
Continue reading Review: The Closer - Dead Man's Hand (season finale)
Filed under: OpEd, The Closer, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
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- Allison Waldman
The greatest Make Me Laugh contestant ever was... Frank Zappa?
21 December 2009 7:19 PM, PST
The annals of the Game Show Hall of Fame has very few names inscribed on its walls: Press Your Luck's Michael Larson, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire's John Carpenter, Jeopardy's Ken Jennings. Now you can add Frank Zappa to that list. Yes, That Frank Zappa.
The man, the myth, the musical legend made a special celebrity appearance on the very short-lived '70s game show Make Me Laugh, a show that rewarded people for not laughing at comedians like Gallagher the way God intended. He never even cracked a smile, but you will when you watch it.
Filed under: Video, Celebrities, Game Show, Reality-Free
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- Danny Gallagher
MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan turns Morning Meeting into a Morning Melee
21 December 2009 6:42 PM, PST
Morning Meeting, a horrid hour long morning news and shout show featuring former CNBC talking head Dylan Ratigan, invited Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on a recent show and conducted the kind of interview that would cause the Bill O'Reilly from that infamous Inside Edition clip to calm down. Although it would probably sound more like "calm the f*$& down."
Ratigan tried to take Schultz to the mat over the recent health care bill, but the only thing he accomplished is turning his own show into the kind of wall of incoherent noise that has dominated the cable news clusterf&$%. He has since issued an apology.
Filed under: News, Video, Reality-Free
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- Danny Gallagher
Avatar technology being used for new Jackass movie
21 December 2009 5:02 PM, PST
James Cameron's Avatar has created new filming techniques and heralded a new age of storytelling and artistic endeavors. And it's being used to film evolution's little mistakes getting hit in the beanbag with a golf club.
MTV's Jackass will reportedly take Cameron's film techniques and implement them into Jackass 3D, the third movie installment based on the popular TV stunt comedy show.
The show's chief jackass, Johnny Knoxville, said in a press release that they would use the technology to take the camera where no camera has gone before: "up Steve-o's butt." I'm sure a 3D version of that will do wonders for Milk Duds sales at the concession stand.
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on the Bigscreen, Reality-Free
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- Danny Gallagher
New TV on DVD releases this week
21 December 2009 4:04 PM, PST
Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.
Yes, we're in the middle of a slow period when it comes to new DVD releases. You would think there would be more new things released during the holidays, but I guess all of the companies released everything in the months of October and November. But we do have a few DVD sets for TV fans, including another Star Wars takeoff by the folks at Family Guy and a complete series set for Taxi (along with the season five set, the last season).
Huh. I always thought Taxi lasted a few more seasons than that. Then again I haven't seen an episode of the show in over ten years.
Family Guy - Something Something Something Dark Side Guyver - Complete Series (Viridian Collection) Kyle Xy - Season 3 The Secret Life of the American Teenager - Season 3 Taxi - Season 5 and Complete …
- Bob Sassone
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