The TV Zone

Yes, this is rather last minute, but it was just announced....

Here's some of the release...

"With the sudden passing of Michael Jackson last week, millions of people around the world are paying their respects to the King of Pop, yet the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery and raise even more questions about his life. CBS News will take a look at both his legacy and the investigation into his death as part of the 48 HOURS special MICHAEL JACKSON: PICKING UP THE PIECES, anchored by Katie Couric on Tuesday, June 30 (10:00-11:00 pm, ET/PT).

With the probe under way, many are awaiting answers as to just what happened when Jackson collapsed, amid speculation about his use of prescription painkillers. The broadcast will take a look at Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who reportedly found Jackson not breathing, shortly before the singer’s death.

-Photos: Fans react to the death of the pop legend
-Photos: Michael Jackson through the years

While Jackson’s music has brought joy to so many, his life was riddled with controversy. MICHAEL JACKSON: PICKING UP THE PIECES will step back and look at the man whose strained relationship with his family, poor body image and plastic surgery eventually eclipsed his talent. The broadcast will examine Jackson’s connection to the black community during his career as well as his legacy among musicians today and into the future.

-Photos: Fans react to the death of the pop legend
-Photos: Michael Jackson through the years

(And certainly not to this cad. By the way, whatever happened to him? Who cares...)

Happened this morning on "GMA," where she's a contributor. Engaged to Ty Strickland. The old boyfriend. The one she shoulda hitched up with in the first place.

Not cad boy.

Here's the "GMA" story:

"Good Morning America" special contributor Melissa Rycroft, who famously had her heart broken on "The Bachelor," has found her happily ever after. And instead of a rose, this time it was a ring.

Rycroft, 26, announced live on "GMA" Tuesday that she and boyfriend Ty Strickland became engaged over the weekend in Texas.

"Sometimes the stars align," the "Dancing With the Stars" alum told "GMA" anchors Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts," "and the clouds part and everything works out the way it should."

The engagement took place in private, she said, and then "we went and met up with our parents and friends."

The couple met three years ago at a mutual friend's party and had dated on and off before reconnecting after Rycroft's appearance on "The Bachelor."

King o' the world? (Getty Images Photo)

I see the press has its tighty-whities all in knot over the report out the U.K. yesterday that Simon Cowell - SiCo - has been offered $144 million a year to continue on "American Idol."

The Post even has a banner headline, or something, seeming to suggest that it's true, and because the Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch who will presumably pay SiCo this sum, then it MUST be true.

-Photos: Simon Cowell

Except that it's highly dubious.

Let me re-phrase: I don't believe it.

Here's the graph in the Guardian story that has caused all the uproar. It's buried deep, deep, deep - as if a throwaway, as if the writer herself didn't even believe it, and I bet she didn't (the Guardian story is, by the way, quite good):

"A source close to Fuller says that Cowell has already been offered three to four times the $36m he was paid for American Idol in 2008 - but then, he is the most important person on the show and the series makes $900m a year and attracts audiences of 25 million. The point is that Cowell makes nothing more than this admittedly large performance fee and that's the gap the Green deal hopes to fill. " ("Green refers to Sir Philip Green, the retailer that SiCo's working out a deal with...)

You can almost see the writer smile as she writes these words.

Let's translate:

"A source close to Fuller..."

"Fuller," is - of course - Simon Fuller, my own Dr. Evil, who despises SiCo with all the furies of hell and beyond. He sued SiCo over patent infringement (I think it was patent infringement) over "The X Factor" and they settled out of court.

This "source close to Fuller" is repeating gossip that's been out there for weeks - and it's probably bogus gossip. Why should a "source close to Fuller" know what SiCo is doing anyway? This is hurtful information to Cowell - Dr. Evil's handiwork.

"... already been offered three to four times ..."

More bogosity! Three to four times? Vague, wouldn't you say?

Why would Rupert want to play this up? Maybe to embarrass SiCo? Who knows.

But there is NO WAY Fox is going to pay him $144M a year. Impossible. That would exceed the profit of the entire Fox network, in all probability, and wipe out whatever's left, too. It would be the highest services contract fee in TV history, by a vast margin. It would be suicidal - for Fox and for the entire TV industry. The TV industry isn't baseball and it isn't even basketball. Anyway, the last time I checked even Kobe wasn't making $144 m a year.

It would be stupid beyond stupid.

Let's get this straight: Fox knows SiCo is leaving one of these days, sooner than later. My hunch: He'll re-up for two more years beyond the season he's taping now. Gives Fox/ 19 Entertainment time to groom a successor, etc.

He'll get something far more important than mere money in return; what? Maybe an astronomical sum for "The X Factor," owned outright by our man.

SiCo's not looking for a mere $144 M a year to host "American Idol." That's chump change. He's looking to rule the world. For him, that's much more interesting.

(HBO)

Good scoop by "EW's" Michael Ausiello:

Drea de Matteo is joining "Desperate Housewives."

I should add a few "!!!!" for emphasis.

And at least one "?"

As in, isn't she already in "Sons of Anarchy?" Did I miss something? Did she have a Silvio moment there too?

And another question: Why join "DH?"

Why not! Per "EW," "De Matteo, who will be a series regular, will play the matriarch of a new Italian family. Casting is underway for her landscape designer husband and their tightly wound son. "

I assume she/he/Tightly Wound are moving to Wisteria.

Oh man, THIS is what happens when I don't watch an awards show in its glorious entirety: A controversy breaks out and I gotta catch up hours later.

First, Don Lemon of CNN has an interview with Joe Jackson who plugs some new record company - or something. That's on the jump.

Now, here's the latest: Lil Wayne sang new single "Every Girl" last night, and as one Minneapolis writer, David Hansen, correctly observed, he "didn't get the memo." Night was supposed to be about "MJ."

Ummm, but not this.

In other words. BET's done it again!

Dr. Janet Taylor, a New York-based clinical instructor of psychiatry at Columbia University at Harlem Hospital has come out with both guns blazing (in website, Momlogic.)

Here's Taylor, then check out the clip, which is the only one I can find insofar as the patent and copyright trolls at Viacom have already sent out their legal briefs to the Youtube nation, and pulled down EVERY single clip of "Every Girl" out there. (Probably because the company's trying to bury the evidence.) Somehow, they missed this one. (But, one suspects, not for long.)

-Photos: 2009 BET Awards

Taylor: "Now, I enjoy rap with the exception of rappers who use lyrics to degrade, defame or threaten others. In my opinion, the music is not productive and I frequently will simply turn it off. On the show, when rapper Drake appeared sitting down to rest his torn Achilles , I was like OK ... pretty tame. I don't have a problem with Lil' Wayne, he is creative and his writing is brilliant at times. However, his song "Every Girl" is offensive and disturbing. Here are the shocking lyrics, read them with caution. [Note to reader: Easy to find 'em, but I probably shouldn't link from here; they're graphic, bigtime.] Perhaps, they are what our kids are used to. I have teenagers, girls no less, who have heard the song and like it. My problem was the preteens who were proudly on stage, shaking their groove thang to this misogynistic, disrespectful song. It was ridiculous. Debra Lee, the CEO of BET, also the mother of two children, should be asking herself who approved this and how these young girls were allowed to be a part of this "act"."

Now, the clip:

Continue reading "BET, Lil Wayne Get Rapped Over "Every Girl" " »

Per Discovery, "No decision has been made regarding season two of PITCHMEN. The network is focused on supporting Mays' family and friends during this time of incredible loss."

This Wednesday's marathon airs from 11 a.m. throught 10 p.m., when TDC will air a brand new episode.

Per TDC: "To celebrate a man who was larger than life, the network will run tribute promos honoring Billy Mays and never-before-aired moments throughout the day. A slate will also be added to the end of the season finale in his remembrance.In addition, a special tribute show is being planned."

(Will this show go on next season? I can't imagine that it could in a million years - even with Billy's co-pitchman, Anthony Sullivan on-board. "Pitchmen" is SO much Mays' big personality.)

-Photos: Famous TV pitchmen

Well, sure: I exaggerate.

I do that a lot.

But Dylan Ratigan did get on the air with his new gig this morning with hardly any advanced warning.

Show's called "Morning Meeting." Ratigan's a talented guy. Should be good. We'll see.

Here's Brian Williams greeting the new anchorman this morning.

Amusing...

(AP)

Billy Mays died of a pulmonary embolism - not from brain trauma, per reports out of Tampa.

According to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams, Mays "had an enlarged heart, a thickening of the wall of the ventricle which takes blood to the heart."

[By the way, I earlier described this as "heart disease," but a reader noted that it was not technically "heart disease;" however, according to a report recently posted in People, the ME did in fact find evidence of heart disease, and an enlarged heart would certainly suggest as much, while his wife seems to believe heart disease was also the cause.]

Here's the statement from his Deborah Mays, and on the jump, St. Pete Times' Kim Wilmath wrap...


"Billy would be overwhelmed to see that his life touched so many people in a positive way. The support we have received during this difficult time has been tremendous. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers. While it provides some closure to learn that heart disease took Billy from us, it certainly doesn't ease the enormous void that his death has created in our lives. As you can imagine, we are all devastated. We are asking that you respect our privacy as I will not be conducting any media interviews in the near future."

And here's Rehema Ellis's wrap from over the weekend...

Continue reading "Billy Mays: Pulmonary Embolism" »

For you young 'uns out there, I'd like to take note of Gale Storm's passing over the weekend at age 87.

Gale Storm? A very popular TV actress in the early '50s. Her show, "My Little Margie," was a CBS summer replacement for "I Love Lucy," and became a hit in its own right, while re-runs eventually ended up on Saturday morning, where a whole new generation of kids watched.

No one - I'm reasonably certain - ever called "Margie" a great show, but the leading lady had genuine and lasting appeal. Margie was a creature of '50s TV - where women were slightly dim and cute and subservient, but the show was standard fare for the times. Watched through the prism of 2009 sensibilities, it seems as ancient as an Egyptian hieroglyph.

For example: I've posted a clip and in the opening scene of one episode you'll also see Willie Best, one of the enduring black character actors of the day whose career stretched way back almost to the silent screen era; (his many roles were stereotypes of the worst order but this is how Hollywood often portrayed African Americans on TV and on screen from the '30s almost through to the '60s.) Best was also one of the hardest working black actors of the day - Bob Hope, I believe, said he was one of the most talented actors and comics he'd ever worked with - and died only a handful of years after this show, one of his final credits, went off the air.

And finally, Charles Farrell, who played Margie's widower dad in the show (they lived together; she was always getting him in trouble at the company he worked for.) Farrell was a huge star in the late '20s, when he starred with Janet Gaynor in a bunch of romantic chick flicks.

Storm later had her own show ("The Gale Storm Show") and appeared on "What's My Line." There were some very hard times too, as she related in her autobiography.

And now one of the most memorable stars of early television is gone.

I can't say I saw the entire show last night - kept dipping in an out - but here's my first question: Where were the clips? The classics? I'm sure they were there - must have just missed them.

(And if I didn't miss them, and they weren't in the show, at least in meaningful abundance, then here's my second question: Did MTV keep them out of rival BET's hands, even for a major tribute edition of the Awards?)

Meanwhile, speaking of clips, here's a nice one: Janet Jackson's brief speech at the end, and the Jamie Foxx - who gamely tried to get the crowd into this tribute but didn't always have a lot of luck doing so - and Ne-Yo final tribute, "I'll Be There"...

Yes, this was - per my semi-exhaustive research - the one sole SAG-sanctioned TV credit of Michael Jackson's on an entertainment TV program over the past four decades.

It's the "Simpsons" '91 season opener entitled "Stark Raving Dad" and aired Sept. 19, 1991.

[I also think there's something appropriate in the fact that one of the world's great musical artists appeared in the greatest TV show in history; the episode is also a beautiful one and yielded "Lisa, It's Your Birthday;" I'm told by a knowledgeable correspondent that MJ did NOT in fact sing the song, but that an impersonator did. Still, a classic...]

Here's TV.com's abbreviated synopsis, then an overview of the act:

"After a misunderstanding at work, Homer is committed to a mental institution, where he meets an interesting man claiming to be Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, Lisa’s birthday is fast approaching and a reluctant Bart is forced with the task of getting Lisa a birthday present.

"Act Two: Homer and Michael converse in their cell and Michael cannot believe that Homer has never heard of him. Michael performs a few lyrics from Billie Jean, complete with a Moonwalk and a crotch grab. However, none of this rings a bell to Homer, who is oblivious to the fact that this giant white man thinks he is the real Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, at home, Bart and Lisa watch an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon (Titled: Bang the Cat Slowly). The cartoon features Itchy the Mouse giving Scratchy the Cat a lit bomb for a birthday present. Lisa uses this opportunity to remind Bart about the birthday present that he promised to get her. Bart once again reassures her that he will get her a present.

"Back at the asylum, Michael gives Homer a tour around the common area and introduces him to some of the inmates. Homer spots a phone and decides to call home; however, he feels embarrassed about calling from an asylum, so Michael offers to call home for him. At the Simpson home, Bart answers the phone, and he is surprised to hear someone that sounds just like Michael Jackson on the other end of the line. After Michael convinces Bart that he is the real Michael Jackson, by naming his last four dates for the Grammys, he explains Homer’s predicament. Bart, who is more interested in having spoken to Michael Jackson, takes down the message and delivers it to a shocked Marge. Marge promptly calls the asylum, but she can’t get through to an operator, as all the lines are busy. That night in his cell, Homer confesses to Michael that he is scared about being locked up in the asylum and Michael puts Homer at ease, by singing him a lullaby.

-Photos: Fans react
-Photos: Michael through the years

Here's the full episode. I hope I'm not breaking copyright laws, but...

The Simpsons 301 Stark Raving Dad

HBO's 1992 bonanza: "Dangerous"

Does anyone remember 1995?

HBO does. MTV and ABC, too. This was the year that perhaps the single biggest event in HBO history disappeared in an afternoon; the year MTV was embarrassed with an on-line chat; the year ABC got flack for playing footsie with a super-star.

The one common denominator: Michael Jackson.

As you know by now, and have always known - MJ's relationship with TV has been symbiotic; he used it when he needed to, and TV was desperate to accommodate. But otherwise he avoided it assiduously. There was only one bona fide SAG TV credit over the years (a voice on "The Simpsons"), the Jackson 5 cartoon series, and the '70s variety series (both of the latter, short-lived.)

-Photos: Fans react
-Photos: Michael through the years

But beyond MTV - already an enormous amount of press on that, and no need to go over that ground again here - his relationship with HBO was hugely important too. HBO got rights to his Bucharest "Dangerous" concert in 1992 - a $20 million deal which to that point was one of the most important investments the pay network had ever made.

Here's what the press release said upon announcing it:

"HBO's concert telecast will mark the culmination of the highly successful European leg of the "Dangerous Tour," which began on June 27 in Munich, Germany, where an SRO crowd of more than 70,000 were delighted as Jackson ended the show by donning a Rocketeer-styled jetpack and flying out of the stadium.

"Fan anticipation began running high when Jackson announced his "Dangerous Tour" would offer the world "the most state-of-the-art performance it has ever seen." Justifying that claim, Jackson's "Dangerous Tour" set and equipment weighed in at more than 1,000 tons, including two tons of costumes for the dynamic show.

" Federal Express, the international overnight shipping firm, had to use two Series-200 747 freight jets to transport the massive staging from Los Angeles to Germany, where it was then transported on 65 big-rig tractor trailers. Jackson's enormous load marked the largest "single vendor" shipment in the 20-year history of Federal Express.

"Following the opening night performance, Sony Music, the company Jackson records for, hosted a fantastic party for him. Taking over a huge park near the Olympiastadion, where Jackson performed, Sony created a country fair, complete with rides (carousels and dodge-'em
cars) and 15 internationally flavored food kiosks for more than 2,000 VIPs."

In 1995, Jackson and HBO were to take their next step together.

Only problem: His new album, "HIStory" was languishing.

1995 was an amazing year in the life of HBO, and in the amazing life of Michael Jackson. For all the details, here's a handy timeline:

May: Jackson participates in the first on-line live chat in the history of television, or so claimed MTV, whose audience could post questions for Jackson through America Online, Prodigy or other web services, such as they were. Did not go well at all: 'Is your new album doing as well as expected?' ' someone typed in. Twenty three minutes later came the answer: "Yes, it is." Another question: Anything to rumors of a split with Lisa Marie. Many many more minutes passed: "Never believe the tabloid garbage,'' he said. ''Don't waste your time or money." And that was pretty much it. Only a handful of questions got asked, and answered.

July: HBO has announced the big followup bookend concert to the one that aired from Bucharest in 1992 - to that point one of the gaudiest and most expensive events to have aired on HBO. But already things seemed weird. Per the Hollywood Reporter, HBO chief Michael Fuchs "has allegedly suggested using "Forrest Gump"-style animation to create the illusion that the concert's audience includes several of the late titans of pop, such as Elvis Presley and John Lennon, rocking along with Jackson."

July 26: Jackson and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani say the concert will be held Dec. 10 at a still un-decided location. "I love New York," he says at presser. But he will not necessarily love the venue - he wants something big. But...Chris Albrecht, HBO's president for original programming, said the concert will have a "more intimate" feel than the Bucharest one.

July 26: ABC gets a "deal" for puffball docutainment special "Michael Jackson Changes HIStory," which some think was a Jacko quid pro quo to get him to sit down with Diane Sawyer earlier in the year. ABC acknowledges it gave Jackson's record label, Epic, 10 free commercial spots - per one press report - "in exchange for an uncertain number of Jackson shows such as the new one."

Dec. 7: He collapses on-stage at the Beacon on 74th while rehearsing for Dec. 10 HBO concert, just before 5 p.m. Rushed to Beth Israel Medical Center. In stable condition, but blood pressure low - 70 over 40. Per the Times account: "Linda Wolff, the owner of Joe's Boutique, a store next to the theater, said she had picked up the sounds of Mr. Jackson's rehearsals all week through the walls. Just before his collapse yesterday, she said, "He was doing his song 'Black or White,' and then it just stopped."
Some speculation of med overdose in the press: He'd been using painkillers after his head was burned in the 84 Pepsi fiasco.

Dec. 7: later that day: HBO, which hopes special will be seen by 250 million worldwide, said status uncertain. Show was to have been taped on the 8th, then the rest on Saturday, for the Dec. 10 telecast on Sunday. HBO executives gulp visibly.

Dec. 8: Some speculation that he had cardiac arrhythmia; gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and possible kidney and liver problems. "Mr. Jackson will require several days of critical-care monitoring and treatment," doctors said in a statement.

Dec. 8: HBO concert officially "post-poned" and year and half marketing effort by Sony to get "HIStory" off the mat is history. Show would have included six piece band, 40-piece orchestra; 32 dancers, but because of bigger stage seating capacity is reduced; theater now only holds 1700; rumors Jackson is unhappy with tiny venue. HBO schedules "The Specialist," starring Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone, for that Sunday night.

Dec. 8: And yes, first big whiff of controversy, when Daily News gossip columnist A.J. Benza reports the following: "Michael's sexy sister phoned us from Germany with this little nugget of sisterly charity: "I know all of Michael's little moves and his little schemes that he pulls when he thinks he need attention. . . . It's a publicity move." With a sister like this, who needs supermarket tabloids?"That's why he flew his own doctor in, so he would give the reports out and they [the media] wouldn't get it from other doctors," added La Toya, who said she spoke to their mom. Mrs. Jackson, La Toya related, said doctors told her "there was no reason for [Mrs. Jackson] to come. He's fine."

Dec. 9: Doctors refute LaToya: Dr. William Alleyne of Beth Israel North Hospital told a news conference, "Absolutely. . . . We were fortunate that we were able with the assistance of the EMS team and the emergency team at Beth Israel to rapidly replace his fluids and restore an adequate blood pressure."

Dec. 9: Later that day, the official diagnosis, per AP: Michael Jackson is suffering from a viral infection and had been ill for a week or more before he collapsed during a rehearsal this week, a doctor said Friday.Dr. William Alleyne said diarrhea from the infection led to severe dehydration, which in turn dangerously quickened Jackson's heartbeat while lowering his blood pressure, causing his collapse. No evidence of drug use. He could - doctors add - have died.

Dec. 12: He's cleared to leave the hospital.

Dec. 13: He's out. Here's the AP wrap:

"Blowing a kiss to excited fans and flashing a victory sign, Michael Jackson left a hospital Tuesday under doctor's orders to get more bed rest after treatment for a life-threatening illness.
A white van whisked Jackson away, and his publicist wouldn't say where the singer was headed to continue his recuperation.

"Jackson, wearing rouge and foundation, a black fedora and long black coat, walked out of the hospital on his own. He didn't speak to reporters or 50 screaming fans waiting for him.

"'Michael, we love you! We love you!' several women cried as they ran after the van."

-Photos: Fans react
-Photos: Michael through the years

There are plenty of tributes floating around at the moment, but this is one that I think merits nine minutes of your time - put together by MomentbyMoment1978.

Sorry, MomentbyMoment1978 - I don't know your real name, but you did a fine job here. Seems to me what's so good here is that you get a pretty nice overview of the career - with some notable omissions, like "Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White," "The Apostle," "Cannonball Run," "Murder in Texas," and "Small Sacrifices."

I'll try to locate some clips of those, and post on the jump. Point is, she WAS a good actress who DID do some good, even very good, work through the '80s.

Some of the clips below from "Angels," otherwise, the credit list:

"Somebody Killed Her Husband" with Jeff Bridges, "Sunburn" co-starring Charles Grodin and Art Carney, "Saturn 3" with Harvey Keitel and Kirk Douglas, "The Burning Bed" with Paul LeMatt & Richard Masur, "See You in the Morning" with Jeff Bridges (co-starring with FF), and "Extremities" with Alfre Woodard, Diana Scarwid, and James Russo.

Continue reading "Farrah Fawcett Tribute: "Farrah-Thon"" »

(Getty)

People Mag has posted statements from Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd, and Jacklyn Smith.

And here they are:

"Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels," said Jaclyn Smith after the death of her friend and Charlie's Angels costar Farrah Fawcett.

Cheryl Ladd, who replaced Fawcett says: "I'm terribly sad about Farrah's passing. She was incredibly brave, and God will be welcoming her with open arms."

"I will miss Farrah every day," says Kate Jackson. "She was a selfless person who loved her family and friends with all her heart, and what a big heart it was. Farrah showed immense courage and grace throughout her illness and was an inspiration to those around her. When I think of Farrah I will remember her kindness, her cutting dry wit and, of course, her beautiful smile."

Added Jackson, "Today when you think of Farrah remember her smiling, because that is exactly how she wanted to be remembered."

>> Photos: Farrah Fawcett through the years.

Now NBC News has a Farrah special...ABC will air its own tonight at 10 as well. The details on NBC:

"Dateline NBC" will air "Farrah Fawcett: The Life and Death of an Angel," a very special tribute to Farrah tonight from 10-11 PM ET. In addition to a look at Farrah's life and her battle with cancer, the hour-long tribute will share recent interviews with Ryan O'Neal, Alana
Stewart, her dad, sister, fellow "Charlie's Angel" Kate Jackson, and never before aired parts of a 1997 interview with Stone Phillips.

On Friday, June 26, 9-11 PM ET, NBC News will re-broadcast "Farrah's Story," a two-hour documentary about Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer that she shot with her own video camera over the past two and a half years. The special, which first aired last month on NBC, is intensely intimate and emotional. It is Farrah's story in her own words as she explains her battle and her journey with cancer, and it is her narration that tells this story.

>> Photos: Farrah Fawcett through the years.

(Getty)

Yes, it's over.

Entertainment Tonight posted first, and AP has confirmed... Here's my obit for her, with the Ryan O'Neal statement, supplemented by the AP...

Farrah Fawcett, a reigning symbol of American pop culture who never quite managed to escape the one electrifying role that made her that symbol -- as one of "Charlie's Angels" -- has died. She was 62, and had been suffering from anal cancer, which had recently spread to her liver.

"After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," Fawcett's longtime partner Ryan O'Neal said in a statement released by Fawcett's publicist, Paul Bloch. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."

A near-mythic figure of '70s TV screen and pinup poster fame, with her radiant grin and bounteous hair, Fawcett became a cultural star -- at one time adored, then mimicked by fans, and mobbed by paparazzi. She was one of those uniquely Hollywood/tabloid creations who eventually became famous simply because . . . she was famous.

Please head to the jump...

>> Photos: Farrah Fawcett through the years.

Continue reading "Farrah Fawcett Has Died at Age 62" »

Is Farrah about to die?

There were a bunch of reports over the last few hours that are dire indeed: A priest has "reportedly" been summoned to her hospital bedside (per TV media reports) while friends and family are beginning to assemble, too.

Now, that's according to news reports, and her publicist is denying nothing, confirming nothing.

Meanwhile, Barbara Walters said on "GMA" this morning that the priest there for last rites; "I'm not sure if she's going to make it through the day." Per "GMA:" "As Fawcett clings to life, members of her inner circle, Dr. Lawrence Piro and longtime love Ryan O'Neal are gathered at her hospital bedside.

ABC clearly thinks the end is near because the network just moved up its Fawcett special to tonight. "Her Life, Her Loves, her Legacy" was to air tomorrow night on "20/20."

What else to make of the priest? Honestly, not necessarily anything. A common assumption is that priests arrive at bedside only at hour of death, to administer so-called last rites. But that's an oversimplification, and for the sick they have many other roles, too, notably the administering of the sacrament -- it's one of seven and it's called anointing of the sick. He could be there for that. (Just to be clear, and I hope I am, sacrament of the sick can also be extreme unction, and can be administered as last rites. But as mentioned, no one - save, apparently, Walters - seems to know at the moment.)

Or, of course, the priest could be at the hospital for something else too.

That something else? Don't forget: Ryan O'Neal has told ABC that they are about to be married. Priests, you may have heard, also administer the sacrament of marriage . . .

Before we all get in panic, let's see what the REAL story is.

The simple hard and cold fact: It does not look good going forward, whether she is getting married, or preparing to die, or both. We should know more as the day progresses.

>> Photos: Farrah Fawcett through the years.

"NYC Prep," which got far too much press attention because everyone thought it was going to be interesting and fun and wild and "Gossip-Girl"-ish (but what did everyone know?), was seen by 1.23 million viewers last night.

For the record, that's not bad. (But not great either; somewhere in between but closer to "not great.")

I was predicting 0.23 million.

More propaganda from Bravo on the jump...

Continue reading ""NYC Prep:" About 1 Mill Viewers " »

And here they are.

Most of 'em ... Mid- to late-September:

Thursday, Sept. 17

8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR: SAMOA (19th Installment Premiere)

Monday, Sept. 21

8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (5th Season Premiere, OAD 9/19/05)

8:30-9:00 PM ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (Series Debut)

9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN (7th Season Premiere, OAD 9/22/03)

9:30-10:00 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (3rd Season Premiere, OAD 9/24/07)

10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI (8th Season Premiere, OAD 9/23/02)

Rest on the jump...

Continue reading "CBS fall dates " »

Hard to believe, but the curiosity known as "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here" is about to wrap in a few short hours -- all over -- and someone will win. That someone will not be Patti Blagojevich who got out of there last night, after 23 days.

So what have we learned from this show? Many things, and let's go through them now...

1.) The show actually kinda worked for NBC. It got about 5 million people watching on average, which meant this was about the fourth or fifth most-viewed show on the network some weeks! Now, everything's relative -- if this had aired on, say, USA or TLC, it would have been their fourth or fifth most-viewed show, too. On CBS? The 20th...

2.) The Baldwin brothers are insane.

3.) Patti Blago is kind of a trouper. Sure, easy to poke fun at her, but she did do this, and did probably make about $50,000 (a very wild guess, and she may well have made more) for a few weeks work to help her family. Of course, there's always the possibility she'll take the money and stay in Costa Rica, or maybe go to Tahiti...

4.) John Salley still thinks he should have a daytime talk show, but that's not gonna happen.

5.) The Heidi and Spencer stunt-casting was a fiasco.

6.) This show will never have a mass audience appeal.

7.) NBC really is desperate.

8.) We never got the full Speidi Bungle-in-the-Jungle story -- something else happened there that will hopefully forever remain a mystery.

9.) This is probably the last iteration of this show on American TV, God willing.

10.) If God is not willing, and CBS is really desperate in a few years, maybe it will mount a new version.

11.) If that happens, hopefully another governor will be accused of selling Senate seats, and CBS will then have the good sense to film the show in the United States, so a judge allows said governor to appear without fear of flight risk.

12.) Speidi are delusional and terribly, terribly sad.

13.) Al Roker doesn't like Speidi.

14.) We don't like them.

15.) Lou Diamond Phillips is a very strange man.

16.) Jungle cockroaches, when properly basted and sauteed, actually taste like something you'd get at KFC.

17.) Sanjaya probably should let his hair grow back.

18.) Torrie Wilson doesn't look like a professional wrestler.

19.) The fact that a disgraced governor was actually going to go on this show will go down as one of the oddest moments in TV history -- something so bizarre as to be beyond parody or ridicule. Possibly...

20.) The show wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, and some nights it was almost diverting. But then, I do watch a lot of TV and have been known to have sat through entire editions of "Kathie Lee & Hoda," though not without suffering severe psychic anguish.

Clip - Patti from last night...

Here it is, and well worth watching ... From last night:

Yes, AP has retracted, and I quote:

BC-US--APNewsAlert, CORRECTION,0037

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Living in different bedrooms? Or was Jon in the dog house?

Yes, sports fans - that's the immediate and visceral question to a one-line bulletin from the Associated Press, sent out a half hour ago or so.

[And if you're just reading this story, AP has sent out a correction, and here it is:

BC-US--APNewsAlert, CORRECTION,0037

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- CORRECTS: Gosselins' lawyers say they did not live apart for two years. (Corrects APNewsAlert reporting that divorce papers said they had lived apart for at least 2 years. Court papers saying so were boilerplate.)

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) ]

I should just drop this whole post, but it's been too amusing, so I'll leave it up a little bit longer...Here's the original AP story, now junked by the wire service...

Kate Gosselin says in divorce papers that she and her husband Jon have lived “separate and apart” for at least two years.

Gosselin filed for divorce Monday in Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania, saying in papers that her 10-year marriage is “irretrievably broken.”

The star of TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8” also says they have been unable to agree on dividing their assets.

The Gosselins had portrayed themselves as happy until the past few months, even renewing their wedding vows in Hawaii last year. The divorce filing was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

Here are a couple of immediate thoughts:

1.) People say a lot of things during divorce proceedings, and some of them are actually true.

2.) If they actually WERE "living apart," would not the army of paps following them the last two years have gotten wind of this?

3.) Is it possible that she was referring to the fact that they actually lived in separate bedrooms in the same house?

4.) Finally, TMZ says that even if they "have lived separate and apart for 2 years...that doesn't mean they have been separated for that long. It means she must wait 2 years from the moment she considered the marriage kaput and began living separately (if only in different bedrooms). We're told the real separation between Jon and Kate is very recent and Kate checked the box just to get the clock ticking."

OK, I've now played devil's advocate. If anyone else has a constructive comment on this fascinating new twist, I'd love to hear it...

>> VOTE: What will happen to Jon & Kate's kids?
>> PHOTOS: Jon and Kate Gosselin

(Getty Images Photo)

Here's a surprise that really isn't one at all: TLC has suspended production on "Jon & Kate Plus 8;" the show will return in August.

>> PHOTOS: Jon and Kate Gosselin

And: 10.6 mill watched last night, a record for the show.

Here's the statement: "Following a retrospective of Jon and Kate's first 10 years airing on June 29, the show will be on hiatus until Aug 3. During this time the family will take some time off to regroup and then a modified schedule will be in place to support the family's transition."

Why not a surprise?

Certainly not in light of the statement Kate released last night:

"Over the course of this weekend, Jon's activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children," Kate said in a statement Monday night. "While there are reasons why it was appropriate and necessary for me to initiate this proceeding, I do not wish to discuss those reasons at this time, in the hope that all issues will be resolved amicably between Jon and myself."

Now, here's my wild speculation on the preceding, and why TLC finds it necessary to back out now: This is not, repeat not, an amicable separation, and this note suggests outright hostility, in contract to last night's "we'll get through this" tone. With lawyers now involved, both parties will set to work on asset allocation, and there are considerable assets to divide, including the value of their TLC package. Beyond the big house, there is also -- almost certainly -- cash too, and -- again, almost certainly -- if the Gosselins had brains when they signed their deal with TLC, and re-signed new ones, they probably retained certain rights to the use of their name, and product spin-offs, DVD sales, and perhaps a portion of the very back-end itself -- a hugely lucrative fount that will yield future profits on syndication, international sales and domestic commercial sales.

Let me blunt here: TLC is about to be dragged into court too.

Can TLC be happy about this? Not on your ever lovin' life. Imagine! The contractual stipulations, some of the most closely held factoids in the known universe, are about to be bared for all to see, unless they can convince some judge to seal all of this.

Good luck on that.

So why would TLC back out and wait till August? Certainly one plausible reason -- both parties have said they don't WANT the cameras rolling, which under the circumstances may not constitute forfeiture of contract. Another reason: Anything they say, anything the producers chose to include, or exclude, could be used in a court of law.

I feel like getting Judge Judy on the phone right now to ask what she thinks.

>> PHOTOS: Jon and Kate Gosselin

(Getty Images Photo)

Ed McMahon, one of the great wingmen in show business history and an essential, elemental and indispensable part of Johnny Carson's act for over thirty years, died Tuesday morning. He'd been hospitalized since February for pneumonia, and had been diagnosed with systemic bone cancer. More details as they come. The news was just announced on "The Today Show," and was first reported by KNBC. He died at the UCLA Medical Center.

Tomorrow's obit...

Ed McMahon, the greatest second banana in show biz history, died Tuesday morning in Los Angeles after a long illness. He was 86.
A big convivial man known for his booming laugh, a sort of yodel ("Hi-YOOO"), and the most famous two words in television history -- "Heeeeere's Johnny!" -- he spent the last months of his life a visible symbol of a collapsed economy and the housing crisis that precipitated it. After the bank foreclosed on his $4.8 million mansion in Beverly Hills, McMahon did what he always did -- he turned pitchman. Among other things, he rapped for a dot com credit service's commercial: "I had money and glory/I bought a house for 6 mill/I thought nothing could touch me/Until my credit went south, and debt started to crunch me/Next thing I know, instead of playing gin rummy, I was scrambling just to make ends meet/It wasn't funny."
Not funny at all, but this bit job at a perilous moment was also vintage McMahon. Over a long and particularly resourceful Hollywood career, there were many other commercials, sweepstakes, the host of "Star Search," small acting parts, and other gigs too numerous to mention.
They also came about because of McMahon’s ties to just one man. Johnny Carson defined Ed McMahon and returning the favor, Ed McMahon helped to define Johnny too, starting on “The Tonight Show” in 1962 and ending thirty years later. Carson’s quips always seemed brighter, lighter and sharper when accompanied to McMahon’s booming laugh. Sometimes McMahon was just the voice off-screen – friendly, without guile – who fed fat straight lines to Carson who whacked them whenever and wherever he chose.
Simply put, Carson was the greatest performer in TV history thanks in some measure to McMahon. He softened his boss's edge, adding warmth when Carson exuded cool. He wasn't (of course) a naturally funny man, but he was the perfect foil to a naturally funny man
"He was a star in his own right. Being a sidekick didn't mean he was any less," Doc Severinsen, “Tonight” band leader of the Carson years told CNNRadio. "Johnny defined what the host should be and Ed defined what the sidekick was."
In a statement, David Letterman said, "Ed McMahon's voice at 11:30 was a signal that something great was about to happen. Ed's introduction of Johnny was a classic broadcasting ritual -- reassuring and exciting.”
Carson -- who could be notoriously short with associates or colleagues whom he determined were faithless -- rewarded McMahon with his friendship until the day he died. McMahon reciprocated. He was Carson's ambassador and loudest cheerleader. What made his cheering both welcome and charming was that it was, in fact, sincere. He even wrote a book on Carson -- uncritical, with no secrets revealed -- and told Bob Costas during=2 0a CNN interview, "everywhere I go [or when] I'm signing the book, it's 'you and Johnny, Johnny and you!" People stop me in airports and it's not just the celebrity thing. They just want to tell me how much they loved Johnny Carson.”
Born Edward Peter Leo McMahon in Detroit, he was raised in Massachusetts, studied drama at Boston College and the Catholic university and -- if his next career steps were any indication -- promptly discarded all that he had learned. He was a carnival barker, and bingo caller, later flew missions -- many of them -- for the U.S. Marine Corps in World War 2 and Korea. In the late '50s, ABC dumped Edgar Bergen and dummy, Charlie McCarthy, and replaced them with Carson and McMahon. Carson made jokes. McMahon laughed at them. When Carson took over "Tonight" in 1962, McMahon tagged along. For both men, it was the longest professional -- and in some respects, longest personal -- association of their lives. A television treasure was the result. “Ed McMahon was a friend from the day I first walked on a stage on the Johnny Carson Show and sat down between Johnny and Ed,” said Don Rickles yesterday. “That kind of fun will never be repeated. Ed was the best at what he did and will never be replaced. Another giant is gone,"

Please head to the jump for more on Ed and just a very small sampling of his memorable moments on "Tonight;" I'll grab some clips as soon as I can find 'em:

Continue reading "Ed McMahon, dead at 86" »

Yes, official, Jon and Kate Gosselin, stars of the TLC reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," are filing for divorce.

People has the details; just released.

"Documents to initiate a legal split were filed at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown, Penn., Monday afternoon."

Terribly strange, certainly. What happens now? Who gets custody? How will that work? Asset split? Will there be court hearings? Certainly meeting with lawyers. Sounds like TLC has a brand new show, or spin-off. Strange AND sad.

>> "Jon & Kate Plus 8" photos
>> More Jon & Kate Gosselin news

Continue reading "Jon and Kate Gosselin file for divorce " »

Here's the news of the minute: Farrah Fawcett - dying from cancer in California - and longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, plan to marry.

No further details but O'Neal told Barbara Walters they've finally decided to get married. She had the O'Neal interview on Friday's "20/20."

The transcript, via ABC:

"I've asked her to marry me, again and, she's agreed," O'Neal, 68, told Walters.

O'Neal described Fawcett's deteriorating condition, saying the 62-year-old iconic actress is "fighting for her life.

"We will, as soon as she can, say yes. ... Maybe we can just nod her head," he said, with a laugh.

Fawcett and O'Neal began dating in 1980 and lived together with son Redmond....

"I used to ask her to marry me all the time," he said. "But ... it just got to be a joke, you know. We just joked about it."

But O'Neal told Walters that he was confident the two will finally get married. "I promise you, we will. ... Absolutely."

(Pix: Kevin Winter/Getty)

(D'Amico/ABC)

Yes, People has the story now.

Here are the various statements, all released exclusively to the mag:

“Leaving Grey’s Anatomy was not an easy decision for me to make,” Knight says. “I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much. I continue to wish them the very best, and wholeheartedly thank all of the fans who have supported me and the show with such passion and enthusiasm.”

Producer Shonda Rhimes: “I think I speak for the entire Grey’s Anatomy family when I say we wish T.R. Knight the best in his future endeavors. He is an incredibly talented actor and a person whose strength of character is admired by all of us.”

Here's the statement, now, from Verne Gay, writer of TVZone, and longtime "Grey's Anatomy" watcher: "Honestly, I can't understand why they even sent out dueling statements. I mean, come on! He lost his face in the finale episode. How the heck was he going to come back without a face? Maybe he would have come back with someone else's face - which, of course, would have meant that George would have been played by a different actor. They could have still dubbed in his voice, which, I suppose, means he could have half-returned. But obviously I'm way over-thinking this, and my statement is getting too long as it is, so cut to the chase: I'm glad George is gone. Shonda, quoted above, pretty much ruined this character by turning someone who was sweet and innocent into someone who was whiny, deeply annoying, and fundamentally a jerk. And after he double-timed Callie, that was IT!"

Tune in next week for a series of statements, also released to People, on Kat Heigl's fate.

TVtattle, which finds/knows everything, dug up this clip this morning from Extra. It's a bigger tease than the one yesterday, about Monday's announcement - almost certainly a divorce. I dunno - it's kinda sad and gloomy and miserable and pathetic. After all...they were lucky enough to get pregnant, and were lucky enough to have healthy children, and were even luckier to get a cable network to pay them millions.

-Check out photos from "Jon and Kate Plus 8"

Be careful, I suppose, what you wish for (it just might come true...):

Jon: "It just got worse and worse and worse..."

Kate: "We can't go back now, can only go forward...

Yes, Max Kapitannikov and Ashley Valerio of Hollywood. Here's the line from Fox:

"The three couples who received the fewest votes after Wednesday’s performance show were: Kayla Radomski and Max Kapitannikov; Caitlin Kinney and Jason Glover; and Ashley Valerio and Kupono Aweau. After each of these six dancers performed solo routines, the judges eliminated Max Kapitannikov and Ashley Valerio...."

Kapitannikov has an unusual - and tragic - background, as he relayed in the show's opener, and as this piece explains.

(AP)

The "most trusted man in America"...the former anchor of "The Evening News"... who told us about JFK's assassination, and Vietnam, and the moon landing, and earlier generations about the battle over Civil rights, and before that, the Battle of the Bulge...is terribly ill.

When I called his office for confirmation earlier this week, I was told in no uncertain terms - Don't worry! He's OK.

But now, I suspect that his loyal staff was keeping up a brave front. (I see that TVNewser has finally caught up with the news too.)

How bad is it? Very bad.

Cronkite's been ill for a while, but he has definitely taken a turn for the worse. He is 92 years old, and it's worth noting that his father lived nearly to 100 and his mother, famously, well past 100.

Here's the genesis of the recent reports: About three weeks ago, CBS News heard that he was declining, and actually began to call top TV news people, like Tom Brokaw and Morley Safer, to get quotes and reactions. Suddenly, CBS did an about face - hold the quotes! Walter's OK! Apparently there had been some mis-communication: Walter wasn't declining, but his MEMORY was.

In any event, the news died down.

Now it's out again.

Again, I caution: Walter could be with us for a while, but the latest reports are not good. He is in very very bad shape.

This clip is actually interesting - Lauren Conrad admitting that she faked the finale phone call from I-dare-not-speak-his-name-ever-again, who claimed it was real (as if anyone actually believed him anyway); "The View" actually released this this morning, so they think it's kind of interesting too...

Simple hard cold fact is - if she faked this, then how much other stuff on that ridiculous show did she fake? (And now she's got a novel about the behind-the-scenes of a reality show which is all fake, insofar as it's fiction...)

Oh brother.

Meanwhile, I've posted Monday's Speidi encounter with the View ladies - just to really help you waste the rest of your afternoon.

Continue reading "Lauren Conrad: Yeah, Faked. (Anyone Surprised?) " »

Here are your numbers from last week - a hugely important one given the fact that it was the second week for "Conan" and Palinpalooza week for "Letterman."

Any questions resolved here?

Not really. Bragging rights to no one. NBC has to be pleased with the18-49 vic, but CBS has to be pleased with the near-tie in total viewers. ABC has to be pleased to be in the game as well as it is. A word of caution on the "Letterman" figures: These hardly establish that viewers are flocking to Dave; there was a tide of idle curiosity last week because of the Palin daughter controversy.

So, nothing is conclusive here. But one can surmise (at the very least) that some viewers are checking out of "Co" to see what's going on on the the other networks. The third week numbers will be more interesting.

Viewers / A25-54/rtg/ A18-49/ Rtg

ABC “Nightline” 3,410,000 1,450,000/ 1.2 1,270,000/1.0

CBS “Late Show” 3,670,000 1,490,000/ 1.2 1,130,000/ .9

NBC “Tonight” 3,770,000 2,050,000/ 1.6 2,010,000/1.5

Well?

"A special announcement..."

"Monday..."

Now, now. Let's not jump to conclusions. Here are the various possibilities:

1.) They're getting a new puppy! (ahhh...cute.)

8.) Kate's gone through in-vitro again, and...

-Photos from Jon and Kate Plus 8

But seriously folks, this doesn't look good - except for ratings. And don't forget - ratings have been dropping hard and fast. When that happens, TV has a genius for cooking up gimmicks. I'm not sure if this is entirely a gimmick.

You be the judge...

Meanwhile, RadarOnline is now reporting that it is definitely over - a divorce will be filed next week.

(Pix from blog.howtogetyourexbackfast.com)

"Caught Hitting Her Daughter!"

Good Lord, is everyone tuned in to the biggest controversy of the morning yet? It's a doozy: One of the paps from "In Touch Weekly" caught Kate Gosselin beating one of the kids, Leah, put it on the cover, threw a bunch of headlines up (see above), and now the place where such things catch fire like a dry pile of sticks on a Santa Barbara hillside - namely the Internet - is RAGING over the scandal.

By the time you read this, "In Touch Weekly," appropriately named for the moment, is cooking up headlines for the followup issue next week:

"Child Welfare Services Debates Intervention in Gosselin Abuse Case."

"Supernanny to Investigate Gosselin's Vicious Attack"

And so on.

This is a big deal: Ratings have dropped dramatically for "Jon & Kate Plus 8." They'll be straight back up on Monday, as millions tune in to see Kate whacking the kids.

Anyway, speaking of the Supernanny, none of this has anything on that episode which also got serious tab attention though nothing compared to this insofar as no one had ever heard of the Davis family. The father in this instance actually bragged about belting his kids, and SN implied to viewers that she might take a belt to him. Here's the clip.

Funny interview with William "The Shat" Shatner on last night's "Tonight."

Shat talks about hitchhiking, a naked woman, the Vulcan Salute, his new book (barely), and other matters. (Gawker posted, or I woulda missed...)

Now this is officially confusing: The Emmys are now back on the 20th.

(But stay tuned - they could be changed again.)

CBS just announced. They had been moved up to the 13th by the network - very early, per tradition - but....

Well, let CBS explain:

"After we announced plans for September 13, MTV informed us they were locked into the same day for the Video Music Awards, with venue and sponsorship agreements in place. We had the flexibility to move; they didn't," said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music & Live Events, CBS Entertainment. "It's best for the industry and the audience that these events not compete against each other. Huge thanks to the Television Academy and Don Mischer for quickly moving mountains to make this happen. If the Emmy broadcast has as much excitement as the scheduling of the date, viewers are in for an unforgettable event."

"We appreciate CBS and the Television Academy taking on the mammoth task of moving such a huge event as the Emmy's to accommodate the Video Music Awards. Now audiences will get to experience two phenomenal nights of entertainment," said Stephen Friedman, General Manager of MTV.

We've got the CW fall dates, and please head to the jump for 'em.

Most in early September...and of special interest, "Melrose Place." That arrives Sept. 8 at 9, following the "90210" second season launch...But "Smallville" not till late in the month (25), while "GG" is up to bat on the 14th.

Continue reading ""Melrose Place:" September 8 " »

Things Overheard at the "Fire David Letterman Rally"

From tonight's show...

10. “David who?”

9. “Well, it was nice of CBS to provide the catering.”

8. “We should have done this years ago.”

7. “What idiot turned Broadway into a pedestrian mall?”

6. “Isn’t there always a crowd demanding Letterman be fired?”

5. “March around the potholes, people.”

4. “Can we also get CBS to bring back ‘Gunsmoke’?”

3. “When does Cheney get here with the waterboarding gear?”

2. “He should apologize for that hairpiece.”

1. “Thanks for coming, Regis.”

Yes, a little late on this, but A&E; has officially pulled the plug on the Patrick Swayze cop drama.

A&E; president Bob DeBitetto (yesterday) called the performance "an inspiration to us all"
and said that the series "has truly been a labor of love for everyone," but added that "after careful deliberation we have reluctantly decided not to attempt a second season."

Numbers were low and, of course, the lead has been seriously ill.

(Getty Images Photo)

Alec Baldwin's interview with Playboy is out. (REALLY out.) He has much to say - off "30 Rock" after 2012; never go back on "Today"; hates the celebrity mag shows.

And much more. (TVtattle.com has the pull quotes.)

Here's what he says about shows like...well, you can guess their names. More on the jump.

“I would be so happy if those shows went off the air. It is a huge problem in our business—this microcosmic analysis and elevation of people who are just witless and talentless, or people with talent, like Lindsay Lohan, who struggle. Who gives a shit about their personal trivialities? Its hurts the business.”

Continue reading "Alec Baldwin: The Playboy interview" »

(Reuters / CBS Photo)

Yes, gang: You knew this was coming.

A poll! The poll! (We love polls.)

Make your voice heard.

Here.

Now.

Click away:

Sarah Palin has accepted the apology. John McCain said everyone should just move on. Dave would love it if everyone did. But will they? So here's where we stand...Some people out there are still mad, and some just want to forget about the whole thing. Where 'o where do you stand? On to the poll!

With Dave Letterman's apology now official (signed, sealed, delivered), is it time to move on?

• Yes, if Sarah Palin accepted it, everyone else should.
• Yes, but Dave and CBS should do more to help girls and young women.
• No, Dave has a lot more 'splaining to do and would never have made it unless Palin forced him to.
• Who cares! I'm sick to death of the whole thing.

Created on Jun 16, 2009

View Results

poll by twiigs.com

(Getty Images Photo)

Yes, it does appear over.

Sarah Palin has accepted the apology, and her written response aired on "Today" shortly after 7. "Of course I accept [the apology] on behalf of young women like my daughters."

There was more, but there were no "ifs," "ands" or "buts." It was unequivocal - apology accepted.

A couple minutes earlier, during an interview with John McCain, David Gregory asked about the Letterman flap and apology. Said McCain:

"I appreciate the fact that he did and I think we ought to move on."

And so everyone should.

Here's the full statement, released early this morning:

"Of course it's accepted on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve," she said.

"Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction," Palin said. "This is all thanks to our U.S. Military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's Right to Free Speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect."

Meanwhile, I see that the Firedavidletterman rally - yes, it's really called that and so is the Web site - is still going forward today. But it's going to be a sad, lonely and cranky affair, I suspect: What are the organizers going to demand? That Dave issue the apology in multiple languages, including Urdu? That Dave never make tasteless jokes again? That Sarah Palin really didn't mean to accept the apology? That the cool and bracing summer air of Juneau has deluded her judgment?

OK, OK, I'm being a little flip. There may be other ways for Dave and/or CBS to get this problem behind them; the New Agenda, a Westchester-based group that says it's nonpartisan and dedicated to helping girls and young women from violence, has some thoughts. Go to the jump for that...

Continue reading "Dave Letterman's Palin nightmare over? " »

(Getty Images Photo)

On last night's show.

For the jokes.

You know which jokes.

The relevant part of the transcript is below, followed by the full transcript on the jump.

This all comes after the first commercial break. Meanwhile, in the monologue, there were a handful of Letterman-in-the-volcano jokes from the host himself:

"I got a call from mom and she said she's supporting the governor..."

"Bernie Madoff...the most hated man in America...[he pauses] ME, Bernie Madoff..."

Re: The Iranian elections..."violent protests, national outrage. No, wait a minute: That's me."

His apology was delivered straight-ahead, without comic flourish (or just one), in stark contrast to last Wednesday's defense. It was Letterman like you've never seen him.

And why, you ask, didn't Dave apologize last week? Because - I am reliably told and as he explains here - perception had overtaken reality. No one believed him when he said that the joke wasn't about Willow, so...time to clear the air.

Also told: Dave made this apology on his own; no pressure from those whose job it is to apply pressure, notably Leslie Moonves, his boss. (Do I believe this? Does it matter what I believe?)

Nonetheless, a rally - sponsored by the people who got those tea parties up and going in April - is happening outside the Ed Sullivan tomorrow, and at this moment, it's STILL going forward...

Here's the key question: What has Gov. Palin got to say about this? She released this statement very early this morning:

"Of course it's accepted on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve," she said.

"Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction," Palin said. "This is all thanks to our U.S. Military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's Right to Free Speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect."

Here's another question: Why did Dave refer to only one joke tonight, when there were actually two - the Rodriguez one on Monday, and the Eliot Spitzer one on Tuesday?

Here's Dave:

"Well, my responsibility – I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. That it was misunderstood.” (audience applauds) “Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the Governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much."

How big a deal is this? At this point, it's huge. Clearly, CBS has been under intense pressure, and that means Les Moonves has been under intense pressure, and that means Dave has been under intense pressure. No one - and I do mean NO ONE - knew this would get to this point, and by apologizing now, Letterman is almost feeding the firestorm.

His critics - they've been everywhere, and they have been vocal - were infuriated by his semi-mea culpa on last Wednesday's show. His efforts to thread the needle, by saying the joke was really about Bristol and not 14-year-old Willow, have almost made the problem worse.

Reason is, the conservative cultural warriors who are out for blood now say he shouldn't have made the joke about EITHER. In fact, some liberal culture warriors agree.

This apology seems to have addressed this, but will it be enough?

Dave's Palinpalooza may not be over yet. Michael Patrick Leahy, an organizer of the so-called "tea party" tax protests in April and behind tomorrow's rally, told me after the apology was made public: "If he has sincerely apologized, that's a good first step," but said the rally will go forward, and that other steps need to be taken; declined to say what those "steps" might be.

On to the jump, and more coming...

Continue reading "David Letterman apologizes; Sarah Palin accepts" »

I hesitate to even post this because this is - after all - the Whole Idea: Get publicity for "I'm a Celeb." But there are apparently some far-flung corners of the blogoverse where this was actually considered a big deal - Al Roker gets annoyed! Imagine!

It's not a big deal. But you be the judge, and hope/pray that the fame clock for this pair just now ticked at fourteen minutes and fifty nine seconds. (But don't be surprised if there are still many minutes left...)

Here are the dates - no surprises and most of 'em mid-late-September.

But..."Wanda Sykes" won't be on the air until Nov. 7.

Continue reading "Fox Premiere Dates" »

We've got 'em here, friends - Jay Leno's new on-air campaign that launches in seconds, in support of the new "Jay Leno Show," launching Sept. 14.

Here are four...Check 'em out...be the first to know, to watch, to do whatever one does when one sees a new promotion campaign for a major new show on a network...no, make that THE major new show on a network which is about to see a third of its weeknight primetime schedule consumed by this...

The first here, then go to the jump for the others....

Continue reading "First Look: Jay Leno's On-Air Promotions" »

Missed this last week, but thanks to the vacuum cleaners over at HuffPo, I've now seen.

Amusing:

Craig Ferguson's well-wrought rip of NBC's straight faced claim on Thursday that Conan was/is the new King of Late Night.

Craig disputes the coronation.

Meanwhile, on the jump, his old "interview" with Sarah Palin - when she agreed to sponsor his citizenship.... (if she knew then what she knows now - that Dave Letterman is Craig's boss - would he still be scrambling for citizenship?)

Continue reading "Craig Ferguson: New King of Late Night? " »

Yes, it was exactly one year Saturday since the death of Tim Russert, and below, is "MTP's" tribute from yesterday.

What have we learned over the year since Russert's tragic and untimely death?

1.) He was irreplaceable.

2.) Which may explain why David Gregory still feels like a placeholder as opposed to a successor.

3.) The Sunday landscape has been beset by a tremendous flattening effect in his absence, with both "This Week" and "Face the Nation" now equals with the once-impregnable "MTP" and perhaps, soon, the leaders.

4.) Bob Schieffer is now Sunday's de facto Go To Guy.

5.) George Stephanopoulos will probably be the top-rated Sunday Morning Guy on the fifth anniversary of his death.

6.) (Had Russert lived, he almost certainly would have NOT tweeted.)

7.) Had Russert lived, Prez Obama would have probably made his first major media stop at "MTP" as opposed to "Tonight."

Tired of all this Sarah/Dave business?

Me too!

So: Beer pong with Betty White instead.

-Check out this past week's post about Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack Morris) visiting with Jimmy Fallon.

Wow! And there's more! The Sarah attack continues.

(Man o man, what kinda day are they having over at CBS?) And check this out - the National Organization for Women is giving Dave heck...

Here it is, and the huntress levels both barrels, again:

-Photos: Sarah Palin tours New York City

(Pix: Rick Wilking of Reuters and John Paul Reuters/CBS)

What's that I hear out there? People - YOU - clamoring for answers about Dave Letterman, Palinpalooza, and the meaning of it all - as opposed to just more furious rants from the Right (or Left?)

You've come to the right place!

I will now avail you of my (nearly) thirty years of Letterman-watching-and-writing. Of my (nearly) thirty years of watching this man, interviewing him, and producing thousands, yes, thousands of articles on him, for every newspaper from Variety, to the LA Times, to of course, Newsday.

-Photos: David Letterman's memorable guests

To the questions:

Is Dave Letterman a good guy?

I can hear some of you say, 'what a stupid question, Gay. Why would you start with that. Who cares if he's 'good.' WHY DID HE INSULT THOSE POOR GIRLS?' To which I'd say - hold on, cowboy. It is important. Letterman IS a good guy, a genuinely good guy. Sure, he's got his faults. Sure, he can be mean. Sure, he can tell stupid vindictive jokes. But at heart, he's a generous, good and sensitive person. Seriously.

So why did he make those wicked jokes about those poor girls - either Willow or Bristol?

There are a few reasons. First of all, Howard Stern was guest Monday night, and Letterman knew he was playing to a rough house, or rougher than normal. (Under regular circumstances, he might have tempered the lines - "might," but not necessarily.) Second, Palin's been a favored target for many months - and on some level that even Dave doesn't fully understand, he likes her. He likes his favorite targets - with the possible exception of Bush/Cheney. Third, in his head, he thought he was making standard-issue jokes about A-Rod and Spitzer's sexual peccadilloes - it probably never even occurred to him that the jokes were about the Palin daughters. They were foils - unfortunate ones, as it turned out.

How does Dave now feel about all this?

It's tearing him apart. I guarantee you. He's having sleepless nights. He's beating himself up. He's furious with himself. 'How could I be such a ninny...' That kind of thing. He's angry at himself because A) it never occurred to him that this would hit the fan the way it has, and he prides himself on being smarter than that; B) he IS upset that someone would think he'd say something perverted about a kid; C) he knows he's handed Palin a political wedge issue; D) on some level he respects her "mama bear" attack. Yeah, sure, he can be cynical about her motives - political, eh? - but he's also smart enough and empathetic enough to ask himself this question - "what would I do if some old TV guy made a creepy crack about HARRY?" Good parents have a way of getting their hackles up when the honor of their children is impugned; E) the jokes weren't even very funny.

More questions on the jump...jump away, friends! And if anyone has any questions I haven't thought of, fire away. I'll try my best to answer...

Continue reading "David Letterman: Your Questions Answered Here " »

This morning, the big news, again: Sarah and Dave...

Here's the Lauer interview. And it's dy-no-mite.

You have to wade through some serious stuff about politics and pipelines...interesting, sort of...to get to the real reason for this interview. Is Palin angry in this exchange? Hard to say but she's certainly passionate, and implies in so many words that Letterman lied about the contention that he was talking about Bristol, not Willow.

-Photos: Sarah Palin tours New York City

-Photos: David Letterman's memorable guests

Even Matt made a little news! He says he's pretty certain Letterman will "have to pay some price for this."

"Pay a price?" What could Matt - of all people - be implying here? Or is this throwaway comment a reflection of the fact that he's in the "Tonight" camp which is suddenly in a dog fight with CBS? I just got off the phone with Jim Bell, exec producer of "Today," who tells me, "I think his words were colloquially, 'in the court of public opinion he'll pay a price, as this plays out across the country, on cable TV, news programs, newspapers, the blogosphere, around the water cooler. It is fair to say that some people are going to take the governor's position ..."

Here's what Palin said about the Bristol comment from Dave:

"Matt, I would say you and anyone else are extremely naive to believe to believe that convenient excuse of Dave's. Took him a couple days to to think of that excuse. No, he wasn't talking about my fourteen year old daughter who was at the game with me; he was talking about some other daughter."

Photo: Newsday/Audrey C. Tiernan

You know what you will be watching tomorrow morning...or, allow me to rephrase: I know what I'll be watching tomorrow morning:

Lauer is talking to the Queen of Alaska.

I can't wait.

Here's the bulletin: "In an exclusive interview, Gov. Sarah Palin will talk to NBC News' Matt Lauer live on "Today," tomorrow, Friday, June 12. Gov. Palin will talk to Lauer about the groundbreaking Alaska pipeline announcement made today in Texas, her thoughts on the direction of the GOP, and she will address the recent controversy involving David Letterman and her family. Palin will talk to Lauer live from Texas."

...love how the press release adds, as if an afterthought..."she will address the recent controversy involving..."

-Photos: Sarah Palin tours New York City

(Pix: Getty Images)

Check out this riposte to Dave Letterman and his "Late Show" invite.

Posted a couple hours ago on the Gov's Facebook page, via Meghan Stapleton, Palin spokesperson:

"The Palins have no intention of providing a rating's boost for David Letterman by appearing on his show. Plus, it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman."

"...keep Willow away from Letterman?!?!"

Palinesque humor or is she still sticking to the Dirty Old Man implications from yesterday?

-Vote: Where do you stand on the Letterman-Palin spat?

- Photos: Sarah Palin and her family

"Dave, you..." (Getty)

So here we are, the day after Dave's Palinpalooza. What have we learned?

To the bullets!

* Transcript released yesterday didn't even begin to offer the color of last night's apologia. Dave's tone was funny, arch, ironic and oddly entertaining.

* The business about him insisting he was talking about Bristol as opposed to the younger kid seemed to me a bit weasily; he had to know that it was the young 'un going about the town (and upstate) with mom, and not Bristol - everybody knew - and while Dave often makes a joke of getting current events hopelessly wrong or twisted, the joke's implication to anyone who followed that day's news was that this WAS the 14-year old and not the 18-year old he was talking about. Nevertheless...I don't think Willow even went to the game, so Letterman may have some wiggle room on this one.

* I take it back: Willow was at the game. Wiggle room dramatically diminished...

-Photos: Sarah Palin tours New York City

-Photos: David Letterman's memorable guests

* Would Letterman have made the same joke about one of the Obama daughters, as about 80 million right-wing bloggers, commentators, pundits, etc. have charged? Highly highly doubtful. Why? A few reasons I think - a.) Obama is still untouchable on late night TV as a butt of jokes (for the most part); b.) the O daughters are conspicuously younger; c.) presidential off-spring are typically off-limits but as the Bush daughters discovered, that rule was made to be broken a million times; d.) Letterman's sympathies are with the Dems as opposed to the GOP which makes Palin a more natural target for his humor.

* Palin IS a fun object of humor, irrespective of one's political leanings.

* Palin had every right to be outraged by the jokes, particularly if she thought they related to her 14-year-old, Willow.

* The jokes really WERE more about Spitzer and A-Rod than her or the 14-year-old, but still, it's easy to see why she'd be furious to have her daughters used a foil for either.

* Dave didn't apologize, but he came damn close, as close as Dave ever probably has, and the denunciation about "rape" etc. was shocking; one can readily suspect that her implication that he was some sort of pervert for even telling the jokes was genuinely upsetting to the guy.

Read part of Letterman's response

* Letterman handled the whole thing well last night, for the most part, and he was right - he's told many thousands of tasteless jokes over the years. Many were even funny.

* Sarah unwittingly handed Dave a gift - by certifiably guaranteeing a third night victory in a row over Conan and "The Tonight Show." (You almost wonder whether this was planned...nahhhh.)

* Dave unwittingly handed Sarah a gift - by certifiably establishing her creds as a culture warrior who lances (in her words) the "Hollywood/NY entertainers [who] have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands..." If there is a run in '12...this could be her "Murphy Brown" (though, that didn't ultimately do much for Dan Quayle.)

Any disagreements, further observations, blogger denunciations, or commentary on the weather? Have at it...

Vote: Where do you stand on the Letterman-Palin spat?

The clip:

Before everyone jumps on Dave for the Palin cracks - tasteless, though they were - did ya hear the one he had about Rosie O'Donnell on Tuesday's show?

"Fiddler on the Roof?"

Oh man. Maybe she will have a forthcoming comment, too.

-Photos: Rosie O'Donnell

(In any event, Dave IS an equal-opportunity offender...)

Yes, Dave had something to say about the Palin business today...

What's amazing about this is that it feels like an apology.

(Dave...DAVE?...apologize?)

The transcript:

"We were, as we often do, making jokes about
people in the news and we made some jokes about
Sarah Palin and her daughter, the 18-year-old
girl, who is – her name is Bristol, that's
right, and so, then, now they're upset with me…"

"These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old
daughter. I would never, never make jokes about
raping or having sex of any description with a
14-year-old girl. I mean, look at my record.
It has never happened. I don't think it's funny.
I would never think it was funny. I wouldn't
put it in a joke…"

"…Governor Palin, if you're watching, I would
like you to consider coming to New York City –
you and Todd as my guests, or leave Todd at home
– I'd love to have you on the show. It'd be
exciting…"

"All right, so there, I hope I've cleared part
of this up. Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes.
Did I suggest that it was okay for her 14-year-
old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No."

-Vote: Where do you stand on the Letterman-Palin spat?
-Photos: Sarah Palin tours New York City
-Verne Gay: Letterman-Palin -- the hangover

....POW!!!!

Nothing like a nice little fight to enliven a summer afternoon.

Sarah Palin thinks David Letterman is a meanie and a creep . .. Maybe worse.

-Vote: Where do you stand on the Letterman-Palin spat?
-Photos: Sarah Palin tours New York City
-Verne Gay: Letterman-Palin -- the hangover

Check out this MSNBC interview for a good overview, but what's missing is the stuff that really got Sixpack in an uproar: The joke from last night:

"The toughest part of her visit was keeping Alex Rodriguez away from her daughter."

From Palin, via Facebook:

"Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands – that acceptance of inappropriate
sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contributes to the
atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse
others.'"

Palin's claiming Dave was talking about her fourteen year old. Or...was he talking about Bristol, who's eighteen?

Letterman starts taping in just about an hour.

Will he address this? We await...

[But...isn't this joke really about A-Rod as opposed to Palin's daughter?]

-Photos: Sarah Palin tours New York City

-Photos: David Letterman's memorable guests

Verne Gay: Letterman-Palin -- the hangover

Yes, that's the date - the big date. The date to remember...

August 16

At 10 p.m..

(A second marathon begins Monday,t he 10th, at 7 a.m.)

Interesting - AMC says the premiere episode will have "limited" commercial breaks; what's "limited?" Was/is a little controversy over this season's commercial load 'cus AMC is (reportedly) trying to carve some extra ads out of the show, and the show - naturally - is resisting.

>> Check out photos of the most recent season of "Mad Men"

The long national nightmare of the possible actors' strike is now over.

For at least two years anyway:

" Screen Actors Guild announced today that members have voted overwhelmingly to approve its TV/Theatrical contracts by a vote of 78 percent to 22 percent.

The two-year successor agreement covers film and digital television programs, motion pictures and new media productions. The pact becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. June 10, 2009 and expires June 30, 2011.

The contracts provide more than $105 million in wages, increased pension contributions, and other gains and establishes a template for SAG coverage of new media formats."

Dave and Julia Roberts on tonight's "Late Show."

On marriage. Driver's licenses. Craft services. Trucks. Mud. Honeymoons. Children fits. Back seats.

Worth watching...

>> Photos of Julia Roberts

Yesterday you may have noticed a post here that noted - with a sense of urgency - that "In Treatment" is on the bubble.

Fans out there may have noticed because I am now informed that some enterprising Gabriel Bryniacs have launched an Irish Spring campaign, sending boxes of the soap to HBO as it deliberates the fate of this treasure.

Here's the comment string, or at least one of 'em.

Will this work? A call or letter might suffice, but knock yerself out. (Question: What will "Weeds" fans do when it hits the bubble? "True Blood" fans? ...)

Remember Zack? "Saved by the Bell" fans certainly do...He is Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and whatever MPG has done since ("NYPD Blue," "Commander in Chief," currently "Raising the Bar," back last night), he will always be Zack.

NBC tells me Zack made a return last night, on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." I just saw - amusing, and he hasn't changed a bit. Agrees to do a "Late Night" reunion...He claims Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie) is in too.

Has anyone called Mario Lopez yet?

Take 'er away...

Here's the official "24" cast list for next season, bowing Jan. 17:

Katee Sackhoff
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Mykelti Williamson
John Boyd
Jennifer Westfeldt
Chris Diamantopoulos
Sutherland
Cherry Jones
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Annie Wersching
Anil Kapoor

And your description, on the jump!

Continue reading ""24:" Full Cast Announcement" »

In the war against "Tonight," one must enlist many weapons: Last night on "Late Show with David Letterman," Stern.

Here's the first part of that momentous encounter...Been a year and a half since he was last here.

Howard: "I'm backstage with your [staff]...they say we think this is a night we're gonna beat the Tonight Show...I'm thinking why is the pressure on me? "

"We gotta beat this Conan...Dave put me on national television many many years ago,...
I never liked Jay. I can't stand Jay....I've never seen anyone who behaves like a robot. I saw his final show - on his last show, he was reading it off a telePrompter. Where's the humanity? HERE'S the host we wanna watch..."

And that was about it. How wild and crazy was last night's encounter? Let's put it this way: They talked a lot about married life and therapy.

Still, amusing (in parts) as always.

Continue reading "Stern and Letterman: Howard Abuses Jay" »

Yes, a cut, and not just a cut, but a command, from POTUS. This marks the second time in as many weeks that POTUS has interceded in the aid and comfort of an entertainment program. (What will be the third one?)

Anyway, good "Colbert Report" last night, and more to come through Thursday.

The cut:

>> See photos of Stephen Colbert in Iraq.

(HBO)

Appears so. B&C; - the magazine, Broadcasting & Cable - has a good story this morning about the show's fate, and the story has the added benefit of being true.

Says that HBO is discussing "In Treatment's" fate this week, and that it could actually end the enterprise.

End "In Treatment?"

I know. I know.... Painful to even contemplate.

The basics are this, as B&C; reported, and I've heard elsewhere: The series was based entirely on the Israeli series, "BeTipul," which lasted only two seasons, and now that "IT" has wrapped, producers - who include some of TV's Finest, like Paris Barclay - have to decide whether they can punch out a brand new third one.

My opinion? Glad you asked: With a staff this accomplished, writing a third season, or fourth, fifth, eight or tenth, shouldn't be an issue. Getting Gabriel Byrne to do another season might be the tricky part. He is a magnificent actor, and so are some of this season's supporting actresses, like Alison Pill and Hope Davis. But the simple and rather essential act of memorization, episode after episode (and there are a lot of 'em) has got to be tough. There are a mountain of words here that the actors must scale each episode; they do, but is there a toll? (Just the slightest one? )

My hunch: HBO will likely go forward on a third. After it gets all those Emmy noms next month...best series, best actress (Pill OR Davis could/should easily snag one), best actor (you know who)...it would deeply regret a premature ending. "In Treatment" is one of the great joys of the small screen; HBO could not possibly deny 1.6 million EXTREMELY devoted fans this continued pleasure.

(Could it?)

Nice interview with Byrne on the jump, courtesy Katie Couric, where he does address the challenge of doing this show (and no, I have no idea why the bruise on his forehead...)

Continue reading ""In Treatment" on the Bubble? " »

Surprise!

And - you ask - like, who else was he gonna sign with?

Details/quotes out now:

"Kris won the hearts of millions of Americans with his soulful voice, good looks and gracious demeanor,” stated Dr. Evil, Creator and Executive Producer of American Idol and Founder & CEO of 19 Entertainment. “However it is his passion for music and love of performing that will make sure Kris stands the test of time and makes 'American Idol' proud.”

"As exciting as the last few months have been, I'm really looking forward to what is next,” says Kris Allen. “I'm very grateful to be working with Dr. Evil and his team at 19 Entertainment, along with Barry Weiss and Jive Records on my debut album. Everyone's been asking me what it's going to sound like. It will be very similar to what you heard from me on the show -- definitely in the pop/rock genre. I can't wait to get started!"

Will a critic please say something nice about our show? Pretty please, cherry on top? (FX)

Poor "Nip/Tuck:" FX just sent out its 2009 "for your consideration" package to critics and Academy voters, and the network couldn't find a single positive thing to say about it.

This package is something else again, and with shows like "Rescue Me," "Damages" and "The Shield," this network probably shouldn't have TOO much trouble drawing a crowd of admiring voters in the next couple weeks.

Which means "Nip/Tuck" is chopped liver. The elaborate package sent to voters includes a beautifully illustrated book of the FX murderer's row, and the authors found positive critical quotes for everything - including "It's Always Sunny in Philly."

But not a word - a single lonely word! - for "Nip/Tuck."

Gads.

So I found one for them - this from Stacey Wilson of Film.com: "Truth be told, this show, FX's most ludicrous contribution to primetime, has taken the guilty-pleasure genre and twisted it into such a succulent piece of silliness, it is hard to look away."

(You're right - I guess this quote wouldn't quite sway Emmy voters...")

Too bad the great JG didn't win for "God of Carnage" last night; in the tradition of eloquent, literate and well-acted acceptance speeches at the Tonys, the world would have loved to have seen exactly what he would have pulled off late night.

Instead, the great Geoffrey Rush won; someone must win, after all.

But Gandolfini did manage to score a pretty funny line at one point:

Despite what people think, he said, he and Shrek are not related...

(Oh reeeeeaally? I think not. Judge for thyself: Here's Brian D'arcy James in full make-up, and here's JG from an early "Sopranos" poster; from this, one might assume that BDJ figured his long-long brother was none other than Tony...

Pix, courtesy Andrew Eccles, DreamWorks Theatricals.)

And if you missed last night - and as always, a good telecast - here's a very partial list of winners: PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Geoffrey Rush, "Exit the King." PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Marcia Gay Harden, "God of Carnage." PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, "Billy Elliot, The Musical." PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Alice Ripley, "Next to Normal."
PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: Roger Robinson, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone." PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Angela Lansbury, "Blithe Spirit."

If you missed last night's opening minutes of the Tonys - this moment was the talker. Bret Michaels of "Rock of Love" gets dumped by a descending set piece on stage. (Yes, those things are very heavy, as evidenced here.)

His injuries? No one's saying just yet, though probably not serious (other than to pride.)

Well, we all know now that Brüno did not - REPEAT NOT - punk Eminem. It was all staged. A big joke. Ho ho.

But poor Paula was not so lucky. In this interview last night on "Late Show" she describes in great detail how it happened - and why she apparently fired her publicist/handler over the incident. It's quite amusing (and thanks to TVtattle for posting...)

>>Click here for photos of Paula Abdul prior to the finale of this season's "American Idol."

Is it OK to trash "Weeds” yet, "Weeds" fans? Have you too been beginning to not feel the love? After all, it's been out of Aggrestic for a full season now, and as some have observed - a valued and even treasured character has been gone as well. Aggrestic not only gave "Weeds" a terrific theme song, but a terrific reason for being - a perfectly square foil, where all the houses had spread weed-like in neat little rows, and the squalid lives of those inside were both amusing and tragic.

"Weeds" was (maybe) the best show on Showtime - with the possible exceptions of "The Tudors" and "Dex."

No one can make that argument any more. "Weeds" has become untethered to reality - completely untethered, like some bloated balloon drifting further away...going...going...almost gone. "Weeds:" Caustic, bitter, profane, cynical, with bile surging through its atrophied, needle-punctured, sclerotic veins. That's actually the good stuff - what's missing in this list for the most part is "funny." It's barely watchable anymore.

I'm not sure where to begin: Nancy getting impregnated by a titanically murderous drug lord? (That's a good place to start.) Celia Hodes getting snatched by her own daughter and a hen-pecked leader of the revolution? (Sure - that's a good second place too.)

Look, I'm not trying to talk anyone out of Monday night ("Wonderful Wonderful") though you will have to wait another week till Jennifer Jason Leigh (as Nancy sis Jill) joins up, and later still for Nancy doc Alanis Morissette. Maybe it'll settle into a buzz-worthy routine. Maybe Esteban (Demián Bichir) doesn't kill Nancy after all (he's debating whether he should Monday night) and she makes it to Denmark with Andy. Maybe when Celia shakes the Stockholm syndrome (best part of Monday, by far), she can leave the jungle lair and get back to what she does best - ruin lives.

Maybe. I'm beginning to doubt it. (But JJL, above, courtesy Getty, is good...)

Here's the season five "behind-the-scenes" promo. Have at it...

OK, he's on the way. Will be there Monday. Or sooner. Or whenever.

As fans know, "The Colbert Report" will originate from Iraq starting Monday, and as they also know, this is the first time (in TV history? certainly USO history) that a TV show has originated an entire week from a war zone.

“The USO counts this as military service, right? I might want to run for office some day,” Colbert said.

Yes, Stephen will be tweeting, and probably is right now - go here for that.

And...check out this clip. A history of the project, going back to March...

Yup, all announced last night, and here they are...bios on the jump.

Anyone from LI?

No.

But Brooklyn is very well-represented. Show begins in earnest next week. And who...will...win?

Continue reading ""So You Think You Can Dance": The 20" »

Something very strange is going on down in Costa Rica -- not merely bad TV, or are-they-in-or-are-they-out.

Something, dare I say, that could prove enormously embarrassing to NBC, and the top executives who are in charge of the network, and particularly those who gave the green light to this curiosity.

What could this catastrophe be? I have no idea, really, but to quote the old cliche, "keep your eye on this space." It has something, perhaps -- in fact, certainly -- to do with the newlyweds. Why else -- as the Los Angeles Times just reported -- would top reality chief Paul Telegdy suddenly break up a long planned meeting with producers of the network's show to fly down to the jungle?

Why?

Would Jennifer Bresnan (who I think is still top reality honcho at CBS) skeedaddle to the "Survivor" shoot just to get some sun? Maybe...but at such short and hasty notice? Doubtful indeed.

Something very strange and very not-good is going on, and after all the nonsense with the lovebirds, you are almost left to wonder: Could a major summer reality show get canned even before the final vote is cast, the final rat tail consumed? Doubtful...but.

Of course the two were back last night, with Spencer tweeting, "The devil fooled Speidi in to making an awful decision and we are praying to Jesus to get NBC to give us another shot to redeem."

I wonder... what is really going on.

Hmmmmm.

I wonder.

You all know about the (what I think was fairly harmless) bit that was used on last night's "Tonight Show" - see below. Brian Williams asks the Prez about the "transition;" the Prez plays along.

But, there's more!

During the "Inside the Obama White House" - parts of which aired last night and wraps tonight - there was also a plug by BriWilli for "Saturday Night Live." And top White House correspondent Chuck Todd just coincidentally happens by, while cameras are rolling, to grill a White House press official.

(Oh yes, a plug for "The West Wing," but it's been off the air forever, so that doesn't count.)

--Click here to see the president getting burgers with Brian Williams and our other "Obama, he's just like us!" photos

It's a good broadcast, all in all - interesting and viewers do learn where to get a good burger in Washington. A powder-puff show? Big time, but in fairness, the tradition of these inside-the-WH telecasts on all three major commercial networks going back decades has been the same - they're softies and meant to be and probably always have been.

So this was one was perfect to form. But these little in-show NBC plugs do, I think, push the ol' envelope.

See if you agree: Here's BriWilli asking about "SNL": It's about three minutes and change into this clip...


And go to the jump for other questions that BriWilli planned to ask, but decided against at the last minute - I got this list from my mole deep inside "Nightly News."

Continue reading "Did NBC use Obama to flack other NBC shows? " »

Yes, anoche fue buena. Our man, our tall pale man, is getting into a groove.

First nights are always tough. You expect miracles and get a show - just a show - instead.

[And I hope I've got my Spanish right: Anoche Fue Buena = last night was good.]

But last night, the second night of the rest of Conan O'Brien's professional life, was much better, and in one or two instances, inspired.

First off, the monologue. It clocked in at 16 minutes, including two or three pre-taped bits; that's in the range of Leno. I know Conan doesn't think the monologue's his strong suit, but he still needs big solid ones and proved (and always has) that when he has good material, they turn out just fine.

Second, those pre-taped bits. The one on Rodeo Road? Funny. A winner. The one on Twitter - "Twitter tracker?" Inspired. Ragging on idiotic tweets - and PRESUMABLY REAL ONES from celebs like Miley Cyrus, Ashton Kutcher and Dennis Haysbert? It's about time a major late night talk show host zeroed in on this target-rich environment. (Next - TV news personalities and their twitty tweets?)

This one was hilarious: Up to an including the de-feathering and then, beheading of the Twitter Bird.

Then, the guest: Tom Hanks is always a fine guest, and a good sport too. Check out his clip, too.

It's stuff like that makes you realize: Conan's gonna be just fine.

Now, on to night three!

Yes! The Big Guy himself. Although this does not technically count as a guest appearance last night.

In this amusing pre-taped bit, Brian Williams asks the Prez about the new host of "Tonight."

"If he screws it up, no bail-out money..."

(I suspect some may find objection to the fact that Williams would use his heavily promoted White House tour interview to promote the "Tonight Show" transition, but in the midst of an eighteen hour day there, I think it's harmless and shows both Williams and Obama to be good sports. No harm, no foul...)

(I also suspect that if BriWilli had done the same thing with Prez Bush, critics would have howled bloody murder and demanded the heads of both journalist and head of state. How dare they joke about bail-out money! How dare Williams use "NN" to flack an entertainment one! We'll see if there's any outcry this time.)

Strange but true: "Idol," and not for the first time, is passing by the Greatest City in the World for auditions.

The schedule below, just announced...What potential Adam Lambert will turn up in the next few months. (And will there be four judges apprising these candidates?)

Cities Dates Venues

Boston, MA Sunday, June 14 Gillette Stadium

Atlanta, GA Thursday, June 18 Georgia Dome

Los Angeles, CA Tuesday, June 30 Rose Bowl

Orlando, FL Thursday, July 9 Amway Arena

Denver, CO Tuesday, July 14 INVESCO Field at Mile High

Chicago, IL TBD TBD

Dallas, TX TBD TBD

Conan joked last night that Jay's show was gonna start in three days, but just a slight exaggeration: The official date in September 14.

Yes, that's a Monday AND the night after the Emmys, which were moved up a week buy CBS to avoid a clash with football. .

(AP/NBC)

Conan killed last night. And by "killed" I don't mean "killed" (in the showbiz sense).

Let's put it this way: Jay Leno was the happiest man in California last night. David Letterman, the happiest in New York.

This beginning was not auspicious.

Allow me - if you will - to be perfectly clear. The first night of what will probably be the first night of the rest of Conan O'Brien's professional life was not a disaster. Not at all. But it was far from a success.

Let me put it another way: A few million "Tonight Show" habitues turned to their spouses and said, "tell me AGAIN Mabel why NBC dumped Leno for this guy?"

What were the problems? There were a few, and I'll go to individual bullets in a minute. But for Conan to allay doubts, to quell misgivings, to make viewers realize there was a bona fide reason for this change (as opposed to a slick strong-arm move by Co and his agents five years ago that panicked Jeff Zucker) he needed to come out and kill. He needed a great monologue, excellent material from start to finish, and a set that didn't diminish him, but somehow enhanced his stature.

He had none of those. He was annoying. He cackled. Andy Richter looked like some insane guy he pulled off the street. Will Ferrell was painful. Even the great Max Weinberg Seven seemed shrill.

And all this is coming form someone - me - who thinks Conan is close to being a comedy genius.

What happened? Opening night jitters. They'll be worked out.

I hope.

Continue reading "Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show": OK, not great" »

(Getty)

OK, I stretch the truth a bit...First read!

Here it is and very good first line...

-Well, I’ve timed this moment perfectly. I'm on a last place network, I moved to a state that's bankrupt, and tonight’s show is sponsored by General Motors.

-A lot of people have been asking me, "Will your show be any different now that you’ve moved to Los Angeles?" I tell them all, “No. Mi programa no va a cambiar porque estoy en la ciudad de Los Angeles.”

[Insta-translation from TV Zone: My program will not change because I'm in Los Angeles...]

-This is a huge night for me. I remember watching Johnny Carson when I was a kid and thinking, "That's what I want to be when I grow up." And I’m sure right now somewhere in America, there's a little kid watching me and thinking, "What is wrong with that man's hair?

-I think they’ve built us a beautiful studio here in Los Angeles. This studio holds 380 people. It’s exactly like being at a Clippers game.

-We’re here at Universal Studios. It’s exciting to tape the show on the Universal lot because we’re just around the corner from Wisteria Lane where they film “Desperate Housewives”. In fact, in a lot of recent scenes you can see me playing the “Creepy Guy in the Bushes.”
!

Here's Dave on the big transition tonight.

Funny.

(Hope Conan's this funny.)

(Doug Hyun/AMC)

Great shows always seem to pose the same strange paradox, or at least they do for me - we want more but realize that they have within them the seeds of their own demise, if not destruction. "The Wire" could not last forever, and God knows, no one - including David Simon - wanted it to or expected it to. Same with "Sopranos" and some actually believed it may have stayed a little beyond a reasonable date of expiration. (Not me - I miss it every day...)

But what about "Breaking Bad" - a certifiable great one, and in the same ballpark with "Mad Men."

How much longer? I put that question to creator Vince Gilligan the other day on the eve of last night's spectacular finale, and the word he seemed most comfortable with was "four," as in four seasons, which means we may well be at the halfway mark.

I say "may" because even he seemed uncomfortable with making projections about "when," but he noted that he had just signed a new deal with Sony and AMC, and that he was very happy with his partners and they with him. No one was in a rush to wrap up this yarn, and he certainly isn't. But still...

The brilliantly rendered story of Walter H. White has been pulled so tightly, and the dramatic tension is so taut, that it'd be tough to maintain this season after season. There is an end-point - that is now clear - but when?

Gilligan says he and the writers have been working on the third season "just under a month and we're asking ourselves right now, what happens next? Where does this season take us, and after this season ends where do we go from here? It's so hard to answer [how much longer] and I'm not being coy, but...it does seem to me to be a story [and] show about mortality and facing mortality...It does seem to be a certain ending, and it's the ending we all face, that in life none of us get out alive.

"In my mind's eye, I've always seen four seasons. I'm not speaking for AMC or Sony. My gut tells me that. But it's hard to say. You don't want to be the last one to leave the party - you want to leave with everyone" wanting more.

Suffice it to say, the "Breaking Bad" crew usually has a very good idea of how a season proceeds. Clues to last night's finale - in fact - were placed in the show titles this season; all we had to do was piece those titles together.

And what were those titles? Beginning with the season premiere...

"Seven Thirty Seven"..."Down"..."Over"..."ABQ."

Primetime bound? (Getty)

In this morning's good wrap by Timesmen Bill Carter and Brian Stelter about Jay's move to 10, they mention "one ABC employee" who says the idea of moving "Nightline" to 10 has been raised. In fact...a similar move already took place years ago: "20/20" and "Primetime." Remember?

Back in the the glory days of both shows, they were splashed across 10 for a full week (with one night exception, though I forget which one). The move was of course a bust. (Just as "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" was.) The networks have thought about "stripping" ideas forever, and they typically resort to them in moments of weakness or crisis or because they simply become bankrupt of ideas.

Faced with an uncertain future and declining everything, the networks - like the newspapers - are searching for whatever does two things, and pretty much always have:

Save them money and make them money. If by moving "NL" to ten, they'd accomplish that, then they'd do it, and would have done it years ago.

As it now stands, the only thing that will keep the networks in business now and thenceforth is that which has kept them in business from the earliest days:

Find a hit.

Just one hit. One big monstrous culture-busting language-changing mind-warping hit, and everything else will follow.

In the meantime, "history-changing moves" like Jay to 10 are mere placeholders until something better, namely a bone fide hit, comes along. Find me and you the next "Seinfeld," then we can talk about "history."

(Thank you for enduring my late afternoon history lesson; class dismissed.)

(Kevin Winter/ Getty)

On balance, I believe the answer is yes.

What seems to be overlooked in this very skillful "Tonight Show" transition from Jay Leno to Conan O'Brien is that five years ago, nothing was a given. Conan's in this gig simply because he too displayed some TV-style sang froid. As hot as just about anyone in TV at the time, he and his agents demanded some love from NBC, and love not in the form of cold cash. They wanted "Tonight" and suggested - or perhaps promised - that they would walk without it. Conan was shopped and there was much interest elsewhere - remarkably this set Dave in play, too, and the upshot was that CBS ended up giving their late night man a lot more love too.

Jay? At first he pretended to take it all in stride, but there's no doubt that once the shock wore off and the realization of what had just happened had set in, he began to plot his revenge. Jay pretends to be a nice guy, and I do believe that he genuinely is. But you don't spend a lifetime in show business without knowing how to throw knives.

Now, Jay's the big winner. Conan's "Tonight" ascendancy feels anti-climatic because Jay's ascendancy to ten really is an historic change. Meanwhile, Jay wins no matter what happens. If ten is a debacle - it won't be - or simply a place-holder until NBC figures out what to do at that hour, then he leaves, sits on his non-compete for six months, then joins Fox, ABC, or (conceivably) CBS when Dave retires.

At that point, the battle that NBC always feared will take place.

Jay, you see, is a very smart guy. He learned long ago: Don't get emotional. Get even.

>> 7 sins, 7 strengths of Conan O'Brien
>> Conan O'Brien photos

Now if you like me watched this last night's "MTV Movie Awards" and wondered - what the hell? - you also probably wondered, could this be staged?

I think not. I think it was a straight down the middle frak-up, especially coming after Eminem's performance. Why humiliate the guy? (And it really was humiliating.) Because that's what Sacha Baron Cohen does. Em and his posse got up and left, and he did not look happy.

So yes, this is the big talker this morning, and little wonder. If you missed, better watch now...