Upcoming 90210 guest star Rumor Willis (pictured above) doesn’t believe she owes her ‘acting career’ to her famous parents. No really. [GabbyBabble]
From iconic big screen superhero to CHUCK guest star, you know what’s not so super? Brandon Routh’s career trajectory. [EW]
Laura Linney thinks Cancer is funny. Clearly, somebody didn’t see Funny People. [Variety]
Good News: The cast of SWINGTOWN is back working. Bad News: On other shows. [Staying In]
First let’s be clear. The William S. Paley Television Festival is this TV Addict’s Super Bowl equivalent. So much so that for three out of the past four years, I’ve shelled out far too much money than I care to think about for the privilege of spending one week in Los Angeles amidst some of my favorite television show’s casts and creative teams (click here for coverage.)
That said, Daniel Fienberg’s recent column asking, “Has the Paley Festival lost its way?” really got me thinking. And not just about how I can legally change my last name so that it fits into a clever blog title like “The Fien Print.”
Rather, I’ve been thinking about what I would do if I programmed Paley. And how for every show that is worth honoring this year (see: BIG LOVE and DR. HORRIBLE’s SING-ALONG BLOG) there seems to be an equal number of shows that have yet to prove themselves worthy of sharing the same stage with the likes of past honourees including DEXTER, THE SOPRANOS and ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (see: 90210 and DOLLHOUSE.)
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Good News: Sharon Osbourne revealed to the NYPost that the Osbournes have been banned from Jay Leno since guesting on Jimmy Kimmel way back in May of 2008. Bad News: No word on whether fellow Late Night hosts Conan O’Brien, David Letterman and Craig Ferguson have followed suit with the Leno ban. Here’s hoping! [Source]
Good News: The CW has officially announced that GOSSIP GIRL showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are developing a spinoff that will chronicle the wild years of Lily van der Woodsen in Los Angeles circa 1980. With the Hollywood Reporting, well reporting that, “as in the original series, fashion, pop culture and music will be central to the spinoff.” Bad News: Fashion, pop culture and music…. does the CW remember the 80’s…. shudder. [Source]
Good News: According to NBC Primetime president Angela Bromstad, reports of LIPSTICK JUNGLE’s cancellation are greatly exaggerated. Bad News: Unfortunately the same can’t be said for SWINGTOWN, which CBS president Nina Tassler revealed was not coming back at yesterday’s Television Critics Association press tour stating, “We’re not going back to SWINGTOWN. At the end of the day the show was well executed, it was well received, the performances were great, the writing was great. It was a risk, we took it, and we’re proud of it.” [Source]
Attention network bigwigs. CouchTater here. And while I’m sure you don’t really care as you look down from your big black Hollywood towers, I’d like to just point out a few things to y’all.
First, to Showtime president of entertainment Bob Greenblatt. I know you’re real excited about that spin-off of THE L-WORD that may or may not get the go-ahead (the pilot is only now being edited). But agreeing with reporters that it sounds like “a female OZ” why not give credit where credit is due and admit that it sounds like a PRISONER CELL BLOCK H ripoff… er, homage.
iFMAGAZINE.COM is reporting that former JERICHO executive producer Jon Turteltaub is developing a big-screen flick around the twice-failed series. I don’t want to call the man delusional, but he thinks if reruns of the series on the CW are “like this remarkable success”, it might get another shot at life on a network. And did we mention he’s developing a feature film? Dude, give it up.
New York’s Daily News says that by adding judge Kara Dioguardia, AMERICAN IDOL has “finally found its mean girl.” Yeah, cause that’s what the show needed. To be meaner.
PRISON BREAK’s executive producer told Entertainment Weekly that they were ending the show because nobody wanted it to “become a parody of itself.” Um, too late.
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This TV Addict’s pet peeve of the day is the fact that CBS and Paramount Home Entertainment continue to provide fans with false hope by releasing SWINGTOWN on DVD under the guise of “The First Season.” Because really, who are they trying to fool? We all know that a second season of SWINGTOWN is about as likely as a scandal free day on the set of GREY’S ANATOMY.
Got a TV-related pet peeve you need to get off your chest? Send it to us at info@thetvaddict.com or better yet, a tweet via twitter.
At the recent Television Critics Association Press Tour, SWINGTOWN executive producer Alan Poul promised that, “The season ends with a cliffhanger, but it’s also a completely satisfying ending. So, if we go forward, there are many new things that are set up to explore. And if we don’t go forward, there’s no feeling that we’ve been left with something incomplete.”
Huh?
Did SWINGTOWN executive producer Alan Poul actually watch his show’s season finale on Friday night?
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Good News: Turns out ,there are enough fans of SWINGTOWN within CBS that the show might survive to see a second season. Bad News: On cable. [Source]
Good News: THE OC’s Benjamin Mackenzie is in talks with John Wells to join the NBC ensemble drama LAPD. Bad News: Putting to rest any hope that he will be joining the Walker clan on BROTHERS & SISTERS this fall. [Source]
Good News: Neil Patrick Harris and Sarah Chalke have been tapped to host the Emmys this fall. Bad News: And by Emmys, we mean the non-televised Creative Arts Emmys that we’ll be wishing we were at as we suffer through one-liners courtesy of Howie Mandel and Jeff Probst. [Source]
Good News: The TV Addict just completed DEXTER’S Psycho Therapy Test. Bad News: Turns out I may have some ‘issues’! [Find out if you need Therapy by clicking here.]
By: Amrie Cunninghame [My Take on TV]
I don’t think I’m overstating anything when I say that this summer has given us some of the best TV I’ve seen in a long time. I’m still not caught up on the few weeks I missed due to our trip to San Diego, but I still feel like I’ve seen some quality TV that I’m glad we have in the summer so these shows don’t have to compete with my regular fall viewing. Here are my favorite shows from the summer (if not listed, it’s because I’m just not caught up and I can’t say it’s my favorite if I haven’t seen it…I’m talking to you, THE CLOSER).
My five favorite summer shows this year:
BURN NOTICE – Ever since my visit to the set, I feel connected to this show. I’ve had the chance to spend time with the people that make the show possible, so to me, that makes season 2 even more spectacular than season 1. Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) is a great character – he’s sarcastic, which is perfect for me – I sometimes feel like sarcasm should be my middle name. I love Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, who I can’t say enough good things about) and I think she’s even better this season than last. No one compares to Sam (Bruce Campbell) and, say what you will about Madeline (Sharon Gless), I think she’s a fantastic character. I have enjoyed every episode of Season 2 so far. It’s funny, whip smart, and just an easy way to pass the time. I understand the plight of viewers who think the Carla thing has dragged on a bit too far, but I personally am on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how the mid season “finale” goes (since we’ll get more BURN NOTICE in January this year) and what more we find out about the mysterious Carla (Tricia Helfer).
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It’s official: Three episodes in, SWINGTOWN is officially my favorite show of the summer. And really, what’s not to love? Don’t be fooled by the implication that this is a smutfest. Instead, SWINGTOWN is an examination of evolving — and devolving — friendships, and it’s hard to decide what’s more unexpected: the show’s unexpected but undeniable charm, or its ability to examine changing social and sexual mores in a non-judgemental light. I have to think that if this series wound up anywhere but on CBS, it would have wound up trading sentiment for sleaziness, and that would have been a real shame. From the beginning, my favorite character has been Miriam Shor’s Janet, who represents the old guard being forced to face that nothing stays the same… no matter how hard we might wish it would. (Best moment last night: Janet stoically declaring “I am going to eat a pot brownie!” before shoving the tampered-with treat into her mouth.) She is a portrait of heartbreak and a study in conflict, and the perfect frenemy to Lara Parrilla’s luminous Trina. Best of all, the changing times aren’t only viewed through the eyes of adults. We’re treated to teen boys who find their friendship being tested by the girl next door, and high schooler/budding feminist Laurie’s crush on a teacher. In the dead zone of summer television, populated by increasingly lame and mean-spirited reality shows (HOPKINS and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE aside), SWINGTOWN is breathing new life into Thursday nights.
I’ve only seen the first 15 minutes of the debut episode, but HOPKINS seems determined to prove that reality TV needn’t be the black sheep of programming. The stakes are life and death, and the players in this game are people, not the caricatures who populate THE HILLS or THE REAL WORLD. Given that it is populated by doctors, it’s appropriate to dub this appointment television.
If all reality competitions were as full of energy, honesty and life as SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, there’d be a lot more worth watching. This week’s episode featured several truly stunning performances, my personal favorite of which was Mark and Chelsea’s emotional hip-hop number to the tune Bleeding Love. (If you missed it, youtube it… trust me!) I hate the fact that the snarky, nasty, pointless critiques of AMERICAN IDOL put that show at the top of the ratings heap while the honest, helpful, constructive criticisms of SYTYCD’s judges make this show a hit by summer standards, but keep it from being anything near the blockbuster IDOL is. Sometimes, America, you make me hate you. I’m just sayin’.
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Good News: Hulu announced the addition of Comedy Central’s THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART and THE COLBERT REPORT to their digital library. Bad News: I still can’t take Hulu episodes on a plane, train or automobile. Not to mention watch them outside of the US. [Source]
Good News: 20th Century FOX has been quietly working on a pilot based on the Canadian hit series LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRARIE. Bad News: The last show that featured a Muslim protagonist — ALIENS IN AMERICA — was quietly cancelled when nobody bothered to watch. [Source]
Good News: We’re that much closer to a FRIENDS Reunion. Bad News: Because FX cancelled Courtney Cox’s pet project DIRT. [Source]
Good News: SWINGTOWN just received the endorsement of a lifetime, albeit from an incredibly unlikely source. Bad News: The Parent’s Television Council never learns. I mean who isn’t tuning into SWINGTOWN after PTC President Tim Winter calls it “one of the most sexually indulgent programs we’ve seen on broadcast television in a long time.” [Source]
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