In a previous post I included a link to my column about "The Pacific," which I hope you gave a chance. And will continue to give a chance, since it's a cumulative show, gaining force the more you watch. I, meanwhile, took a break from some other tasks to catch "The Green Zone" with the bride at a matinee on Saturday. There was a small, somewhat older crowd in the theater, but the big draw at the multiplex was "Alice in Wonderland." You could chalk that up to kids going to a matinee but the weekend box-office returns found "Alice" still strong and "Green Zone" opening poorly. . . .
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HBO,
The Green Zone,
The Hurt Locker,
The Pacific
My review of "The Pacific," which starts tonight on HBO, is here. I very much recommend it.
Other new potential viewing tonight includes "Minute To Win It" and "Celebrity Apprentice," both on NBC, and "Sons of Tucson" on Fox. I recommend none of them.
"Minute To Win It" looks appealing in promotional form, as it involves a series of tasks involving household objects, each of which must be performed in one minute. You make more money with each task , with the top prize $1,000,000. I did think some about how I might go about som of the tasks (such as finding and holding balls while blindfolded). But the show is way over-amped, the host is bland, and the first contestant enthusiastic in a way I found less than convincing. Also, the bride had noticed that, in one of the challenges, the commercials give away the outcome.
I haven't tuned to "Celebrity Apprentice" in some time, and nothing in tonight's premiere makes me want to come back. Boring contestants, uninteresting task and even the insult-tossing feels tired.
I had modest hopes for "Sons of Tucson" which were gone soon enough. The comedy involves a no-good (the guy who played Sock on the much better "Reaper") hired to be the pretend-father to three snotty kids. I kept wanting to like it for some reason, but never really did. It's a bunch of sitcom cliches jammed together with no great success.
I was far happier with "Justified," premiering later this week on FX; a column is in today's print Beacon Journal (but not online yet) and I will post about it tomorrow or Tuesday.
My DVD column is here.
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Celebrity Apprentice,
DVD,
Fox,
FX,
Justified,
Minute to Win It,
NBC,
Sons of Tucson,
The Pacific
Notes on last night's telecast, after the jump.
Update: Here's the teaser for next week's episode: "When the castaways discover that two people will be sent packing in a rare double elimination, everyone scrambles to save their own skin, and one castaway surprises everyone and risks it all at Tribal Council, on SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS, airing on a special night, Wednesday, March 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network."
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CBS,
Survivor,
Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains
Heading to the top 12. Running a little late but will blog as I watch after the jump.
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Aaron Kelly,
Alex Lambert,
American Idol,
Andrew Garcia,
Casey James,
Crystal Bowersox,
Didi Benami,
Fox,
Katelyn Epperly,
Katie Stevens,
Lacey Brown,
Lee Dewyze,
Lilly Scott,
Michael Lynche,
Paige Miles,
Siobhan Magnus,
Tim Urban,
Todrick Hall
Six will be available on Monday through Amazon.com. They include "Winning Time: Reggie Miller Vs. the New York Knicks," which premieres Sunday on ESPN, and five earlier productions: "Kings Ransom," "Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?,": "Muhammad and Larry," "Without Bias" and "The Legend of Jimmy the Greek." Still more are available for preorder. I haven't seen all of these, but what I have seen I have liked.
ESPN promises: "Each of the new DVDs is packed with exciting bonus features, including extended interviews, deleted scenes and more."
You can find out more here.
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30 for 30,
DVD,
ESPN
You may have read about the kidney problems for Grizz Chapman, who plays Grizz on "30 Rock," or you may have wondered why he has not looked very well in more recent episodes. He has kidney disease and awaits a transplant. But he is also trying to do good work. From NBC:
“Grizz” Chapman is used to playing a supporting role, in his earlier life as a celebrity bodyguard and in his current role as part of Tracy Morgan’s entourage on the Emmy award-winning NBC hit show, “30 Rock.” But Chapman is taking the lead in the fight against kidney disease in his new role as spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation.
The alarm was sounded for the hypertensive father of an 18-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, when he began spilling protein into his urine a little over two years ago. It wasn’t long before he spiraled from there to congestive heart failure and kidney failure.
Now Chapman plans to spread the word about the need for early detection for kidney disease and the critical national shortage of donor organs. Chapman, who shoots “30 Rock” while undergoing dialysis treatment for kidney failure three times a week, has a powerful message for the public. He will urge everyone to “take care of your health even when you feel good. Especially, keep your blood pressure under control and pay attention to your urine. If it’s foamy, that’s not a good sign and you need to check out your kidneys.”
Says Chapman, “I should have been more conscious of my health, but since I felt fine, I did nothing. I am honored to be teaming up with the National Kidney Foundation to spread the word about risk factors and bring awareness to others about this silent epidemic.”
Chapman is currently on the transplant waiting list and is hoping for a kidney donor soon. He will serve as Honorary Chairman of the Kidney Walk for the National Kidney Foundation Serving Greater New York and participate in advocacy, education, patient support and fund raising activities.
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30 Rock,
Grizz,
Grizz Chapman,
kidney,
National Kidney Foundation
The fans win! More than 490,000 Facebookers asked for this. From NBC:
Legendary and multiple Emmy Award winner Betty White will take her long-anticipated turn at hosting NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on May 8. White will make her first appearance in Studio 8H.
The six-time Emmy winner and cultural icon will host "SNL" for the first time in her illustrious seven-decade-long career. White is best known for her performance as Rose Nylund on NBC's "The Golden Girls," the beloved comedy series that aired from 1985 to 1992. Previously, she co-starred as Sue Ann Nivens in the classic comedy series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
In January, White was the proud recipient of the 2010 SAG Lifetime Achievement Award. White appeared in the 2009 romantic-comedy feature film "The Proposal," alongside Ryan Reynolds and Oscar winner Sandra Bullock, and can be seen again this fall in the film "You Again," starring Kristin Bell.
"I can't think of a better way to spend Mother's Day weekend than with Betty White ” said Lorne Michaels, Creator and Executive Producer of SNL.
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Betty White,
NBC,
Saturday Night Live
In-progress notes after the jump. I hope you did not miss Michael Lynche's show closer.
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Aaron Kelly,
Alex Lambert,
American Idol,
Andrew Garcia,
Casey James,
Fox,
Iron Man 2,
Lee Dewyze,
Michael Lynche,
Tim Urban,
Todrick Hall
Here's the announcement:
TLC’s hit series LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD continues its fifth season with 20 all-new episodes. From a family trip to Europe to the biggest pumpkin season ever, the Roloff family is back with new adventures starting with back-to-back premieres on Monday, April 5 at 8 & 8:30pm ET/PT. The spring season includes the series’ milestone 200th episode.
The current season of LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD has been a fan-favorite, with an average of 1.8 million viewers per episode and ratings up double digits from season four.
The premiere episodes kick off with twins Zach and Jeremy, recently graduated from high school, taking off on their own for a European backpacking adventure. Soon, the rest of the Roloffs join for a full family vacation that includes visits to Italy and France.
Life continues when the family returns home, as Molly turns sweet sixteen and goes for her driver’s license, and the twins figure out what’s next post-graduation. Meanwhile, Zach and his all-star team of little people athletes competing at the World Dwarf Games in Northern Ireland (which will be the 200th episode) – but Matt and Amy butt heads over team management.
Amy also focuses on her non-profit foundation but gets in over her head organizing a benefit golf tournament, while and Matt conducts the first-ever "Fort-A-Thon" on Roloff Farms and gets ready for the farm’s biggest, best pumpkin season ever. Will a clash with county inspectors threaten to shut down Roloff Farms?
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Little People, Big World,
Roloff,
Roloffs,
TLC
The press release is after the jump. (I love that Joan has her pen necklace). One note: That price of $74.95 is for EACH doll. But a Barbie rep told me that's not out of line with other Barbie collectibles, which range from $50 to $130.
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AMC,
Barbie,
Mad Men,
Mattel
From the morning mail:
Five authorized 'Kukla, Fran and Ollie' titles are the first of 39 DVD's to be
released by producer Martin Tahse, known for his 26 award-winning
After School Specials. In the late 70's, Tahse worked with Burr
Tillstrom, manipulator and voice of all the puppets, and Fran Allison.
He produced 13 of 39 'Kukla, Fran and Ollie' shows in color. His is
the only color library in existence.
An "Official Kukla, Fran and Ollie DVD Website" has been created
at www.kuklafranandollie.com. It presents the five titles plus reviews
from the late 90's, when Tahse tested the home video market to
great success.
Release of the five DVD's coincides with the 'Kukla Fran and Ollie'
debut on the NBC network sixty years ago. It aired at 7pm and ran
every night of every week. Its popularity spread – 72% of all
households watched the series five nights a week, every week, for
three years.
In Chicago, where the series originated, neighborhood bars would
stop serving liquor at 7:00pm so parents, who had no TV set, could
bring their kids and sit them at the bar with a soda to watch the show.
The kids were the first Baby Boomers arriving and the first kids to
grow up with TV.
'Kukla, Fran and Ollie' holds the record as the only series in the
entire history of television to run five nights a week in the same time
period [on a broadcast network, this should clarify]. The record has lasted 60 years.
The United States Postal Service celebrated with the issuance of a
'Kukla, Fran and Ollie' commemorative stamp last August.
Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, with friends Buelah Witch, Madame
Ooglepuss, Fletcher Rabbit and others, had a remarkable success.
They created 720 shows in black and white, first for NBC and then
ABC. They were popular through the years, seldom out of the
public's eye. Their total time on the air was 24 years, through 1998
when Starz licensed a run of three years on the cable channel.
They are back again, this time on DVD. And an animated feature is
being discussed with Tahse.
The five individual DVD's are available on the "Official Kukla, Fran
and Ollie DVD Website" – www.kuklafranandollie.com. They come
in a Premiere Collector's Edition boxed set. With each boxed set
there is a large colorful poster of the Kuklapolitan characters. The
poster is free. There is also a bonus DVD. Orders on the website
are accepted with credit cards. To order by check or money order,
the toll free number is 1-800-393-0462.
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Kukla Fran & Ollie
The actor, who seemed ready for major stardom with the movie "Lucas," has died, according to several reports. I can't say I was surprised to see the headlines, since Haim's problems have been extensive and well documented, and his career had descended into the weird self-exploitation of the "Two Coreys" with his friend Corey Feldman.
But a lack of surprise is not the same as a lack of sadness, because Haim onscreen so often seemed to invite our sympathy and affection — "Lucas," "The Lost Boys," whatever, here was a kid you wanted to tell that things were going to be all right. That kind of connection with an audience is a gift. And even if he was not able to turn that gift into a happy life — even if the vulnerability he conveyed was rooted in the demons which have apparently, finally, led to his death — then I still wish we could take him aside, talk to him softly, tell him he will find his way out of this mess. That people care about him, and that's something to live for. Of course, people must have told him that more than once. In the end it made no difference. Nor will it make much difference for thousands of others as off course as Haim was. But we still need to connect. Even when people have given up on themselves, that's no reason for us to give up on them.
Or so I keep wanting to believe.
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Corey Haim
Blogging while watching, after the jump. Will say this in summary: The smart singers have defined themselves and are performing in accord with that definition. And the show ran overtime AGAIN.
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American Idol,
Crystal Bowersox,
Didi Benami,
Fox,
Katelyn Epperly,
Katie Stevens,
Lacey Brown,
Lilly Scott,
Paige Miles,
Siobhan Magnus
From the network: FOX’s summer is scorching hot with the series preview and premiere of THE GOOD GUYS (previously announced as CODE 58), the kick-off of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’s seventh season, the summer premiere of LIE TO ME, the seventh course of culinary competition HELL’S KITCHEN, all-new installments of mysterious drama PAST LIFE plus all-new episodes of GLEE, COPS, AMERICA’S MOST WANTED and ANIMATION DOMINATION.
"Past Life" is dead, so this is a burn-off. "Lie to Me" seemed more secure when it got a back nine order and a promise of a late spring return. A June start seems more like burn-off. But series producer Shawn Ryan isn't saying that on Twitter; he's linking instead to this not-pessimistic story.
More from the schedule announcement after the jump.
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Fox
From ESPN:
Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro is attached to play legendary coach Vince Lombardi in the theatrical motion picture LOMBARDI being developed by ESPN Films, Andell Entertainment and the NFL. Additionally, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Good Shepherd) has come on board the project which will chronicle Lombardi during the years he transformed the Green Bay Packers from the worst team in the National Football League into five-time NFL champions.
The producing group of ESPN Films, Andell Entertainment, the NFL and Chris Olsen
will be joined by De Niro and Jane Rosenthal's Tribeca Productions. ESPN/Andell
have Lombardi's life story rights through his estate and Vincent Lombardi, Jr.
as well as the rights to the renowned sports book Instant Replay written by
former Packer great Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap.
"Having an icon portray an icon on film is amazing, and with a writer as
talented as Eric working on the script, the results could be magical for NFL
fans," said Ron Semiao, senior vice president, ESPN Films – Motion Pictures.
Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of Tribeca Productions and the Tribeca Film Festival,
said, "We've had an extraordinary relationship with ESPN for five years through
the Tribeca Film Festival, and now we're able to extend that association into
production."
"There are few actors who could accurately portray the fire, passion and grit of
Lombardi and we're thrilled to have Robert De Niro on our team," said Charles
Coplin, the NFL's vice president of programming. "With the addition of De Niro,
Eric and Tribeca Productions, we have a deep bench to produce a film worthy of
the legendary coach and American icon."
Current plans call for the film's release on the weekend between the AFC and NFC
Conference Championships and the Super Bowl in 2012. CAA collaborates with ESPN Films on theatrical motion picture projects and represents De Niro, Roth and
Rosenthal. Discussions are taking place with directors interested in the
project.
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ESPN,
Robert De Niro,
Vince Lombardi
From CBS:
CBS has ordered a second cycle of the hit reality series, UNDERCOVER BOSS, for the 2010/11 broadcast season.
UNDERCOVER BOSS, which follows high-level chief executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their companies, is the number one new series of the 2009-2010 season, averaging 18.74 million viewers, 8.0/17 in adults 25-54 and 7.1/17 in adults 18-49.
The series premiered following the Super Bowl to 38.7 million viewers, the largest audience for a new series following the Super Bowl. It also ranks as the biggest new series premiere since 1987 and the most-watched premiere episode of any reality series.
"We are thrilled with the overwhelming response to the series and how audiences seem to connect to it on several levels," said Jennifer Bresnan, Senior Vice President, CBS Alternative Programming. "The wish fulfillment of seeing the top boss perform jobs of the rank and file is universal, and the employees' stories discovered at each company are often relatable and inspirational."
Each week, UNDERCOVER BOSS follows a different executive as they leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies. While working alongside their employees, they see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.
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CBS,
Undercover Boss
I spent much of Monday in a post-Oscar, sleep-deprived haze. Managed to be more or less coherent on Channel 5 (at least, I think I was). Spent a good bit of the afternoon watching episodes of "Justified," the new FX series with Timothy Olyphant, which I like very much. Then Melville in the early evening — discussion of "Benito Cereno" — and staying awake long enough to watch "House" (complete with Henry James reference) and Sunday's "Amazing Race" (still not an exciting season). This morning, I caught up with my CBS comedies — Jennifer Lopez suitably steamy on "HIMYM," but they wrote a better character for Carrie Underwood in a previous ep; "Two and a Half Men" is killing me with the Chelsea plot but am laughing a lot at Stacy Keach/John Amos; "Big Bang Theory" OK.
Online video coming later today. Still sorting out topics.
