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B.J. Novak To Host Webby Awards

Chris Harnick — 2010-05-03T13:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Awards, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

B.J. Novak, best known as Ryan from 'The Office,' will host the 14th Annual Webby Awards show in New York City on June 14, according to Urlesque.

Novak will be joined by judges David Bowie, Arianna Huffington and Martha Stewart. Fans were able to vote for their favorite in each category, via the People's Choice vote.

For more, check out Urlesque's exclusive report.

Ricky Gervais to Host Golden Globes (Again)

TV Squad Editors — 2010-04-28T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Awards, Features, TV News

According to the the Live Feed, Ricky Gervais will host the 2011 Golden Globe Awards.

The ceremony, airing Jan. 16, 2011, on NBC, will mark Gervais' second-consecutive time as host, following a successful run in January.

"I can't believe they invited me back after awful things I said," Gervais said in a statement. "Let's see how far I can go this time."

For more check out Inside Movies.

Have You Noticed That 'Modern Family' Is Oblivious To the Recession?

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-28T10:07:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Awards, Reality-Free, Modern Family, Features, TV News

There's so much to like about ABC's award-winning new sitcom 'Modern Family' that it seems almost curmudgeon-like to complain. Nevertheless, you have to wonder where in the world 'Modern Family' is located. No, not the place; it's clearly Southern California. No, it's the economy. 'Modern Family' resides in an economy unaffected by the recession. Everybody is doing well. Nobody's worried about paying the mortgage, or - God forbid - facing foreclosure. Things are going so well in 'Modern Family' world that the entire clan is heading to Hawaii for a family vacation.

Wow, remember when your family could afford to fly off for a holiday? It was probably some time around the turn of the century ... 2000. Maybe 'Modern Family' is in a time warp because they're all checking into the Four Seasons Maui. It'll be the May 12 season finale, so tune in if you want to live vicariously.

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Five Possible Jeannies for the Big Screen 'I Dream of Jeannie'

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-21T13:03:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Awards, TV Squad Lists, Casting, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Another week, another story from Hollywood about a beloved TV show being turned into a feature film. Last week it was 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' and this week it's ... 'I Dream of Jeannie.' Yes, yes, they've talked about this one before. But that was then and this is now and the Los Angeles Times reports that 'I Dream of Jeannie' is back on with Sheila Callaghan, one of the scribes on 'United States of Tara,' has been handed the assignment. That means whatever the writers from 'National Treasure' and 'Mulan' and 'Bend It Like Beckham' who've taken a swing at it in the past few years weren't able to make it work.

There is an essential problem with 'Jeannie,' as anyone who knows the shows realizes. How do you make the story of a love-crazed, subservient slave-like genie who lives in a bottle and calls her astronaut boyfriend master relevant. That's a tough nut to crack, but maybe casting the role of Jeannie would be a start.

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Emmys to Drop Theme Song Category

Bob Sassone — 2010-04-20T10:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Awards, Emmys, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

We've all gotten used to modern TV shows either not having a theme song at all or having just a few seconds of one. Now it looks like the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has gotten used to it, too -- so much, in fact, that its not even going to honor them anymore.

In one of several changes to next year's award show, the Academy has gotten rid of the award for Best Main Title Theme, due to the "decreasing number of traditional television main title theme music."

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Yup, Tom Hanks Really is a Nice Guy

Bob Sassone — 2010-04-19T17:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Video, Celebrities, Awards, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

It would have been so easy for Tom Hanks to skip the 'Bosom Buddies' reunion yesterday during the taping of the TV Land Awards, which will air next Sunday night at 9PM. He's one of the biggest movie stars in the world, appearing in more popular and/or critically-acclaimed and/or biggest-grossing modern movies than most other actors, so why in hell would he even bother to go to the reunion of some low-rated show he was on 30 years ago for only 37 episodes?

Because he's Tom Hanks, that's why.

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An Open Letter to TV Land About the TV Land Awards

Bob Sassone — 2010-04-15T11:19:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Awards, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Dear TV Land,

I'm very excited about the 'TV Land Awards' that will air on April 25 at 9PM. I'm a big fan of retro television (and Retro Television), and I like seeing a lot of stars both old and new get all dressed up and come together for a night of fun, craziness, and award-giving. Tim Allen as host? Great! You're going to honor Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari from 'Bosom Buddies?' Fantastic! A salute to 'Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks?' Outstanding!

I'm particularly excited about this year's show because from the promos I've seen, it looks like you're going to re-animate the dead.

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'Ugly Betty' - 'Hello Goodbye' Recap (Series Finale)

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-15T00:18:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Awards, Emmys, Reality-Free, Episode Recaps, Features, Recaps, TV News

(S04E20) A really wonderful thing happened at the end of the series finale of 'Ugly Betty.' Betty Suarez got a new beginning. In the tradition of many television series finales, there were many loose ends tied up, and because 'Betty' was more comedy than drama, it only stood to reason that they were mostly happy endings.

All they needed was Liza Minnelli to sing about it, but alas, there was no musical number to sum it all up. However, there was plenty of character development and plot turns. For more on that and how even Halston got a fashionable farewell, read on after the jump. However, if you don't want to know, consider this a SPOILER ALERT!

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'Glee'-Mania Invades 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-07T20:38:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Awards, Reality-Free, Glee, Features, TV News

There's a ringing in the ears that doesn't go away when you are around a really enthusiastic, rowdy crowd. Mine are still ringing from just watching the cast and creators of 'Glee' on today's 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.' If you were there, you're ears are probably bleeding. Let there be no doubt, the Gleeks are a vociferous and growing fan base.

There's been mania like this for television shows before, as well as music groups. Elvis Presley and The Beatles were drowned out by the audiences watching 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' And after Beatlemania, a little NBC sitcom by the name of 'The Monkees' gave rise to a worldwide fandom called Monkeemania. And now we can officially call the insanity over Fox's 'Glee' Gleemania. Feel free to share it with your friends.

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Five Shows in the Tradition of 'The Carol Burnett Show'

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-07T14:04:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Awards, Emmys, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Television legend Carol Burnett has been making the talk show circuit to promote her new book, a look back at her wonderful, classic variety show 'The Carol Burnett Show,' called "This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection." The book sounds like a must-read, especially if you grew up on the comedy, music and characters that Carol, Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner and Tim Conway brought to TV viewers every week.

In fact, to this day, those characters are still hilarious. Last week, my sister and I recalled the Mrs. Wiggins sketch, with Tim Conway as Mr. Tudball. We both laughed at the memory.

Sadly, 'The Carol Burnett Show' today is like a relic from the past. It was in many ways the end of an era. Like Carol herself said in USA Today, the cost of those shows would be too much today. But when she was doing her show, CBS Television City was also producing 'The Sonny & Cher Show,' 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' and 'The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.' That was a lot of variety, something that's non-existent today .

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Hanks and Scolari Will Accept a TV Land Award for 'Bosom Buddies'

Brad Trechak — 2010-04-05T10:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrities, Awards, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Who besides myself has been aching for a 'Bosom Buddies' reunion? Your wish has been granted now that Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari will reunite to accept a TV Land Anniversary Award for that very sitcom, thirty years later.

Fellow cast members Donna Dixon, Thelma Hopkins and Holland Taylor will also be in attendance. Sadly, the late Wendie Jo Sperber cannot (may she rest in peace). The show will be broadcast on April 25th and will be hosted by Tim Allen.

While I won't say that 'Bosom Buddies' launched Tom Hanks' career (the movie 'Splash' gets more credit for that), it definitely showcased his comedic talent. Peter Scolari was also an excellent foil for him and even made a cameo in Hanks' directorial debut 'That Thing You Do.'

It makes you wonder what Kip and Henry are actually doing in the 'Bosom Buddies' universe thirty years later. Henry probably wrote that book about their experience posing as women in order to keep a roof over their heads and it became a bestseller. They might have even decided that they liked dressing in drag and continue to this day.

[via Pop Candy]

Will 'Damages' Wind Up on DirecTV like 'Friday Night Lights'?

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-03T15:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Industry, Programming, OpEd, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Celebrities, Friday Night Lights, Awards, Damages, Weeds, Emmys, Reality-Free, Features, TV Schedules, TV News

There's good news and bad news regarding the Glenn Close legal drama 'Damages.' The bad news is that FX has real concerns about picking up the show for another season because of the cost. The good news is that Sony has turned to DirecTV to co-broadcast 'Damages.'

If this sounds like a paradigm you've heard before, you have. Currently, DirecTV shares the broadcast rights to 'Friday Night Lights' with NBC. That's how the Peabody-award winning program has remained on the air.

The fourth season of 'Friday Night Lights' has already run on DirecTV's Channel 101 -- a fantastic season by the way -- and NBC will give present the same episodes again for a much larger audience when the show premieres on May 7. (Of course, NBC could have chosen a night other than Friday -- one of the least watched nights of the week -- but there are fans out there waiting for this quality TV show.)

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Deciphering the Charlie Sheen 'Two and a Half Men' Situation

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-02T14:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Celebrities, Awards, Casting, Emmys, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

It was a shock to read yesterday that Charlie Sheen was reportedly not going to return to 'Two and a Half Men' next season. Could it be true that the star of CBS's top sitcom was ready to walk away from nearly a million bucks an episode because he was ready to "move on?"

Hmm... interesting. If Charlie is well enough to move on to other things, then why isn't he well enough to complete his run on 'Two and a Half Men?' Yes, the mixed signals are as difficult to read as smoke signals.

On one hand, if Charlie Sheen is really so damaged by his personal issues -- domestic upheaval, overzealous partying, the pre-emptive entry into rehab, the sober coach on set to counsel him during his return -- how would he be ready to move on? And if he can't work anymore even with all the help he's getting from the network and the production company, not to mention cast and crew and producers, could he do better elsewhere?

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Should 'Mad Men' Really Chase After More Emmy Noms?

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-02T11:02:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Awards, Emmys, Reality-Free, Mad Men, Features, TV News

Yesterday, Brad told you about how the 'Mad Men' powers that be are figuring out how to improve their chances at the Emmys. It was strange to think that a show as successful as 'Mad Men' was angling for a way to get more awards, but there is a reasoning behind the strategy. You see, even though 'Mad Men' has consistently been honored for the show and the writing and direction, the actors -- Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, etc. -- have been shut out. That's irksome. Not one Emmy for acting. Plenty of nominations, but no wins.

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'Mad Men' Producers to Change Emmy Submissions

Brad Trechak — 2010-04-01T17:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Industry, Celebrities, Awards, Emmys, Reality-Free, Mad Men, Features, TV News

The producers behind 'Mad Men' are trying to maximize their potential Emmy nominations and wins. They have decided to reposition last year's nominee Elisabeth Moss from best lead actress to best supporting actress.

The move kind of makes sense, particularly given the strong performance January Jones gave at the end of last season. The emotional drama between the soon-to-be-divorced couple of Don and Betty Draper is likely to take more of the show's spotlight rather than the affairs of Peggy Olson (and I mean "affairs" literally).

Admittedly, it's kind of sad that the producers have to do this sort of political maneuvering in order to improve their chances of winning an Emmy, particularly since Peggy Olson is such a cute character. While the show centers around Don Draper, 'Mad Men' has more of the feel of an ensemble show and it has some excellent acting talent. Perhaps the Emmys should create a new category for "Best Cast." 'Mad Men' would be sure to win that one.

Julianne Moore Returns to 'As the World Turns' on Monday

Allison Waldman — 2010-04-01T11:05:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, Video, Celebrities, Awards, Emmys, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

When it was announced last month that movie star Julianne Moore was returning to 'As the World Turns' for a guest appearance, it sounded like a prank. And the fact that today is April 1 -- April Fool's Day -- maybe you think this is a gag. It's not. Julianne Moore, four-time Oscar-nominated actress -- is really going back to her roots.

On Monday, April 5, Julianne Moore will be on 'As the World Turns' as Frannie Hughes, the character she played from 1985-87 on the CBS soap. She also played Frannie's look-alike British twin Sabrina. She was so good on 'ATWT' that she won the Daytime Emmy in 1988 for Outstanding Ingenue in a Drama Series. And she was! So often in the soap genre, actors are given the opportunity to play a twin -- evil or not -- and they either rise to the occasion... or crash and burn.

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Coco Says No-No to the Tonys, But I Say Whoa!

Danny Gallagher — 2010-04-01T09:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrities, Awards, Casting, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Awards shows are just an lazy way for networks to eat up hundreds of minutes of airtime. They also sell big chunks of advertising that no one will see because the kind of people who watch every single minute of airtime either never leave their house or don't have the cognitive faculties to understand the concept of money.

The worst of the worst is the Tonys. They seem to go out of their way to make the whole affair uninteresting and over the heads of their viewers who are located outside of the Broadway area, give or take a few blocks. Why even air them? Is there a beet farmer in Bumblecrack, Ark. who just can't wait another night to find out if Hope Davis took home the Best Actress nod for 'God of Carnage?'

This year, an orange glow of hope came down from the heavens when the people behind the awards show offered the hosting job to Conan O'Brien, an honor he turned down just as fast.

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'Modern Family,' 'Glee' Pick Up Peabody Awards

Danny Gallagher — 2010-03-31T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Late Night, News, Documentary, Awards, Reality-Free, Glee, Modern Family, Features, TV News

The Peabody Award winners were announced today and they included their usual mix of enlightening documentaries and popular favorites, both of which are equally worthy of recognition.

This year's list didn't have many fictional shows, but the one's they picked more than made up for their absence. ABC's 'Modern Family' and Fox's 'Glee' both picked up awards, the only two sitcoms on the list. HBO's 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' and 'In Treatment' were also the only dramas on the list.

Other notable winners include 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson' for his sit-down with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, HBO's documentary 'Thrilla in Manila,' PBS' 'Frontline' for their stirring report on Bernie Madoff and '60 Minutes'' expose on "The Cost of Dying."

'Glee' Premiere to Be Screened for Charity

Allison Waldman — 2010-03-30T13:50:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Music and Variety, Celebrities, Awards, Reality-Free, Glee, Features, TV News

Is the marketing and promotion for 'Glee' stoking the flames of enthusiasm among the fans or do they risk overdoing it by jumping at every opportunity to hype the show? Can't say for sure, but as long as the Gleeks are screaming in joy, they must be doing something right. And the latest idea is not only good for the show, it's good for charity, too.

Fox is arranging a sneak preview of the spring premiere in movie theaters around the country. Fans will be able to see the show a week before the program airs on Fox, Tuesday, April 13 (at the special time of 9:28 PM), and on the big screen as well.

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Showtime Picks Up Third Seasons of 'Jackie' and 'Tara'

Allison Waldman — 2010-03-25T18:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Celebrities, Pickups and Renewals, Ratings, Awards, Weeds, Emmys, Reality-Free, Nurse Jackie, Features, TV News

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that Showtime is the home of two of the best comedies currently on the air, 'Nurse Jackie' and 'United States of Tara.' Having been fortunate enough to enjoy the season two premieres of these two shows last Sunday, it came as no surprise that Showtime announced today that both 'Jackie' and 'Tara' are coming back for a third season.

Actually, it is a bit of a surprise ... that it happened so fast! Showtime could have saved the news for a few weeks or even the end of these second seasons. But you have to figure the premium cable channel is pretty happy with the ratings these shows have generated and the enthusiasm is palpable. Another season, twelve more episodes of each, and for the creators of these shows that just has to be a great validation.

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