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Tim Gunn Reveals Why He's Not Part of 'Project Runway All Stars'

Crystal Bell — 2011-12-07T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Celebrity Interviews

When the cast of 'Project Runway All Stars' was announced, a few big names were surprisingly missing -- host and judge Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn, and judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. Instead, supermodel Angela Lindvall will host the competition and Marie Claire editor-in-chief Joanna Coles will play mentor.

Fans have been wondering how 'Project Runway' can make it work without its big names. But now, we finally have an answer as to why Tim and co. didn't sign on for 'All Stars.'

"'Project Runway All Stars' overlapped with the taping of 'Project Runway' Season 9," Gunn told AOL TV, while promoting his partnership with Weight Watchers. "Someone actually thought that Heidi, Nina, Michael and I could run back-and-forth, from one place to the next, and I said, 'Look, I'm not speaking for Heidi or Michael or Nina because I can't. But I can speak for me. When I'm doing 'Project Runway,' I feel as though I'm overseeing an emergency room and that anything can happen. You want me to oversee two emergency rooms? That would put both shows at risk. That cannot happen."

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Regis Philbin and Joy Philbin Talk Life After 'Live!'

Crystal Bell — 2011-11-18T12:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Celebrity Interviews

After more than 28 years hosting 'Live!,' and an astonishing 17,000 hours on live television, it's time for Regis Philbin to hang up his hat and leave what he calls, "The best job in TV."

But just because he's saying goodbye to 'Live!' with Kelly Ripa -- and Gelman -- doesn't mean that he's leaving the entertainment business for good. After five decades on live television, Regis Philbin doesn't know how to not be on TV.

"I'm still looking for something," Philbin tells AOL TV. "People think that he's retiring, but he's not," his wife, Joy Philbin, adds. "He's just moving on to something new."

We caught up with Philbin and his wife, Joy, before his big farewell on 'Live!,' to talk about life after live television, what's next and why reality TV isn't for Regis.

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Brief Thoughts on Coco's New Song 'Shoe Freak' from 'Ice Loves Coco'

Chris Harnick — 2011-06-25T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus

It was only a matter of time before Coco used 'Ice Loves Coco' to launch a new single. Thankfully, we only had to wait for episode three for this to happen.

In this Sunday's new episode (10:30PM on E!), cameras follow Coco and Ice-T as they produce Coco's new single, 'Shoe Freak.'

Now, just from listening to a wonderful minute long snippet, here's what we've gathered:

o. Coco is a shoe freak. She spends a good chunk of the preview saying designer names from Alexander McQueen to Fendi.

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The 5 Best TVR Clips of the Week: Arnold Drama, 'Real Housewives' Fights & More (VIDEO)

Alex Moaba — 2011-05-21T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, TV Replay

It was a great week for TV clips. We watched 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' come back with a bang -- and an all-out brawl -- while their 'New York' counterparts fought over designer clothing, spa getaways and thugs in cocktail dresses.

We were also entertained by the coverage of Arnold Schwarzenegger's secret love child scandal, some continued Osama bin Laden hilarity and the delicate nature of discussing penis transplants on late night TV with Chaz Bono.

Check out the videos after the jump and vote for your favorite in our weekly poll.

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Festivus: Join Us for the Feats of Strength

Jean Bentley — 2010-12-23T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus

Since we've already aired our grievances (with the help of Gillian Jacobs and Nick Offerman), we've got one component of Festivus yet to fulfill: the Feats of Strength. It's a little hard to wrestle over the internet, so instead we're going to do it the easy way -- by watching other people do it.

Below, enjoy a clip of a professional strong man performing feats of strength during an episode of 'America's Got Talent.' Hopefully it'll inspire you to do some heavy lifting at home -- or at least start crying and then tackle your dad.

So, as the the esteemed Frank Costanza might say, "Stop crying and fight your father."

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Celebrate Festivus With TV Squad!

Joel Keller — 2010-12-23T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Reality-Free, Features

Happy Festivus, everyone! If you're a television fan, you know that December 23 is the day where we gather 'round the aluminum pole, air our grievances, and perform the feats of strength. Thanks to the writers at 'Seinfeld,' Festivus has become a funny tradition for people who are either sick of the holiday folderol or just like the vision of George and Frank Costanza wrestling each other in a living room in Queens.

As has been our tradition, we at TV Squad have been celebrating Festivus for a few weeks now, culminating in the end of our 12 Days of Festivus, where we celebrated the fact that 2010 is the year of New Jersey.

Links to all of our Festivus and year-end coverage is below:

Airing of Grievances -- All Exclusives:
R.L. Stine
Nick Offerman
Gillian Jacobs

The 12 Days of Festivus:
12 Underrated Actors
11 Biggest 'Real Housewives' Feuds
10 Memorable 'Daily Show' and 'Colbert' Moments
9 Unanswered 'Glee' Questions
8 Elder Statesmen (And Women)
7 Reasons Why the 'Lost' Finale Was Satisfying/Dissapointing
6 Late-Night Talk Show Hosts: The Winners and Losers
5 Shows For the Bad Economy
4 Swell AMC Shows
3 Series Farewells: 'Lost,' '24' and 'Law & Order'
2 Dancing Divas: Kate Gosselin and Bristol Palin
1 State to Rule Them All: The Year of New Jersey

Other Year-End Stories:
Best and Worst: Mo Ryan
Best and Worst: Joel Keller
Best and Worst: TV Squad Staff
2010's Biggest TV Jerks
TV Shows Canceled or Retired in 2010
The Year in Magic on TV
The Top Commercials of 2010
2010's Short-Lived Shows

Gillian Jacobs' Airing of Grievances for Festivus 2010

Kelly Woo — 2010-12-23T11:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features, Celebrity Interviews

When 'Community' star Gillian Jacobs stopped by our office this week to dish about the show's return on Jan. 20, we also asked her to help us celebrate Festivus with her own Airing of Grievances.

Jacobs talked to us about what's ahead for 'Community,' including the start of Malcolm Jamal-Warner's stint as Shirley's ex-husband, and we'll post all those juicy details in a couple weeks.

For now, here are her top 5 grievances of 2010 ...

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Nick Offerman's Airing of Grievances for Festivus 2010

Nick Offerman — 2010-12-23T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features, Celebrity Interviews

[Editor's Note: We asked 'Parks & Recreation' star Nick Offerman to help us celebrate an integral part of Festivus -- the Airing of Grievances. Check out Offerman performing weekly feats of strength as Ron Swanson when 'Parks & Recreation' returns to NBC on Jan. 20 at 9:30PM. Without further ado, Nick Offerman's Airing of Grievances.]

10. "Slightly husky" is not considered more sexy.

9. My wife abjectly refuses to take up woodworking.

8. Steve Jobs hasn't come out with a device for smoking meats yet. Hickory or Apple wood apps!

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One State to Rule Them All in 2010: The Year of New Jersey

Joel Keller — 2010-12-23T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features

Festivus is here! On the first day of Festivus, TV gave to us ... one state to rule them all!

When we were deciding on what to put in our Festivus countdown, it was pretty obvious what we would talk about on the day itself. A theme permeated much of the television landscape in 2010, especially in the reality category, and it had to do with a part of our country that's small but densely populated, often derided but misunderstood, and where you can get a pretty damn good slice of pizza just about anytime you want.

Yes, I'm talking about New Jersey.

As a lifelong resident of the Garden State, I quickly volunteered to write about TV's Jersey obsession in 2010, mainly because my relationship with these shows mirrors how I feel about the state itself. Like the shows that depict it, New Jersey is frustrating, annoying and downright ugly at times; at others, it (and they) can be entertaining as hell. And while TV gave people a skewed version of the state this past year, at least it was fun to watch.

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The Best and Worst of TV in 2010: 'Breaking Bad,' 'Modern Family,' 'Glee' and More

Joel Keller — 2010-12-22T17:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Reality-Free, Features

During every Festivus season, we here at TV Squad reflect on what's happened during the past year in the world of the boob tube (I'll keep calling it that because "boob flat screen" doesn't flow as well).

We're in the midst of giving you our "12 Days of Festivus," my fellow Squadders have given their best and worst picks, and Mo Ryan has given what she liked and disliked this year.

So, how much more can we talk about? Plenty. 2010 was an active year in the television universe and there is plenty to talk about. As I've done in the past, I'll dispense with the usual "best show/worst show" mishegas and just make up the categories as I go along.

THE GOOD

The best season of television that almost no one saw: The heart-attack inducing third season of 'Breaking Bad.' I've already said that the season, which ended over the summer, was the best season of dramatic television in the past decade, and it seems even better than that in retrospect.

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R.L. Stine's 7 Ways to Have a Scary Christmas

R.L. Stine — 2010-12-22T15:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features

[Editor's Note: Of all the holidays, 'Goosebumps' author R.L. Stine might be most closely associated with Halloween; after all, the man is legendary for scaring kids with his spooky tales.

But did you know R.L. also tries to make his holiday season scary? That's right, not only does his 'Goosebumps' TV show give us the chills almost every Halloween, now the terror can run over into Christmas too.

We asked R.L. for the 7 ways he keeps his Christmas scary. Here's what he said ...]

7. Watch the debut of my new TV series, 'R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour' on Sat., Dec. 25 at 8PM ET on on The Hub network. It's the show's 'XMas Special.'

6. Trim the tree blindfolded. (Ouch!)

5. Use Grandma Edith's ashes as tinsel.

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Two 'Dancing' Divas: Did Kate Gosselin and Bristol Palin Ruin 'Dancing With the Stars'?

Chris Harnick — 2010-12-22T13:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the second day of Festivus, TV gave to us ... two divas 'Dancing.'

To say 'Dancing With the Stars' is a polarizing show is an understatement. The viewers who love it, well, they really love it. And the people who aren't into it? It's generally a venomous dislike. But, 'Dancing With the Stars' took a turn for the worse when they introduced two dancing divas: Kate Gosselin and Bristol Palin.

The competition series enjoyed renewed prominence when they put reality TV star Kate Gosselin and Republican maverick Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol on its two seasons of 2010, but at what cost? Sure, the series surged in ratings and became must-see TV for the following day's watercooler chat, but the series that used to be about celebrities learning to dance is now tainted.

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Goodbye to All That: A Final Farewell to '24,' 'Law & Order' and 'Lost'

Ryan McGee — 2010-12-21T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the third day of Festivus, TV gave to us ... three longtime shows that bid farewell.

2010 saw the premature end of many series. 'Terriers', 'Rubicon', 'Party Down', 'Better Off Ted' and a host of other programs went to that DVR box in the sky long before many of their fans were ready to see them go.

But three programs that helped define excellence in television over the past years also said farewell. 'Law & Order,' '24,' and 'Lost' all featured primary players named Jack (McCoy, Bauer and Shephard, respectively), but also share an indelible mark on the small screen landscape. In fact, very little was small about any of these entities.

While fans of the latter two shows knew about their respective, imminent demises, the loss of "Law & Order" after the completion of its 20th season came as a surprise to many of its fans.

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Four Swell Shows from AMC

Maureen Ryan — 2010-12-20T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Reality-Free, Stay Tuned

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the fifth day of Festivus, TV gave to us ... four dramas from one ambitious network.

Step into the wayback machine, TV fans. Remember those dark times when AMC had no original dramas on the air?

It seems as though the channel's offerings have (deservedly) occupied the media spotlight forever, but only a few years ago, AMC was best known as the place to watch old movies.

The movies are still there, but so many other things have changed. As the end of the year approaches, it's time to give thanks for AMC's offerings, which were among the year's finest.

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Five Shows for the Bad Economy

Jean Bentley — 2010-12-19T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the fifth day of Festivus, TV gave to us ... five shows for the bad economy.

Unless your name is Scrooge McDuck and you literally carry bags full of money everywhere, you've had to do some serious tightening of your purse strings recently. (Metaphorically speaking, of course, because we just established that you don't have an actual bag of cash.)

Television networks have been tapping into that collective thriftiness this year with seemingly countless shows about bargain-hunting, turning trash to treasure, and pawn shops. For some reason, there are lots and lots of shows about pawn shops. Here are five shows for the frugal viewer.

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Six Late-Night Talk Show Hosts: Winners and Losers

Gary Susman — 2010-12-18T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Reality-Free, Features

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the sixth day of Festivus, TV gave us to ... six late-night talk show hosts battling.

Hard to remember, but at this time a year ago, David Letterman was facing one of the biggest crises of his career in the wake of his sex-and-blackmail scandal, Conan O'Brien was just settling into his job at 'The Tonight Show,' Jay Leno was tanking in primetime and Jimmy Fallon was still finding his voice as a late-late-night host.

The late night landscape has changed a bit since then.

It was clear a year ago that there was trouble on the horizon, but few (save, perhaps, for Andy Richter) anticipated the earthquake to come. Most of the cataclysm occurred in January, when NBC decided to bring Leno back to 11:35, and O'Brien decided to take a golden parachute after just seven months on the job rather than follow Leno at 12:05.

The aftershocks from that event, which continue to this day, affected not just the two of them, but also Letterman, Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Craig Ferguson. (Not to mention a supporting cast of millions, including network bigwigs, obstinate local stations, and angry fans nationwide.)

Miraculously, all six night owls are still working -- though maybe not for much longer. How did the rollercoaster year shake out for each of them? Let's see ...

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The Top 10 TV Jerks of 2010: The Archie Bunker Awards

Brad Trechak — 2010-12-17T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features

Back in the glory days of television (when there was no cable), the idea of having a unlikeable person on a show was anathema to the networks.

Sure, there were silly or angry characters (Ralph Kramden comes to mind), but protagonists weren't actually mean or spiteful (except when the plot called for it and usually only for an episode). But after the breakthrough of 'All in the Family' and the character of Archie Bunker, jerks began to fill the television landscape, both on camera and behind the scenes.

This year saw quite a few of these boors. See which 10 stars earned themselves an "Archie Bunker award" as one of the biggest TV a**holes of 2010.

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7 Reasons the 'Lost' Finale Was Satisfying and Disappointing

AOL TV Staff — 2010-12-17T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Reality-Free, Features

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the seventh day of Festivus, TV gave us to ... seven ways the 'Lost' finale satisfied and seven ways it disappointed.

For some fans of 'Lost,' last May's series finale brought relief in the form of answers to longstanding mysteries and tear-inducing character moments.

But for other fans, the finale produced only disappointment.

As it had for its entire run, 'Lost' divided viewers over its finale. Did the ending provide enough of a pay-off for sticking through six seasons filled with unlucky numbers, a smoke monster, time traveling and a four-toed statue? Two of our writers take opposing viewpoints ...

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8 Elder Statesmen (and Women!) of 2010

Kim Potts — 2010-12-16T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Features

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the eighth day of Festivus, TV gave us to ... eight elder statesmen (and women) reigning.

Like fine wine and George Clooney, the TV stars on our list of elder statesmen and women -- statespeople? -- have only gotten better with age. From Tom Selleck entering his fourth decade as one of TV land's sexiest men (and best mustaches) to Betty White entering her seventh decade as one of the tube's most beloved (and energetic) funny ladies, see our picks for TV's most enduring class acts.

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Nine Unanswered 'Glee' Questions

Elena Cox — 2010-12-15T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Festivus, Reality-Free, Features

Countdown to Festivus on Dec. 23: On the ninth day of Festivus, TV gave us to ... nine unanswered questions about 'Glee.'

In just a season and a half, 'Glee' has established itself as one of the most talked-about shows on television. But with so many characters and so little time to tell their stories, there are bound to be hiccups.

The Fox hit has a penchant for leaving a whole lot of things up in the air, keeping characters two-dimensional and rushing plots. While we can't ponder all of the head-scratchers, let's take a look at these nine burning questions.

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