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Could 'The Office' Survive Without Steve Carell?

Joel Keller — 2010-04-28T15:27:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Watercooler Talk, The Office, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Leave it to the Brits to ask the questions we here in the States just won't ask. Despite all the interviews Steve Carell and Tina Fey did before the premiere of the movie 'Date Night,' not one interviewer that I saw here in the US thought to ask Carell how much longer he was going to play Michael Scott on 'The Office.'

However, OfficeTally.com says that someone from the BBC thought enough to ask, and got a surprising response: Carell said he thinks he's done with the show after his contract is up at the end of the seventh season. It could be a negotiating ploy, but it might be a sincere wish on Carell's part to do something else.

Could 'The Office' go on without Carell? Maybe. Though I'm not sure I'd want it to.

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Is VH1 Actually Getting Classy?

Joel Keller — 2010-04-19T20:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Watercooler Talk, Features

It takes a big network to admit that it's been bad. And when VH1 decided to blow up most of its schedule and announce 44 new shows earlier today, that's exactly what they did.

Pretty much all the shows that have been part of the VH1 lineup over the last few years -- shows like 'Flavor of Love,' 'Rock of Love,' 'Tool Academy' and other high art -- are going to fade away in favor of more documentary-style shows. And, shocker of all shocks, music is coming back, with more music-video-centric shows and the revival of 'Behind The Music.'

Even the network's president, Tom Calderone, seems to think that its high time for the network to ditch its recent tawdry past. "(O)ur audience was getting a little fatigued by all those manufactured reality shows," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "They want more authenticity in their reality, which isn't to say that it can't be comedic and light."

But is fatigue the real reason why VH1 is classing it up? And are they really classing things up at all? A closer examination makes both answers a little less obvious.

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Four Reasons Why Conan Will Thrive On TBS

Joel Keller — 2010-04-13T14:37:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, OpEd, Watercooler Talk, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features

It goes without saying that when Conan O'Brien announced that he had signed with TBS to do a new late night show, mostly everyone who follows these things was shocked. TBS? Didn't they already have George Lopez at 11PM? What happened to Fox, FX and Comedy Central? Is anyone even going to see Conan on cable?

But it didn't take long to realize that going to TBS was the right move for Conan, especially after some of the details of the deal were revealed. In fact, the longer you look at it, the better the deal looks, for these four reasons.

1. Conan will own the show. This is a big one. TBS had no problem letting Conan own his show and just paying him a licensing fee to air it. Fox was never going to allow him to do that. And control was a big deal to Conan, according to The Daily Beast's Peter Lauria, especially after everything he went through with NBC and 'The Tonight Show.'

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Will 'Chuck's' Last Six Eps Be As Good As the First Thirteen?

Joel Keller — 2010-04-06T17:31:00+00:00

Filed under: OpEd, Watercooler Talk, Chuck, Reality-Free, Features

Most 'Chuck' fans know that last night's episode, 'Chuck Versus The Other Guy,' was originally designed to be the third season finale. That was, of course, before NBC surprised Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak with an order for six more episodes, bringing the total to 19.

Don't get me wrong; 'Chuck Versus The Other Guy' was one of my favorite episodes this season. So many stories advanced and got tied together, it made for a very satisfying hour.

But that's because the stories were supposed to be wrapped up. For all Fedak and Schwartz knew, this was going to be the last episode they ever did. So, did things wrap up a little too neatly last night, leaving the last six episodes as some sort of long, energy-free epilogue? I'm not sure.

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What You Missed Last Night: 'Lost' Secrets, Dunking Ninjas, Horse Singers & Starbucks

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-31T16:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Jimmy Kimmel does one of the best late night monologues. Where Letterman just has a handful of jokes to get him through to the rest of the show and Leno bombards us with 37,000 jokes (and both are fine), Kimmel does it differently. His monologue is almost like a blog, filled with clips from other TV shows, sketches, YouTube finds, etc. Last night's was a good example, as Kimmel covered everything from last night's episode of 'Lost' to guns being allowed at Starbucks to Shannen Doherty's refusal to do his show last night after getting booted off 'Dancing with the Stars.'

[Watch episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and other shows at SlashControl.]

What You Missed Last Night: Brian Williams Slow Jams the News

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-30T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

If Brian Williams isn't careful, he might be known as a funny comic who also does the news instead of the other way around. Last night he popped up again on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' to help Fallon slow jam the news. Williams can keep a straight face but Fallon can't.

[Watch episodes of 'Late Night' and other shows at SlashControl.]

What You Missed Last Night: Harry Smith's Top Ten List

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-23T13:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

If you missed the big, um, event last week, Harry Smith had a colonoscopy live on 'The CBS Early Show.' So of course David Letterman had to have him come on last night and do the Top Ten List for the "Top Ten Things Going Through Harry Smith's Mind During His Televised Colonoscopy."

What You Missed Last Night: Kimmel on Letterman Talking About Leno

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-17T11:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

'Jimmy Kimmel Live' is in reruns this week and that means that Kimmel is free to go on some East Coast talk shows. Last night he was on 'The Late Show' and talked about the whole Leno/Conan/NBC fiasco and his part in all of it. It seems to me that Letterman just enjoyed the whole thing, not in a mean spirited way but just the way that he says here, because it reminded him of old times at comedy clubs.

Letterman Presents the Top Ten Signs You Spend Too Much Time on Twitter

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-16T13:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Are you on Twitter? Why not? How else will friends, family, and strangers know what you're doing every minute of the day and where you are? (I say this as someone who is on Twitter all day long.) Last night David Letterman presented the "Top Ten Signs You Spend Too Much Time on Twitter." Numbers three and seven are my favorites.

Oh, and here's the answer to number six.

What You Missed Last Night: Crumbums and Fatcats on 'The Daily Show'

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-16T11:34:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, The Daily Show, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Jon Stewart goes after both political parties in this clip from last night's episode of 'The Daily Show': Nancy Pelosi, Eric Massa, John Boehner, and several others get some ribbing from Stewart. Then it turns into a discussion of how Washington politics is just like professional wrestling and ends with Stewart on top of his desk pleading for his life.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Crumbums & Fatcats

www.thedailyshow.com

What You Missed Last Night: Groping Along with Jon Stewart

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-11T13:24:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

I don't care about the politics of this clip, I just think the whole thing about the shower and the birthday party and all that is pretty damn odd and funny. Last night on 'The Daily Show,' Jon Stewart talked about the resignation of Congressman Eric Massa and his appearance on Glenn's Beck's show. It involves tickling.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Sour Gropes

www.thedailyshow.com

Chelsea Handler Bloodies Jimmy Fallon in Martini-Drenched Studio Race

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-10T17:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

I don't think anyone should try to best Chelsea Handler when it comes to anything alcohol-related. Last night Handler and Jimmy Fallon raced around Fallon's studio holding martinis and it didn't end well. Actually, Fallon could have been seriously injured if he had whacked his head on the floor. Still, he did indeed bleed.

[via TV Tattle]

What You Missed Last Night: Michael Emerson Reveals a 'Lost' Secret to Kimmel

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-10T12:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Lost, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

I thought last night's episode of 'Lost' was one of the best ever: exciting, unpredictable, with several developments that moves the story along and it even had a cliffhanger. Michael Emerson deserves an Emmy for this episode alone. He also showed up on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' to reveal, um, something. (Here's the YouTube version if you can't see what's below.)

[Watch episodes of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and other shows at SlashControl.]

What You Missed Last Night: Kimmel and the "Best Actor in Real Life"

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-08T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

'Jimmy Kimmel Live' has a post-Oscars live show every year and last night he had a variety of guests, including Christoph Waltz, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Matt Damon, John Krasinksi, Ted Danson, Rob Lowe, Keith Urban, Sting, Matthew McConaughey, and many others. He also showed one award they didn't show on the Oscars, the one for "Best Actor in Real Life." I think the right guy won.

[Watch episodes of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and other shows at SlashControl.]

What You Missed Last Night: Jon Stewart Surfs Chatroulette!

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-05T15:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, The Daily Show, Watercooler Talk, Reality-Free, Features

Whenever there's a new web site that's getting a lot of attention, you can bet that every single news show, opinion show, and morning show will be "on the case" to find out what the "kids" are "obsessed" with now. The latest is Chatroulette (we even talked about it on a recent podcast), and last night Jon Stewart surfed the site on 'The Daily Show.'

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Tech-Talch - Chatroulette

www.thedailyshow.com

Any Thoughts on Last Night's 'Nip/Tuck' Series Finale?

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-04T13:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Nip/Tuck, Watercooler Talk, Reality-Free, Features

'Nip/Tuck' is a drama that started with a bang but ended with a whimper. It still had its fans but only the most die-hard. People I know who watched it the first few seasons say they got away from it when it started to get crazier and crazier. We used to review it here but when Jonathan left a few weeks ago, we realized that none of the other Squadders watch it, so we dropped it.

But did you watch the series finale (the show's 100th episode) last night? Three words: Japanese senior porn.

What You Missed Last Night: Sarah Palin, Stand-Up Comic

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-03T10:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

You won't see Sarah Palin on 'The Late Show' anytime soon, but things are friendlier over at 'The Tonight Show' so she was a guest last night. Not only did she talk to Jay about politics, her hand notes, and how the press treats both of them, she did a stand-up routine.

She did a good job, though it would have been funnier if we didn't know she was the one coming out. Way to kill the joke, Jay.

[Watch episodes of 'The Tonight Show' and other shows at SlashControl.]

What You Missed Last Night: Jon Stewart on Rick Sanchez

Bob Sassone — 2010-03-02T14:37:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, The Daily Show, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Features, TV News

Yesterday we showed you Rick Sanchez's, um, "excitable" coverage of the Chile earthquake on Saturday. Last night, Jon Stewart talked about it too. The clip below ends perfectly, by showing footage of another classic Rick Sanchez "report," the time he got tasered by police.

For the record, Sanchez talked about the way he acted on his show yesterday. His apology/explanation was just as clueless as his reporting on Saturday.

[Watch 'The Daily Show' and other shows at SlashControl.]

'Idol's' Simon Cowell Talks About Ellen, Paula, and Who He Wants to Replace Him

Kona Gallagher — 2010-02-19T14:03:00+00:00

Filed under: American Idol, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Judges, News and Gossip, Features, TV News

'American Idol's' cantankerous judge, Simon Cowell, spoke to reporters last night, and he touched on everything from whether or not there's a feud between him and Ellen, how he feels about Paula's departure, and who he thinks should replace him on 'Idol' next season (Hint: not Howard Stern).

Ever since Ellen DeGeneres joined the show during Hollywood week, there have been rumblings that the pair hasn't exactly been getting along. While Simon denies any sort of feud, if you read between the lines, it's clear that they won't be having slumber parties and painting each other's toenails any time soon. Cowell told reporters, "I wouldn't say that we didn't get on well. I don't know Ellen that well. It was a difficult position for her, because she started work on the Hollywood week, which is a quite difficult show to do."

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One of the 'Idol' 24 Has Been Ousted for Lying

Kona Gallagher — 2010-02-19T10:11:00+00:00

Filed under: American Idol, Watercooler Talk, Contestants, News and Gossip, Features

Some of you may have noticed that there was a little bit of a change in the Top 24 during the Wednesday episode of 'American Idol.' Chris Golightly, who originally auditioned in Los Angeles, made it to the Top 24, and was shown in a group shot toward the end of the episode, but when we had individual shots of the 24 semi-finalists at the very end, he was missing. So what's the story? Turns out, Golightly was less than honest with 'Idol' producers.

After nine seasons, viewers and contestants alike have (or should have) learned one thing: be upfront with 'Idol' producers. Season One contestant Nikki McKibbin was upfront about her stripper past, and was allowed to stay on the show. Frenchie Davis, however, failed to disclose that she posed topless on the web, and was ousted. Golightly's infraction was that he failed to tell producers that he had a record contract.

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