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AOL to stream ABC programs on the web
ABC and this blog's parent company AOL have reached an agreement to stream ABC programming online. You can already watch a number of TV shows directly from ABC's website, but today's announcement brings us one step closer to being able to watch any program from any network without opening up 20 different web pages.Although ABC's latest deal is with AOL, the announcement is part of a growing trend. When the networks began streaming TV shows online, the goal was to get people to visit a network website. Now we're seeing more networks teaming up to make content available on sites like MySpace, AOL, and Yahoo!.
Hulu is NBC and News Corp's answer to YouTube
NBC and News Corp have announced a name for their YouTube competitor. Hulu doesn't seem to stand for much of anything, but it's "short, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and rhymes with itself." Since hulu is positioned as an alternative to YouTube, I suppose they're tied with YouTube for syllables, and have a slight edge in the number of letters. As for content, right now, there's nothing. Hulu is accepting e-mail addresses from anyone interested in signing up for a private beta, which will launch in October.
2007 Emmy Nominations: Liveblog

9:16am: Head on over to AOL for more coverage, photos, and a complete list of all the nominees.
9:15am: I learned two things doing this liveblog. One, the internet can act funny sometimes, and two, I really did need that caffeine.
9:10am: Fans of Lost, Dexter, and Friday Night Lights probably aren't happy this morning.
9:06am: Interesting that Felicity Huffman was nominated, but no one else from Desperate Housewives was, and the show was overlooked.
9:04am: Yes, I'm surprised that Studio 60 didn't at least get some nod, you know?
8:59am: Notes...24 wasn't nominated, though I guess that didn't surprise too many people.
8:48am: Best Comedy: Entourage, The Office, 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men, Ugly Betty
8:47am: Lead Actress, Comedy: America Ferrera, Tina Fey, Felicity Huffman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mary Louise Parker.
8:46am: Lead Actor, Comedy: Alec Baldwin, Steve Carell, Ricky Gervais, Tony Shalhoub, Charlie Sheen
8:45am: Best Reality Show: Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, Top Chef.
8:44am: Lead Actress, Drama: Minnie Driver, Edie Falco, Sally Field, Kyra Sedgwick, Mariska Hargitay, Patricia Arquette (six nominees this year? Interesting...)
8:43am: Lead Actor, Drama: James Gandolfini, Denis Leary, James Spader, Kiefer Sutherland, Hugh Laurie
8:42am: Best Drama: Heroes, House, Boston Legal (is this a comedy or drama?), Grey's Anatomy, The Sopranos
What was the best and worst of television last season?
AOL recently conducted a poll of readers to find out what they thought was the best and worst of television last season. More than 3 million votes were counted! They had to answer 20 questions about their favorite dramas, comedies, reality shows, and Sanjaya hairstyles. I don't necessarily agree with all the results, but that's okay. It's still interesting to see what got people excited last season.Here are just a few of the results, to see the full list, click here:
Best Drama: House
Best Comedy: Ugly Betty
Best Reality: American Idol
Best Cliffhanger: Lost
Best Villain: Ben, from Lost
Heroes Power You Wish You Had: Time Travel
Who are your favorite guest stars on The Simpsons, and what's your favorite episode?
Since the very first season, The Simpsons have had numerous guest stars. Some have only appeared once, while others have returned again and again. Now, with the eighteenth season recently wrapped up and no end in sight, The Simpsons have had roughly twelve billion guest stars. That number might not be accurate, but I think it's close.
I mention this because our friends at AOL (which owns TV Squad), want to know who your favorite Simpsons guest stars are. If your brain needs a bit of prodding, you can check out this list I made a year ago, but I think my fellow Simpsons fans should be able to come up with a list of actors just fine on their own.
Oh yeah, and AOL also wants to know what your favorite episode of all time is, so be sure to mention that, too.
So, start filling up the comments, folks. The most popular choices will be featured on AOL TV sometime in the near future. We'll keep you posted.
NBC and News Corp add more channels to new online video service
We've been telling you about NBC Universal and News Corp's new YouTube-esque video service for awhile now, and today The Hollywood Reporter has news that the service has added the following channels to its lineup:
- Fuel TV
- Sundance Channel
- Oxygen
- Speed
CBS to syndicate more content on the Web
Reports are coming out that CBS has plans to syndicate much of its content through such Web portals as AOL (which owns TV Squad), Facebook, Last.fm and Joost.
Currently, CBS does offer some full episodes on its innertube site, and it also has a YouTube channel featuring short clips from various series. This new venture would allow folks on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to embed the episodes on their profiles, and to even "personalize" the videos (though don't ask me what that means, exactly).
The new content will begin to appear on the aforementioned sites sometime this week. Personally, I'm happy to see more networks offering full episodes, and offering them through more than one venue. The YouTube clips are nice, but I think what viewers are clamoring for is a chance to see their favorite shows anytime they want. It would seem the networks are starting to figure this out.
CNET joins NBC and News Corp's new online video venture
You've all heard about the upcoming video-sharing site from NBC and News Corp. Well, now CNET has joined the venture and will be providing content for the new site. CNET, which also owns GameSpot.com and TV.com, will provide "thousands of clips" to the new service and also serve as a distributor. NBC and News Corp already have distribution deals with Yahoo, MySpace, MSN, Comcast and AOL (which owns TV Squad).
The site launches this summer with full TV episodes and more from close to twenty television networks and two movie studios.
I'm always in favor of more ways to view television programs, so I'm anxious to see how this new site turns out. I just hope they allow user comments like YouTube does, because if I can't read a comment from CyberMonkey56 in Sheboygan telling me "thjs showes is sucks!" it's just not worth my time.
Networks take advantage of MySpace's popularity
We've know for awhile now that FOX and NBC had plans to stream full-episodes via a new venture that was being dubbed a "YouTube killer." Recently it was announced that some of content would be streamed through comcast.net and fancast.com, and other "distribution sites" including AOL (which owns TV Squad), MSN and Yahoo.
Heather Mills faked it
Are you going to sit there and tell me that you've been watching Dancing with the Stars just for the dancing and expect me to believe it? It seems like the entire country is waiting for Heather Mills' leg to come flying off into the audience. It seems like that day is almost upon us. If that day ever comes, it won't be an accident, but a calculated, manipulated piece of choreography. Mills' performance last night serves as a taste of things to come.
Mills danced an almost perfect number and, for some reason, felt the need to stage a mistake and choreograph a fall. Her partner also choreographed a caring response to her fall. I would have an easier time believing this blunder if she looked genuinely mortified.
In other TV celebrity body part news, Regis Philbin is recovering after his bypass. He called into Live! With Regis and Kelly yesterday and admitted some interesting things about his love life.
SNL beats a dead Imus
There is nothing like watching Barbara Walters doing squats to completely destroy my bacon, egg and cheese breakfast this morning. The women of The View have stopped working out their sharp tongues and turned their show into a Jane Fonda workout. Elisabeth is so into it, she even slaps her butt gratuitously.
However, watching Rosie O'Donnell do a set of squats is not the only television moment preventing me from enjoying breakfast this morning. If you watched Saturday Night Live this weekend, you might know what I'm talking about.
Oprah weighs in on Imusgate
Don Imus' career on television is done, but television is not done with Don Imus. Yesterday, the women of TV talk weighed in on the "Imusgate" fiasco.
On the heels of a recent interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show, Al Sharpton decided yesterday to make an encore presentation of his opinions with Meredith Vieira. This visit was more targeted at addressing the racist/chauvinist double standards in the music industry. Hmm, no wonder Lauer didn't score this interview -- it was worthless. I'm scratching my head. Where is the logical nexus between Don Imus and rappers?
In a somewhat predictable move, Oprah Winfrey sat down with the Rutgers woman's basketball team and discussed the situation in grand Oprah style.
CBS shows coming to MSN, AOL and Joost
The Wall Street Journal and Reuters are reporting that CBS is ready to announce deals to distribute several television programs through internet video portals.The announcement could come as soon as today, and will include distribution deals for television programs including Evening News with Katie Couric, CSI, and sports programs. While this is good news for MSN and AOL, the company with the most to gain might be Joost, which still suffers from a general lack of decent programming.
Apolo Ohno, you are a salesman
Does anyone agree that Apolo Ohno was dressed like a salesman on Dancing With the Stars? It was appropriate attire for him, since he was trying to sell his waltz last night. There was at least one happy customer: Judge Carrie Ann Inaba gushed about Apolo's transition from sloppy to sophisticated. Am I the only one that didn't buy it? Where is this chemistry everyone was talking about? His partner Julianne is a charismatic dancer, but together, they reminded me more of the captain of the chess team being paired with the homecoming queen for a high school performance. In a more serious moment, the second season of Run's House premiered last night ...
Julia Louis-Dreyfus "devastated" by Michael Richards incident
Our corporate siblings at AOL have a fun interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus posted to their "TV Tattler" site. My colleague Geoff Bennett asks her some questions about her Emmy win for Old Christine -- she took the statuette to work the next day and placed it on the craft services table -- casting Blair Underwood as a love interest, and what it's like to play a working mother while being one herself.But the question that got my attention was when Geoff asked Julia about her reaction to the Michael Richards incident. While she wouldn't condemn her friend and Seinfeld co-star, Julia was pretty truthful about how she felt at the time it happened: "At first I thought someone was kidding. I couldn't believe it. The whole thing was just so profoundly sad and heart-breaking. I was just really devastated by it."
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