court
FCC Appeals Ruling That Threw Out Indecency Regulations
The Federal Communications Commission is fighting back against a July court ruling that threw out the organization's regulations against indecency on broadcast television, the Los Angeles Times reports.After celebrities like Nicole Richie, Cher and Bono swore during award shows in 2002 and 2003, the FCC ruled in 2004 that television networks can be fined for those instances when such off-the-cuff expletives are broadcast. Last month, a New York appeals court threw out the organization's rules, saying they were unenforceable because they were so "unconstitutionally vague and chilling."
But, as expected, the FCC has appealed the decision made by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Comcast served legal papers by The Tennis Channel
Get it? Tennis Channel? Served? Ha! (Sorry, no more jokes like that.)The Tennis Channel has filed a lawsuit against Comcast, saying that the cable giant discriminates against its programming. Comcast has channels like The Golf Channel and VERSUS on various tiers of their cable system but no Tennis Channel.
Balloon mom admits it was all a hoax
Well, you sort of knew that this was coming, didn't you? The mother of balloon boy, Mayumi Heene, has admitted it was a hoax. The Heenes knew that Falcon wasn't in the balloon, that he was hiding in the garage. The entire boy in the balloon fiasco was a hoax from the get-go. Her court affidavit confirms what everyone has suspected.So, this was just another desperate attempt by the family to get on television. Honestly, have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?
I say that because if these parents have even a scintilla of sense, couldn't they have projected what was going to happen when the balloon came down? Couldn't they have seen that there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
Criss Angel sued for divorce
Egad.
According to the New York Post, Criss Angel's wife, Joanne Sarantakos (Sarantakos is Angel's actual surname), is suing her husband for divorce, claiming that he kept their marriage a secret to help his career and make him more appealing to fans.
Their marriage was enough of a secret that I had no idea he was even married, though it's not as if I spend every waking moment keeping up with Angel's personal life. Still, whenever a girl was by Criss' side on Mindfreak, she was always just credited as "Criss' girl" as far as I remember.
Could OJ's book still go public?
Citing sources close to OJ Simpson, Time is reporting that certain publication rights from his book, If I Did It, Here's How it Happened, could revert back to him before next Christmas. That means the book may still see the light of day, somewhere. Several European publishers have expressed an interest in the book, a "fictional" account of how Simpson would have committed the murders he was accused of had he actually done it. If the book ever gets published, here or abroad, Simpson is welcome to use this hypothetical blurb, written in the spirit of the book, based on what I would have said had I actually read it:
Festivus Retro Squad: Miracle on 34th Street
What does it say about me that my two favorite movies of all-time - not just Christmas movies, but all movies - are It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. I only watch them during the month of December, maybe once in November, and they are both Christmas-oriented, but they are my two favorite flicks. I'll review It's A Wonderful Life a little bit later, but since AMC is running Miracle on 34th Street a lot this month (I think it's on a couple of times every day or something), let's take a closer look at this classic.Two-part interview with OJ Simpson to air on FOX
I think it would do our collective conscience good not to try and figure out why it is OJ Simpson felt it was wise to write a book titled If I Did It, Here's How It Happened. That's like trying to wrap your mind around what happened before the Big Bang: before you know it you've gazed so deeply into your navel that the universe begins to fold in on itself and suddenly you're in limbo chatting with versions of yourself from various parts of time and space. If you want to dive into that particular rabbit hole, go right ahead, but I need to preserve my mind for better things.
Case against Dog the bounty hunter halted for now
The Mexican federal government has halted their case against Duane "Dog" Chapman until more evidence and witness testimonies can be collected. Chapman, star of the popular A&E series Dog the Bounty Hunter, was arrested by Mexican authorities in 2003 after apprehending Max Factor heir Andrew Luster, who was later convicted of rape and sentenced to prison. Bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico, but after posting bail Dog headed back to the US with his son Leland and his work partner Tim Chapman on the advice of Dog's lawyer in Mexico, who told the bounty hunter it wasn't necessary to return for a scheduled court hearing. That decision came back to haunt them, however, when federal agents arrested the three men back in September. Since then, they've been awaiting an extradition hearing to determine whether they'll be sent back to Mexico to face charges. Fans of the series, as well as some members of congress, have rallied around the famed bounty hunter. Dog has been under house arrest, but a judge recently allowed his monitoring bracelet to be removed.
Stephen King hates Nancy Grace, too
Oh, and so does John Grisham!Interesting piece by the horror writer in this week's Entertainment Weekly (the one with Kate Winslet on the cover). King talks about the latest controversy involving the
"And before you accuse me of writing about news in your favorite entertainment magazine, let me assure you Nancy Grace is entertainment...if, that is, you're the sort who watches NASCAR for the crashes and Survivor hoping no one will. In the increasingly weird world of infotainment, she is the belle of the Freakers Ball...[Grace] conveys by body language alone the idea that we're all guilty of something...and she knows it."
Bravo, Mr. King. He goes on to talk about the recent case involving the disappearance of Trenton Duckett. Grace had his mother on her show and pretty much hammered her about her whereabouts that day, and Duckett wouldn't say (as King points out, her lawyer told her not to, duh). And when Grace and CNN found out that she had killed herself earlier that day did they decide to not run it? Of course not, they ran it anyway.
(The article isn't online yet, but the issue is on newsstands now.)
Update on Dog's situation
Bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman, who was arrested in 2003 on charges of illegal detention after his 2003 capture of Max Factor heir Andrew Luster that eventually led to the A&E series Dog the Bounty Hunter has been released from federal prison along with his son Leland and his partner Tim after posting bail (Dog's bail was $300,000 whereas Tim and Leland's was $100,000 each). The three have had charges pending against them for posting bail but never returning for their court date. A judge has ordered the men to wear monitoring bracelets, not to possess any firearms and to remain in Hawaii until they return to court for extradition hearings which will determine whether they'll go to trial in Mexico. If convicted, Chapman could face six months to four years in prison.
A crowd of supporters gathered at the court house, and A&E filmed the event for the next season of the TV show.
Author of unauthorized Clay Aiken bio is suing Clay Aiken
Let me get this straight. A woman in North Carolina writes a book about Clay Aiken. It's about his life. It's based on information from her neighbors, who were once friends with Clay's mom. Clay says the book is full of lies. The author decides to sue Clay because he's keeping her from making money off of him.Anyone else's head spinning?
Short-Lived Shows: Science Court
Tom Snyder Productions, the company best known for its use of the Squigglevision animation technique which resulted in such cult faves as Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist and Home Movies, also tried its hand at Saturday morning children's entertainment with Science Court, a show which dipped from the same well of humor as his other productions but with more of a kiddy slant. You know, dry and witty science humor for little kids.
Actually, it was probably the "dry and witty" part that pretty much guaranteed the show wouldn't last more than a year, since it was clearly aimed at little kids who weren't necessarily interested in the kind of cerebral humor the show would occasionally delve into. Those of us who knew Snyder's other productions, though, could at least enjoy hearing many of the same voice talents, including H. Jon Benjamin. Still, the show, which would pit lawyers against one another in a trial over scientific principles (thus, the "learning" part) managed to stick out from whatever else was on ABC Saturday morning in 1997. Unfortunately, it was one of many Saturday morning gems, like Freakazoid and The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, that never quite gained the audience it deserved.
Monk: Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty
Last night's episode of Monk marked the end of the fourth season, and all in all it was
a decent episode.
The episode begins with Stottlemeyer and Disher chasing down a federal criminal, a man on the FBI's Most Wanted List that Stottlemeyer has been tracking for over three years. Much to his disgust, the feds come in to take over the investigation.
Conviction: Denial
Is anybody else wondering where this show is
going? It's trying to balance a procedural drama, which is Dick Wolf's cup of tea, with a bunch of personal storylines,
which are usually not included in Dick Wolf shows. It seems clumsy, fragmented, and packed with too much information. I
still don't know any of the characters' names and I feel like I'm not getting any time to get to know them because the
show jumps from character to character so quickly.Robert Blake is out of money
Not surprisingly,
the former Baretta star has filed for bankruptcy. Robert Blake owes his wife's children $30 million, because,
a little over two months ago, a civil court jury found he "intentionally caused" her death. However, he was
acquitted of killing his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, by a criminal jury in March.In his bankruptcy filing, Blake lists his debts as the $30 million judgment, $1.3 million in federal taxes, and $300,000 in state taxes. Last year, he paid his attorney $250,000 in legal fees- a price tag the attorney says he put a cap on. Blake's only assets are $100,000 and $500,000. He's currently sharing an apartment in San Fernando Valley with his publicist. One of his adult daughters has adopted the 5-year-old daughter he had with Bakley.
TV Squad Hot Topics
Most Popular Articles
From Our Partners
- Summer Cookout: Recipes from Our Favorite Cooking Shows
- From Kelly to Candice: Ranking the 'American Idol' Winners
- 'The Vampire Diaries' Rankings: Who Was the Baddest Character in Season 4?
- 'American Idol': Ranking the Winners' Coronation Songs
- 'How I Met Your Mother' Promotes Cristin Milioti to Series Regular
- More From BuddyTV
- TV ratings: 'Nikita' finale rises slightly while 'Shark Tank' dominates a night of news and reruns
- 'Doctor Who' Season 7 finale: Watch Matt Smith, Jenna-Louise Coleman introduce 'Name of the Doctor' and the prequel episode
- 'The Greatest Event in Television History': Adam Scott and Amy Poehler to recreate 'Hart to Hart'
- Kelly Rowland planned as 'The X Factor' judge for Season 3
- 'Nashville' season finale photos: Brad Paisley and a funeral in 'I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive'
- More From Zap2it
- What to Watch This Weekend: The Doctor Is Out, Ben Affleck on SNL, Simpsons Finale and More
- Exclusive First Look: The Goodwin Games Cast Takes Part in a Violent Beatdown!
- TVLine's Performer of the Week: Nikita's Maggie Q
- Exclusive First Look: AMC's New Showville Puts Spotlight on Townie Talent
- Mike & Molly Creator Steps Down as Showrunner
- More From TVLine
