dreamworks

(S01E07) I'm pretty sure Fox has an intern whose sole job is to check the web every Wednesday morning to see what the bloggers and web magazines had to say about the previous night's episode.

I say this because it feels like the producers take the online criticism into account and have been making little adjustments here and there to try and make the show a little bit better.

That's the TV show, not the city.

Two writers are accusing Dreamworks of stealing ideas, plots, and scenes for the NBC show. The two writers, one a graduate of NYU and the other a writer in Hollywood, are saying that Dreamworks actually read their screenplay Fringe Players seven years ago. The screenplay was optioned by Fox after being read by Dreamworks.

(S01E06) To the producer's credit, we finally have a format for this show, and it appears we're sticking with it. We also seem to have hit upon a trend with easy on the eyes but hard on the ears host Adriana Costa.

I could be wrong, but it appears her outfit gets a little skimpier every week.

If I'm right, somewhere around week 10 Fox's ratings are going to kill in this time slot since it's likely Adriana will have her outfit whittled down to a couple of squares of toilet paper held together by some fishing line.

(S01E05) Tonight's show was a definite improvement over last weeks, but that's kind of like saying being forced fed one turd sandwich is better than being force fed two. At the end of the day, you're still eating a turd sandwich.

Never in my history of TV watching have I encountered a show so maligned by schizophrenia. The producers of On The Lot know they want to find "the next great Hollywood film director," but they have absolutely no clue what the means are to reach this end.

And what's the deal with Adriana Costa. I think one of the readers mentioned that he and a friend created a drinking game that revolved around one of them taking a shot every time she botched a line.

Sadly, I received email confirmation that the both of them died of alcohol poisoning after this evening's episode.

(S01E04) This may go down as the longest hour of TV in the history of TV. Tonight's episode was only an hour long, but it felt more like thirteen thanks to the lame effort to American Idolize the show with all the awkward pauses and the "we'll tell you right after the break" nonsense.

It probably sounds strange for a guy who practically typed a novel during yesterday's review to be criticizing the length of anything, but what else could I do? There were still 24, pardon me, 18 contestants left, and I couldn't very well not talk about someone's film. It'd be like the producers of this show completely leaving out an episode. Things like that just shouldn't happen.

Anyhow, I guess there's no real reason for me to stretch this out any more than it needs to be. I'll tell you who got cut, but we're going to have to wait...until...after...you...click..the...jump.

(S01E03) New host, new show format, and a new time slot on a new night. If I didn't recognize the judges and the directors, I wouldn't have even realized I was watching On The Lot this week.

Call me crazy, but they should have gone with this American Idol like format from the get go. After watching tonight's episode, the shows from last week feel even more disjointed from the series.

I'm afraid that the plodding, "me-too-reality-show" that was portrayed last week probably turned more people off the show than anything. It's a shame too, because this week the pace really started picking up, and we got to see what the show truly has to offer.

Namely, a great bunch of films from a great bunch of directors. Well, mostly great films from mostly great directors. Click on for a walk through of 18 one-minute comedy shorts from 18 good and not so good up-and-coming directors.

(S01E02) I find myself questioning two things about On The Lot and neither is really a negative thing about the show, which I find myself enjoying.

Foremost, what's with the bizarre airing schedule? Like I said last week, Fox really should have capitalized on the huge American Idol lead in by airing a two hour episode that really illustrated what this show is all about.

These first few episodes really seem to be focusing on the "personalities" and the conflicts they appear to be having. Specifically, the beef between Marty and Jeff and the issues Hanna and Jessica have with Kenny.

If there was ever an opportunity to break the inner quarreling so prevalent (and popular) in reality TV, this show could have been the one that did it simply by focusing on the movies.

(S01E01) I'm a reality TV junkie, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Well, almost not afraid to admit it.

If I were to compile a list of all the reality shows I've watched you'd find some real stinkers on it (*cough* Temptation Island), but I can't say I could include a single Mark Burnett produced series in the bunch.

Although On the Lot got off to slow start, I really see some potential in the show and think it's going to be another bona fide hit in the realm of Survivor and The Apprentice.

Why you ask? Because it takes all the things we like about the aforementioned shows (i.e. the competitiveness, the warring type A personalities, the bitchiness, and the everyman appeal of the contestants) and wraps it around a topic most of us have more than a passing interest in - movies.

Let's say you're Jerry Seinfeld. Yes, I know you're really not Jerry, but just pretend that you are for this little exercise. Okay, you're Jerry: you've had a successful career both as a stand-up comedian and sitcom star. Your show, Seinfeld, is still hugely popular in syndication and on DVD. The world is pretty much your oyster. So, what do you do to follow it up?

You dress as a bee for the trailer of an upcoming animated movie. All right, you lend your voice to the main character in the animated movie, but you still dress up as a bee. The film is actually DreamWorks Bee Movie, which stars Jerry as Barry Bee Benson. In the trailer Jerry, dressed in full bee attire, gets blown away by fans, washed away by hoses, and nearly killed by a large pair of windshield wipers. No, I am not in a drunken haze after too many rum punches! This is the trailer I saw in the movie theater.

Of course, courtesy of the film's website and YouTube you can see the trailer too. Also featured is Chris Rock, who is doing a favor for Jerry in exchange for Seinfeld appearing at book signing for Rock's wife. Hmm, the trailer must've been done before Rock's divorce. Anyhoo, you can view the trailer after the jump. (BTW, for a more detailed information on the Bee Movie turn to our sister site Cinematical)

Joining the ranks of Frosty, Rankin-Bass' Rudolph and Charlie Brown's lonely Christmas tree is everyone's favorite ogre Shrek.

DreamWorks Animation SKG will be producing an original half-hour holiday special for ABC. The special Shrek the Halls will feature the voices of the entire original cast - Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas.

We won't be seeing holiday-themed Shrek on the air until 2007. Why? Well, animation done right takes time, but so does building a lasting franchise. According to DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, the events of Shrek the Halls will pick up after the events of the yet-to-be-released third Shrek film.

I'm sure the Shrek special will be great, but can anyone really top a dentist elf, unhappy Yeti and misfit reindeer? Shrek is so postmodern in its sensibility that I'm sure it will be incorporating references to all the classic holiday specials anyway. It's the dawning of a hyper-referential pop culture Christmas.

Dreamworks Animation and Nickelodeon are working together to explore the possibility of creating weekly series out of two Dreamworks movies. Paul Rugg (Freakazoid!) will write a spin-off from 2005's Madagascar that focuses on penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private. Tom Martin (The Simpsons) has been brought in to write the pilot for the series version of the upcoming Kung Fu Panda.

Due out in May 2008, Kung Fu Panda is the story of Po, the panda. While he is a kung fu fanatic, his body doesn't exactly lend itself to martial arts. But then events transpire that call on Po to save the day. It's like Hero, with more fur and slapstick comedy... and pandas... starring Jack Black. How can they go wrong?

Just when I hoped thought reality television was on its way out, Steven Spielberg enters the fray. He has teamed up with reality television genius Mark Burnett. The new show for FOX is called On the Lot and it's described as a cross between American Idol and The Apprentice (huh?). Here's how it works: 16 finalists will divide into two teams. Each team has to write, direct, and edit a short film from a different genre each week. The excitement will be in all the usual frustrations that face filmmakers such as budgetary issues, creative differences, time crunch, and high-maintenance talent. Like American Idol, the show will air two nights each week. The first night will be the showings of the contestants' films and the second night will be the "box office", where someone gets booted out of the competition. The films will be judged by a panel of experts. The ultimate winner gets a studio deal with Dreamworks. Sweet!

Steven Spielberg is looking to TV again with two new shows. The first show, for FOX, will be written by Carol Leifer, a stand-up comedian who has written for SNL, Seinfeld, and The Larry Sanders Show. The project has no title at the moment. Spielberg's NBC show, titled Fix Me, will focus on a pediatrician and his young patients. Larry Wilmore, creator of The Bernie Mac Show and a writer for such shows as The PJs, In Living Color, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will be penning the series. Both shows are currently in development.