grammys

Wearing matching sparkly shades and smudged faces, Elton John and Lady Gaga kicked off the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards (Sun., 8 PM ET on CBS) with a duet.

Other highlights included a performance by Beyonce and a tribute to Michael Jackson with Celine Dion, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson and Carrie Underwood.

Watch the videos after the jump, and check out all the Grammy coverage on PopEater.

'Grammys' (Sun., 8PM, CBS)
There'll be a special tribute to Michael Jackson, but it promises to be ladies night at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, as Beyonce and Taylor Swift not only perform, but lead all nominees with 10 and eight nominations, respectively. Pink and Lady Gaga, another pair of Grammy nominees, are also among the scheduled performers, along with Green Day, Bon Jovi, Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell and the Dave Matthews Band. Meanwhile, the Jackson tribute will include a 3-D clip of the late singer performing the tune 'Earth Song,' a clip that was filmed to be a part of the UK comeback concerts he had scheduled before his death last June. Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson are among the celebs who will participate in the MJ tribute.

It's fitting that Taylor Swift talked to 'The Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS) on the set where 'The Wizard of Oz' was filmed. As she puts it, "I'm not in Nashville anymore." The pop star has won just about every music award except a Grammy, but that will likely change this Sunday, as she's nominated for eight Grammys!

"I would love to know what that felt like some day, and I'm not gonna be picky about it," she said. "I would take any of the eight. I would take one this year or ten years from now. It feels really wonderful to have eight shots at it." Swift will also be performing at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards this Sunday, Jan. 31, 8PM ET on CBS.

Watch the video after the jump.

As we head into 'American Idol' season nine, it's time to look back -- and ahead -- at all the things that make up our favorite reality show, from A to Z.

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A is for Auditions, which last for nearly six weeks until we get to the top 12 finalists of season 9. The show premieres Jan. 12, goes through auditions in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Dallas, Los Angeles and Denver until we reach the Hollywood rounds on Feb. 9 and meet the top 12 male and top 12 female semifinalists at the end of the Feb. 17 episode. And yes, that's 24 semifinalists, the way the show did it during seasons 4 through 7, unlike last year's cumbersome top 36. Check out the schedule for 'American Idol' season 9 at Inside TV.

First she did a twirly hug, then made an odd, slurry joke about a kitten, spoke at a rate of about one word per minute and seemed to have her own personal hype man ('Precious' director Lee Daniels). And what did we do while we watched Mariah Carey's acceptance speech for Breakthrough Actress at last weekend's Palm Springs Film Festival?

We winced. We cringed. Then we watched it again.

Carey's, uh, loosened speech was the first genuinely awkward moment this award show season, but there were many actors, filmmakers, and musicians before her who've heard their name called, stepped to the podium, and made things a little weird for everyone.

It's almost Christmas, and for many people, that means trying to figure out what kind of gift to get for that guy who has everything. This year, though, when noted gift consultant Andy Samberg looks into his own box, he may find something truly unexpected: a Grammy award.

Yes, that's right: the 'Saturday Night Live' star, who famously won an Emmy award for his musical collaboration with Justin Timerblake back in 2007, will have to break out his tux once again, as he and new collaborator T-Pain have been nominated for a Grammy Award for their duet 'I'm On a Boat.'

Yesterday, we wrote about Chris Brown's appearance on Larry King Live, where he tried to ameliorate his image. As Jane pointed out, Chris didn't really say very much. On the other hand, in the new People magazine, Brown has opened up and put his foot directly in his mouth. Chris Brown is ticked off with Oprah Winfrey and thinks she owes him an apology. Or so it seems.

Brown was offended that Oprah did a show last March about domestic violence, based on Brown's public assault on his lover, the singer Rihanna. The incident took place in a car after they had both been to the Grammys. Brown was found guilty, ordered to stay away from Rihanna, sentenced to five years of probation, one year of domestic violence counseling, and six months of community service.

'The 51st Annual Grammy Awards'
(Sun., 8PM, CBS)
It could be a great night for rapper Lil Wayne – who leads all Grammy nominees with eight nods (including Album of the Year).

As for viewers, the Grammys have been, in recent years, a hodgepodge of performances by great artists and some who, were maybe great, but were also largely unknown to much of the audience.

The Grammy folk apparently took criticism of those shows to heart for tonight's show, which will include tunes by superstars U2, Kid Rock (who's up for two Grammys), Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Paul McCartney (with Foo Fighter Dave Grohl on drums) and teen dreams (and Best New Artist nominees) the Jonas Brothers.

CBS has had a rocky relationship with their new evening news anchor. The move to hire her after journalist Dan Rather went down in flames like a phoenix blasted out of the sky was heralded as a new dawn without realizing that it sets just as quick.

Couric has earned some respect for her work since Sarah Palin let her stick her brain in a Newton's Cradle and knock it back and forth until her "You betchas" became her "Okie dokies". But the news broadcast is still third in the ratings war and the egg hasn't completely been washed from CBS' face.

So until Palin announces her bid to run for head of Alaska's border patrol to keep those pesky Russians at bay, CBS hopes they can keep what little momentum they have going by doing for Couric what NBC just did for Jay Leno.

The best way to recover from a Super Bowl hangover? February sweeps! This week features plenty of guest stars, premieres and the return of heavyweight 'Lost.' Here are AOL Television's top picks for what to watch this week.

Rules of Engagement (Mon., 9:30PM, CBS) series premiere
Is the sitcom dead? Not if CBS has anything to do with it. Consider this: In the battle between heavyweights '24' and 'Heroes,' the winner was none other than 'Two and a Half Men.' Clearly, the audience still wants to see sitcoms, so CBS takes another shot with 'Rules.' It takes elements of the excellent 'How I Met Your Mother (two couples, one Barney-like single guy) and mashes them up with the premise of Fox's 'Til Death' (one new, one longtime couple) to make comedy comfort food.

Gilmore Girls (Tue., 8PM, The CW)
It's started. Yep, the train to Luke-and-Lorelai-ville has left the station and going full speed ahead. First, she wrote a beautiful, heartfelt letter for his custody trial. Now, Luke's there for her and the entire Gilmore family after Richard's classroom collapse. He even runs errands for Emily! And Logan borrows a helicopter to lend Rory his support. And where's Christopher? Nowhere to be seen. Not even a phone call. Choo-choo, folks, choo-choo.

Howard Cohen of MiamiHerald.com seems to think so. In today's post he points out that several AI finalists didn't take top prize, but the show still helped catapult them to success. Jennifer Hudson's Golden Globe win last night certainly puts her on the top of the list for "Most Successful Ex-American Idol Losers," well, at least for the time being.

It's a cross-promotional party over at CBS for Grammy Week '07. In anticipation of the February 11th broadcast of the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, nominees Mary J. Blige and Nelly Furtado will be making special guest appearances on CBS shows. Blige will be playing opposite lackluster recording artist Jennifer Love Hewitt on an episode of Ghost Whisperer, and Nelly Furtado will be playing a dead hooker on CSI: NY. Oops... actually she's not playing a dead hooker. I just saw "network crime procedural" and "attractive woman" so I thought "dead hooker."

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• You could win a chance to sing with Justin Timberlake at the Grammys.
• The organizers of the Acadamy Awards are done with giving $100,000 gift baskets to the stars.
  
• More proof that prison changed Martha Stewart; her radio interview with Howard Stern.

The video's embedded after the jump below, or you can download the file directly (Quicktime required). You can also subscribe to this vodcast via our feed.

Dick Clark caused a bit of a stir earlier this year with his appearance on his New Year's Rockin' Eve show, the first time he appeared on TV after suffering a stroke in late 2004. But he's stayed off the air since. Now comes word that there will be a musical tribute to him at this year's Emmy ceremony, to be broadcast by NBC on August 27.

Barry Manilow is set to perform his version of the American Bandstand theme "Bandstand Boogie", for which he and a co-writer wrote lyrics sometime in the mid-'70s. Of course, Clark hosted and produced Bandstand for over 30 years.

Gotta tell you, the words "musical tribute" sound very final to me. I mean, yeah, Dick's still with us, but it really sounds like the music and TV industries both acknowledge that we're not going to see much of him anymore. That reminds me: anyone find a health update on Dick? We really haven't heard anything since the New Year.

[via The Futon Critic]

In case you've missed it -- perhaps you were busy shoveling out your car (it's snowing like crazy in the Northeast)  --  here are some highlights from the last week at TV Squad:



The Winter Olympics have begun!

• Anna thinks Brian Williams brought too much of the real world to the opening ceremonies.
• Day 3 coverage
• Day 2 coverage
• Local NBC cameraman blogs from Turin (or Torino, depends on your language).
• Viewers get to vote for one Olympic athlete to join The Apprentice.
• The five Olympic sports Anna thinks are worth watching.

Breaking News

• Univision put up for sale.
• Neve Campbell gets engaged.
• Al Franken moves his radio show to Minneapolis; is he running for Senate?
• Elizabeth Vargas of ABC News is pregnant.
• Franklin Cover of The Jeffersons dead at 77.
• Al Michaels traded to NBC for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
• CBS shelves Love Monkey.
• Oprah signs deal with XM Satellite Radio.
• Rob Corddry to star in a pilot for FOX.
• A Warren Buffett cartoon is in the works.
• Kelly Clarkson wins 2 Grammys, doesn't thank American Idol.
• Andrea Anders of Joey to star in new sitcom.
• Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser to join Joe Theismann in MNF booth.
• Worker on Sam Donaldson's ranch convicted of murder.
• Jon Stewart and his wife have a daughter.
• Ricky Gervais to write an episode of the American version of The Office.
• Reuven Frank of NBC News dies at 85.

Discussions

• Listen to the first TV Squad APB podcast!
• Dave Chappelle to appear on Actor's Studio.... yeah, you heard me.
• Bob and the readers discuss Oprah's extensive power.
• What channels would you pick if cable was available a la carte?
• Some odd stuff happened on The Daily Show this week.
• Are there good actors who are annoying celebrities?
• Was Teri Hatcher's Grammy gown more revealing than the one J.Lo. wore a few years ago?
• Bob wonders if the Grammys still matter.

The Five

• Forgotten Sesame Street characters.
  

Opinions

• Kim remembers The Jeffersons.
• I spotlight the work of The Office's Mindy Kaling.
• Ryan likes Stacy Keibler... a lot.
• Kim wonders if it was a good idea for Kelly Clarkson to forget about Idol during the Grammys.
• Adam feels the need to defend Maria Bamford.
• He also thinks that Idol winners being nominated for Grammys is a bad sign.
  

Episode Reviews

• Battlestar Galactica: "Sacrifice"
• The O.C.: "The Heavy Lifting"
• The Office: "Valentine's Day"
• Lost: "The Long Con"
• Veronica Mars: "Ain't No Magic Mountain Hight Enough"
• Scrubs: "My Half-Acre" / "Her Story II"
• American Idol: Boston Auditions
• 24: "1:00 PM - 2:00 PM"
• Surface: Season Finale
• Gray's Anatomy: "It's The End of the World"