jeff goldblum

If you were on Twitter last week the day Michael Jackson died, you also might have seen the rumors that Jeff Goldblum had fallen on a movie set in New Zealand and died (there was also a rumor that Harrison Ford had died but that wasn't true either). Last night Stephen Colbert broke the news to fans, only to have Goldblum show up himself to dispute the report.

The funniest part is the live news report from New Zealand about Goldblum dying. I'd love to hear the answer as to why they said the police had confirmed it! (Video also here.)

When Chris Noth left Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Jeff Goldblum was announced as his replacement, I was kind of excited. I'm a fan of Goldblum's, and he's always entertaining, whether he's a guest on a talk show or doing something decidedly strange like his guest spot on Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job!

So far, not so good. Last night's episode, which tried to weave together the stories of a washed-up celebrity chef, a hip hop mogul, and a flighty socialite, still didn't provide the punch I was hoping for. It was better than most of his episodes so far - and a good deal better than his first episode. And there are some elements I like; Goldblum's Detective Zach Nichols can't seem to keep from correcting his co-workers, seemingly with no ill will, but irritating them in the process.

Not sure why USA Network ran two new episodes of Law and Order: CI back to back last night. Since the show was delayed so much this season you would think they'd want to spread out the fresh episodes over the summer longer. But we got to see a Jeff Goldblum episode and a Vincent D'Onofrio episode on the same night so we can compare the two leading men.

-- Looking back on her career, Farrah Fawcett was a lot tougher than people think [Newsweek]

-- One critic wonders: Is 'The Philanthropist' the worst show ever? We take it he never saw 'Kath & Kim' [Miami Herald]

-- More bad news for Kate Gosselin: She's just one of Lemondrop's 12 Biggest Lady Douchebags [Lemondrop]

(more fun finds after the jump)

Yesterday we showed you a clip of Stephen Colbert's outrage at President Obama swatting a fly during an interview with CNBC. And now he has support from a big name star who, well, has experience with being a fly. (Video also here.)

So...are you a D'Onofrio (Goren) fan or a Goldblum (Nicols) fan? I'm wondering if this "Goldblum this week, D'Onofrio next week" format is irritating longtime fans, or if longtime fans like having Goldblum in the mix too. Will they ever have Goldblum investigate a case with Kathryn Erbe?

Last night was a Nichols/Wheeler episode, with the duo investigating the death of a con man's partner.

Whoa, there's a confusing headline. Is it Law and Order: CI or is it In Treatment?! It's Law and Order: CI with an episode titled "In Treatment." Damn you, confusing episode title-makers! I can't wait for a show to have an episode titled "Open Thread." This was the second Jeff Goldblum episode (he's trading off each week with Vincent D'Onofrio - I still want to see both of them investigate a case together). What did everyone think?

So, what did you think of Jeff Goldblum's first episode? Was it worth waiting through the endless delays? I thought it was ... pretty good. I wasn't thrilled with the introduction of Goldblum's OH SO QUIRKY character (the bagels at the crime scene, the disclosure that he vanished from the force for a long time, etc), but it got better as the episode went along (still haven't warmed to Julianne Nicholson, though). However, I think the Nichols character would come off better if we hadn't already had several years worth of the odd line readings and head tilts of Vincent D'Onofrio. I think if the two investigated a case together it would be way too much.

What did you think?

We told you way back in October that Law and Order: CI, which was supposed to start up again in November, had been pushed back until early 2009. Now it has been pushed back even further, to the summer.

No word on what the hold up is this time (nor was there any explanation last time). If you've forgotten the news from several months ago, Chris Noth has been replaced by Jeff Goldblum. He'll be the lead in eight of this season's episodes while veteran star Vincent D'Onofrio will star in the other eight. It's always nice to share.

I wonder how long fans will wait before they say to themselves, "oh, is that show still on?" This is frustrating, because the show had become less ripped-from-the-headlines-ish than its parent show and more interesting.

Stay tuned with TV Squad for more Law and Order: CI info. Maybe in June we'll announce that it has been delayed until the next Presidential Inauguration.

The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their latest musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:

• You guys, I cannot take Valkyrie seriously. Seriously, who thought that making a movie in 2008 about Nazis starring Tom Cruise in an eye patch was a good idea? Anyway, Cinematical reviews Valkyrie here.
  
• Don't you love year-end list time? Movies, actors and trends; Cinematical examines the hottest of 2008.
• Okay, don't freak out yet. Warner Bros. is still planning on releasing The Watchmen in March, but a judge has ruled that FOX has at least distribution rights. Read the latest on the battle for Watchmen here.
• If you have to take out classics like Psycho and the original Friday the 13th and only choose movies from 1990 to the present, what would you put as the best horror movies? Cinematical has the top 25.
• Because it's the day after Christmas, I present to you without further comment, drunk Jeff Goldblum. Happy holidays!

USA Network has been showing a lot of ads for the new Jeff Goldblum-infused season of Law and Order: Criminal Intent. The new episodes are supposed to start on November 7, but now it looks like the show has been delayed until some time next year.

This morning the network confirmed that the new season of the show won't start until 2009. They say it will be "early 2009," but then again they first said the show would come back on November 6, then November 7, and now there has been another delay. It's odd that a network would have all of these ads for a show so close to the premiere date and then pull the show for several months. USA hasn't said why they've done this.

This is too bad. Law and Order: CI isn't a show I watch regularly, but I was looking forward to Goldblum's debut as a detective. I liked Raines (one of the 27 people around the country, apparently), and I can't wait to see him be all Goldblum-y in the L&O franchise.

Hot off the news that NBC ordered sixteen new episodes of the show, Law and Order: CI has added Jeff Goldblum to the cast. And that means Chris Noth is out.

Goldblum will share lead duties with Vincent D'Onofrio on the USA Network show (new episodes air Sunday nights), and I'm not sure which actor is going to out-act the other. Both Goldblum and D'Onofrio are both well known for their rather quirky and/or intense acting styles. D'Onofrio does intense and explosive well, while Goldblum does strange and quiet well. No word on why Noth left.

OK, I'm not sure if this Late Show with David Letterman episode that airs on CBS tonight is the purest definition of the word "classic," but at least it's not from two weeks ago like most repeats are on late night shows nowadays.

Jay Leno has been showing episodes from the 1990s lately, and now Letterman has reached into the vault. Tonight's show is from December 17, 1998 and features Angelina Jolie, Jeff Goldblum, and Third Eye Blind. I'm trying to figure out what was going on in Jolie's life at the time. She wasn't with Brad Pitt of course. Was this the Billy Bob Thornton/blood vials era? Here's the rundown on the show. Dick Clark makes a cameo (with a sketch about his New Year's Eve special), as does Casey Kasem. I wonder who got top billing back then, Jolie or Goldblum?

I have to admit that I judged Jeff Goldblum's new show, Raines, before I even saw it. When I heard the plot description that was scattered about on the web several months ago, I think I actually sighed. Another show about an investigator who speaks to ghosts? Why had this become such a hot genre, like westerns or sitcoms many years ago? Did we really need another one, no matter what big name they had for the lead?

Well, I have to eat my words.

Jeff Goldblum talks to dead people. That's the basis for his new detective series, Raines, which will replace ER for two weeks starting on March 15th. NBC has posted the entire pilot on its First Look website. It's up in four, 11-minute chunks and you have to watch a promo each time for a terrible horror movie about killer ventriloquist dolls.

I spent 44 minutes watching the pilot this morning and I can say "eh". You really have to like Jeff Goldblum because there are a lot of Goldblum-isms in there (stuttering, awkward pauses). And, maybe I just watch too much television, but I figured out the "twist" at the end in one of the first scenes.

What I did like about Raines is that the "ghosts" Goldblum talks to aren't really ghosts. They're just crime victims in his imagination. So, they don't give him any clues or anything. There's also a subtle noir-style storytelling mechanism that makes the series seem old-timey, rather than high-tech like many of the crime series currently on television. Nicole Sullivan has a pretty minor role, but hopefully we'll see more of her in future episodes, if the series ever finds an audience.

[Via Pop Candy]