Penthouse 10

OWN it

 

So PEOPLE is reporting that the big kahuna, Oprah Winfrey, is set to launch her very own cable network, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), in 2009.  Discovery Communications and Oprah will each own 50% of the network.

i'm the kind of G the little homies wanna be like

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting rapper Coolio, known for the 1995-hit "Gangsta's Paradise," will star in a reality series for the women's cable network Oxygen. 

The show will follow the rapper as he tries to balance his work life with his role as a single parent to six teenagers.

The series, titled "Coolio & the Gang," has been ordered for six half-hour episodes.

[Read the full article at the Hollywood Reporter here.]

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starting to feel like it's time for us to party like it's 1999 again.  Coolio's back in the media.  The Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls have reunited, and Britney Spears just released another album.  Now, give me a sec as I decorate my cubicle a la middle school locker style.

Kevorkian Coming to HBO

I know their slogan is its not TV its HBO, but this one is going to be quite interesting to say the least. There have been many interviews and news stories on the Doctor of Death, the infamous "60 minutes" interview  with Mike Wallace, and televised suicide which gave prosecutors all they needed to land Krikorian a prison sentence. Now after an 8 year prison term Krikorian is cooperating with HBO films to do a movie about his controversial practices.
This should keep my subscription going to HBO!
To read more, click here

May the force be with my Tivo!

LA Times is reporting that Lucas is starting work on a live-action TV series 'rooted' in the Star Wars universe!
Yes, I am a Star Wars geek, no I don't go to conferences, no I didn't stand in line for episodes I, II, III, but a huge fan nonetheless. Even though Lucas is quoted as saying 'It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader,' its still exciting!
Read more

Frontline

If you didn't catch Cheney’s Law on Frontline last night, watch it on-line. Frontline as usual,  told a very compelling story about the vice-president.
Watch on-line!
Click here

'Conan The Funny' Coming to LA!

Conan O' Brian is going to be making his highly anticipated move to Los Angeles! May I be the first to say Welcome Conan!

Nothing fake about 'Daily Show' in Iraq - Team reports from Iraq USO tour

Fake-news program The Daily Show With Jon Stewart is taking a page from serious news organizations this week with on-the-scene reports from the war zone in Iraq…

Read more on HollywoodReporter.com.

Cable embraces what the film industry pushes away: 40 is the new 30

At first glance, they have little in common: the legal eagle, the hell raiser and the head shrinker. But look again and you'll find a surprising number of ties binding the lead characters of three recently debuted TV dramas: "Damages," "Saving Grace" and "State of Mind."

But look again and you'll find a surprising number of ties binding the lead characters of three recently debuted TV dramas: "Damages," "Saving Grace" and "State of Mind." "I guess one thing I'm seeing that's happening is, it feels like some of the obstacles that have presented themselves with film, in terms of financing and so on, are not there with TV," said Taylor, who plays a Connecticut psychotherapist with her own share of personal problems in Lifetime's "State of Mind."

"I'm finding," she added, "that filmmaker friends who are having trouble getting their films made are turning to TV."

More and more, too, they're turning to the cable side.

Turn to the CNN side to read more...HERE

Not Likely to Be Shown In Movie Theatres

Paul Reubens returns, again.

He and his perennially adolescent alter ego Pee-wee Herman vanished from public view a while back. Legal troubles, you'll recall.

But, Pee-wee re-emerged this month for the first time in 15 years, making a surprise appearance at Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards. And Reubens began his latest resurgence last summer with a stint of TV guest-star and film roles that have drawn kudos from critics.

"I feel like I'm on my third or fourth comeback at least," says Reubens, whose close-cropped haircut and twinkling eyes belie his 54 years.

Read more about Reuben's rebirth, here

Desperate Times...NBC to get a boob job

No, I will not get my mind out of the gutter — it was never there to begin with, PopWatchers. The above headline is a reference to the Colombian telenovela Sin tetas no hay paraiso (or, Without Breasts There Is No Paradise), the rights to which new NBC chief Ben Silverman purchased last week. (Way to put the 'bra' in 'brash,' dood!)

Anyhow, while the show's plotline sounds like an exercise in deliciously trashy camp — an impoverished woman becomes a prostitute and gets involved with a narcotics dealer in her quest to save enough money for breast augmentation — should we really leave it to network brass (look, another 'bra' word!) to cast what could wind up being the next great serialized drama? Of course not! That's why it's up to all of us to start the brainstorming process.

To help brainstorm casting, check out Entertainment Weekly

The Ice Is Thawing in Hell's Kitchen

This afternoon, the chef once dubiously featured on the TV show Britain's Unbearable Bosses isn't quite living up to his title. Gordon Ramsay — who's notorious for demoralizing his kitchen staff and was even arrested in 1999 for allegedly beating up his pastry chef (the charges were dropped) — briskly strides onto the L.A. set of his Fox series Hell's Kitchen (Mondays at 9 p.m.) as if he were a cheery Londoner on holiday. While servers and assistants scurry about the soundstage, anxiously prepping for tonight's taping of the reality cooking show, Ramsay calmly sips a mug of hot, milky tea and enthusiastically holds forth on such topics as restaurants in L.A., Napa Valley wines, and California sunshine. ''Malibu is like Aix-en-Provence,'' the well-tanned, 40-year-old Scot gushes. ''Next year I'm going to bring the kids over and get a tutor. I love it.''

The read more on Ramsay's change, click here!

Don't Mess With The Mouse

Starring on one of TV's hottest series is an actor's dream, and Isaiah Washington fought hard to keep his role as Dr. Preston Burke on "Grey's Anatomy." But after twice using an anti-gay slur, Washington was doomed to lose the biggest role of his career because of timing, a track record of volatile behavior and pressure within the industry.

While series creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes wept when she got on the phone last Thursday to tell Washington he was out, the decision was a coolly calculated move by Rhimes' bosses at the network and ABC Television Studios. His "pattern of behavior" represented a potential liability that was too much risk for the Walt Disney Co.-owned companies, a source close to the production said. The source was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more about the drama that just refuses to go away, here

Happy Bidding

Own a piece of TV history!
You can get Bob Barkers Microphone, from the Price is Right.

 

The auction ends Jun-15-07 18:43:39 PDT
The price is at $19,205.00 right now and there are three more days to go!!
Proceeds go to benefit United Activists for Animal Rights.
Take a look!
EBAY

A Living Legend Steps Down

...Blowing kisses to the camera, Bob Barker signed off on 35 years on "The Price Is Right" and 50 years in daytime TV in the same low-key, genial fashion that made him one of daytime TV's biggest stars.

Barker, who had said before the taping on Wednesday of his final appearance that he would try to act as if it was "just another show," stuck to that promise. He ended the program as he always has, signing off with the words: "Help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered. Goodbye everybody."...

For more on this legendary host, click here

The Sanjaya effect: Fans now run the show

OKAY, "JERICHO" fans. You just demonstrated your great power. But are you ready for the great responsibility that comes with it?

Late yesterday, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler posted a message on the CBS.com message board an nouncing she had ordered an ab breviated seven-episode second season of the canceled post-apocalyptic Midwestern drama. The decision came only after CBS' offices were deluged with phone calls, e-mails, and tons and tons of nuts. This last was in reference to a character in the season finale saying "Nuts!" to an offer to surrender, which was in turn a reference to Gen. Anthony McAuliffe's response to a similar demand from the Germans at the Battle of the Bulge. (At the end of her message, Tassler asked, "Please stop sending us nuts.")

Read more on studios getting pushed around here

Score one for Obscene Language on TV

Wherever Bono is today (Preparing to tout his fight against AIDS and third-world debt on Wednesday's Nightline? Getting started on the new U2 album? Polishing up a tune for that Spider-Man musical?), I bet he's smiling. I certainly know I'm wearing a broad grin after reading this morning that a federal appeals panel has struck down the Federal Communications Commission's policy of punishing television networks when they broadcast "fleeting expletives" — a policy which began after NBC showed Bono (pictured) using the phrase "f---ing brilliant" onstage at the 2003 Golden Globes. (NBC wasn't fined for that incident, since it predated the new rule, but laws passed two years ago by Congress meant that the commission could smack networks with a massive $325,000 penalty for each use of an "indecent" word.) The judges found that the FCC had "fail[ed] to provide a reasoned analysis justifying" this harsh new stance, adding that they "question whether the FCC's indecency test can survive First Amendment scrutiny." For me, at least, this amounts to stating the staggeringly obvious; the FCC's constitutional authority to censor artists' expression based on its own arbitrary notions of "decency" is highly dubious at best...

For more on this story, continue here

Stacking the Comedy Pilots: A Pilot Preview

Following yesterday's discussion of my personal favorites from the current crop of drama pilots up for consideration for the 2007-08 season, I'm today turning my attention to this year's comedy pilots.

I do have to say that things are looking pretty grim for comedies this year. Sure, the TV landscape is surprisingly lush at the moment with quality comedies like The Office and 30 Rock, but this year's comedy pilot scripts were, at best, sub-par. Which isn't to say that there weren't a few gems glistening among the wreckage (Area 57, pictured, wasn't one of them). So which comedy pilot scripts did I like best? Let's find out...

Continue reading more, here!

Stacking the Drama Pilots: A Pilot Preview

With the network upfronts scheduled for next week (I cannot wait!), I thought I'd take a look at this year's current crop of pilots, some of which will blossom into full grown series next week. I can honestly say that I have now read every single drama and comedy pilot at every single broadcast and cable network that is up for consideration for the 2007-08 schedule. (It's a demanding job but somebody has to do it.)

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, every single one. From Cashmere Mafia to Marlowe, The Return of Jezebel James to I'm in Hell (a fitting title), no pilot is beneath this Televisionary's piercing gaze. So which drama pilots did I like and what new series do I hope will make it onto their respective networks' schedules? Sit back and find out...

Read more on the upcoming drama contenders here!

What makes a TV hit? 'A guessing game'

San Francisco lawyer Eli Stone believes he may be a prophet. But not even he can predict if he'll be around come September.

"Eli Stone," a "Field of Dreams"-type drama about a man compelled to a higher calling after having visions, is one of 31 new shows up for consideration at ABC, the once-struggling network

Executive producer Greg Berlanti hopes to find out this week if "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money," a legal soap opera he also produced for ABC, will be on the network's fall schedule. But the word could be dragged out until next week, even up to just hours before ABC and the other four broadcast networks unveil their new lineups to advertisers in showy presentations called "upfronts."

Berlanti readily presumes failure. After all, it's the likelihood in television...

Read the rest of this compelling article here!

Are You Into Weeds?

Some of the events of our upcoming LATV Fest (July 25-27) are shaping up. One exciting event is the screening/panel on Thursday evening, July 26 at 8:00 PM in the Silver Screen Theater at the Pacific Design Center. The screening is the cliff hanger episode from season 2 of Weeds, and followed by a panel discussion with the show’s creator and producers.

Bottom Line: A new documentary on Marlon Brando that often gives a dazzling performance.

Part 2: 5-6:30, 8-9:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 2 on TCM

There always is room for more Marlon Brando, particularly a documentary that dives head first into his psyche and comes up with original material and more than a new thought or two on the actor...

Read more on HollywoodReporter.com.

Still a D-Lister?

Good news to the fans of Bravo's Kathy Griffin: My Life on the d-List. Season 3 of the hit show premieres on Tuesday, June 5th, preceded by her new comedy special Kathy Griffin: Everybody Can Suck It.

The question is: Is Kathy Griffin STILL on the d-List? Should she not have moved up a letter and become a C-Lister? I think so.

No Need to Adjust The TV Set

Now in theaters is Jake Kasdan's movie The TV Set, which last year had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film chronicles the story of one (out of many) sitcom pilots in a season from its casting sessions for the leads through its pilot production, to…, The Wexler Chronicles, written by Mike Klein (David Duchovny) gets altered by network president Lenny’s (Sigourney Weaver) suggestions (based on market research and her 14 year old daughter’s advice) to reflect less and less what initially Klein created it to be – a show based on his life.

The film is funny, and gives an insight that may be too familiar to veterans of the industry, and eye-opening to those who are just beginning. Still, it is a must see for anyone in the business.

Great casting and performances overall, but Weaver stands out the most.

Oh, and Judy Greer, she is absolutely excellent.

Howard Stern Tries to Kill ‘American Idol’

For the last few years, three-quarters of the network television executives in Hollywood have tried to figure out how to derail American Idol, the Fox juggernaut that dominates the prime-time ratings.

Read more on NYTimes.com.

The Tudors

This Sunday is the premiere of the Showtime 10-part series, The Tudors, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, not that you could have missed this bit of news as the ad campaign for this show has been abundant.

And of you can’t wait til Sunday, the first two episodes of the series are available on Showtime On-Demand, and it is worth watching. Rhys Meyers’ performance is excellent and the show is captivating, intriguing and visually satisfying. Looking forwad to episode 3.

An Emmy for your Digital?

So you’ve made your digital short and put it on YouTube. What’s next? Will the Emmy’s recognize it? Here is what the judge says about it. Yes, the judge.

Friday Fun

Its Friday, so to add a little bit of entertainment I thought  would share a fun video. It always puts a smile on my face!

It's from Jamie Kennedy...ENJOY!! And Happy Friday!

Blazing a new trail

Steven Bochco, creater of countless TV hits, which made him an obvious choice for a NATPE Legacy award in 2006, is trying something radically different for someone with his credits.
He is going on-line! Well, somewhat. He is creating clips for the on-line site Metacafe ( The number 3 video site), for an internet series called "Cafe Confidential".
This is very exciting, someone with Bochco's resume making it alright to create for on-line is really going to blaze the trail so that others will also create for on-line content.

Let's see who is next?
Read more

Here is a sample:

My Most Embarrassing Moment - Cowabungal - The best bloopers are a click away

Watch the series

Monday, Monday

Michael Yarish/FX
FX's "The Riches" stars, clockwise from top, Minnie Driver, Shannon Woodard, Noel Fisher, Eddie Izzard and Aidan Mitchell.

I never thought I would say this, but I can't wait till Monday! Why, you ask...the new FX show that premiered last night, The Riches! I know that we generally never talk about specific shows, but being the resident TV addict I thought I would tell you how brilliant I thought the show was.
The story is about a family of gypsies, travelers, grifters...what is the politically correct term this week? Who take over the life of a deceased couple, thats the quick version, you have to watch it to get all the intriguing details! Trust me its good!
The casting I was hesitant of when I first heard about the show, Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver? Really, I can't see them as Southern travelers? Minnie, gypsy royalty of sorts, and Eddie the outsider who takes her away. Then after last night I am convinced, they are really good in their roles and together. The entire cast is very believable as a family, special note to their youngest son played by Aidan Mitchell, who likes to wear his sisters clothes, I wonder if thats an Eddie influence?
I just have to say, I can't wait till Monday! I can't wait to see what happens!

For more take a look at the official site
http://www.fxnetwork.com/shows/originals/theriches/

And the Emmy Goes to...

Conrgrats from all of us here at NATPE to Timm Andrews, winner of Emmy 2006 for Fire Traffic (Photography - News - Within 24 hours), at the 32nd Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards, which was held on June 3 at the Omni Hotel in San Diego.
The nominees for Photography - News - Within 24 hours were:
♦ Fire Drill, Christopher Potts Fox 5
♦ Firefighter Funeral, Timm Andrews KESQ
♦ Fire Traffic, Timm Andrews KESQ
♦ Night Vision Firefighting, Matthew Stirling KSWB
♦ Big Surf, Jay Yoo NBC 7/39
♦ Katrina Survivor, Adam White KLAS
♦ Treasure Hunt, Ryan Oliveira KLAS

Top Chef News

Bravo announces that its breakout series "Top Chef" will return for a second season of culinary competition, offering a new group of rising chefs with the opportunity to showcase their talent and creativity. Due to the popularity of the inaugural season of the hit series, Bravo also announces that a special reunion episode has been added to the season one schedule, airing on Wednesday, May 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. In addition, the season one finale of the search for the culinary world's next "Top Chef" will be extended to two hours, airing over two weeks on Wednesday, May 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, when the field will be cut from three to two candidates, and concluding with the winner being announced on Wednesday, May 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Idol Threat

Paula's signed on for three more seasons.

Bravo to Bravo

From the wires:

Bravo kicked off 2006 with a bang, setting new records across all key demos for total day viewing in first quarter 2006. The first quarter was the most-watched quarter in Bravo history. In primetime (Monday-Sunday 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.), Bravo averaged 391,000 homes and 281,000 Adults 18-49, the best first quarter performances ever for the network.

Greg in Montenegro

If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to read Greg Pitts' blog about his ongoing adventures in Montenegro (as part of a Fulbright fellowship, no less).

Heaton, Henderson, Remini Top Poll

In a recent Bravo and TV Guide magazine poll, which examines TV housewives and how they have shaped our perceptions, an overwhelming majority of respondents (72%) named Patricia Heaton as the TV personality who would make the best real-life housewife. Trailing at a distant second (17%) is "Desperate Housewives'" Teri Hatcher, while talk show host Ellen Degeneres takes third place (7%).

When it comes to TV housewives of the past, nearly half (45%) of respondents named Carol Brady (Florence Henderson) of "The Brady Bunch" as the TV personality that most shaped their vision about what a housewife should be. "Leave it to Beaver's" June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) comes in second with 35% of the votes.

As for head-turners, one-third of respondents (31%) named "The King of Queens" straight-talking beauty Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini) as TV's hottest housewife. Trailing closely behind are "Medium's" Allison Dubois (Patricia Arquette) with 28% and "My Name Is Earl's" Joy (Jaime Pressly) with 23% of the votes. Julie Cooper from "The OC" (Melinda Clarke) pulls in the remaining 19% of the votes as hottest housewife.

Inside Inside

Just announced guests for this spring's Inside the Actors Studio include Dustin Hoffman (for the 200th episode), Al Pacino, Don Cheadle, Tim Allen, Robert Downey Jr., and the return of Tom Hanks.

Runway is Runaway Hit

So I wasn't the only one tuned into the Project Runway finale last night:

3.4 million total viewers tuned in to last night's finale of the second season of Bravo's hit series "Project Runway," as Chloe Dao was named the winner by host, Heidi Klum, making it the most viewed single telecast in the 20-year history of the network.

-more here

Board Guide

Newsstand sales have increased for TV Guide, which was relaunched in October, Gemstar Chief Executive Rich Battista said during a conference call with analysts.

Food on Demand?

The Indie Food Channel(tm), a multi-platform media network for food and beverage lovers, announces today that its programming will be available continuously on Comcast Video On Demand (VOD) in America's 5th and 19th largest television markets, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, California.

For More Information, go to http/://www.IndieFoodChannel.com

NATPE Alerts

• B&C notes that "NATPE is looking for a few good college professors."
• And C21 foresees: "Natpe looks into future of TV"

Board Games

Lucy Hood on mobile entertainment:

"We believe Mobizzo will prove to be a truly unique proposition for consumers and mobile content providers alike; it's an innovative virtual place for fans to find their favorites and enjoy the benefits of competitive pricing and excellent customer service when shopping for mobile content," Hood said.

And some more, from Forbes:

"What's unique to mobile is all the different content types," said Fox Mobile Entertainment President Lucy Hood. "You can use it to personalize, communicate or entertain."

Board Roundup

Andrea Wong on the Oscars, in The Hollywood Reporter:

"Certain programs like the Rose Bowl and Super Bowl show you that when you have big events, you can drive big ratings on network television," says Andrea Wong, executive vp alternative programming, specials and late-night at ABC.

Blair Westlake on Web shows, in the Los Angeles Times:

"There are as many answers to that question as people you ask it to," said Blair Westlake, a former TV executive who is Microsoft Corp.'s liaison to the entertainment industry.

A word on Cecile Frot-Coutaz's little show...

Cingular Wireless, the Official Telecommunications Sponsor of "American Idol," is putting a stake in the ground by predicting its customers who are die-hard fans of the show will not only "text their votes" this season and participate in Cingular's "Idol"- themed, text-based programs, but they will do so in record numbers -- topping the 41.5 million text messages recorded in last year's season.

Notes from Montenegro

Our own Greg Pitts, in Montenegro on a Fulbright Fellowship, shares his observations in a special blog -- check it out!

SAPs

What's cooking from The Kitchen:

Secondary Audio Program, or “SAP”, available on most new television sets and VCR’s, offers the viewer a different audio experience from that available on the main audio channel. 

Typically the SAP capability is used to receive a second language soundtrack on an English-language program.  While SAP demand is typically for Spanish audio, any language can be accommodated on the platform.

At “The Kitchen,” the language customization industry’s only “one stop shop” for all requirements, in any language, pre-recorded programming can easily be prepared for fast turn around to meet the requirements of today’s demanding programming mandates.

-more here

Viral

From Bravo:

Americans have caught the "Viral video" bug. Who hasn't passed on an email link to friends and co-workers of videos featuring college students singing along to the Backstreet Boys, or maybe the President fumbling his words during an important speech? These clips are an increasingly addictive form of entertainment, and for the first time, Bravo compiles these vignettes for an in-depth look into the cyber craze infiltrating inboxes throughout the world. The first half-hour episode of Bravo's six episode series Outrageous and Contagious: Viral Videos will premiere on Bravo, Monday, February 20 at 10:00 PM ET/PT. Following weeks, each half-hour episode will air at 10:00 PM

-more here

In Case You Didn't Know

Bravo welcomes one of comedy's most intriguing and influential performers to the stage for his first two-hour interview since his much-publicized hiatus from the entertainment world. Dave Chappelle sits down with host James Lipton for this special two-hour interview on Sunday, February 12, 8:00 - 10:00 PM/ET.

More Runway

Good news!

Due to the overwhelming success and popularity of the second season of Bravo's hit series "Project Runway" hosted by Heidi Klum, a special reunion episode has been added to the schedule that will air on Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT. In addition, the season finale of the search for the next great designer will be extended to two hours, airing over two weeks on Wednesday, March 1 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT and concluding with the winner being crowned on Wednesday, March 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

(More here)

So Gay:

As part of an aggressive broadband initiative, Bravo is launching OutzoneTV.com and will team up with PlanetOut Inc. (Nasdaq: LGBT) as the exclusive promotional and sales partner of OutzoneTV.com, the first broadband channel specifically targeted to gay and lesbian online viewers, it was announced today by Lauren Zalaznick, President of Bravo and Mark Elderkin, President of PlanetOut Inc. OutzoneTV.com will launch in March. This broadband channel joins TRIOtv.com and BrilliantButCancelled.com, the first two channels in Bravo's broadband suite, announced last month.

(more here)

Chocolate TV?

From the wires:

In time for Valentine's Day, TCB CAFE Publishing & Media LLC and the INDIE FOOD CHANNEL bring to chocolate lovers and television viewers CHOCOLATE TELEVISION (tm), a new food, cooking & lifestyle program that stars everyone's favorite culinary delight: chocolate.

On this interactive, reality-based television program, chefs and chocolatiers demonstrate the best recipes, taste the finest chocolates, and show how cocoa can be a part of your life. In addition, selected viewers and independent producers can also share their own chocolate videos with the audience, demonstrating that there's more than one way to enjoy the dripping, melting, solid or crunchy pleasures of "le chocolat."

More here.