Archive: January 2010 (311-320 of 461)

Jan 12 2010 03:45 PM ET

'Life Unexpected': Watch the first nine minutes here

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Filed under: Television and tagged: ,

The CW’s new series Life Unexpected premieres on Monday but you can watch the first nine minutes of the pilot below.

As predicted, it does look Gilmore Girls-esque and Everwood-y, with a pinch of Juno.

My initial thoughts are:

1) Kerr Smith (Jack from Dawson’s Creek) has grown up very nicely.

2) I already have a geek crush on Baze’s bespectacled sidekick (played by Austin Basis).

3) Baze’s bar looks a little like the Humphreys loft from Gossip Girl.

4) Do you recognize Kristoffer Polaha (Baze) as Don and Betty’s neighbor Carlton (Francine’s hubby) from early Mad Men?

5) I now have a burning need to know if it’s realistic that a kid in the foster care system could be emancipated at age 16 with signatures from his/her biological parents? Any social workers out there have the answer?

What are your initial reactions? Does this taster get you excited for the season premiere?

Read more about Life Unexpected on EW.com:

Michael Ausiello says it’s “worth checking out”

Ken Tucker is a fan of show creator Liz Tigelaar

Jennifer Armstrong loved the first teaser

Tanner Stransky previews the show

Jan 12 2010 03:42 PM ET

'Spider-Man' reboot: Who should play Peter Parker?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , ,

As anyone who reads The Daily Bugle knows by now, Tobey Maguire will not be back for Spider-Man 4. Neither will Sam Raimi, the director who kick-started the superhero saga back in 2002. And since Sony, the studio behind the Web-slinger franchise, has no intention of  letting their cash cow dry up, it’s currently in the process of rebooting Spidey in a younger, more contemporary direction with a (presumably) younger, less-expensive actor as Peter Parker.

So we’re wondering, which of Hollywood’s hot teens and twentysomethings should be considered to don the Spidey suit? Here are a few possibilities. Afterwards, let us know who your candidates are.

Zac Efron Age: 22 Why our Spidey sense is tingling: He’s already proven that he can put teenage butts in seats thanks to High School Musical, and he ‘s familiar with bizarre, supernatural bodily transformations thanks to 17 Again. He can sing, he can dance, he can smolder and brood (but not too threateningly, mind you). Heck, he can even convincingly shoot hoops! What can’t this guy do? Compared to belting out pop songs in the cafeteria, swinging from a web and tangling with Green Goblin should be a cakewalk.

Robert Pattinson Age: 23 Why our Spidey sense is tingling: Okay, he’s British, pasty, and he’s got a pretty busy schedule, what with all these Twilight movies you may have heard about. But if I were a Sony bean counter, I’d be stuffing the ballot box for this guy. After all, this could be the ultimate parasite blockbuster. Think about it: First, you cast Kristen Stewart as Mary Jane Watson, then you cast Taylor Lautner as Harry Osborn (i.e., James Franco’s role), then boom!…just sit back and watch the greenbacks pile up. If I ran Sony and wanted to retire to a private island, this would be my choice. READ FULL STORY »

Jan 12 2010 03:25 PM ET

Betty White's TV Land pilot: The closest we'll get to a new 'Golden Girls'!

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Filed under: Television and tagged: ,

Betty White, Frasier‘s Jane Leeves, Just Shoot Me‘s Wendie Malick, and One Day at Time‘s Valerie Bertinelli have been cast in the TV Land comedy pilot Hot in Cleveland. The show, the network confirms to EW, follows three fortysomething best friends from L.A. who, after getting stuck in Ohio, decide to stick around because the locals find them glamorous. White, according to The Hollywood Reporter, will play “a grumpy and opinionated lady who has lived in the cottage of the trio’s Cleveland house for 50 years.”

I’m loving this, particularly the idea of watching what I’m guessing will be a sharp-tongued Malick (she does it so well, she’s got to be the Dorothy) face off against White. Are you?

Jan 12 2010 03:14 PM ET

'How I Met Your Mother' 100th episode: One foot in the door

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Filed under: About Last Night, Television and tagged: , ,

I don’t know about you, PopWatchers, but when I tuned into How I Met Your Mother’s 100th episode last night, I expected to get a little song and dance — loved the big “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit” production number at the end (see video below), especially when Barney told Lily to get her head out of her ass — and a lot of Rachel Bilson adorability. In fact, as the episode got underway, I found myself thinking what a great casting choice she was for Cindy, Ted’s PhD-candidate crush: After cycling through (and rejecting) Ashley Williams, Sarah Chalke, and Cobie Smulders, the HIMYM casting department has got to be scrambling to find someone sufficiently charming to play the inevitable Mom, and O.C. survivor Bilson would have totally done it for me. READ FULL STORY »

Jan 12 2010 12:15 PM ET

'Lost' attraction at Disneyland? Fans say prettyprettyplease!!!

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Filed under: Lost, Television and tagged: ,

Last week, Lost fans took on a mighty foe that threatened the on-time arrive of the show’s Feb. 2 premiere and won! That dragon: President Obama’s State of the Union address. Fans made their voices heard with Tweets and petitions, and the president made like Neville Chamberlain and, like, totally caved! That’s right, Lost fans: We were the ones that influenced President Obama’s decision-making, and don’t let anyone (more reasonable and informed) tell you otherwise!

Having cowed the White House, Lost fans have now taken on a new mission. But I worry that we’re facing a more powerful foe than even the Commander In Chief. For who can dare sway the indomitable will of… The Walt Disney Company! Here’s the deal: Lost fans think that Disney, which owns Lost, should create a Disney attraction. Specifically, they think the company’s Imagineers should renovate Tom Sawyer Island (which no one really gives a flying Huck Finn about, anyway) and turn into…The Island. Just imagine: Interactive Dharma Stations! Jacob’s Haunted Shack! Michael’s Exploding Raft! Leslie Artz’s Insect House! PLUS: Animatronic polar bears, boars and Hurley birds! An all-you-can-eat buffet at the Dharma Palette Drop! And do you dare journey into The Temple’s ancient crack and confront your inner demons within…Smokey’s Court of Judgment?!? READ FULL STORY »

Jan 12 2010 12:11 PM ET

'Bachelor' spinoff 'Bachelor Pad': A rose or a thorn?

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Filed under: Television and tagged: , , , , , ,

ABC has ordered a spinoff to The Bachelor in which 20 former contestants from the The Bachelor and The Bachelorette will live in a Big Brother-style house and compete in challenges. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Harrison will also host Bachelor Pad, which it says will involve “some competitions inspired by incidents from past seasons” and feature weekly evictions. Though names of participants have not yet been disclosed, executive producer Martin Hilton tells THR memorable personalities, including former winners, are game, and that the idea sparked from the friendships, rivalries, and romances that have developed among past participants.

What do you think, Bachelor fans? My initial action was that Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss is evil and determined to crush my soul. I already have to get liquored up to watch The Bachelor (and thank god the mojitos flowed last night, because I would never have been able to handle “On the Wings of Love” playing during Jake’s flight date otherwise). I have a high tolerance for shame — I’ve named my Slanket, okay? —  but I don’t know that I can live with myself if I tune in to watch “all-star” Bachelor/Bachelorette rejects share a house… I mean, I probably will tune in, at least for the premiere, because I want to see if it tries to stay faux-classy like The Bachelor or Paradise Hotels itself out. (The latter is my secret fantasy — forcing them to “hook up or go home” would be poetic, no?) But I will finally, officially hate myself.

Will you be watching Bachelor Pad? What is your dream casting, format, and/or “competition”?

More on The Bachelor:
Recap of last night’s episode: Sextracurricular Activities
Chris Harrison blogs last night’s episode, addresses scandal

Photo credit: Adam Larkey/ABC

Jan 12 2010 12:00 PM ET

What movie franchise have you (accidentally) seen all the way through?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: ,

I had a most trivial revelation this morning. While reading Vin Diesel‘s Facebook update about his receiving the story for TWO additional Fast and the Furious movies, I saw that the guy has a whopping 7.2 million registered FB fans. At first that seems like an impossibly huge number, until you remember how giant the F&F movies are (the fourth film, which released last April, pulled in more than $155 million domestically, and landed Vin and costar Paul Walker on the cover of Entertainment Weekly).

It’s kind of weird, because tons of people clearly see those movies, but I personally don’t know anyone who’d claim to be a bona fide fan. And that’s when the revelation hit me: I myself have seen every Fast and the Furious movie. Not that seeing the entirety of a four-film franchise is a colossal achievement, but I accomplished this without ever making a point of seeing a single one. The 2001 debut: Caught a rental at a friend’s house; 2003′s 2 Fast 2 Furious (which was Vin-less): Saw it at the theater when Matrix: Reloaded Imax was sold out; 2006′s Tokyo Drift (which has neither Walker nor Diesel): Watched it  all the way through on basic cable one night — hey, the drifts through the parking garage are awesome (see the trailer below), as is Vin’s tiny cameo at the end; last year’s Fast & Furious: Randomly chose it one night on pay-per-view shortly after purchasing my first high-def set (a good choice). And voila! The whole series. And having thoroughly enjoyed each one,  I definitely look forward to inadvertently stumbling onto the next two (or eight or how-many-ever) franchise installments.

What about you PopWatchers? What film franchise did you one day realize you’d seen all the way through — even though you never intended to see a single one?

Jan 12 2010 12:00 PM ET

'Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains': Boston Rob claims 'I don't see how I can lose'

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When I interviewed Boston Rob Mariano in Panama right before the All-Stars season kicked off, he told me to save the tape in my recorder as evidence because he was guaranteeing me right then and there that he was going to win. Pretty bold words from a guy that didn’t even make the jury his first time around in Marquesas. But he backed it up. Technically, the victory went to his now-wife Amber, but that was just due to a bitter jury that couldn’t handle being bested by the cocky Bostonian. Rob claimed he would run the game, and he did.

So it was no surprise when he busted out the same bravado for our pre-game chat before Heroes Vs. Villains (premiering Feb. 11 on CBS). The entire time was basically him coming up with different ways to convince me how dominant he was going to be once again. It’s the type of thing you’d normally shrug off, but not only did he follow through on it before, but he also would have won the Amazing Race had producers not convinced the pilot of a plane that had already departed the gate to come back to pick up Uchenna and Joyce. [Intel on a potentially huge distraction for Boston Rob, as well as exclusive on location video after the jump.] READ FULL STORY »

Jan 12 2010 11:44 AM ET

'Jersey Shore': Top 10 Things That Make Me Die Inside on The Situation's '10@10'

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Filed under: Jersey Shore, Television and tagged: , , , , , ,

Jersey Shore celebrity The Situation went on The Jay Leno Show’s “10@10″ last night. Remember Snooki’s? As you’ll see below, my internal barometers for quality and intrigue in all areas of life have pretty much bottomed out. And yet I press on, letting a better version of myself slip away into an ether that reeks of TAG Signature Series body spray. It’s a new Annie in 2010. I am falling. I am so scared, you guys.

Top 10 Things That Make Me Die Inside on The Situation’s ’10@10′: READ FULL STORY »

Jan 12 2010 11:25 AM ET

Simon Cowell: Who should replace him on 'American Idol'?

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Filed under: American Idol and tagged:

Plenty of folks were left reeling from yesterday’s announcement that the current ninth season of American Idol will be Simon Cowell’s last. Heck, even I made the sound of a skittish Pomeranian getting caught underfoot before steeling myself for an inevitable blogging frenzy. But as Carly Smithson so aptly reminded us during season 7: “Show must go on!” And since Fox has already announced plans to air a Cowell-free Idol in 2011, the obvious question becomes: Who should replace him?

Before we address some possibilities, a humble request to the suits at Fox, 19, and Fremantle who’ll be hunkering down to make this decision: Please, put the kibosh on replacing Simon with a “cranky British type” (i.e. Piers Morgan). Because, really, what better way to remind us of the absence of the show’s most popular judge than to offer up a similar-yet-inferior substitute? It’d be like swapping in New Coke for Coke Classic. Or Dennis Farina for Jerry Orbach. Idol needs a new panelist who possesses Simon’s casual but brutal honesty, his succinctness, and his occasional sense of wonder over a brilliant performance — but with a distinctively different style. And while it’s impossible to predict who’ll be able to deliver the goods live on camera for a massive TV audience — perhaps the most important and most difficult aspect of Simon’s job — I’d like to suggest five folks who might want to drop their resumes off at Idol HQ: READ FULL STORY »

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