Archive: September 2010 (161-170 of 588)

Sep 23 2010 12:32 PM ET

'The Whole Truth' premiere: Maura Tierney is back! What did you think?

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

the-wole-truth-tierneyNow that Law & Order is off to greener pastures, there’s a void in the fall TV schedule for courtroom-drama aficionados. Enter: The Whole Truth. It’s basically your standard we’ll-finish-any-case-by-minute-59 procedural, with Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow playing rival lawyers almost always on opposite sides of the courtroom (Every courtroom. Seriously, are there no other lawyers in Manhattan?). In the pilot, a high school teacher was on trial for the murder of one of his ESL students. There were hate crime allegations, cell-phone sex tapes, and a reference to Clint Eastwood’s Magnum Force. Ah, where to begin?

Kathryn Pearle (Tierney) and Jimmy Brogan (Morrow) are also opposites in every other possible way. She’s a heartless workaholic (“I love the law. It is the only thing I’m good at.”) toiling tirelessly at the District Attorney’s office, while he’s a slacker-turned-cocky-defense-lawyer working for a successful Manhattan firm (whose offices contain a pool table). There was a lot of effort in establishing just how different these two are, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt hoping it’s all exposition for their eventual “opposites attract” romance (or a revelation of their previous one?).

For the first half hour, the chronology leading up to the trial repeated itself as we saw preparations for the case from both the prosecution and the defense. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 12:25 PM ET

Tim Gunn takes down his latest 'Project Runway' vlog. Is he becoming too mouthy for his own good?

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Filed under: Reality TV, TV and tagged: , , , , ,

tim-gunnImage Credit: Mike Yarish/LifetimeFor Project Runway fans, there are few things better than Tim Gunn’s Facebook vlogs, in which he offers his colorful, impassioned take on each episode. Gunn’s always frank, but lately, his vlogs have been filled with outright rants. That makes them all the more delectable for viewers, but for certain Runway execs, not so much. Apparently, his latest video diary was so juicy it ruffled some producers’ feathers before disappearing from the Tim Gunn Facebook page altogether. “There was a hurtful reaction to a couple of things I said, and that really concerned me,” Gunn told the New York Post yesterday. “That was never my intention. I thought, ‘Let me just take this down.’ Lifetime had nothing to do with it. I did it completely on my own.”

In the offending 12-minute video (which is embedded below, thanks to Viddler), the dapper mentor rails against the last episode’s disorganized, disjointed challenge, which started off as design-a-Jackie-Kennedy-costume-for-Katie-Holmes-in-her-Kennedy-family-TV-miniseries, then changed so many times throughout the course of the taping that a frustrated Gunn felt he had no choice but to intervene on the runway during judging. He calls out certain producers by name, deems the episode “a complete mess,” and finishes it off by stating that the judges need straitjackets. Zing!

This latest outburst comes on the heels of Gunn’s recent public slams of Taylor Momsen and the Salahis, whom he called “sociopaths” during an appearance on Access Hollywood to promote his book. Personally, I’m enjoying Gunn’s verbal eruptions (especially the one against those loathsome Salahis). So to answer the question in the headline of this item: No, no, and no. I say, keep speaking your mind, Tim and I’ll keep loving you for it.

What about you? What do you think of Mr. Gunn’s recent tirades? READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 12:00 PM ET

'Top Chef All-Stars' to debut Dec. 1 with the chefs we loved -- and a new guest judge

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Filed under: Food and Drink, News, Reality TV, Television, Top Chef, TV and tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Anthony-Bourdain-top-chefImage Credit: Michael Lavine/BravoCall it sweet justice for us fans, but after a snooze-worthy seventh season of Top Chef, the cooking competition is returning Dec. 1 (10 p.m.) for an All-Stars edition in New York City with some of our favorite past contestants, including Richard Blais (season 4), Fabio Viviani (season 5), Jennifer Carroll (season 6) and — the one I’m most excited about — Carla Hall (season 5). Judging by the full roster, Bravo went for talent in the kitchen as opposed to talent for drama, so expect a nail-biter of a season. Check out the complete list of 18 cheftestants who’ll duke it out: READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 11:41 AM ET

'Undercovers' premiere: J.J. Abrams explores love and marriage (with bazookas, natch)

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

undercovers-boris-kodjoeImage Credit: Justin Lubin/NBCThere was a lot to enjoy about the pilot episode of Undercovers, the new spy drama from TV demi-god J.J. Abrams. Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw were almost illegally charming, and possessed a sparkly old-married-couple chemistry. The hour-long premiere, directed by Abrams, was a handsome production that zipped around the world — Madrid! Paris! Moscow! — but still found time to pause for character moments. (Best throwaway player: the Parisian street vendor who’s secretly the best code-cracker in Europe.) As in most Abrams productions, everyone seemed to be flirting with everyone, which gave the dialogue a smirky polish. Also, Mbatha-Raw loaded and fired a bazooka while driving down a Russian freeway. What’s not to like?

Nothing. Nothing is not to like. Undercovers seems to be easily the larkiest show Abrams has ever created — and that’s part of the problem. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 11:08 AM ET

'Better With You' premiere: Better than expected. (Plus, the return of Kitty Forman!)

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Filed under: Mini TV Watch, Television, TV and tagged: , , , ,

better-with-youImage Credit: Richard Foreman/ABCThere was a lot of pressure on Better With You last night. Premiering as the lead-in to the second season kickoff of the recent Emmy Award-winner for Best Comedy Series means you’re arriving to a party with an imposing velvet rope and a hard-to-impress bouncer. “You think you’re really good enough to join party with Modern Family, newbie?” Still, Better With You, which follows the intersecting stories of three couples (mom and dad; daughter and longtime beau; other daughter and new airhead fiancé), was better than I expected.

Much of the credit goes to Debra Jo Rupp and Kurt Fuller as parents Vicky and Joel. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 10:41 AM ET

Katy Perry 'Sesame Street' appearance gets yanked over negative feedback

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Filed under: Music, Television, TV and tagged: , ,

C is for Controversy, that’s good enough for me. The venerable children’s show Sesame Street has announced they have decided not to air Katy Perry’s guest appearance after a clip of it released online generated a bit of a hullabaloo. In the clip, Perry sings a tweaked version of “Hot N Cold” with Elmo, but it was her relatively revealing outfit that prompted some parents to complain.

Sesame Street has quite often made reference to things that are likely to be over the head of their average audience member — for example, look no further than their new True Blood parody, “True Mud,” or, my personal favorite, the Lynchian “Twin Beaks” — but the show is usually a paragon of appropriateness. Producers released this statement explaining their decision to cut Perry, “Sesame Street has a long history of working with celebrities across all genres, including athletes, actors, musicians and artists.  Sesame Street has always been written on two levels, for the child and adult.  We use parodies and celebrity segments to interest adults in the show because we know that a child learns best when co-viewing with a parent or care-giver.  We also value our viewer’s opinions and particularly those of parents.  In light of the feedback we’ve received on the Katy Perry music video which was released on You Tube only, we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of Sesame Street, which is aimed at preschoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on You Tube.”

Watch the video below, PopWatchers, then tell us: Is that segment too racy for kids?

READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 10:10 AM ET

Forbes 400: Oprah only 130th richest person in America

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Filed under: Movies, News, Television, TV and tagged: , , , ,

oprahImage Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesThere are 129 people more wealthy than Oprah Winfrey in America, according to Forbes. Why do the rest of us even try? Winfrey’s net worth, estimated at $2.7 billion, ties her for No. 130 on the Forbes 400, the magazine’s annual list of the richest people in the nation. (Walmart’s Christy Walton, with $24 billion, is the country’s leading woman at No. 4.) For the 17th straight year, Microsoft’s Bill Gates tops the list with an estimated $54 billion. A sampling of others making the cut: READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 10:00 AM ET

'Real Housewives' casting shakeups: Can each series survive without its most controversial character?

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Filed under: Reality TV, Television, TV and tagged: , , ,

real-housewivesImage Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/Bravo; Quantrell Colbert/Bravo; Andrew Eccles/Bravo; Adam Olszweski/BravoDespite reports that The Real Housewives of D.C. star (and infamous party crasher) Michaele Salahi will not be returning to the show’s uncertain (yet probable?) second season, Bravo insists no decision has been made regarding the D.C. installment of its record-breaking franchise. “We’ve had no discussion about a season 2 — including any casting — and won’t until the freshman season concludes. Any speculation to the contrary would be absolutely premature,” a rep for Bravo told EW.  Would you still watch The Real Housewives of D.C. without Michaele? There will be no shortage of bitchiness at the hand of Cat Ommanney, who has just enough of a mix of crazy (the lady dressed up as Sarah Palin for a cocktail event!) and fame whore to keep this thing going, and I love that Stacie Turner has such utter disdain for all things beyond D.C. proper. Lynda and Mary are kind of blah, but there’s always room for somebody new, right?

Similar casting rumors have been floating around New York City, amplified after Bethenny Frankel found success with a spin-off, husband, and baby on Bethenny Getting Married?. Real Housewives of Atlanta returns in October without Lisa Wu Hartwell, and New Jersey has already announced that Danielle Staub, “the Susan Lucci of reality TV,” will not be returning next season. Yes, a lot of this is speculation, as Bravo has held information regarding casting of future seasons close to the vest, but it begs the question: Will each Housewives series continue to be successful after major casting changes? Or do these shows need that exact combination of bitchiness and cattiness that only Danielle, Bethenny, etc. can provide, in order to survive?

Bravo’s Senior Vice President for Original Programming (and charming host of the late night Watch What Happens Live) Andy Cohen explained the reasons behind the Real Housewives phenomenon to EW: READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 09:00 AM ET

'Modern Family': This week's cover! Exclusive scoop on Mitchell and Cameron's big kiss!

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Filed under: Modern Family, Television, TV and tagged: , ,

EW-COVER-1122-ERICTV’s funniest (and Emmy-winning) comedy is back, and what better way to celebrate than with three special Modern Family collectors’ covers — one for each couple. But does the cast kiss-and-tell about the hotly-anticipated lip-lock between Cameron and Mitchell in the Sept. 29 episode? You bet they do! We were on the set as they shot the big scene, and spoke to the smooching stars, Eric Stonestreet (Cameron) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell). Was it, in fact, a response to “Let Cam & Mitchell kiss!” Facebook page that sprang up in May? “It’s nice that people care so much, but it kind of bums me out in that now it looks like we’re doing something because somebody begged us to or pressured us to,” says Stonestreet. “The [writers] wanted to tell a good story and not just make a moment out of it. It should just be normal, natural, and sweet, and done in a really great way, which is how they’re doing it.” Ferguson agrees: “I thought it was really sweet that the fans were so avid about the show and wanted to see that happen….That being said, it’s not a Choose Your Own Adventure type of show. We have amazing writers. And we’re not just going to give the fans whatever they want to see.” READ FULL STORY »

Sep 23 2010 07:00 AM ET

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Nicaragua': Episode 2

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Filed under: Reality TV, Television, TV and tagged: , , ,

survivorImage Credit: Monty Brinton/CBSI have to start by saying… “Thank You!”

You guys are the greatest and most loyal audience a show could ever hope to have on its side!

After dominating Thursday night at 8pm for nearly 10 years, Survivor moved to Wednesday night. This was a big move. What would happen? Would our audience stay with us or would this be the beginning of the end?

Well, not only was Survivor the #1 show of the night in all the key demos, holllla…!… but our ratings actually went up from a year ago. That just does-not-happen in television these days.

It’s all because of you. You stayed with us. You changed your viewing habits. Whatever you were watching on Wednesday nights, you’re not anymore.

So.. once again, we say thank you.

Okay now onto the episode.

Hellllllo crazy woman #2! You thought Wendy was a little wacky, hang on, cause here comes Holly! READ FULL STORY »

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