Archive: September 2010 (71-80 of 588)

Sep 28 2010 02:27 PM ET

CBS greenlights another Twitter sitcom

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Filed under: Television, TV and tagged: , ,

CBS has signed on for another Twitter-based series: Shh, Don’t Tell Steve is en route to becoming a sitcom. The stream, in which a man obsessively tweets his immature roommate’s antics, isn’t a megahit the way S— My Dad Says is, but I actually think it has more legs. Maybe because I’ve been following it an laughing at it for months.

The opposites-attract roommate juxtaposition is a comedy staple, and the Steve of this Twitter stream is basically a walking sitcom character already: I like this one, for example: “Steve brought a Fish Rub he said will “melt your d–k off” I asked why my d–k would melt off. Steve: ‘Okay snarky guy, it was an allegory.’” He’s basically a frat-boy version Joey Tribbiani. And as much as his roommate snarks on him…they do seem to hang out an awful lot.

I don’t think this is the worst idea ever, PopWatchers. But let ‘er rip: Is there another Twitter feed you think is perfect for a TV adaptation? [THR]

Sep 28 2010 01:55 PM ET

David Simon wins MacArthur grant. Take that, Emmy!

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Filed under: Television, TV and tagged: ,

David-SimonImage Credit: Skip Bolen/Getty ImagesThe John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the recipients of its “genius” grants today, and The Wire and Treme creator David Simon was among them. MacArthur Fellows receive $500,000 over five years, no strings attached.

“I can’t go in and wave Emmy awards, and I can’t go in and wave Nielsen ratings,” Simon says (hee) in his acceptance video, but he can brag about being part of this ultra-elite group. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 28 2010 01:15 PM ET

'Australia's Next Top Model' host announces wrong winner

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

On the live finale of Australia’s Next Top Model, host Sarah Murdoch announced the wrong woman as the winner. Yikes. Somewhere, Ryan Seacrest just woke up in a cold sweat. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 28 2010 12:43 PM ET

Bale-heads, unite! 'Newsies' may be headed for the stage!

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , ,

155113__newsiesImage Credit: Everett CollectionChristian Bale may be too old to play a singing and dancing newspaper deliverer/labor activist, but plans are still afoot to bring his 1992 live-action Disney musical Newsies to the stage. In an interview with Playbill.com, Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) said that he and lyricist Jack Feldman had written “a lot of new songs” for the production. Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles) is writing the show’s book, adapted from a film that was supposedly based on a real strike by New York newsboys against publisher Joseph Pulitzer in 1899. The movie, directed by future High School Music helmer Kenny Ortega, was a notorious flop, grossing just $2.8 million. But it’s developed a cult following in the years since, and modern Glee-era audiences might be more receptive to the notion of teenagers breaking into song and dance routines at the drop of a period hat.

Even so, Menken indicates that the show is still very much in development — it’s even unclear if Disney would mount a professional production (on Broadway, for instance) or develop the show for licensed amateur productions such as school theater programs. (A stage version of HSM is one of the most frequently licensed musicals in U.S. high schools.)

What do you think, PopWatchers? Is the time right for a Newsies revival on stage? After the jump, a clip of Bale’s Jack “Cowboy” Kelly delivering his aspirational solo “Santa Fe.” (As talented as I think Bale is, it’s no wonder that the actor — who went from Newsies to another peculiar period musical, Swing Kids — has pretty much abandoned the genre. I don’t see him popping up on Dancing With the Stars anytime soon.) READ FULL STORY »

Sep 28 2010 12:41 PM ET

'You Again': Hall & Oates songs untouchable after '(500) Days of Summer'?

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Filed under: Movies, Music and tagged: ,

you-againImage Credit: Mark FellmanSPOILER ALERT: The happy couple in You Again, Lone Star‘s James Wolk and The Unborn‘s Odette Yustman, sang a karaoke duet of Hall & Oates’ “Kiss on My List” the first time they met. The real Hall & Oates make a cameo at movie’s end to perform it. The cast has a great time hamming it up with the duo, but honestly, all I could think about was that even with the presence of Hall & Oates, the scene in no way compared to (500) Days of Summer‘s brilliant use of “You Make My Dreams.” Anyone else experience the same mental block? Do screenwriters have to retire Hall & Oates songs from plot points?

P.S. Air Supply references (made classic for me in Mr. and Mrs. Smith) are still acceptable. Kyle Bornheimer had the movie’s only laugh-out-loud moment when he dedicated an a cappella interpretation of ”Every Woman in the World” to his ex (Yustman) during a toast.

Read more:
EW’s review of ‘You Again’
‘Avatar!!!!!’: Sigourney Weaver gets a new catch phrase in ‘You Again’ promo clip
‘You Again’ trailer: Betty White’s ‘on Facebook and the Twitter’

Sep 28 2010 11:57 AM ET

Kanye's tweets + 'Liz Lemon' = Kanye Jordan

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

kanye-tracy-jordanImage Credit: Universal Music; Mary Ellen Matthews/NBCKanye West’s tweets are an endless source of joy, and now they’ve taken on a new level of memedom: “Kanye Jordan” is the fun new party game where you add “Liz Lemon” in front of Kanye’s tweets to make him sound exactly like Tray Jordan on 30 Rock. (This terrifying, amusing convergence was discovered by @john_harper). Now there’s a bot account that automatically adds the “Liz Lemon” to West’s tweets, and some of the results are unreal:

“Liz Lemon, Man … ninjas are kind of cool … I just don’t know any personally”
“Liz Lemon, If baroque and mod had a car crash… what would that ambulance look like?”
“Liz Lemon, I make awesome decisions in bike stores!!!”

I could do this all day, PopWatchers. I think this means Kanye has to play Tracy Jordan in a spoof of 30 Rock on SNL in a few weeks, no? Too many meta layers?

Sep 28 2010 11:19 AM ET

'Breaking Dawn' castings: Maggie Grace vamps it up, Renesmee found

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , ,

maggie-grace-mackenzie-foyImage Credit: Bob Charlotte/PR Photos; Kelsey EdwardsAs we reported yesterday, Lost‘s Maggie Grace has joined The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn as Denali coven vampire Irina, and newcomer Mackenzie Foy, a nine-year-old model/actress, is thisclose to signing on as Renesmee, Edward and Bella’s child. Grace is an interesting choice. She’s already a polarizing presence, thanks to her best-known role as the spoiled Shannon on Lost, so it’ll be easy to dislike her when she goes to the Volturi and tells them that Bella and Edward have created an “immortal child,” which is a no-no. But because it’s so easy to turn on her, it’s all the more effective when she softens and is apologetic, which will work well when she pays the ultimate price for giving the Volturi false information.

As for Foy, she really does look like the child Robert Pattinson joked Kristen Stewart was carrying when Oprah Winfrey asked them if they were an off-screen couple. Renesmee is a bit of disturbing character, and there’s something naturally unsettling about young models. I think it’s because we like to think of children as innocent and uncalculating, but watching them pose for a camera, turning off or turning on their emotions, you realize what manipulation they’re capable of. Watch her action in a fan video below. Yes, she already has fan videos dedicated to her on YouTube: READ FULL STORY »

Sep 28 2010 10:47 AM ET

Sarah Palin booed on 'Dancing with the Stars'? Lame.

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

If you don’t like Sarah Palin, don’t buy her book. Don’t become her Facebook friend. Don’t vote for her (should she ever run for office again). If you happen to find yourself in the same ballroom audience with her, and you find the notion of a front-row interview irritating, take the opportunity to use the restroom. Whisper something untoward in your friend’s ear. Stare with controlled exasperation at the back of Tom Bergeron’s head, like the woman sitting behind Palin in the audience. But booing Sarah Palin on live TV in front of her young daughter, with her other daughter waiting in the wings to perform for you, is ugly and enraging behavior (watch the video below). Not only does it backfire, by affording the woman an opportunity to wince with disdain and roll her eyes — it also makes you look small. Plus, you confused nice lady Jennifer Grey. (Read Annie Barrett’s full recap of last night’s Dancing With the Stars.)

READ FULL STORY »

Sep 27 2010 09:00 PM ET

'The Bachelor': Brad Womack's back; it's deja vu all over again!

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

bachelor-recycledABC just announced the new Bachelor, and as we all expected, it’s Brad Womack, a.k.a. The Most Hated Bachelor Ever, and this time he’s totally going to pick someone, okay? Seriously, no joke. Upon hearing the news, my mind was filled with myriad burning questions, including, “Wow, how pissed is Jake right now?” and “Why am I not surprised that Brad’s still single?” and “Why am I surprised that he lacks the judgment to realize that he did the right thing the first time around and that the only thing dumber than going on a reality show to find a wife is going on a reality show to find a wife TWICE???” and “Did he come crawling back to ABC or vice versa?” READ FULL STORY »

Sep 27 2010 08:50 PM ET

Watch the trailer for the Coen Bros. version of 'True Grit' here: The Dude's got an eyepatch!

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: ,

The trailer for the Coen Bros. adaptation of True Grit showed up today, and it is, indeed, quite gritty! Featuring very determined voiceover from newcomer Hailee Steinfeld and a series of extremely Western-looking clips (horse! gunfight! another horse! a hanging! gunfight!), the preview spotlights hairy versions of Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin — Bridges even has an eyepatch, which really ties his whole drunken U.S. marshal outfit together — but it doesn’t let on much else. Watch it after the jump… READ FULL STORY »

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