Archive: April 2011 (141-150 of 473)

Apr 22 2011 10:40 AM ET

'The Voice' preview: First impressions?

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Categories: Everyone's a Critic, Everything Reminds Us of 'Friends', Have You Seen This?, Music, Reality TV, Television, The Voice
the-voice

Image Credit: Lewis Jacobs/NBC

If the preview of The Voice last night had been a first date, there’d probably be a second. As a loyal American Idol viewer, I hadn’t anticipated enjoying the sneak peek as much as I did, given the comparatively complex structure of the show. (Unlike Idol, The Voice pits the “coaches” against each other, in addition to the competition between contestants.) First, contestants perform for the four coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, and Blake Shelton) as they sit with their backs to the performers — very Dr. Claw. If a contestant gets picked, he or she gets placed on that coach’s team. If two or more coaches want one person, they battle for the contestant. After picked, these teams of eight then get mentored, and cut down to four. The 16 finalists then compete. Anyone else having Bamboozle flashbacks?

I was sure it would all be very distracting. But, as it turns out, the “audition round” on The Voice, which was teased in a sneak peek last night, was actually more enjoyable for me to watch than the auditions on Idol (mostly because I’ve never been a fan of Idol‘s pre-Hollywood Week buffoonery). READ FULL STORY »

Apr 22 2011 10:15 AM ET

This Week on Stage: 'Sister Act' satisfies, 'High' disappoints

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Categories: Stage/Theater, This Week on Stage
Sister-ActNY3-Miller

Image Credit: Joan Marcus

Broadway revved up for the Tonys this week with four high profile openings — and, sadly, one major close. Matthew Lombardo’s High, featuring Kathleen Turner as a recovering alcoholic-turned-nun, played one official performance Tuesday night before producers announced that it would have its final curtain call this Sunday. As for the other three shows — film-to-stage transfer Sister Act, Lewis Carroll update Wonderland, and London import Jerusalem — we saw, and reviewed, them all. Here are the highlights: READ FULL STORY »

Apr 22 2011 09:47 AM ET

'Big Bang Theory': Why I'm hoping Sheldon's new [SPOILER] is Penny

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Categories: Television, The Big Bang Theory
big-bang-theory

Image Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS

Talk about a season going out with a Bang: After spending four seasons torturing Leonard, The Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon Cooper is getting a new roommate, as EW’s Sandra Gonzalez reported last night. Two things: 1) This, of course, presents an opportunity for high comedy — there’s nothing quite like watching Sheldon adapt to that which he hates most: Wil Wheaton change, and 2) Who will this poor, poor person be? (Apparently, according to executive producer Bill Prady, it’s an existing cast member.)

It’s a scientific fact that opposites do attract. So as much as I would enjoy watching Amy Farrah Fowler shack it up with Sheldon — as Gonzalez predicts — I’m rooting for a different Big Bang Theory lady to take on the role of Sheldon’s roommate: Penny. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 22 2011 09:00 AM ET

Christoph Waltz murders Stefano Langone, criticizes 'Idol' judging in 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' skit

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Categories: American Idol, Late Night, Television

Poor Stefano Langone. Not only was he eliminated from American Idol last night, he was also eliminated permanently — from life! — on last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In a clever, well-edited sketch, Inglourious Basterds Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, promoting this weekend’s Water for Elephants, helped illustrate American Idol‘s one jarring season 10 flaw: The judges’ lack of critical judging. Channeling Simon Cowell with a tight black T-shirt, Waltz tells Langone: “Stefano, you were terrible. You were naive, you were unlistenable. You were actually abhorrent. You failed. And therefore, you leave me no choice to sentence you to death by firing squad.” (Remind me never to invite Watlz over for dessert.) Then Waltz addresses judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler: “When someone is terrible, you don’t inflate a malfunctioning ego. You don’t shower undeserved praise on the lobotomized squeakbox. No, you eliminate him. Permanently.”

Harsh, yes, but just what this season of Idol needs. Christoph Waltz for Idol 2012? Check out the the clip below, in which Waltz also wears bright pink pants and performs a rendition of the Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out?”. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 22 2011 04:25 AM ET

'American Idol': The Stefano and James bromance, and tweens! tweens! tweens! on the scene of Top 7 results night

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Categories: About Last Night, American Idol, Everything Reminds Us of 'Friends', On the Scene, Reality TV, Television
Idol-Casey-James-Scotty

Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Fox/PictureGroup

My snark demon Smirkelstiltskin may forsake me for saying this, but I’m actually starting to appreciate tween girls. Hear me out. As the American Idol Top 7 took to the Idoldome for the first time during last night’s live results show, a small platoon of tween girls ensconced in the peanut gallery rear balcony became nearly apoplectic with excitement — for Jacob. I know! Jacob! At one point, Jacob possibly threw a glance in their general direction, and when one of the girls was absolutely convinced it was mean directly for her, she began jumping, clapping and squealing as she turned to her friends, who themselves were jumping, clapping, squealing, and turning towards her. I had seen this behavior before, but in well-lit movies about high school, on Disney Channel shows, and by Ross on Friends — I did not realize until that moment that actual humans could get that specifically exhilarated.

Another example: READ FULL STORY »

Apr 22 2011 02:55 AM ET

'30 Rock' is 100! Tom Hanks comes to celebrate!

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Categories: 100% Pure Cheese, 30 Rock, About Last Night, Alec Baldwin, Not Jon Hamm, Ridiculata, Television, Things That Are Awesome!, This Could Be Interesting..., Those Crazy Kids!, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, TV Recap, Water Cooler
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Image Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC

30 Rock is already so jam-packed full of jokes, and that’s just the usual 30-minute episode. It’s TV’s version of sardines in a can. So a full hour of 30 Rock?! Buckle up, nerds. This is gonna be a long one.

TGS, like 30 Rock, was conveniently celebrating its 100th episode. Unfortunately, the show sucked. And without Tracy, it sucked even worse. And despite the fact that TGS finally made Wikipedia last week, Hank Hooper laid down the law and gave this ultimatum—deliver an epic 100th episode with Tracy Jordan, or the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad show would get canceled. And as much as Frank’s little “I Give Up” hat seemed to say about the task at hand, Elizabeth Lemon vowed to make TGS a success: It will not be the worst thing on TV tonight! That’s a spot reserved for John Stossel. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 22 2011 01:40 AM ET

'Parks and Recreation': Crazy little thing called love

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Categories: About Last Night, Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Parks and Recreation, Television
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Image Credit: Mitch Haddad/NBC

Damnit, Chris Traeger! Your stupid office romance ban is ruining lives — specifically, Leslie’s and Ben’s. Those two wildflower mural-loving nerdburgers are meant to be, but Chris’s pesky policy is keeping them apart. (Where was it last week when Andy and April got married? I suppose shoe shinists aren’t under Chris’s purview.) Ah well; after all, the course of true love never did run smooth. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 21 2011 10:54 PM ET

'Archer' season finale: Is this the bleakest comedy on television?

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Categories: About Last Night, Archer, The Bad Man Scares Me!, Things That Are Awesome!

Archer started its second season finale with an unexpected image: Sterling Archer in love. Katya Kazanova, the Russian spy who saved his life in last week’s episode, swore that she had fallen for him at first sight. Perhaps because she looked remarkably like January Jones in X-Men: First Class, Archer felt the same way. Mallory and Lana were immediately skeptical. She’s Russian! She’s hot! Clearly she’s a double agent! This was vintage Archer, combining a cocktail of refurbished spy cliches with pleasantly pathological emotional issues. By the time the Anxious Mother and the Jilted Ex-Girlfriend were both holding guns on the Suspiciously Buxom New Girlfriend, it felt a little bit like we looking at a candy-colored diagram of relationship malfunction. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 21 2011 08:00 PM ET

'American Idol': Top 7's eliminated singer is....

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Categories: American Idol, Reality TV

Update: Annie’s recap is live

Aside from Jacob’s earpiece playing the wrong song during “Songs from the 21st Century” Night, Wednesday’s Idol was pretty much disaster-free. Casey Abrams kissed J. Lo, Haley Reinhart attempted Adele, and James Durbin raised the bar of crazy at the end of his “Uprising.” Will their risks pay off? Someone‘s gotta get the boot. Earlier today, your votes overwhelmingly suggested that either Jacob Lusk or Stefano Langone would be heading to the stools of doom or, ultimately, home. Chat about the results show here, and I’ll update this post as soon as we know which of the top 7 has been eliminated. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 21 2011 07:42 PM ET

Marines make dance video for Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me': Watch!

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Categories: Britney Spears, Music, PopWatch Dance Party, Things That Are Awesome!

Somewhere deep in the heart of Afghanistan, there are U.S. Marines upholding our freedom to listen to Britney Spears whenever and wherever we want to. And considering this is the best thing we’ve seen all day, we thank them. Watch the video below. You won’t think it could get any better than the two guys at 1:15, pictured, but then you hit the dance break at 2:25, and the guy with handmade fringe T-shirt sleeves at 3:01, and the Arnold Schwarzenegger poster in the background at 3:32. There is a definite step up in production value from the previous morale booster, Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”  (Via BestWeekEver/ONTD)  READ FULL STORY »

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