Archive: August 2011 (221-230 of 295)

Aug 6 2011 12:30 PM ET

Who's the new Lucy? Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus top our list

Filed under: Television, TV and tagged:

On the 100th anniversary of her birthday, Lucille Ball is still a front runner for the title of the greatest comedienne in TV history, alongside greats like Mary Tyler Moore, Isabel Sanford, and Betty White. And while I Love Lucy ended its initial run back in the ’50s, Ball’s influence is still obvious in many of today’s top TV comics — from SNL vets Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to sitcom stars like Debra Messing. But do any of these ladies deserve to be called the new Lucy? (Apologies to beloved EW vet Michael Slezak, who begged us back in 2006 never to crown a new Ms. Ball.) Here’s a case for each nominee, along with her Lucy-est moment. Take a look, and then head to the comments to let us know your pick! READ FULL STORY »

Aug 6 2011 11:00 AM ET

When did you stop watching 'Desperate Housewives'? And will you come back?

DH

Image Credit: Ron Tom/ABC

The news yesterday that Desperate Housewives impending eighth season would be its last was greeted by my brain with a small but pungent whooshing sound. Like: Pffffffshhhhhh. I think it was the sound of my synapses struggling not to care, and failing.*

Because the fact of the matter is that while I abandoned this show during the George W. Bush administration, I still hold Susan, Bree, Lynette, and Gabrielle in a messily designed but still rather plush corner of my heart. It remains an all too rare event when a television show revolves around that many (relatively) fully realized female characters and becomes a true cultural phenomenon. (The others: Sex and the City, Golden Girls, and, um…) Also, and this is probably more important, the show at its best was fun, a confection of soapy, sappy, silly, and sassy that felt unlike anything else on TV.

And then the second season began, with its deadly Betty Applewhite, locked-my-son-in-chains-in-the-basement storyline, and the air began to leak out of the balloon. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 6 2011 09:09 AM ET

Lucille Ball's 100th birthday: Blow out the candles with these classic clips

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Image Credit: Everett Collection

Lucille Ball would’ve turned 100 today, almost sixty years after I Love Lucy started cracking up TV viewers and never stopped. There isn’t much new to be said about Ball’s legacy: How she defined the modern sitcom, how she paved the way for every female comedy legend — from Mary Tyler Moore to Roseanne to Tina Fey — who came after her, how her show’s popularity has outlasted all its 1950s rivals (Gunsmoke, The Honeymooners) and is still a daytime TV staple around the world.

Instead, let’s let Lucy do the talking. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 5 2011 06:30 PM ET

Mark Wahlberg anoints Taylor Lautner as his heir apparent: Surely, you chest!

Better looking than Leonardo DiCaprio? More ripped than Mark Wahlberg? Leaps tall trees in a single lycanthropic bound? Look, at Table 6, blushing like a schoolboy! It’s Taylor Lautner! The Twilight star was anointed by Wahlberg himself at yesterday’s Hollywood Foreign Press Association luncheon that donated more than $1.5 million in grants to arts programs. The Entourage godfather quipped to his Departed co-star, “I am sitting at a table with a gentleman who is better looking than you and is in better shape than me. So we’re both out of a job, dude. Taylor Lautner! We’re screwed. It’s over, dude. Titanic and Boogie Nights were a long time ago. I accept it. I had a good run, and on to the next.” Watch the clip below: READ FULL STORY »

Aug 5 2011 05:44 PM ET

Dwayne Johnson tweets pictures of massive guns for 'G.I. Joe 2.' (Also shown, his weapons.)

Rock

Image Credit: via Twitter

If you were worried that Dwayne Johnson’s massive biceps in Fast Five would not be maintained, don’t. The actor has been sharing photos of himself training for G.I. Joe 2, and they are still freakin’ huge. (Unlike this photo, which we can legally only show at this size. Click here for the real deal.READ FULL STORY »

Aug 5 2011 01:58 PM ET

Dane Cook settles Louis C.K. joke-stealing feud on 'Louie'

Dane Cook guested on last night’s episode of Louis C.K.’s FX series Louie in a must-see for any devoted fan of stand-up comedy who followed the two comics’ passive-aggressive feud over joke-stealing. When Cook became a rock-star comic a few years back — in 2000 and six, according to Cook — insiders charged that a few of his jokes resembled bits from Louis C.K.’s act. The backlash was harsh, as Cook points out after Louis swallows his pride and asks his rival to help him secure Lady Gaga tickets for his daughter.

Cook doesn’t let him off easy, saying, “The one thing that really just gets to me is the whole thing about people saying I stole the joke about the itchy a–hole, because I get an itchy a–hole… a lot. So for you to think you’re the only person who got an itchy a–hole in America. I mean, that’s bulls—.” Watch the surreal, NSFW clip after the jump. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 5 2011 10:29 AM ET

The sounds of '90's nostalgia: 'Doug' never made me feel 'Beeeyouuuuuu'

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Image Credit: Everett Collection

Like Charlie Brown, Beaver Cleaver, and even Tom Sawyer before him, the most extraordinary thing about Doug Funnie was the fact that he wasn’t extraordinary at all. During his three years on Nickelodeon (and another three on Disney), Doug never got bitten by a radioactive spider or found an all-powerful amulet. He never stopped a speeding missile or solved a grisly murder — or even managed to grow a full head of hair. He was just a gawky 11-year-old boy growing up in the city of Bluffington (the Bumper Sticker Capital of the World!), playing with his dog Porkchop, eating Honker Burgers with his best pal Skeeter, and pining after the dreamy Patti Mayonnaise. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 5 2011 09:23 AM ET

Mary Murphy on 'SYTYCD': Sometimes it pays to be daring; sometimes not.

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Image Credit: Sergio M. Fernandez

The finale is here !!!! Wooohooooooooo!!!!

Talk about a season going FAST! I feel like the auditions were just yesterday. We have had so much fun watching all the talent. And fun at the judges’ table as well.

Speaking of judges, guest judge Christina Applegate was funny and so easy to get along with. I asked her what her favorite number of the night was, and she answered, hands down, it was Tyce Diorio’s contemporary starring Sasha with all-star Kent Boyd. This number had to hit home for so many of us, myself included. Most of us have a story from a time in our life where we have been put down or have had tremendous struggles. I can’t tell you how many times I have been knocked down and told I would not go anywhere in my life and that I’d be homeless if I ever left. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 5 2011 08:00 AM ET
Aug 4 2011 08:45 PM ET

'Big Brother': And the evicted contestant is... (Plus: The new twist!)

Filed under: TV and tagged:
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Image Credit: CBS

Jeff and Jordan, Brendon and Rachel; the twin Veteran couples have reigned over this season of Big Brother with an iron fist, winning challenges and picking off the Newbies one-by-one. But tonight, one of the Big Brother showmances will be torn asunder. Brendon and Jordan are sitting on the block — Jordan was nominated as a pawn after Brendon used his power of veto to rescue his lady love, Rachel. I’m betting that Brendon is on his way home — Jordan is, to all signs, one of the most adorably lovable players in the Big Brother game. Brenchel, for all their gameplay strength, have proven themselves to be awful campaigners when their backs are up against the wall. So the bigger question is: How will Rachel react to a Brendon-free existence? UPDATE: It’s official! The votes are in, and a new houseguest has been sent packing. To find out who’s going home, read on…(SPOILERS FOLLOW) READ FULL STORY »

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