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Archive: October 2011 (11-20 of 382)

Oct 31 2011 01:55 PM ET

Chris Rock on comedy tour with Dave Chappelle: 'Could happen...'

by Lanford Beard

Tags: Things That Are Awesome!, This Could Be Interesting...

Image Credit: Rob Kim/Getty Images

If this is some kind of joke, then — as a comedian — Chris Rock should know it’s not funny. The funnyman recently tweeted a link to an article about a possible comedy tour with Dave Chappelle, writing tersely, “Could happen…. ” Don’t tease us, Chris! Humor Mill says the two comics have been in New York prepping a show that, if it’s successful (and how would it not be), could lead to a full-blown tour. Nothing is confirmed yet, but this could be huge, don’t you think?

Are you stifling laughter just thinking about these two guys together, PopWatchers? Would you buy your ticket right this minute if you could? In a dream scenario, who do you think could be a perfect third man to round out the bill?

Oct 31 2011 01:30 PM ET

EW's Bite of the Night for Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011

by Lanford Beard

Tags: Bite of the Night, Bits and Bobs, Channel Surfing, Réalité, Reality TV, Ridiculata, Television, The Amazing Race, Reality TV, Television, TV

We at EW scoured the TV line-up last night to find the best one-liners from your favorite shows. Despite strong ratings for a second week running, the mythical folks of Once Upon a Time‘s Storybrooke, Maine, are slow out the gate for notable quotables. And if you’re expecting to get more than a “Rawwwwr” from those zombies on The Walking Dead… well… we wouldn’t advise you to hold your breath. Instead, it was the Amazing Racers’ trek to Malawi that netted last night’s most memorable moment. File under: “Just trying to make conversation!”

Want more? Read our recap!

Oct 31 2011 01:08 PM ET

'In Living Color' is coming back -- what '90s reboot do you want next?

by Lanford Beard

Tags: I Remember When It Used To Cost A Nickel, Nostalgia, Television, Who Else Remembers This?, You Know You're Getting Old When..., Television, TV

Image Credit: Nicola Goode/Fox

Now that we’re officially in the post-millennial aughts, all eyes have turned to the ’90s for artistic inspiration, it seems. Between the recent news that Fox is bringing back In Living Color, last week’s well-received return of Beavis and Butt-Head, and TeenNick’s decision to upgrade The ’90s Are All That block to primetime, it’s obvious there’s a huge appetite for ’90s content. In the spirit of Color‘s remake, we wondered: What other ’90s shows should be brought back?

Do you think there’s room in today’s line-up for a retread of classic sitcoms like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Mad About You? Maybe tweaking a classic family drama like Party of Five is what’s needed? Or do you have some hankering for local color à la Picket Fences and Northern Exposure? What about a gone-too-soon show that was great but never really got off the ground like My So-Called Life, Freaks and Geeks, or Twin Peaks? Tell us what you think — list your favorite shows in need of a reboot in the comments!

Oct 31 2011 01:00 PM ET

Famed 'Field of Dreams' baseball diamond sold, but will remain open

by Jeff Labrecque

Tags: Movies, Sports, Things That Are Classy, Movies

Image Credit: Everett Collection

Since Kevin Costner found himself taking orders from the corn in 1989′s Field of Dreams, the baseball field his character built in Iowa has become one of the state’s biggest attractions. Hundreds of thousands of people who were moved by the magical field’s nostalgic vapors mapped their cross-country trips through Dyersville, Iowa, in the hopes of connecting with Joe Jackson, their own fathers, or the simple restorative powers of the crack of the bat.

On Sunday, the family that’s owned the field and the nearby white farmhouse sold their entire 193-acre farm to a Chicago couple who intends to transform the site into a baseball academy with additional fields and indoor facilities, according to the New York Times. The new owners intend to preserve the historic field as it was, with Ray Kinsella’s first-base side bleachers, and hope to replicate actual Major League parks with other new fields. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 31 2011 12:35 PM ET

Steve Jobs' last words revealed in sister's eulogy

by Darren Franich

Tags: Apple, In Memoriam

Image Credit: David Paul Morris/Getty Images

At a memorial service earlier this month, novelist Mona Simpson delivered a touching eulogy for her late brother, Apple CEO and tech-entrepreneur rock god Steve Jobs, which has now been reprinted in its entirety by the New York Times. The eulogy discussed her relationship to her brother in depth. Since Jobs was given up for adoption after he was born, Simpson didn’t even know that she had a brother until she was 25, and her portrait of their friendship is often unbearably moving. Still, undoubtedly the most intriguing part of Simpson’s memoriam is her description of the final hours of Jobs’ life. Appropriately for the man who spent a lifetime streamlining technology, Jobs’ last words were simple, straightforward, and profound: “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.” (Yes, there’s already a website.)

Follow Darren on Twitter: @EWDarrenFranich

Oct 31 2011 12:10 PM ET

Beau Bridges to join 'How to Succeed in Business'

by Jeff Labrecque

Tags: Stage/Theater

Image Credit: Larry Marano/Getty Images

Beau Bridges will replace Tony-winner John Larroquette as J.B. Biggley in the Broadway production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It will be Bridges first appearance on Broadway in 38 years, since he starred in Who’s Who in Hell. “When the musical How to Succeed came my way, I jumped at the chance,” said Bridges, in a statement. “Samuel French recently published Acting: The First Six Lessons, a play I co-authored with my daughter Emily. We performed the play in Los Angeles for two months, and that experience reignited my desire to be on stage. I am very much looking forward to again spending time in the heart of New York City.”

Bridges will perform for six months, beginning Jan. 3. He will act opposite Darren Criss and Nick Jonas, who are both slated to take over the J. Pierrepont Finch role currently played by Daniel Radcliffe.

Oct 31 2011 11:06 AM ET

Twitter pays its respects to Harry Potter's parents on the anniversary of their death

by Aly Semigran

Tags: Harry Potter, In Memoriam, Movies, Things That Are Sad, Twitter, Why Am I Crying?, Movies

If you ever needed concrete proof that the Harry Potter saga and its characters (even the dead ones) will never really die, this might be it.

On Monday morning “RIP Lily and James Potter” became a trending topic on Twitter, commemorating what would mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Harry Potter’s parents.

The late couple, as we all know, died defending their infant child against He Who Must Not Be Named. Fans, who are planning a moment of Twitter silence at 3 p.m., posted messages like, “Thirty years ago today Lily and James sacrificed their lives so that their son, Harry, could live. RIP James and Lily Potter,” and “It’s 3 decades since his mother’s sacrifice saved Harry and caused the downfall of Lord Voldemort. RIP James and Lily Potter,” while another noted, “RIP James and Lily Potter, but also, happy birthday Peter Jackson! An eventful day for nerd history, Halloween is.” (Although The Roots drummer Questlove had a different outlook on the outpouring of grief on the social networking site, “”RIP James and Lily Potter” REASONS YOURE SINGLE.”)

While I’m not planning a vigil, Internet or otherwise, for James and Lily Potter (as Chandler Bing argued about the sadness over Bambi’s mom’s death, “Yes, it was very sad when the guy stopped drawing the deer“), it got me thinking about how often this sort of thing occurs with pop-culture enthusiasts. Are you planning on having a piece of anniversary cake to celebrate the nuptials (also 30 years ago!) of Luke and Laura on Nov. 17? Did you hang out by your local mall on Oct. 26 in the faint hope that the DeLorean would show up? On May 4 will you be buying little Cece Halpert something for her second birthday?

Are you mourning the death of Lily and James Potter today, PopWatchers? Which pop-culture anniversary do you acknowledge? Share in the comments section below!

Oct 31 2011 03:21 AM ET

'Dexter': What did you think of the season's first big shocker?

by Sandra Gonzalez

Tags: Dexter, Television, Television, TV

Image Credit: Randy Tepper/Showtime

There have been a few twists so far this season on Dexter, but all pale in comparison to the final scene of last night’s episode. [Don't read on if you haven't had a chance to check out the latest episode!] READ FULL STORY »

Oct 30 2011 10:00 PM ET

'The Walking Dead': Holy geez, can you believe [SPOILER]?!?!

by Darren Franich

Tags: The Walking Dead, TV

Image Credit: Gene Page/AMC

The latest episode of The Walking Dead was a pretty quiet outing, focusing for the most part on whispered conversations between the apocalypse survivors about the pros and cons of trying to go on living in a dead world. So it was particularly shocking when the episode ended with a such a bang — a big, somewhat shocking twist that pushed the show further into Lord of the Flies territory. Here’s what went down [SPOILER ALERT!!!] READ FULL STORY »

Oct 30 2011 09:00 AM ET

'Allen Gregory': Executive producer David A. Goodman answers seven Frequently Asked Questions

by David A. Goodman

Tags: About Last Night, Allen Gregory, Animation, Seth MacFarlane, Television, About Last Night, Television, TV

Image Credit: FOX

As the showrunner of Fox’s new animated sitcom Allen Gregory, I’m often asked many of same questions repeatedly, so I thought it might be helpful to take the opportunity to cover some of the most common areas of interest in an open, uncritical forum.

When you’re writing for Allen Gregory, do you write for a specific character?
All right, that’s a stupid question. Television sitcom writers get this question all the time. If you’re talking to a writer, and think to yourself, “I’m going to ask this question,” stop. They will politely answer it, but secretly think you’re a moron. Especially if you’re a relative of the writer but were never that interested in him until he got a TV job, which feels important to you even if you were hoping your son would get a PhD in something. Anyway, the answer to the question is no. It’s necessary for every writer to try to write for all the characters, because you’re telling a story. The dialogue you write for one character plays off the dialogue you write for the other characters, and moves the story along. Most shows couldn’t succeed if the head writer said, “Okay, writer No. 1, you’re writing for the star today, and you, writer No. 2, you’re writing for his buddy. Go!” I say “most shows” because I’m guessing this is how they did Entourage.

READ FULL STORY »