Too much publicity:

In showbiz some stars get all the press. Jen (Aniston or Lopez) can't buy a cup of coffee without it ending up on a cover of Us Weekly. More details about Tom and Katie's baby has been released than facts on the latest Bush war. Jon Stewart has become bigger news than the news he's lampooning.

Stewart has appeared on tons of magazine covers and all the news shows. Publicity is good for Stewart's "The Daily Show." Reminding the public that it's relevant and they really should catch the show that night.

But last week, the Comedy Central publicity machine stepped way over the line.

On Monday, a horrible thing happened when a staff member took his own life. One can only imagine the pain that his family, friends and co workers are going through.

An item appeared on the news wires and around the world regarding why there would be not show shot on Monday. The article published the name of the deceased and that he took his own life. It also mentioned that the Comedy Central sent in a grief consoler - showing that they are a sensitive company that's not afraid to tell the Drudge Report or any other news outlet that's willing to follow it up with "Mondays- Thursdays at 11 PM."

The gentleman who took his life was neither a celebrity nor a politician. There was no reason that the public needed to know that a private citizen had passed away or how it happened. This is the sickest use of the press as a publicity machine and Comedy Central show apologize to the victim’s family - privately.

From Cynopsis.com





Court TV will produce its first original scripted series, and has ordered a pilot from theatrical film producer John Waters called 'Til Death Do Us Part (produced by KaBoo Prods). The show is a dramatization of real cases of spousal murder, according to Hollywood Reporter. Each episode begins at the doomed couple's wedding, where Waters himself plays the role of the Groom Reaper, setting the scene for the viewer (a la Rod Serling in Twilight Zone). Assuming all goes to plan, Court TV expects to order 12 episodes, and begin airing after the first of the year.


Isn't it great when you can take someone's true murder and make it campy fun?!?!?!
WHAT A STEAMING PILE OF POMPOUS CRAP!

Why do people keep giving John Waters money to do anything? He did one commercial hit film 25 years ago.

people: stop giving him and Eric Schaffer money for movies or shows. And Kevin Smith for that matter. But KS makes money and for some reason the kids love him. Like he's Woody Allen (70's and early 80's Allen not creepy post "husband and Wives" married his daughter Allen.)

OK NBC!There's a movie star in your show. We get it.

NBC has been banging the drum loudly to anyone who'd hear it that movie star STEVE CARELL stars in THE OFFICE (Tuesdays 9:30 after the baffling My name is Earl).

In the ads for the 40 Year old Virgin they'd plug his TV show. After the movie became #1, NBC went nuts reminding people that he's on their network too. We get it.


But I still ain't watching that boring show. I like dry, slow humor. I don't need to be knocked in the head to laugh, but I find this show boring. Plus I can't watch it for moral reasons. I refuse to watch any scripted show that has characters doing confessionals like it's MTV Real World. It's lazy writing. Reality shows need it in case they don't have the footage and no time to doctor it.


I can barely stand narration. I hate confessionals in reality shows because most of the time they tell you what you just saw. What are you confessing? I saw it!

I digress. The Office is still not funny. And yes Steve Carell was great in the 40YOV. But that still doesn't mean I want to watch that boring show. PLUS! America agrees with me. The ratings aren't that great. the lead in "My name is Earl" is pulling some numbers but people aren't sticking around for free Steve.

Basically American is saying, "I'll get in my car and pay $10 to see Steve Carell in some movie with a weak premise and enjoy it, but watching 'The Office,' which comes on right after a show I watch anyway, is just too much to ask.

Despite low ratings, NBC picked up the show for the rest of the year.

I can't help but assume that Carell and his agents are dying for the show to end so he can take more films.

Maybe NBC doesn't want to be accused of pulling a Tom Hanks. Networks have cancelled shows just before an actor from that show broke out into a movie star.

Examples:

Tom Hanks was in "Bosom Buddies" which was cancelled just before "Splash!" and "Bachelor Party." They made up for it by pushing the reruns.



Same with the Wayans Bros. That show was cancelled just before mega hit "Scary Movie." The WB network was forced to plug the reruns too.

"The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" ran it's course and most likely was ready to end, just before we entered the Willenium.

NBC went out of their way to avoid that situation when the co star of "Mad About You" and almost movie star Helen Hunt was up for an Oscar. The day of the big awards, the network and her people were mad about money for the next season. She got $1 million an episode and since Paul Reiser's contract had them at equal rates, he too got $1 million. $2 Million to start for a show that was losing steam. The ratings that year were terrible.

So crow all you want NBC, I ain't buying.

Wheaton beats Alba; again.

In a strange twist of fate, former "Angel" Alba gets knocked out by a bunch of space pirates for the second time.

Years ago Jessica Alba was the star of "Dark Angel" a show that started with promise, but ended in a wimper. With crappy ratings and a diva star, FOX was on the fence about renewing. Finally they decided to replace the show with something from the creator of "Buffy."

That show was "Firefly" a show about a bunch of space pirates and Ron Glass' afro. The show was quickly cancelled due to low ratings and good writing.

Writing so good in fact, that fans of the show multiplied after it's death and DVDs were (fire)flying off the shelves. So Joss Wheaton, creator, decided to take it one step further than just going back on the air like "Family Guy" he went full out and made a movie.

After Dark Angel, Jessica took a slow rise to movie star. With a couple of bumps (Honey and well, Honey) she hit it big as 1/4th of the Fantastic Four.

"I showed them," she must have said to her assistant while sitting at her pool and reading through panphlets on Kabala and other religions courting her since her "A list" status, "Those Fireflies can kiss my $4 million a movie ass.* That show is history and I have a film career." Then she asked her assistant if she had read amy good books lately. "Does Us magazine count?" Luckily for the assistant, in LA it does. In fact My book group is reading this week's Star. I have to have it done by Thursday. What a drag. If anyone knows the highlights, please tell me.

Today, Jessica Alba is the "it" girl and in the new movie about something or other, "Into the Blue." This movie comes out the same weekend as "Serenity" the "Firefly" movie. Who wins? Ron Glass' 'fro.


Serenity came in second in box office molla and Alba's film just "Blue."

1. Flightplan - $15 million. (No one warns their friends about bad movies?)

2. Serenity - $10.1 million.

3. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride - $9.8 million.

4. A History of Violence - $8.2 million. (I saw this last week. I'm still not sure if it was good. Crazy sex scenes and over the top violence held together with an unbelievable plot.)

5. Into the Blue - $7 million.

I wonder if Serenity 2: The Wrath of Wojo will open the same weekend of her next action film. Or maybe her obligatory rehab movie. Or her movie about fun loving sisters.


(* I have no idea how much she makes.)

Stop cursing! Comics step on their own punchlines.

Attention late night cable comedy hosts.

Watch your mouth!

David Spade and DL Hughley both experienced comics and hosts of their own shows. During the punch lines they curse. A "shit" or "Mother Fucker" to sprinkle the punch. But it's TV so it gets bleeped. Then you can't hear the joke. There's a bleep. You take time to craft a joke, write a set up and then boom "BLEEP!" Thanks for ruining the joke.

This isn't the Osborn's, it isn't funnier to hear the bleep. Cut it out.

ABC NEWS-ISH

I'm watching Primetime LIVE with Diane Sawyer - respected journalist. She's interviewing George Clooney who made a movie about Edward R. Murrow.

DIANE SAWYER - (Voice Over) So we wondered how would Murrow, the crusader, feel about television news today?

GEORGE CLOONEY - Nowadays it's car chases. You know, local news. We love car chases. There is no news value in that.

DIANE SAWYER - (Off Camera) Would you ever put "Brad Pitt marries Angelina Jolie" in any broadcast?

GEORGE CLOONEY - Entertainment shows, sure. If I, you know, gave birth to a goat, it should be on an entertainment show. I think that -which, by the way, has never happened.

Why is a journalist asking a movie star if he would put an entertainment story on news show. He says no - but on an entertainment show. This is a news show. Why is a real journalist on a real news show asking a movie actor if he would do a fluff piece on a news show during a news show doing a fluff piece.

The answer is Yes.


DIANE SAWYER - What do you think about Murrow's accommodations? He did person- to-person entertainment show to keep the money coming in.

What do you think of it? You're doing it now!

Here are some more hard hitting questions.

DIANE SAWYER

(Off Camera) Okay. You can answer these or not answer these.

GEORGE CLOONEY

All right. I'm going to answer them all.

DIANE SAWYER

(Off Camera) Okay, here we go. Blonde or brunette, skinny or curvy?

GEORGE CLOONEY - Blonde or brunette? I have no preferences.

DIANE SAWYER - (Off Camera) The thing you're most shy about?

GEORGE CLOONEY - A room full of strangers always still.

DIANE SAWYER - (Off Camera) Last time you cried in a movie?

GEORGE CLOONEY - It was -I think it was at the premiere of "Solaris."For those of you who don't know, since probably no one does, that was a film I was in. I don't know. God, that's tough to think. "Terms of Endearment," you know. Big sappy movie. She brings the little kid in, you're like ...

DIANE SAWYER - (Voice Over) And when you get to heaven, what will be the sign that it really is heaven? What do you know for sure will be there?

GEORGE CLOONEY - If you get to heaven, it will be Rosemary sitting there singing with Nat Cole playing the piano.

Thoughts on the Emmys:

Last night, coming out of comercials and just before the segment where teh best dramtic actress is announced, they had a promo for the news. "tonight's Emmy winners" and they showed Patricia Arquette, the extra large Medium. Thanks.
How did she beat Glenn Close?


why was every late night host there but Jimmy Kimmel?
How much did Carson hate Jay if Letterman did a tribute and Leno was no where to be found? He did take the torch. "If Carson was alive today, he'd say, "Fuck that long chinned fuck."

The Scottich host of the late late show guy was unfunny and smug. Stepped on his own joke.

The news anchor thing was great. If not just for the Jennings tribute. All three men were forced out. one by age, one by scandal and the other by death. You pick which one.
Dan Rather keeps talking about having America's trust. He don't. He shouldn't.
It was cool that Lost won (get it). I hope it doesn't suck this year.
"Everybody love Raymond" won for best comedy. the cast looked like they would kill Raymond. "one more year!" Why did Brad Garret win and not Peter Boyle?
HBO might have the best shows and movies but who saw "Warm Springs?" "Empire Falls?" or SHowtime's movie about men of the cloth that love to love too much?
When will the Wire win everything?

From the Programing INsider at Mediaweek.com:

Insomniacs, Take Note:
GSN will remember Bob Denver this Friday, Sept. 9 with episodes of Beat the Clock and Password from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m.

Oh, that's a bold move.

"For all that Bob Dever gave us, please have your family join our family for a special tribute in the middle of the night when no one is watching anyway. Good nite little buddy."

"WORK!"

Early review

NEW FOX SHOWS:
"The War at Home" has Michael Rappaport as a Archie bunker type dad with teenagers. Of course they have three kids. All sitcom families have to have 3 kids. This time it's two boys and a girl. With the way youger kid being a boy. All sitcom families have the "change of Life" baby. As is 90% of sitcom wives, this one is blonde. Exceptions include "Everyone Loves Raymond" and most black family sitcoms. (The one show about an inter racial marriage had a black husband and a blond wife.)


If they put no laugh track what so ever, it would look like it was a smarter show. People would see it as a ballsy move like with "Arrested Development" or "Berni Mac." They could've push this show off as a smart look at families by just getting rid of the laugh track all together. The Lafftrack just makes the show look stupid, so bad that they had to tell people when to laugh.
The show is funny, but with the laugh track it has the feel of one of FOX's old loud sitcoms.

If Bernie Mac was a brightly lit show with a sreaming audience, no one would praise it. Same show, different feel.

The show does have funny moments. I laughed out loud twice, which is a lot for 30 minutes. But the laugh track is out of control. it's so loud, my neighbors asked me to turn it down. They are hitting the floor boards. Wow. I was shocked that it was funny since they jacked up the laughter.

At first you just see the father doing Bernie Mac type narration for the show. He's standing in front of a white background and they add clever touches. But then you learn that everyone gets a narration. Whenever the plot allows or a joke can be had, you see a character in a confessional type situation. This would be an orginal take ona sitcom if it wasn't sone on every reality show on E! and every where else. It makes me nuts to see it. Just let the plot run without interuptions. But luckily it's used to make jokes andnot to tell the viewer of what they just saw.

The show is funny, but with the laugh track it has the feel of one of FOX's old loud sitcoms.

If it's on, watch it. But I wouldn't tell anyone about it.

"Over There" a drama set in a war that we are
currently fighting.
The show did really well, but not for me...

I'm not interested in watching a show about the war we are in right now. It might be too soon to put it on.

If I want a fictionalize version of the events in Iraq, I'll turn on Fox News.

It'll be strange to wait every week to see what romances evolve or what the
"bitch" or "jerk" is going to say. It's not Dynasty, it's war. If someone throws a glass of wine on someone else I'm leaving. People have children and sposes
over there, they don't need a reminder. And who knew everyone who fights is so good looking. I would've been 4f'ed. Only able bodies and models to fight.

What's the point of view? M*A*S*H was a jab at the Vietnam war set in the Korean war.

Is anyone else bothered by this? FX is plugging it like it's a great service, showing us that war is hell. Thanks. I had no idea.

It's a strange time with new things coming out about the war to do a show about it.

there were complaints from the FDNY about another FX show "Rescue Me" a show I watch religiously. they complained that the characters are flawed. Dennis Leary is an alcoholic that's sleeping with his wife's cousin. Sure, it's TV! It makes great drama.

I don’t want to watch a show about a guy driving a truck, opening a hydrant putting out a fire, getting back into the truck and going to the station house to
whip up some ziti. Besides Randolph Mantooth, who cares?

For Over There" to be a compelling drama, it needs to have flawed characters. I'm not sure if we are ready to see our heroes in a dim light.

TV tried before to a war TV show. Tour of Duty on CBS was a Vietnam show that followed a platoon. It went on the air after Hollywood's string of Vietnam War films.
The good, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, Gardens of Stones and a list of others.

The TV show didn't make it to a full season. I guess people didn't want to see the war in their living rooms again.

FX is flaunting Steven Bocho's name around like it's a golden pinata. As if to say, "This guy knows about war, he did Doogie Hoiser." great the creator of Cop Rock.

He's great and by using his name, it creates trust that he won't fust too much with the events of the war.

FX trying to be HBO. After The first season of the Sopranos everyone was running wild. FX made a play to go from the man's channel to a free HBO.

The advantage HBO has is that they only need on hit show to make the channel profitable. You pay them the same amount if you watch one show or every showing of
"Ready to Rumble" or "Boat Trip" they have.

FX needs to fill 24 hours and 7 days to make a profit.

Man Show Host tells out of line reporter to shove it.
Comment below.
From:« Bourdain Confidential »

July 16, 2005
Adam Carolla, Outta Controla


Adam Carolla, forced to appear in front of a room full of people he loathes for the second time this week. He was here two days ago for his Comedy Central show "Too Late With Adam Carolla," debuting in August. I missed that session, but it must not have gone well, because in the middle of the press conference for his TLC show "The Adam Carolla Project," due Oct. 5 at 10, kid had a meltdown.


After he said that, all someone had to do was ask the former co-host of "The Man Show" and "Loveline" about a failed sitcom that apparently never happened...and, as
you can read here, the session quickly tumbled south.

"Hold on. Listen, why don't you just go to the bar, write whatever
(expletive) you're going to write. Just write the show sucks and I'm using
my own money and I'm -- just go and write it now and leave me alone, would
you? Jesus Christ!" he yelled.

"Write something (expletive) about the show and give the mike to someone
else, please. I don't care if any of you like the show. It's going to be a
great show, and you'll just be wrong. Everyone hated 'The Man Show,' and
everyone had a problem with 'Loveline.'"

Actually, I wanted to tell him I liked "Loveline," but by then the lunatic
was on a roll. "Everyone has a problem with everything I do, but the shows
are good. So there you go. Thank you. Thank you! Oh, 'The Man Show,' minus
four stars, minus three stars, I got minus a million stars! You look up at
night when you're in Colorado, that's how many stars I got minus! Fine! The
shows go on! Everyone likes the shows!"

Then a Discovery executive must have hit him with a tiny tranquilizer dart,
because he calmed back down to his usual level of surliness and started
ragging on Ty Pennington.

Better Ty than me, I say.
Posted by Melanie McFarland at July 16, 2005 07:59 PM

---------------------------------------------------------------
Carolla is right. the reporter was there to write a fluff piece about his show. Teh reporter (who we'll call "Bob")was sent there to promote his show. Why bring up his failed TV show? What does that get her? "Yeah, it sucked. so instead of making $400,000 a week I get $1,000 for two shows."

Why do that? Everyone in Hollywood has failed projects. It's a numbers game. This is LA, not Nebraska, she should know that.

I never heard of a Carolla sitcom. It's not liek it was a flop of Joey (just wait) proportions. It quietly went away. He had a sitcom deal that went away, so what? It's news in Hollywood if someone didn't.

Should Adam have talked about the Bob's failed marriage? Or the fact that Bob was fired from her last job? (I don't know if it's true.)

That's the problem with entertainment publications, like say EW (Pronounced "ew"), they try to be edgy and political about something that just is what it is.

Why go to a place where you are expected to write about a show and then bring up the guy's failures? It's rude. What paper did Bob write for anyway? The Star? Or in Adam's case the Negetive Star?

Was it a case of a bored reporter looking for a story?

Adam isn't running for president. We don't need to know his past.

Buy yourself a Peabody and an Emmy.

Why stuggle and work your way up to a job at a well respect place like the Daily Show, when you can take a class and get the job when you getgraduate?

May 18, 2005
Classes at The PIT will get you on The Daily Show, says The PIT

"PIT Student Hired at The Daily Show!"


PITizen Rachel Axler was recently hired as a writer on The Daily Show
with Jon Stewart. After taking "Writing for The Daily Show" with PIT
faculty member (and Daily Show writer) J.R. Havlan, her work was read
by the producer that reviews submissions for the show. On May 2nd, her
first day on the job, she joined PITizen Bob Wiltfong as a member of
The Daily Show staff. Congratulations Rachel! To find out more about
"Writing for The Daily Show" and other PIT classes, visit our classes
page.

------------

This is crazy. You can't go to a school and be promised a job at a fancy place writing comedy; unless you go to Harvard.

Yes, That Byron Allen


Talk show host Byron Allen is making a play to buy Paxson Communication's PAX TV with an offer of $2.2 billion in cash. Cash? Yes, according to www.cynopsis.com cash. He wants to have an "African American-oriented network including some of the network's current family-focused programming."



Who's this guy?
You know the guy who interviews people at 3 AM? Amazing. Where did he get that kind of money? You know when you stumble home at 3 AM and turn on the TV and there's that guy again talking to a bored celebrity? That guy is buying a network. Ain't showbiz grand!


A short history of the black Barry Diller:
He's a comic that was a host on Real People back in the Go-Go 80's. Then he had a weekly syndicated talk show, "The Byron Allen Show." I'm guess somewhere between not being able to book guests and not wanting to pay for a studio audience or writers, they started do press junkets. Like you see on the evening news. Free sit-down interviews that are paid for by the movie studio so the local news or cable station or ET can show 2 minutes of their star answering the same question for the 1,000th time and trying to look like they remember the reporter from the last time they did one of these.

It's brilliant. For years he's been taking interviews and footage he got for free and stringing them into a show. No over head. It's like having a store and just selling promotional items...and charging.

Then a few years ago his catalogue of free interviews was "bought" by a company "Entertainment Studios (.com)." I use the literal air quotes because I've never heard of the company before and it seems to just have old interviews and sell the products people are hawking. Brilliant! if you are promoting a CD, why not sell it too?

I think he started the site. He also spun off his show that's usually burned off at the wee hours in the morning into three shows that stations have to buy in order to get some other show they want.

The show:
It can get painful. He gets the biggest names, But sometimes it feels more like he's taking them hostage than interviewing them.

Now he's looking to have his own TV network. It's going to be a shock when he realizes he needs to pay for content. He might have enough archives of his own show to fill a 24 hour network.

But it's ambitious. Starting an African American network. Not Cable channel, but a seventh network. Remember, PAX was started as a "family network" and it's folding. Theses two idea are based on what the owners want there to be on TV not what the public is demanding. No one was demanding a family network.

There are many choices for African American networks, BET, MBC (run by another black comic Robert Townsend) and there's one more...I can't remember...because I just can't! And the pay movie channel, Black Stars.

Then there's the matter of programing.
It's hard enough to get Black programing on TV. It's not like you're going to get a lot of old shows. Where are you going to find repeats? Of what?

MBC shows "Rock Live." That's nothing to build a network on. And Black Stars will show some popular black movies, independent black films, lesser know black film, unknown black films and finally films with possible one black guy in it.
BET with all it's money behind it, just started showing less videos and more shows.

Since it's going to be the Byron Allen Network, will it only air at 3 AM and plug movies?