These shows have been announced as pick up before the upfronts tomorrow.



From TVweek.com:

FOX:
“Sarah Connor Chronicles” - Terminator spin off. Sound cool. I hope they give it a chance and that it's good.
“New Amsterdam” (about an immortal NYC homicide detective) oh, brother
“K-Ville” Starring Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser as cops in New Orleans after Katrina.
“The Return of Jezebel James” -
“Rules For Starting Over” Sex & the City with Men I give it less than 13 episodes

Kelsey Grammer’s “Back to You” - prob. very expensive. I say they keep it on all year no matter what. I would even guess they've already made a full season commitment.
“Til Death” escapes death, get it?


ABC:

“Cashmere Mafia,”
“Dirty Sexy Money,” With Peter Crouse and Donald Sutherland “Pushing Daises,”
“Women’s Murder Club,”
“Private Practice” – the soulless “Grey’s Anatomy” spin off should go on Fridays to capitalize the success of Grey's. It's a rerun night for ABC, why not use this show as a way in? Or put it at Mondays at 10 after Super Nanny and Wife Swap. Do whatever you want. Who listens to me anyway?
“Eli Stone”
“October Road” – not so good, but as soap dramas go, good enough. Leave it on Thursdays at 10. It works. Stop messing around with that time slot. It needs stability. Wait are we still talking about TV?
They also have “Men in Trees”

“Sam I Am,”
“Carpoolers” with the Very funny Jerry Minor.
“Cavemen”
“Notes From the Underbelly” renewed

Early word on Network pick ups

According to CNN all three Law and Orders will be back. The original LandO is back for an 18th season. Thank goodness! What would TNT show?
But wait! according to thefutoncritic.com Law and Order: Criminal intent will first play on the NBC/Universal owned USA Network. Then rerun on the NBC network. Backwards from the normal way. ABC did that with Monk - they passed on the show and then it became a hit on USA so they toook it weeks later. It didn't fly on the network.

From Thefutoncritic.com

"'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' is perfect for USA -- smart, character-driven programming that's already a proven hit with our viewers," said Bonnie Hammer, president of USA Network and SCI FI Channel. "It's also a blockbuster procedural, a terrific complement to the award-winning 'Monk' and last year's top-rated new show, 'Psych'. Combined with the powerhouse WWE and the rest of the network's dynamic slate, it ensures that USA will continue to dominate the cable landscape and remain #1."

ooof. The good news is that you stay on the air - bad news you follow "psych."

I wonder if everyone will come back.

Hollywood is filled with dreamers. I overheard (ease dropped on) two of them

Two guys in their mid- 40's. One guy sis pretty dirty.


Sad Guy in Shorts to Barista: I'm sorry to both you, but who is this music? Chuck Coltrane?

(At this point, I'm hooked)
--

Dirty guy to Sad Guy: You see I was screwed out of some stocks. I should have 20 grand, but I sold teh stocks and the company won't give me the money.
Sad Guy: I don't know i want to do better in life.
Dirty guy: are you appreciated or tolerated?
Sad: I don't know.
Dirty: you want to do better? Do you use the internet?
Sad: I go to the library. just to look up a couple of things...
Dirty: Ha, i can't do that. I have so many emails. this high (Shows with his hands)
Sad: Yeah.
Dirty: Do you have a computer?
Sad: No. I know I should get one...

It's a living.

Reviewing the reviewers.

Since Ebert has been off recovering for the past year- he's left us fans in the incapable hands of Richard Roeper. I was never a fan of his reviews. His penchant for liking movies that seem like they should be good, but are crap (The Family Stone) was a good balance to the talented Ebert.

Until Ebert gets better, they've had guest reviewers.
You can see the reviews on the website that strangely changed from ebertandroeper.com to atthemoviestv.com.


Now with Ebert gone, let's judge the some of the guest judges.

Guys who aren't film critics that like everything:
Fred Willard, the guy who was Egon in Ghost Busters and John Mellencamp. Fred and the other actor guy were too nice. They knew the people who made the films so they couldn't be critical. Although Fred is the funniest guy around. Just too nice. Not a bad thing. I love that guy.


John Cougar took a home spun approach to reviewing. He was your grandmother who didn't want to say anything bad because it isn't nice to judge people who went out and did something.
Mellencamp couldn't say a bad word about a film. Maybe he thought he was being olite to a fellow artist - but the art of this show is to be critical. I felt like my aunt Ruth was reviewing my 4th grade play.


Roeper was both scared and being polite. He tried to agree with Cougars crazy excuses for a review. Cougar was upset that Richard compared Anthony Hopkins' performance as a killer in fracture with his famous "Silence of the Lambs" character. John's argument was you can't compare a new album from an artist with one of his old ones...Are we talking about something else?

Kevin Smith did a good job each time he was on the show. But he's one guy who should not throw stones. Oh, don't tell me you like his films. And won't even pretend that you liked "Chasing Amy."

Smith on Half Nelson "this movie pops, pops in a big bad way." "I watched it and said wow, I'm a film maker doing it for 12 years now..."

It's also funny to watch Roeper biting his tongue, b/c he thinks Smith sucks.




On the other hand, actress Aisha Tyler was great. She really understood moives and wasn't afraid to be critical - which helps you as a guest critic. But she went on and on about kung fu movies every time she was on. Ok, we get it. But sill I always like when she's on the show.



Who is this person and why are you making Roeper look like he knows what he's doing?
Kim Morgan who was credited being from MSN. You mean the search engine? They also plugged her blog at the end of the show. I don't mind someone from the web, but she was pretty dumb.

One comment on youtube said she should have her own show because she's so hot...I agree. But not reviewing movies. Can give legal advice? Talk politics? Give medical tips?

"
People I liked, Liz Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weakling, "Wait, Wait Don't tell me..." host Peter Sagal (Although seeing his voice come from his mouth was strange)and someone who's last n Thompson.

David Edelstein - Good, closest thing to having Roger back. A real reviewer with real knowledge - nice balance to Roper.


Wesley Morris - from the Boston Globe. He wore a suit with a loose tie and sneakers. You are not that young. fix yourself up! your on the TV! He did dress better than Kevin Smith. But that's not saying much. as for his reviews: If you live in Boston, you must see a lot of bad movies. Made Roeper look good.

Govindini Murty - couldn't separate fiction from reality. Didn't like that the kids in "Alpha Dog" ( a movie about bad kids and what it does to good people) were made to look good, just because they were on the screen. She thought they were being glamorized. Even though the movie shows how everyone's lives were ruined by them.
* George Pennacchio - Home town guy. Embarrassing.


John Ridley - good. i know he had a short lived review show on AMC, but I don't know what his qualifications are. Sorry that guy stole your script.


Anne Thompson - liked. Another real reviewer.

Mario Van Peebles - Crazy, looney, whacky. You have to find it. He rambled on and made no sense. Roeper just sat there and agreed with him. What else can you do?


But A.O. Scott is best guy for the show for my money (Also Aisha Tyler, but she's a busy actress). He's smart and a real reviewer. It's funny to watch him start out nervous a year ago to cool and calm now.

As an academy member, every year around this time it's Christmas for TV shows. Everyday my mail box is stuffed with new and different TV shows in different packaging all looking for my attention. Back in the old days before everyone had a DVD player, you'd get huge boxes of VHS tapes. The best part was you always had blank tapes around to record something. The only thing crappy DVDs are good for is equally crappy coasters.

It's hard to say that if I'll watch all of them. It is hours and hours of TV time. It does help to know these things are out. The ones that I feel like I should vote on I'll watch. I'm not qualified to vote on all categories.

Plus you never know when you are having company. I don't like rings on the coffee table.


Here are some of the packages I've received so far...




HBO fit it's original shows, specials and concerts neatly in this huge box that stays together with a very powerful magnet. There was a documentary in it I wanted to watch. Saw it. Now I can vote on it. Thank goodness.


FOX sent all of it's big dramas in one box.




Each show only got one episode. Which is not a great idea since 24 and Prison Break are serialized shows. you might want to fork over a couple of episodes to get people hooked.





Showtime put all their shows in a neat little hat box.







Comedy Central sent one or two episodes of their shows all in the same box. Except for Sarah Silverman Program. That was sent by itself last month. That's the show that has the best chance of getting nominated. Also we might get to hear Jon Stewart be condescending and ungrateful again whene he is force to get up and accept another statue. The nerve of the academy!




TNT put all of it's shows in one booklet. The Closer won for best actress last year, so it has the best chance of winning this year. They put all the eps in this booklet along with all the eps of their Steve King mini series "Nightmares &/or Dreamscapes."


They also for some reason put in the silly "Librarian."




This takes away from my own TV time. What can I say, I love me some "Wings."

Here's Halle Berry getting her star on the Hollywood walk of fame on Monday from Hollywood's honorable and shy mayor Johnny Grant.

that's right Johnny, girls are icky.

How "october road." must have been pitched...

NBC gives away the results to the Apprentice!

Yes I'm the last guy to watch the show. I still watch it. But last night I missed it and thought since I was early to work, I'll catch up on NBC.com rewind. On the Apprentice page---they have a big sign with who was voted off!

Whyhave a site for people to come and see the show if they missed it or not watching it on TV and then tell the ending?!?!??

It's All Bad: 2006 Bad Movie wrap-up

Four years ago, we began covering the Razzie race as a parody of Entertainment Weekly's coverage of the Oscars. We know now the parody was never funny, but that won't stop us from handicapping this year's nominees.

Full list of nominees here. The Razzies wisely dropped their new category, Tiresome Tabloid Targets (sorry, Kramer) and replaced it with the Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment.

- Media Yenta's Unemployed Brother.

Who will win?

Wicker Man. Director Nick LaBute spent any remaining capital eked from initial films like In the Company of Men with this misguided remake of a furry favorite. Never remake any film classic starring Michael York, let alone one with an overrated theme song. Here's the low-lights.

Nominated for: Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Screen Couple (Nicolas Cage "& His Bear Suit"), Worst Remake.

Will win: Screen Couple, Worst Movie, Worst Actor, Worst Remake.

Basic Instinct 2. Let's face it, this movie was a gift to the Razzie Academy.

Nominated for: Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Sharon Stone), Worst Screen Couple ("Sharon Stone's Lop-Sided Breasts"), Worst Director (Michael Caton-Jones), Worst Supporting Actor (David Thewlis), Worst Sequel.
Will win: If the Razzies are lazy, then this will sweep all, cheating Nic Cage and his bear suit.

Little Man. Semi-sequel to White Chicks. What's next, Gypsy Lepers? (Memo to Wayans: Gypsy Lepers, my idea).

Nominated for: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Marlon and Shawn), Worst Screen Couple (Shawn Wayans & "EITHER Kerry Washington OR Marlon Wayans"), Worst Remake (rip-off of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, apparently), Worst Director (Keenan Ivory Wayans), Worst Screenplay.
Will win: Could nab Remake, upsetting Wicker Man. Shawn's acting could cement Worst Couple nominee, denying it to bear suit and lop-sided breasts.

Lady in the Water. As if Basic Instinct 2 wasn't enough classic crap for the year. This movie is so bad, a book decrying its shittiness was published weeks before its release. A "fairy tale for grown-ups"? Pass -- bad enough I had to pretend to enjoy Pan's Labyrinth.
Nominated for: Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay.
Will win: Screenplay is M. Night Shyamalan's to lose. As for Supporting Actor, he is a giant among fellow noms Danny DeVito and Martin Short.

Tim Allen. Nominated Worst Actor for three movies: The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, The Shaggy Dog, and Zoom. Remember Zoom, the teenaged superhero movie?

Who should win?

Nacho Libre. This summer flick started its ad campaign early. Every bus, magazine and street poster had Jack Black as a Mexican wrestler on it. Then it was released on DVD and the horrible ads were back. Honestly the comedy is so disconnected, detached, and as ironic as a Hallmark card, I could only watch in five-minute clumps. Then I gave up. Like Three Amigos, it tries to parody Mexico by having everyone speak English in a funny accent. Nominated for: nada.

Horror Movies. Shit sells. Or at least that's what a precocious child whispered to me while staring at the walls.

Everything nominated for Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment. Congrats to Deck The Halls, Garfield 2: A Tail Of Two Kitties, RV, Santa Clause 3, and The Shaggy Dog!

Here's to 2007 and the release of Uwe Boll's Postal. In the meanwhile, the 2006 Razzie winners will be announced Saturday, Feb. 24th.

Lover/astronaut Lisa Nowak and host and Daily Show host Jon Stewart.

Just saying...

Google Ad Sense made too much sense:

My friend from college's father died last month. He wrote about the last day with his father and how much he meant to him. I met his father a few times and knew my buddy always wanted his dad's approval and that he's dad was always beeming with pride when I saw them together. To read that his father called him out of the blue a month before his sudden death to tell him how much he loved him was amazing.

It was good to read that his entire family, including ex-wives and step parents were there bedside for his last moments.

The comment section was filled with readers of his blog and friends wishing him well and telling stories of their own loss. It was really touching to see people open up about their private pain like that. It gave them a chance to share this experience with someone.

Just before the comment section was a "Google Ads" banner with a link to sympathy cards. Way to go. The Google Ads is supposed to have some great spy like technology that can sense what the blog is about and then try to sell someone the reader would be interested in.

here's a website tells you what you need to know to be an extra in a movie.

It's filled with so much good information- It even has the current date in the corner.

So if you wan to be walking in teh background of some film or want to be yelled at by a 2nd, 2nd, 2nd AD who's nervouse this gig will cost him his career - then this is teh place for you.