Don’t Knock the Hustle
HBO’s hip series How to Make It in America is in the middle of its long-awaited and very strong second season. The show is a snapshot of young ambition and energy in NYC – it follows Ben and Cam, aspiring clothing designers as they try to launch their line, and their network of friends. (HBO Sunday nights, from executive producer Mark Wahlberg)
Here are 5 reasons to tune in…
1. Kappo
Eddie Kaye Thomas plays David “Kappo” Kaplan, a nerdy high school classmate of Ben’s who’s hit it big in hedge funds. He’s at once desperate for Ben’s friendship and also trying to be as cool as he perceives Ben and Cam to be. You know Thomas best from his role as Finch in the American Pie franchise.
2. Music
From the opening credits, which features the song “I Need A Dollar” by Aloe Blacc, music supervisor Scott Vener (aka Broke Mogul, also behind the sounds of Entourage) establishes the soundtrack as a pitch perfect balance between the gritty streets of the Lower East Side, and Cam and Ben’s big time dreams of making it.
3. Victor Rasuk as Cam Calderon
He started as Ben’s sidekick but as season two unfolds, he’s evolved, partly inspired by his crush on friend and shop-owner Lulu. As he gets out from underneath the reign of his neighborhood kingpin coustin Rene (played by Luis Guzman), he gets his own place (see #5) and he proves his metal as a hustler worthy of Ben’s artistic talents.
4. Lake Bell
Her character Rachel Chapman started as the typical recent ex-girlfriend of Ben, but this season has evolved into a more complicated woman, hooking up with their mutual friend, dogwalker/pot pusher Domingo (played by Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi).
5. New York City
Not since Sex And the City has New York been such a powerful character in an HBO show. The city comes alive in all the ways that SATC, especially when Cam finally scores his own apartment, a vast improvement from his childhood bedroom that had a view of the dumpster-lined alley. His new pad has a terrace and views of the East River, a gem in the Harlem projects.
Why do you watch How To Make It in America?
Grab The Remote – It’s Fall!
Fall is my favorite time of year… the leaves start fading into beautiful autumnal hues, day trips for apple and pumpkin picking, and — most importantly – a new crop of TV shows are ready to delight audiences. Here’s a roundup of what I’ll be watching this fall.
Ringer – CW, Tuesdays at 9pm starting 9/13
Sarah Michelle Gellar makes her triumphant return to the small screen in this drama about a woman who, after witnessing a murder, goes on the run, hiding out by assuming the life of her wealthy identical twin sister after she disappears – only to learn that her sister’s seemingly perfect life is more complicated and dangerous than meets the eye. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect vehicle for SMG, I don’t know what you all are waiting for.
2 Broke Girls – CBS, Mondays at 8:30pm starting 9/19 (series premiere is at 9:30pm, before returning to regular slot on 9/26)
Kat Dennings finally gets her own show. You may know Dennings from her roles as brooding, sexed up teens in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist. The show’s about two down-and-out waitresses – one from humble background (Dennings) and the other cut off from her wealthy family (relative newcomer Beth Behrs) – who work at a Brooklyn restaurant in hopes of saving up to open their own cupcake shop. Let’s hope the creators Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City creator) and comedian Whitney Cummings can deliver.
New Girl – Fox, Tuesdays at 9pm starting 9/ 20
Zooey Deschanel is invading our living rooms weekly! After a surprise breakup with her model boyfriend, she eventually finds a new place to stay when she moves in with three single guys, who try to teach her a thing or two about men and love.
Whitney – NBC, Thursdays at 9:30 starting 9/22
Chelsea Handler-regular Whitney Cummings stars in this eponymous comedy about a happy, committed relationship that’s not on the fast track to marriage. As Whitney takes stock of the relationship, she tries some unusual ways of spicing it and seeks help from friends around her.
Pan Am — ABC, Sundays at 10p starting 9/25
A stylized, sexy show about flight attendants and pilots in the ‘60s, starring Christina Ricci. The women are newly empowered in the feminist movement sweeping the country and they’re looking for the opportunity to see the world and grab it by the balls.
Hart of Dixie – CW, Mondays at 9pm starting 9/26
A medical drama about a NYC doc (Rachel Bilson) who lands in backcountry Alabama when she can’t find a job. Exec producer is Josh Schwartz, the man behind the O.C., Gossip Girl, and Chuck.
Terra Nova – Fox, Mondays at 8pm starting Sep. 26 (first episode is 2 hours)
This is more of a TV event than another Fall show. From Spielberg and Peter Chernin comes an epic story taking place in the year 2149. Life on Earth is near extinction and, in an effort to save the human race, scientists develop a time machine that takes settlers 85 million years back in time to prehistoric Earth. Terra Nova is the first human colony on the other side of the temporal doorway and it is in the middle of a group of carnivorous dinosaurs.
How to Be a Gentleman — CBS, Thursdays at 8:30p starting 9/29
An etiquette columnist is told to put a modern, sexy twist on his conservative column or be fired. He enlists the help of an old friend, reformed “bad boy” played by Kevin Dillon, who shows him how to loosen up. This should provide your fill of bro humor between reruns of How I Met Your Mother.
What will you be watching?
Hillary Duff is Pregnant!
Not sure where and when Hillary Duff (aka Lizzie McGuire aka Wendy from Casper Meets Wendy) grew up, but it looks like she has. Duff, 23, announced yesterday that she and her hockey-playing husband of one year, Mike Comrie, are expecting their first child. OH EM GEE.
Is it just me or does it seem like she was just feuding over Aaron Carter with Lindsay Lohan? I guess that was all “So Yesterday“ since apparently now the two girls are totes over it. Ah, young love.
But enough of Hillz’s dark past. She is an icon and Lizzie McGuire was an inspiration. I mean, don’t even tell me that the Lizzie McGuire Movie didn’t win an Oscar; It did in my heart. Mistaken for half an Italian pop duo Paolo & Isabella, Lizzie galavants around Rome posing as Isabella and eventually uncovers the not-so-nice truth about Paolo, and of course, falls in love.
Her cartoon inner-psyche would bounce around the screen telling us all what Lizzie was REALLY thinking, usually something profound like, “Nooooo” or “Ethan Craft just said ‘hi’ to me!!!” But more important than her profound declarations in cartoon form is the fact that Lizzie is and was a trendsetter. Perhaps Lizzie’s unmatching clothes weren’t understood at the time, but today, most likely due to Lizzie McGuire’s forward thinking fashion, mixing patterns are a fashion do.
Lizzie tackled the tough issues of the day like, eating disorders, hanging out with the wrong crowd, sneaking into R-rated movies, family issues, and growing up.
Now that Nick has brought back its 90’s classics – All That, Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, and Doug – what about Disney? Bring back Lizzie McGuire!!! Oh, and maybe even throw in a little Even Stevens, The Famous Jett Jackson, So Weird, and Kim Possible.
I miss you, Lizzie. I really do. XOXO
It Books Acquires Brad Goreski’s Debut Title
Part style guide, part memoir, and full of inspiration!
NEW YORK, NY (August 4, 2011) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today that it has acquired Born to Be Brad: Life and Style Lessons from the Front Lines of Fashion, by TV and fashion personality Brad Goreski. The publication of the book will coincide with Goreski’s premiere season on BRAVO’s “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” produced by Shed Media and Television 360, in 2012.
Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins, acquired North American rights for It Books from Farley Chase of the Waxman Literary Agency. Amy Bendell will edit the book. Collaborating with Goreski is writer Mickey Rapkin, former editor at GQ and author of Pitch Perfect (2008), now in development from Universal Pictures.
Fans know Brad Goreski as a top celebrity stylist, fashion trendsetter, and the fun-loving former assistant to Rachel Zoe, but few know the story of how he got there. The book will recount Goreski’s childhood in Port Perry, Ontario, where he escaped the taunts of bullies by reading fashion magazines, performing in the local children’s theater group and playing stylist to Barbie. Moving to Toronto and landing an internship, and later a job at Vogue, helped him break into the competitive fashion world and eventually capture the hearts of millions as the quirky and endearing assistant on BRAVO’s The Rachel Zoe Project. Along with the moving story of his road to success, he will offer a glimpse into his world now, filled with insider access to behind-the-scenes photo shoots and the countless red carpets and awards shows. And of course, the book will also feature his fashion advice and style tips and tricks, complete with color photos.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the creative team at It Books and to tell my story to my fans. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is be true to yourself. I hope that Born to be Brad will inspire others to pursue their dreams, because to make dreams come true we have to listen to our hearts and not be afraid to fail,” said Brad Goreski.
“There’s no one out there like Brad, and this book will be as unique and creative as the style trendsetter Brad has become. Fans everywhere will be empowered by his moving life story, and entertained by his wit,” said Lisa Sharkey.
About It Books: Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 New York Times bestsellers Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern and Red by Sammy Hagar as well as Getting the Pretty Back by MollyRingwald, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucci and The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carré Otis. It Books is an imprint HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.
Once More, With Feeling
It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another: if I were trapped on a desert island that magically had electricity and a television, but could only bring one TV series to watch, what would it be? I decided to take it a step further: what if I could only bring a single episode of a TV show?
In addition to being awesome, it would need to possess certain qualities:
- Satisfying to watch repeatedly
- Enough of a relationship to the rest of the show that hours of entertainment could be had by discussing (with yourself or your volleyball) the larger significance of the episode
- Not a cliffhanger. How evil would that be?
For me, the answer is, hands down, the Buffy musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling.”
For those of you who have seen it, I know that you know what I’m talking about. This is clearly the right choice.
For everyone else: First off, I can tell that you’re thinking, “A musical episode of a show about high school students who fight demons? How could that be good?”* Well, I’m not the only one who thinks so. It was nominated for an Emmy, and received rave reviews, like “‘Once More, with Feeling’ is rhapsodic, original, deeply affecting, and ultimately, transcendental. Quite simply, television at its best.” (The Toronto Star) Also, if you’re a fan of Glee, just think: wouldn’t Glee be even better with a few vampires and Joss Whedon’s writing?**
The basic premise is that a demon (a dancing demon…no, something isn’t right there) shows up in Sunnydale, and suddenly everyone is singing and dancing about anything and everything: dry cleaning, parking tickets, the difficulty of feeling connected to life when you’ve been brought back from the dead by your well-intentioned friends, secret plans for leaving town, bunny conspiracy theories. You know, the usual. It doesn’t sound too demonic until you realize that A) some people are dancing until they burst into flames and B) nobody has any control over what they’re singing, so they end up spilling their innermost secrets.
In terms of desert island appeal:
- Think of the weeks of entertainment that could be gained by learning all of the songs (if, um, one didn’t already know them) and the corresponding dance moves.
- The execution is brilliant; hours could be spent marveling over how well the songs move the action forward. The songs are a realistic (within the Buffyverse) way of having secrets come into the open all at once–how cool a premise is that?
- Because of that, there are many major plot points happening within this episode, so there’s tons of stuff to analyze. (To be fair, this would only be helpful if you had seen, at a minimum, the first part of the season.)
There are a number of jokes that are easy to miss the first time or five around, so it only gets better the more you watch.- Spike. (Swoon.)
- Perhaps most importantly, if you are stuck on an island watching a single episode of anything over and over again, you need an episode that will motivate you to get your butt in gear, build a raft and/or signal fire, and figure out how to get off the island already.*** Buffy’s struggle to reconnect with her own life should resonate with you and motivate you in your time of need.
So–if you had to pick only one hour of TV to bring to your island, what would it be?
*Technically, because this episode is in the 6th season, only Dawn is still a high school student. The others graduated in epic Sunnydale style at the end of Season 3. Speaking of which–Alyssa Rosenberg has an excellent post about graduation & after here.
**Yes.
***It seems like Lost or Survivor might also have episodes that would be good for this particular purpose. But do they have singing and dancing? No. No, they do not.
The 90′s are BACK!
The 90′s are back but in the best possible way!
As a child born in the late 80′s and raised in the 90′s I feel it is my duty, nay, my honor to share with you the joy that Nickelodeon gave to me in my childhood years (dramatic much?). This week Teen Nick launched “90′s Are All That” promoting the late night 90′s shows that are now back at Nickelodeon. These shows include: All That, Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, and Doug (a personal favorite).
It is rumored that the executives over at Nick are open to suggestions for other 90′s favorites to be added to the late night list. Personally, I wouldn’t mind Rugrats, CatDog, Hey Arnold!, The Secret World of Alex Mack, or my favorite, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, to be added to the line-up.
Did I stay up late last night giggling like the child I was over the epic shorts from All That?
You bet your bottom dollar I did!
If you are like myself, and many other kids of the 90′s, then what are some of your favorite shows from way back when?
Clear Eyes, Full Hearts.
“Gone too soon. Appreciated too little. Treasured by those who followed it. That was Friday Night Lights.” – Robert Mays, Grantland
I’ll admit that I didn’t start watching ‘Friday Night Lights’ until I found out it was cancelled, which seems to be a general theme with my TV show-watching experiences (Arrested Development, I miss you). After being snubbed for the past four years at the Emmys (the New York Times called it “their most egregious wrong of the last four years”) the show was finally given a few nominations, including best drama, best actor Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor), and best actress Connie Britton (Tami Taylor). Chandler and Britton were also both nominated in 2010.
Based on the book by H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream and the movie based on it, Friday Night Lights, the show just wrapped up its fifth and final season. Peter Berg, the second cousin of Bissinger, directed the movie version but wanted to do more exploration of the deep interpersonal topics from the book that he didn’t have time for in the film. So, he turned to television.
Berg envisioned a rather revolutionary way of TV filmmaking: They never rehearsed, the camera operators were trained to follow the actors rather than have them stand in one spot and have the cameras around them, the show used hundreds of local people as extras, everything was done in one shot at once (no cutting, little blocking) to keep an authentic feel, and the actors were allowed to change things that they thought weren’t true to their characters.
Critically acclaimed for its honest potrayl of middle America and exploration of its central characters, it’s definitely a show worth watching. It’s not just a show about football – it’s a show centered around a family and their life in a small Texas town. The show tackled contemporary issues, such as lack of economic opportunities, racism, drugs, and abortion. In addition to the recent Emmy nods, the show was awarded a Peabody Award, a Humanitas Prize, and a Television Critics Association Award, as well as several technical Primetime Emmy Awards.
The show overcame some hefty odds and low numbers. After airtime on NBC, the show struck a deal with DirecTV to offset some of the production costs. After season 3, they thought the show was for sure over, but they managed to push through to get two more seasons. You can catch Friday Night Lights seasons 1 through 4 on Netflix streaming and season 5 on Hulu Plus.
And as the lights turned off for ‘Friday Night Lights,’ Vulture prepared an homage to the many words of wisdom by Coach Taylor.
Clear eyes, full hearts. Texas Forever.
Emmy Award Nominations
Nominations for the 63rd Annual Emmy Awards were announced this morning, with HBO leading all other channels in nominations (104!). Modern Family was the most nominated sitcom, and my personal favorite, 30 Rock, was close behind them.
The Emmy’s are taking place this year on September 18th. Here are a few of the nominations that were announced this morning for the major categories:
–Nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series include 30 Rock, Modern Family, Glee, and the Office.
–Nominations for Outstanding Drama Series include Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, and The Good Wife.
–Nominations for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series include The Colbert Report, SNL, and my two favorite late night shows, Conan and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
–Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series include Matt LeBlanc (he’s on TV again??), Steve Carell, Alec Baldwin (30 Rock!), and Jim Parsons, while Lead Actor in a Drama Series includes Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, and Steve Buscemi.
–As for Actress in a Comedy Series, Melissa McCarthy, Edie Falco, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey were nominated. For Drama, Mariska Hargitay, Connie Britton, and Elisabeth Moss were among those nominated.
Did your favorites make the list?
Thank you for being a friend
Sad news this week from eonline. Songwriter Andrew Gold died last week in his sleep. Gold suffered from renal cancer. Don’t know who he is? Andrew Gold gave us one of the most memorable and oft sung television theme songs … Thank You for Being A Friend from The Golden Girls.
Thank You for Being A Friend is perhaps the only theme song from a TV show that I don’t fast-forward through while watching re-runs. And that is saying a lot considering that I watch at least one episode of The Golden Girls everyday. Seriously … every day.
Gold’s passing makes me miss the show – and the women – even more. What’s happened to a theme song? And, what’s happened to a nice well placed song in a TV show. No one did it better than the girls.
Miami! Miami! -Don’t take your eyes off of Sophia. Ma’s got moves. Or just one really.
Who can forget Sophia and Dorothy as Sonny and Cher. This is how you win an Emmy, folks.
Tardy to the Party: Veronica Mars
A few weeks ago, an event even more exciting than someone else getting to marry a prince took place: I finally got Netflix. (Sorry, Hulu. We’ll always have White Collar.) Based on my TV-loving BFF’s suggestion, I started with the first episode of Veronica Mars….and didn’t stop watching until I reached the end of the series, um, five days later. Please don’t do the math on that.
How had I never seen this show before? It is AMAZING. If you don’t believe me, believe Buffy creator/most brilliant TV writer ever Joss Whedon, who said, “Best. Show. Ever. Seriously, I’ve never gotten more wrapped up in a show I wasn’t making, and maybe even more than those….These guys know what they’re doing on a level that intimidates me. It’s the Harry Potter of shows.” (Full rave here.)
IMHO, the sadness of Veronica Mars ending after only three seasons may be second only to the tragedy of Firefly’s cancellation after slightly less than one.
Watch it if you like: Buffy, Glee, Freaks and Geeks, My So Called Life, Nancy Drew, badass blondes, mysteries, internet stalking, high school drama, wrong side of the tracks drama, complicated will they/won’t they? relationships, amazing writing, good TV in general
And if your experience is anything like mine, you will:
1) not sleep until you’ve watched every episode, including the unaired season 4 pilot
2) start thinking that everything is a potential mystery to be solved (by you)
3) feel a strange urge to talk on the phone more, just because Veronica does
4) improve your sassy quip skills by at least 45 percent
(Also, you don’t even have to have Netflix! The WB has seasons 1 and 2 online here. You’re welcome.)
‘Glee’ Does New York, and Your It List Loves It.
(OK, so we are slightly biased towards our own city.)
Glee’s sophomore season concluded on Tuesday with the much-anticipated finale, “New York.” It’s amazing what shooting on location does for a show. The NYC outdoor scenes just felt so free and BIG. (I’d like to see them try to film on Fifth Avenue during the holiday season.) Co-creator/exec producer/episode director Brad Falchuk told EW.com that they normally keep the camera very tight on the action, since they don’t want a stray SoCal palm tree wandering into the Ohio-set scenes. But during the “I Love New York/New York, New York” mash-up, we got to see New Directions use Times Square, Lincoln Center, Washington Square Park, and Central Park as their huge stages–and it was GREAT! Here are our favorite moments from the finale:
Rachel’s hair: Ms. Berry had a great hair episode. From the neat but not overly curled ponytail at Tiffany’s to her sweet low side knot during her date with Finn, New York did wonders for Rachel’s style.
Love the hair AND the flowers. (Photo from PacificCoastNews.com via EOnline.)
Puck on the accordion: Yes, the scene was cheesy, but hello, this is Glee. Rachel and Finn had just finished dinner at Sardi’s, met Patti LuPone, and were on their rom-com-worthy walk through the West Village (these kids travel all over town, and quickly). Thank you, Glee, for cutting the cutesy romance with the absurdity of Puck playing an accordion, and the guys singing “Bella Notte.” I still don’t know if they were meant to be surreal background music or actually there, stalking Finnchel on their date.
Puck, you are one talented guy. (Photo from daemonstv.com.)
Rachel and Kurt’s Wicked visit: These two are such cute friends, and their duet of “For Good” from Wicked was endearing and touching. It had much more weight than their first duet of “Defying Gravity”, and part of that was thanks to their being in the actual Gershwin Theatre! Yay for the gruff-but-indulgent security guard who let them have their 15 minutes on the Broadway musical’s stage. (If only all NYC tourists were so lucky as Rachel, Kurt, and Mr. Schue.) Listen to the studio version here–but I highly recommend watching the video clip (it adds so much more). [ETA: you can now watch it on Hulu; the Wicked scene starts at 15:24.]
Rachel and Kurt sing from Wicked again, this time "For Good."
Thank you for a great second season, Glee! Hope you get to Nationals again next year, and I can’t wait to hear more about how Kurt’s summer project goes: he’s writing Pip Pip Hooray, a musical about the world’s favorite maid of honor, Pippa Middleton.
Vivienne Westwood wants her own TV show
As told by Carrie Kania
In an interview with Vogue UK, Dame Vivienne Westwood - no secret, my favorite designer – admitted that she is interested in hosting a chat show called “Get a Life”
This is fine with me.
The world may not need another show with celebrities pitching products and productions, another show with musical guests and scripted off-the-cuff remarks, another show awkwardly tackling serious subjects while Bieber waits in the wings to discuss his haircut – but the world does need more from Dame Westwood.
“It would be called Get A Life – and it’s on two levels, get a life for future generations but also what are you doing right now with your own life? If we are an endangered species it is your duty to do something about it and get the most out of it,” she tells Vogue (UK) .
Other celebrities who should host talk shows that I would watch, include Lindsay Lohan, Karl Lagerfeld, Lady Gaga, and Barry Gibb.
Come meet Tabatha Coffey!
Come out and meet Tabatha Coffey, star of the hit Bravo show Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, as she promotes her new book It’s Not Really About the Hair!
211 East Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
January 26, 2011, 7:00 PM
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
January 28, 2011, 7:00 PM
279 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02446-2908
February 2, 2011, 7:00 PM
1739 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, OH 43212
February 10, 2011, 4:00 PM
Barnes & Noble / Fashion Institute of Technology
227 W. 27 Street
New York, NY 10001
Click HERE to read an excerpt and HERE to pre-order your copy today!
Kara DioGuardi hits A Helluva High Note
It Books is thrilled to be publishing A Helluva High Note by the amazing Kara DioGuardi, coming April 2011.
Brett Favre open fly jeans
In honor of the cathartic Green Bay Packers win last night, a little light humor at the expense of #4.
Russell Brand finally gets around to teaching manners
Emily Post has nothing on manners expert Russell Brand (especially in the man/man kissing department):
(via MTV News)
What was Good…and Bad About the Britney Episode
Why Glee + Britney Spears = Best Thing Ever
1. Brittany and Santana FINALLY get to sing solos. Sure, they won’t be winning Grammys anytime soon, but they have enough skills to pull off Britney and Madonna.
2. Heather Morris is an insane dancer, and she finally gets to show us what she’s got in this episode. BTW, have you seen her do the Single Ladies dance with Beyonce?
3. When Rachel Berry wakes up from her hallucination at the dentist, she says: “is this real life?”, cleverly referencing the hilarious David After Dentist YouTube video.
4. All our favorite Britney Spears jams were packed into one episode (and there are a lot).
5. Even though Britney guest-starred on the episode, and the whole thing was clearly a tribute to the singer, they were not afraid to mention her less-than-flattering moments (“conflicts” with paparazzi, anyone?)
Why Glee + Britney Spears = Not the Best Thing Ever
1. Wait, is Glee on MTV 2 now? Why was this show a series of music videos? Can we at least pretend to have a plot?
2. John Stamos. In the Britney episode. Why?
3. While it was great to see Britney on the show, she didn’t really have enough of a part. We wanted to see her sing and dance alongside the Glee cast.
4. If Kurt was such a big fan of Britney Spears, why didn’t he get to do a Britney solo???
5. The character of Will Schuester is getting ridiculous. He used to be this cool teacher who wanted to help his students sing. Now he is this uptight attention-hog who stands front and center while his glee club performs Toxic? No. Teachers do not perform with students.
Overall, you’d probably enjoy this episode just as much if you simply download the Glee recordings of the songs on your iPod or watch the video clips on YouTube. What did you think??
Guilty Pleasure Report: Castle
There’s nothing like guilty pleasure TV. Sure I love cerebral, adult shows like Mad Men and East Coast-elitist comedies like 30 Rock, but one of the most formulaic, middle-market shows on the air has won my heart on Monday nights: ABC’s Castle. It was simply a lack of competition–the networks don’t really bring out the big guns on Monday nights–that lured me in to my first Castle viewing last year. I figured it would pass the time for an hour, and I’d likely never tune in again.
Then a funny thing happened–especially for a guy who doesn’t really care for cop shows–I fell victim to Nathan Fillion’s charming mystery writer-cum-assistant detective Richard Castle. Then I found myself hooked on the push and pull flirtation of Castle and Detective Beckett. I even started to enjoy the syrupy single dad/teenage daughter dynamic between Castle and Alexis. Borderline cliches all, but solid acting and a little charisma can turn even the most cookie-cutter of shows in to addictive TV.
Of course each episode, with a few exceptions, plays on the same formula: homicide followed by pursuing 2-3 potential suspects, then a deus ex machina that nails one of the short list of suspects dead to rights. Phone records are miraculously revealing, credit card statements contain incontrovertible links, both victims shared the same dark secret. If you’ve watched any variation of Law & Order, you know the drill. But just like on House–an excellent show that also follows a general pattern from week to week–good acting and a few well-timed bon mots elevate Castle above the genre standard.
My clandestine appreciation for this feel good show started halfway through the first season, and this past week’s season 3 premier felt like a leap in plotting and writing quality that suggests growth for an already good series. Even if you’re a TV snob–which, with a few exceptions I consider myself–and you’re turned off by the somewhat ham-fisted marketing and broad appeal of the Castle brand, give the show a shot. Sure the X-Files could have been just another paranormal mediocrity, but there was just something about Mulder and Scully that kept you coming back. I think Castle and Beckett will do the same.
And That’s What I Call A Situation
Here’s the situation: Mike from the Jersey Shore has taken over the world. Ok, not really, but three recent projects have catapulted him to fame (and fortune) beyond his abs’ wildest imagination. What are they? Let’s take a look:
Project 1: Dancing Queen
Mike has joined this season’s cast of Dancing With the Stars with professional dancing partner Karina Smirnoff. But Jersey Shore obligations in NJ gave him a late start to the show’s rigorous dance rehearsals, which may explain why he tied for last place on the first episode. We’ll have to see if he and Karina can quickstep their way into the top next week!
Project 2: Total App Domination
Since its release last Thursday, “The Situation” has become one of Apple’s top 10 grossing iPhone apps . Retailing for $4.99 on iTunes, the app boasts a “GTL Finder”, which uses your GPS location to find the nearest gyms, tanning salons, and laundromats/dry cleaners. At the gym you can follow The Situation’s photo demonstrations of his workout routine, and in your downtime (perhaps waiting to get in the tanning bed?), play the “Grenade Dodger” game, listen to his recorded catchphrases, and email The situation with your pressing GTL questions.
It’s Friday
A collection of amusing diversions to finish the week:
Friend of Your It List, and all-around great guy, Jeff Newelt (aka Jah Furry), participates in a meta-interview with the protagonist of web comic Red Light Properties over at Comics Alliance.
The Khan Academy continues to pump out excellent, free videos in their effort to educate the masses. I assume that you, like I, remember everything there is to know about the Calvin Cycle, but what can you recall about Napoleon’s peninsular campaigns?:
Lastly, if you haven’t watched the following video, you haven’t really lived. As the Huffington Post reports, “Councilman Phil Davison of Minerva, Ohio made a fiery speech at Wednesday evening’s Stark County Republican Party’s executive committee meeting to select a nominee to run for Stark County treasurer.” As I report, Phil Davison somehow managed to channel the late Chris Farley’s Matt “Van Down by the River” Foley character, as interpreted by Bill Murray. Prepare to have your world rocked.
Happy 90210 Day to All!
Today is a very special day in the world of ‘90s television — 90210 Day! Get it? September 2, 2010. 090210! So let’s revisit the hallowed halls of West Beverly High and the well-worn booths of the Peach Pit with a look back at some of our favorite memories:
Once a Bimbo: When Brenda catches her on-again off-again brooding boytoy Dylan kissing blonde bombshell Kelly, she says: “If you are trying to lose your bimbo image, I honestly don’t think this will help.”
French Faux-Pas: While spending the summer in Paris, Brenda tries to snag hottie Dean Cain by pretending to be French. When he comes to LA and looks her up, she keeps the charade up until she arrives at the Peach Pit and finally gives it up when she is faced with pr
The Dark Side of Diet Pills: Kelly’s experimentation with over-the-counter diet pills lands her in the hospital. Best pal and occasional nemesis Brenda comes for a visit. Kelly looks up from the hospital bed and says: “I’m gonna live so you can’t have Dylan back.”
Dylan’s Dad: One of the most emotional and gut-wrenching moments of the entire series is when Dylan’s father Jack, a convicted felon just released from prison, is killed by a car bomb. Dylan is standing nearby and witnesses the explosion, which sends him on yet another downward spiral.
Funny Valentine: Bad girl Emily Valentine tries to take upstanding citizen Brendan Walsh down with her at an underground club one night by slipping a hallucinogenic drug in his drink. The police raid the club and Brandon is forced to flee and leave his prized car to get torn apart. The tagline for the episode when it originally aired: “Tonight, Brendan finds out about drugs and Emily… the hard way.”
David Silver Saves the Day: Oh-so vulnerable Donna is attacked by previously-convicted stalker Garret Slan. Earlier, she and boyfriend David Silver had been arguing, so he came back to the apartment to apologize. Donna tells him to leave but she keeps calling him “Dave” rather than “David.” This miraculously tips him off that something is amiss and he storms back into the apartment with a baseball bat, saving Donna.
THE UNANONYMOUS #1 MOMENT… Notorious good girl Donna has a few sips of champagne on an empty stomach (trust me, if you saw her in the mid-90s it was very empty). She gets caught and isn’t allowed to graduate with the rest of her class. Her friends and the entire student body gather outside her school board hearing in solidarity. A chant grows among the protesters, softer and first, then louder and louder, until these three words were heard across all of Beverly Hills: DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES!
What are your favorite moments from 90210?
Writing with a Real Clown
We asked Thomas Scott McKenzie, co-author of the just-released THE MAN BEHIND THE NOSE by Larry “Bozo” Harmon, what it was like to work side-by-side with the legendary entertainer. McKenzie, unsurprisingly, had some amusing tales from his collaboration with the late Harmon.
I got a call from a writer friend.
“I’ve just heard the most amazing, most outrageous story ever,” he said. “This tops anything an interview subject has told me.”
My buddy built a career on writing about notorious rock stars and porn performers. All of his subjects were self-admitted drug abusers of legendary proportions. And this tale topped them all? What kind of degenerate, axe-wielding, master of mayhem was he going to tell me about?
“I have three words for you: Bozo. The. Clown.”
And with that began my time in the big top universe of the world’s most famous clown and Larry Harmon, the driving force behind the icon.
At first, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. As a country boy who grew up in the boonies, I was lucky to see any television at all, and that was if the weather was just right and you delicately grasped the antennae at a precarious angle. So I didn’t watch The Bozo Show during my childhood years. I remember seeing the WGN version of the show broadcast on their nationwide superstation when I would visit relatives lucky enough to have cable television. But I didn’t know much more about him than the obvious characteristics of a big red wig, big floppy shoes, and so forth.
In spite of my ignorance of the character, there was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted to co-author Larry Harmon’s book. Bozo is as pure a piece of Americana as baseball or apple pie or hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Any writer would be thrilled at such an opportunity.
In real life, Larry was as you might expect the world’s most famous clown to be: funny, amusing, and full of energy. But there were surprises. For example, he was intensely detail-oriented. On one version of the manuscript, I formatted some text to appear in red font.
“That’s the wrong shade of red,” he said. “It needs to be deeper, and yet more bright.” (more…)
Jimmy Fallon’s Emmy Night
Last night, late night host and comedian Jimmy Fallon brought much-needed energy and light-hearted wacky skits to The 62nd Emmy Awards. He took good-natured jabs at just about everyone, including an early swing at Conan. Fallon brought an SNL sensibility to the evening, using an acoustic guitar and vocal accompaniments by audience members including Amy Poehler and Kim Kardashian.
If Fallon had any insecurity about hosting, he certainly made it impossible for viewers to resist his opening sketch. The musical number featured all of America’s favorites rolled into one: Glee, Springsteen, Tina Fey, Betty White. What could be better?
Joined by Glee actors Chris Colfer, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Amber Riley, Fallon bounded through the intro sketch building a glee club ensemble that featured Tina Fey, Joel McHale, Jane Lynch, and Jon Hamm, and which included hilarious cameos by Kate Gosselin, Betty White, and Tim Gunn. The new all-star group then performed Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run” live on the stage where Randy Jackson accompanied them on guitar. What an opener!
Like any young host (and as opposed to Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin’s veteran ease while hosting the Oscars earlier this year), Fallon had his moments of uncertainty and a few failed one liners. But his high-energy and fast paced evening kept it all entertaining, fun, and most importantly moving. Though, according to USA Today, “The entire evening felt uncomfortably rushed and flustered…” Fallon may be guilty of rushing the tempo, but it kept me engaged during that very long third hour – the HBO hour where the network saw wins for Temple Grandin (Claire Danes), the miniseries The Pacific, and You Don’t Know Jack (Al Pacino).
My favorite sketch was the musical farewell to three shows off the air this year: 24, Law & Order, and Lost. Dressed as Elton John, he delivered his own version of “Candle in the Wind” behind a pink grand piano in a bid to say goodbye to series “24″: “Goodbye 24/ Though I never watched you on TV/ I missed one episode/ Had to buy the DVDs.” Then, Fallon channeled Boyz II Men and adapted the lyrics of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” to salute Law & Order. Finally, Fallon, performing as Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, brought out guitar and and a Billie Joe-style wig, to play ”Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” in tribute to Lost. “The island it was mythical, but in the end they died/ I didn’t understand it, but I tried.”
Though some of my favorite shows didn’t see the recognition they deserved (where were the Emmys for True Blood, The Good Wife, and Friday Night Lights?), the night was full of memorable and often hilarious moments.
What was your favorite Emmy moment?
Get Your Gleek On
Though Glee snagged only 2 of the 19 Emmys it was nominated for last night, a new clothing line based on the hit show will surely distract disappointed “Gleeksters”. Available exclusively at Macy’s, the line will feature tees and hoodies priced from $20-$35. Find it just in time for back to school shopping in the juniors section or online at Macys.com!
And if memorizing Glee songs and dances and donning clothes based on the show isn’t enough to satisfy your cravings, ShopGlee.com tracks down the exact make and model of the clothes worn on the show and features them alongside video clips of the characters wearing the items. For example, zip into the same track jackets worn by Sue Sylvester here, and pick up Will Schuester’s v-neck sweaters and collared shirts right here.
All this Glee talk makes me very excited for the Britney Spears episode airing in September! Which songs do you want them to sing???
