Category: News

Why Betty White Makes Even the Best Better

Not that one should need any additional incentive to watch 30 Rock as it is the most well-written and well-acted comedy currently on television (and I’m bold enough to say it’s one of, if not the, funniest damn shows in television history) but pay special attention to catch this week’s episode (NBC – Thursday, October 28th 9:30/8:30c) as they add a cherry on top of their creme de la creme list of guest stars with the bawdy, beloved Betty White.

The synopsis gives us a little hint as to a possible part the former Golden girl will play:

Liz (Tina Fey) and Jack (Alec Baldwin) venture down south to Kenneth’s (Jack McBrayer) hometown to discover new talent. Jenna (Jane Krakowski) tries to make friends with the writers to solidify her place at “TGS” before the new cast member is hired. Meanwhile, Tracy (Tracy Morgan) fears for his life when two celebrities die and he believes he’s the next to bite the dust.”

I have never doubted 30 Rock‘s writers in the past, and if there is anything right in this world her character will live within Kenneth’s family tree.

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Jumping on this Damages Bandwagon

Damages on FXHot casting news from contributor, and fellow TV fanatic, Jackie Boy: Critic and awards-darling Damages is about to get a dose of comedy, kinda. Coming into its third season, the FX drama will welcome veteran comic actors Martin Short and Lily Tomlin as series regular and guest star, respectively. The plot will pit Emmy-winner Glenn Close’s Patty Hewes against a family led by Tomlin, her son (played by Campbell Scott) and their high-powered attorney (Short).

martinshortShort seems a left-field choice to join the tense legal thriller, but the show has previously used another actor known mostly for comedy, Ted Danson, to embody one of the best TV villains of recent years.

Production of the show’s 13-episode season three is set to begin tomorrow in New York City for a January premiere on FX.

Glee Just Upped Its Awesome Quotient

Geeks and Gleeks, prick up your ears: before this 2009/2010 season ends TV mastermind, and personal hero, Joss Whedon will lay his genius on phenom frosh series Glee. Whedonites, be not afraid, this does not mean he’s jumping his current ship Dollhouse (even though there are rumblings of said ship to be on the verge of sinking) he will merely be moonlighting as director for one episode of his fellow FOX show.

Those in the know, including Glee helmer Ryan Murphy, have already seen the Buffy creator exquisitely execute a musical slant to the Slayer series’ with its season six (“All singing! All talking!”) episode “Once More With Feeling,” which he directed and wrote both music and lyrics. Murphy gushed, “Joss directed one of the great musical episodes in the history of television on Buffy, so this is a great, if unexpected, fit. I’m thrilled he’ll be loaning us his fantastic groundbreaking talent.” Most recently, the benevolent Whedon bestowed upon the world the online musical sensation Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, which garnered him a win this year in the Emmy’s newest category, Short-Form Live-Action Entertainment Program.

Joss is also no stranger to guest-directing hit shows. He ably helmed The Office episode “Business School” in its third season and says the man himself, “A television director’s job is, on some level, to be anonymous; to find the most compelling way to present a story without calling attention to himself. I had a wonderful time doing just that on The Office, and hope to again. A guest director can bring a huge amount to the party (we’ve had CRAZY talent on Dollhouse), but the party isn’t his. I just want to work with good people on a show that I like enough to have watched every episode several times.”

Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff on stage in Spring AwakeningIn other Glee guest talent news, lead Lea Michele will soon be reunited with her “Spring Awakening” co-star Jonathan Groff. The Broadway star will reportedly be on the show for about five or six episodes as the lead male singer of rival show choir Vocal Adrenaline, the group seen in the pilot episode performing “Rehab,” and will serve as a potential love interest for Michele’s glee club queen Rachel Berry. Creator Murphy describes the character as, “A male diva…a miva.”

Murphy also revealed that the cast of Glee will be going on tour next summer, not surprising given that the series’ music has exploded on iTunes with a full soundtrack set to drop November 3rd (full track listing).

Breakout Star Membership Has its Privileges

HBO and Bravo are both betting that a bevy of their breakout stars will shine on in new outings coming up in the next year.

Bravo announced they are developing three new projects starring some of their most recent reality stars: Bethenny Frankel (The Real Housewives of New York City), Christian Siriano (season 4 winner of Project Runway) and Fabio Viviani (Top Chef: New York).

The untitled show starring Frankel will showcase her career as a natural foods chef (side note: everyone who is a chocolate or baked good lover MUST try her Low Fat Fudge Chocolate Chip Muffins, seriously to die), as well as the Gotham socialite’s love life. The original fierce fashion-maker Siriano will be featured in his show as he sets up a new shop and markets his clothing line. Viviani will star in “Fabio: A Catered Affair,” which will chronicle the challenges he faces as he and business partner Jacopo Falleni look to expand their restaurant and catering business in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile on the scripted show front, HBO is beginning production on a new series collaboration with Australian comedian Chris Lilley, creator of Summer Heights High which the cabler launched to American audiences and strong critical reviews last November. That show, about life at a public school, starred Lilley as three different characters: Mr. G, a drama teacher; Ja’mie, a female exchange student; and Jonah Takalua, a dancing delinquent.

Unlike Summer, which HBO picked up as a straight acquisition, the channel will be co-producing the new series Angry Boys along with the Australian Broadcasting Co. Lensed in a mock-documentary style and revolving around what its like to be a male in the 21st century, Lilley, will again play multiple characters and promises “lots of surprises for the audience.”

Pre-production on Angry Boys, which will shoot 12 half-hour episodes, begins in Australia this month.

2009 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Winners

61st Primetime Emmy(R) AwardsOh, awards shows. You and I need to have a serious discussion because I can’t stand being the submissive in this kinky little relationship of ours anymore. Finding myself continually coming back to you each time with a deluded excitement that maybe this will be the year you surprise and thrill me, and after half an hour I cannot stay glued to my seat. Yet I stick with you to the bitter end, bad taste in my mouth with a sense of “meh” and “well, I could’ve just checked the IMDb live winner update feed.”

While this seems a backlash of a post, please read as a request for awards telecasts to step up the entertainment and for the various academies to change up the voting habits – not that I don’t love my 30 Rock or Mad Men (congrats to wins not only for best show in their respective categories, but writing too!) – because sitting through 3 hours of “announce list of nominees, open envelope, read winner, not-amusing-nor-poignant acceptance speech, rinse, repeat” gets a little taxing and I think more of us would welcome some upsets, blunders and outbursts once in awhile.

Tonight’s major category winners:

Drama Series: “Mad Men,” AMC

Comedy Series: “30 Rock,” NBC

Actor, Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad,” AMC

Actress, Drama Series: Glenn Close, “Damages,” FX Networks

Actor, Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock,” NBC

Actress, Comedy Series: Toni Collette, “United States of Tara,” Showtime

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Michael Emerson, “Lost,” ABC.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Cherry Jones, “24,” Fox.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies,” ABC.

Miniseries: “Little Dorrit” PBS.

Made-for-TV Movie: “Grey Gardens,” HBO.

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm,” HBO.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens,” HBO.

Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Ken Howard, “Grey Gardens,” HBO.

Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Shohreh Aghdashloo, “House of Saddam,” HBO.

Directing for a Comedy Series: “The Office: Stress Relief,” Jeff Blitz, NBC.

Directing for a Drama Series: “ER: And in the End,” Rod Holcomb, NBC.

Directing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series: “American Idol: Show 833 (The Final Three),” Bruce Gowers, Fox.

Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special: “Little Dorrit: Part 1,” Dearbhla Walsh, PBS.

Variety, Music, or Comedy Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

Reality-Competition Program: “The Amazing Race,” CBS.

Writing for a Comedy Series: “30 Rock: Reunion,” Matt Hubbard, NBC.

Writing for a Drama Series: “Mad Men: Meditations in an Emergency,” Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner, AMC.

Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special: “Little Dorrit,” Andrew Davies, PBS.

Host, Reality or Reality-Competition Program: Jeff Probst, “Survivor,” CBS.

Original Music and Lyrics: “81st Annual Academy Awards: Song Title: Hugh Jackman Opening Number,” ABC.