TV Squad

What's On Tonight: 'NCIS,' 'Past Life,' 'The Forgotten,' 'ECW'

Bob Sassone — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

Here's tonight's TV lineup (all times Eastern).

At 8, CBS has a new 'NCIS,' followed by new episodes of 'NCIS: LA' and 'The Good Wife.'
NBC has a new, two-hour 'Biggest Loser' at 8, then the series finale of 'The Jay Leno Show.'
FOX has a new 'American Idol' at 8, followed by the series premiere of 'Past Life.'
PBS has new episodes of 'Nova' and 'Frontline.'
At 9, ABC has a new 'Lost,' then a new episode of 'The Forgotten.'
Discovery has a new 'Dirty Jobs' at 9.
History Channel has a new 'How The Earth Was Made' at 9, followed by a new 'Life After People.'
Also at 9: BBC America has a new 'Last Restaurant Standing.'
At 10, USA has a new 'White Collar.'
A&E has two new episodes of 'Paranormal State' at 10.
Syfy has a new 'ECW' at 10.
IFC has two episodes of 'Arrested Development' at 10.
At 10:30, Travel Channel has a new 'Tastiest Places to Chowdown.'

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: 'NCIS,' 'Past Life,' 'The Forgotten,' 'ECW'

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So What Was David Letterman's College Radio Show Like?

Bob Sassone — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:42:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free

Since we saw that rather stunning Letterman/Leno/Oprah ad on The Super Bowl last night, I thought it might be interesting to post this audio from Dave's 1969 radio show at Ball State University (WAGO).

He's young here (it was 41 years ago!), but you can already see his style of humor in place. Not sure why it sounds so echo-y and metallic. That's either because of the age of the audio or perhaps that's what it sounded like on AM radio back then. The Internet Archive has more info about the show, and according to them, the woman that Dave calls is his then-wife Michelle.

[via Pop Candy]

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What You Missed Friday Night: Barry Manilow Fan or Ozzy Osbourne Fan?

Bob Sassone — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free

I don't know how much crossover there is when it comes to Barry Manilow fans and Ozzy Osbourne fans. But I guess it's possible to love "Copacabana" and "Crazy Train." The other night Jimmy Kimmel had both singers on his show, so there were fans of each in the audience. Jimmy tried to figure out which one a certain audience member came to see.

[Watch episodes of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and other shows at SlashControl.]

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What's On Tonight: 'Heroes,' 'Life Unexpected,' 'Damages,' 'Hoarders'

Bob Sassone — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:24:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

Here's the TV lineup for tonight (all times Eastern).

At 8, ABC has a new, two-hour episode of 'The Bachelor,' followed by a new 'Castle.'
CBS has a new 'How I Met Your Mother' at 8, then new episodes of 'Accidentally on Purpose,' 'Two and a Half Men,' 'Big Bang Theory,' and 'CSI: Miami.'
NBC has a new 'Chuck' at 8, followed by the season finale of 'Heroes' and a new 'Jay Leno Show.'
FOX has new episodes of 'House' and '24.'
The CW has a new 'One Tree Hill' at 8, then a new 'Life Unexpected.'
PBS has a new 'Antiques Roadshow' at 8, followed by a new 'American Experience.'
ABC Family has a new 'Secret Life of the American Teenager' at 8, then new episodes of 'Make It or Break It' and 'Greek.'
At 9, USA has a new 'Monday Night RAW.'
History Channel has a new 'American Pickers' at 9, followed by two new episodes of 'Pawn Stars.'
TLC has a new 'Cake Boss' at 9.
At 10, FX has a new 'Damages.'
Showtime has a new 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl' at 10, then new episodes of 'Tracey Ullman's State of the Union' and 'La La Land.'
Food Network has a new 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives' at 10.
TLC has a new 'Ultimate Cake-Off' at 10.
A&E has a new 'Hoarders' at 10.
Also at 10: Travel Channel has a new 'Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.'

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: 'Heroes,' 'Life Unexpected,' 'Damages,' 'Hoarders'

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Letterman Wanted Conan for Super Bowl Promo

Kona Gallagher — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Industry, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free

If you've seen the by-now-infamous David Letterman/Oprah Winfrey/Jay Leno Super Bowl promo, then you are probably left with a lot of unanswered questions. "Were they really in the same room together?" "Did this happen before the Second Late Night Wars started?" "What about Conan?"

Well, the answer to the first two questions can be found in this New York Times article on the spot, which was shot last Tuesday. The short answer: Letterman just thought it would be funny. What would have been even funnier though, is if there had been four people on the couch. Because if there's anything more awkward than Leno and Letterman in a promo together, it would be throwing Conan into the mix. It turns out, that was exactly Letterman's original plan.

Continue reading Letterman Wanted Conan for Super Bowl Promo

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The most surreal ad I've ever seen: Letterman, Oprah, and ... Leno?

Kona Gallagher — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Industry, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free

The first big Super Bowl shocker came early tonight, in a CBS promo, no less. The Super Bowl is on CBS, so it's no surprise we get a shot of David Letterman on a couch in his Colts jersey, but here's where things get weird: he's at a Super Bowl party with Oprah, and he's complaining about how it's the worst Super Bowl party ever.

We then see Jay freakin' Leno, who says that Letterman is only saying that because he's there. Letterman then mocks Leno, and then we see that this whole thing is a promo for 'The Late Show with David Letterman.'

How in the hell did this happen?

Continue reading The most surreal ad I've ever seen: Letterman, Oprah, and ... Leno?

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NBC Takes Down All of Conan's 'Tonight Show' Content

Bob Sassone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Web, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free

It looks like NBC is doing a little house cleaning at their web site. Not only is all of Conan O'Brien's 'Tonight Show' content gone, but the 'Tonight Show' section is gone completely.

If you take a look at NBC.com and go to the drop down menu where all of the shows are listed, there isn't even a 'Tonight Show' listed anymore. There is a listing for 'The Jay Leno Show' if you want to check that out, though I'm not sure why you'd want to.

Maybe they're retooling the 'Tonight Show' site for when Jay makes his return in a few weeks, but it would be a shame if, when the site comes back up, all of Conan's stuff is still gone. I mean, isn't he a part of the show's history, even if that part only last for seven months? It's fine to replace Conan's face on an NBC mural, it's another thing to wipe him from the network's history altogether.

[via TV Tattle]

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What You Missed Last Night: Jimmy Fallon's TV Mash-Ups

Bob Sassone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Talk Show, Reality-Free

One of the things I love about "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' is Fallon's enthusiasm. When he laughs hard at something, it's real, sincere goofiness, not a fake showbiz laugh. Like last night when he introduced TV Mash-Ups, NBC's big plan to get back on top.

Of course, there's no way in hell I'd watch shows called 'Hard Nips' and 'Front Butt.'

Continue reading What You Missed Last Night: Jimmy Fallon's TV Mash-Ups

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What's On Tonight: 'Smallville,' 'Caprica,' 'Medium,' '20/20'

Bob Sassone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

At 8, ABC has a new 'Supernanny,' followed by new episodes of 'Shark Tank' and '20/20.'
CBS has a new 'Ghost Whisperer' at 8, then new episodes of 'Medium' and 'Numb3rs.'
The CW has a new, two-hour 'Smallville' at 8.
PBS has new episodes of 'Washington Week,' NOW,' and 'Bill Moyers Journal.'
MTV and VH-1 have 'SOS Helping Ourselves: Help For Haiti' at 8.
At 9, NBC has a new 'Dateline,' followed by a new 'Jay Leno Show.'
FOX has a new 'Kitchen Nightmares' at 9.
There's a new 'Caprica' on Syfy at 9.
Also at 9: Cartoon Network has a new episode of 'The Clone Wars.'
At 10, Food Network has a new 'The Best Thing I Ever Ate.'
E! has a new episode of 'The Soup' at 10.
BBC America has a new 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross' at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: 'Smallville,' 'Caprica,' 'Medium,' '20/20'

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NBC Cafeteria Celebrates Black History Month in a Strange Way

Joel Keller — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:36:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Industry, Talk Show, Reality-Free

The other day Questlove, drummer of The Roots, was taking a break from the grueling day of being the house band at 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.' He goes to the commissary at NBC's 30 Rock headquarters and notices that they have a special menu that celebrates Black History Month.

Great, right? Well, judging by the menu above, it wasn't all that great. Questlove snapped that picture and posted it to Twitter with the caption, "Hmm HR?"

What's funny is that how, in this ultra-connected society, this has become a real story, and not just a strange, not-meant-to-be-offensive-but-is-anyway occurrence. According to Mediaite, not only did the NBC corporate folks respond with a tweet (under a little-used @NBCU account) that the sign was taken down, but NBC's own African-American issues web site The Grio interviewed the cook who made up the menu. That interview is after the jump.

Continue reading NBC Cafeteria Celebrates Black History Month in a Strange Way

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What's On Tonight: 'Surviving Survivor,' 'Community,' 'Demetri Martin,' 'Archer'

Bob Sassone — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:22:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

Here's tonight's TV lineup (all times Eastern).

At 8, ABC has a new episode of 'The Deep End,' followed by new episodes of 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Private Practice.'
CBS has 'Surviving Survivor' at 8, then new episodes of 'CSI' and 'The Mentalist.'
NBC has new episodes of 'Community,' 'Parks and Recreation,' 'The Office,' '30 Rock,' and 'The Jay Leno Show.'
FOX has a new 'Bones' at 8, followed by a new 'Fringe.'
There's a new 'Vampire Diaries' on The CW at 8, then a new 'Supernatural.'
History Channel has a new 'Modern Marvels' at 8, followed by a new 'Food Tech.'
At 9, VH-1 has 'Super Bowl Fan Jam 2010.'
TLC has a new 'American Chopper' at 9.
Spike has a new 'TNA Impact' at 9.
At 10, USA has a new 'Burn Notice.'
Comedy Central has the season premiere of 'Important Things with Demetri Martin' at 10, then the season premiere of 'The Sarah Silverman Program.'
Lifetime has a new 'Project Runway' at 10.
Bravo has a new 'Real Housewives of Orange County' at 10.
Food Network has a new 'Ace of Cakes' at 10.
Also at 10: FX has a new 'Archer.'

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: 'Surviving Survivor,' 'Community,' 'Demetri Martin,' 'Archer'

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NBC News Chief Defends Jeff Zucker

Joel Keller — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:08:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Industry, OpEd, Reality-Free

It's no secret that Jeff Zucker is the most hated man in broadcasting. That is, if you don't work for NBC or GE. While Zucker has spent his time overseeing NBC and NBC Universal tinkering and experimenting the broadcast network into a fourth-place laughingstock, there is a reason why he continues to remain at the company and get more and more responsibility: the man makes GE money.

While the NBC broadcast network hemorrhages cash, NBCU's cable consortium makes money in buckets. Even in the NBC microcosm, NBC News is making money with 'Today' and the 'NBC Nightly News' while the entertainment and sports divisions aren't doing well. Which is why it's not surprising that news president Steve Capus defended his boss to Jon Friedman of Marketwatch.com.

Continue reading NBC News Chief Defends Jeff Zucker

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Four Reasons Why Conan is the Winner in the Second Late Night War

Joel Keller — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, OpEd, Talk Show, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free

Everyone involved in the Second Late Night War got both criticism and praise. Yes, even Jay Leno got praise in some circles (just not from me). But now we've had some time to let the dust settle and take a closer look, there's a clear winner in this battle: Conan O'Brien.

Why? Well, some news from our friends at TMZ is a good place to start:

1. Conan is paying his crew himself. TMZ reported yesterday that some of the old 'Tonight Show' crew -- namely, the stage hands -- are being paid severance directly by Conan because they weren't among the staff being paid under Conan's separation agreement with NBC. According to the report, he's paying 50 staffers six weeks' worth of severance. Now, that's not going to help those staffers pay the bills until Conan comes back in September, but it's better than getting what NBC was offering, which was zero. The word mensch comes to mind when I read this story.

Continue reading Four Reasons Why Conan is the Winner in the Second Late Night War

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Leno's Head Replaces Conan's Head on NBC Mural

Bob Sassone — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free

The NBC/Jay/Conan news has certainly died down in the past week or two. NBC and Conan made a deal, Jay went on 'Oprah,' and 'The Tonight Show' is in reruns. Seems like we're in a bit of a lull until the Olympics are over and Jay returns to the 11:35 slot.

But there is some news, and if it hasn't already hit you that Conan is indeed completely gone from the NBC lineup, you'll realize it now. NBC has replaced Conan's head on their wall mural with Jay's head. Deals are one thing. When you see your face taken down at the office you know it's permanent.

Of course, it's completely natural that NBC would replace Conan's face on the wall. Let's just hope that NBC, when they talk about the history of 'The Tonight Show,' remembers that the red-haired guy did indeed host the show, even if it was for only 7 months.

[via Pop Candy]

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What's On Tonight: 'Super Bowl Commercials,' 'Man vs. Food,' 'Ugly Betty'

Bob Sassone — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:17:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

Here's tonight TV lineup (all times Eastern).

At 8, CBS has 'Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2010,' followed by new episodes of 'Criminal Minds' and 'CSI: NY.'
NBC has a new 'Mercy' at 8.
FOX has a new 'Human Target' at 8, then a new 'American Idol.'
At 8:30, ABC has a new episode of 'The Middle,' followed by new episodes of 'Modern Family,' 'Cougar Town,' and 'Ugly Betty.'
At 9, Travel Channel has a new, two-hour 'Man vs. Food Live.'
DirecTV 101 has a new 'Friday Night Lights' at 9.
Food Network has a new 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay' at 9.
Discovery has a new 'Man vs. Wild' at 9, then a new 'Solving History with Olly Steeds.'
History Channel has a new 'MonsterQuest' at 9.
Showtime has a new 'Inside the NFL' at 9.
At 10, NBC has a new 'Jay Leno Show.'
USA has a new 'Psych' at 10.
TBS has two new episodes of 'Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns' at 10.
FX has a new 'Nip/Tuck' at 10.
Also at 10: MTV has a new episode of 'The Real World.'
At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new 'Tosh.0.'

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: 'Super Bowl Commercials,' 'Man vs. Food,' 'Ugly Betty'

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What You Missed Last Night: 'Lost' producers explain things to Jimmy Kimmel

Bob Sassone — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free

So you watched last night's season premiere of 'Lost,' hopefully with a bottle of Advil by your side. I think I know what's going on (translation: not really). But Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof were on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' last night and actually answered some questions from Jimmy about the plot (and spoiled some of it for the studio audience - the episode was taped before anyone in the audience had seen the episode).

The interview is in two parts, the second is after the jump.

Continue reading What You Missed Last Night: 'Lost' producers explain things to Jimmy Kimmel

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Conan O'Brien Immortalized in Cheetos

Danny Gallagher — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Reality-Free

There are very few true signs of utter respect in your profession. Don't believe me? I'll venture a bet that no one has ever made a Cheeto profile of your boss' big fat head.

An artist with the Eclectic Asylum Art Gallery of Colorado Springs, Colorado did just that for former 'Tonight Show' host Conan O'Brien with over 2,000 Cheetos of the crunchy, puffed and "flamin' hot" variety. It goes without saying that orange really suits ol' Coco.

[via Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times blog]

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To Celebrate His 28th Anniversary, Watch Letterman's Rare 1981 HBO Special

Bob Sassone — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:04:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free

Last night was the 28th Anniversary of David Letterman and Paul Shaffer doing a show together, either on CBS or NBC (I guess they're not including Letterman's morning show on NBC). What was Dave doing before he went on late night? Well, the videos below and after the jump offer a glimpse of what Dave was doing. Someone has posted his rare 1981 HBO special 'Looking For Fun' on YouTube, and it's an interesting curio from the early 80s.

Update: looks like HBO made YouTube take it down. Sigh. Can't find another version. If you do, let us know!

Continue reading To Celebrate His 28th Anniversary, Watch Letterman's Rare 1981 HBO Special

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What's On Tonight: 'Lost,' 'American Idol,' 'NCIS,' 'Dirty Jobs'

Bob Sassone — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:23:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

Here's the lineup for tonight (all times Eastern).

At 8, ABC has a 'Lost' recap special, then the two-hour 'Lost' season premiere.
CBS has a new 'NCIS' at 8, followed by new episodes of 'NCIS: Los Angeles' and 'The Good Wife.'
FOX has a new 'American Idol' at 8, then a new 'Kitchen Nightmares.'
PBS has a new 'Nova' at 8, followed by a new 'Frontline.'
TCM has 'The Thin Man' at 8, then 'The Best Years of Our Lives.'
At 9, NBC has a new, two-hour 'Biggest Loser.'
Discovery has a new 'Dirty Jobs' at 9.
History Channel has a new 'How The Earth Was Made' at 9, then a new 'Life After People.'
Also at 9: BBC America has a new 'Last Restaurant Standing.'
At 10, USA has a new 'White Collar.'
A&E has two new episodes of 'Paranormal State' at 10.
There's a new 'ECW' on Syfy at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: 'Lost,' 'American Idol,' 'NCIS,' 'Dirty Jobs'

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What You Missed Last Night: Colbert Got His iPad!

Bob Sassone — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Video, Music and Variety, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free

Last week I told you about Stephen Colbert making a plea on his show for Apple's new iPad (which he called the Tablet because it hadn't been released yet). Well, it looks like he got his iPad a lot sooner than the rest of us are going to get them. He whipped it out last night at 'The Grammys' and even taunted some of the stars who haven't gotten one yet.

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