Nadya Suleman, who will always be known as "Octomom" because it's funnier, has officially signed papers for a reality TV show to feature her and her 14 kids. No word yet on which network will air the show (it might air overseas first as it's a British company producing the show) or what it will be called, but I'm hoping it's called Fourteen is Enough or Nadya & Nobody Plus 14.Will you watch Octomom's reality show?
Nadya Suleman, who will always be known as "Octomom" because it's funnier, has officially signed papers for a reality TV show to feature her and her 14 kids. No word yet on which network will air the show (it might air overseas first as it's a British company producing the show) or what it will be called, but I'm hoping it's called Fourteen is Enough or Nadya & Nobody Plus 14.Some Kitchen Nightmares restaurants survive, some don't
One thing I'd like to see on certain TV shows are follow-ups to stories. Specifically I'm talking about real-life shows like Cops or design shows. Another show I'd add to the list is Kitchen Nightmares, the FOX (and Channel 4) show that has Gordon Ramsay going into restaurants and helping them get their act together. Some episodes of the show feature Ramsay visiting the place weeks or a few months later, but I'd like to see the restaurants a year or two later, to see if they're still doing things Ramsay's way or not (and if they're still in business).
Continue reading Some Kitchen Nightmares restaurants survive, some don't
The Next Food Network Star: VIP Party in Miami - open thread
So we're down to two. One thing that I was wondering while watching this episode was ... is Emeril Lagasse even on Food Network anymore? I know there are repeats of his shows still running, but I wasn't aware that he was still doing new things (his show now airs on Fine Living).
Continue reading The Next Food Network Star: VIP Party in Miami - open thread
So You Think You Can Dance: 2 of 8 Voted Off
(S05E19) This was the gala 100th episode celebration of So You Think You Can Dance. As such, we got a nice video montage of the entire series to this point. It was great seeing some familiar faces again, as well as a very few that I actually forgot about. We even got a quick shot of first season host Lauren Sanchez, the Brian Dunkelman of SYTYCD.GROUP NUMBER
"One," A Chorus Line
(Contemporary, Mia Michaels) Well, I didn't really like that one at all. A bit of a hot mess all over the stage. With the mirrors and camera angles chosen, it was more confusing than anything else.
SPECIAL GUEST
Katie Holmes - "Get Happy"
Well, this will certainly go down as one of the most hyped guest appearances ever on the show. But how did it go?
Continue reading So You Think You Can Dance: 2 of 8 Voted Off
Hell to the yes: Whitney Houston's coming back to TV
As it often is in show biz lore, Whitney Houston is on the verge of a comeback. On September 1 will be releasing a new CD called I Look To You, and some time in the preceding week, ABC will air a one hour Whitney Houston special. No word yet on whether it's going to be a concert format or an extended set of music videos or a mix of both, but the ultimate goal is clear: present Whitney in the best possible light and show off her big voice, one of pop music's most celebrated. It will hopefully be a positive change of pace for La Houston. The last time Whitney was all over TV was when she "co-starred" on the Bravo reality series Being Bobby Brown. That slice of life, unscripted gem might have been the worst thing Houston ever did in her professional career.
Continue reading Hell to the yes: Whitney Houston's coming back to TV
Real Housewives of New Jersey Live ... no, really
When a television show like Barney does a live tour, you automatically know two things: 1. Barney will sing and dance and somehow be entertaining on some level, and 2. The show is geared towards children. That being said, why the hell would anybody host any sort of live performance of The Real Housewives of New Jersey? Well, it's happening at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ.I mean, what are they going to do? Sing? Dance? Sit around and gossip about each other? Will it be some sort of round-robin discussion or interview where we learn even more things about these women that nobody except a very few give a damn about?
Only under very specific circumstances would I purchase tickets to this event. If the housewives were eaten by a bear onstage, I would pay to see that. But not just any bear ... a dancing circus bear that would perform after his meal. That would be cool.
ABC lines up celebrity athletes to take on O'Neal in Shaq Vs.
I can't help but think of the old "Bo Knows" commercials, where professional baseball and football player Bo Jackson showed us that he could do literally anything. Now, it's the big man's turn. Shaquille O'Neal stars in Shaq Vs., where the basketball star shows his own diversity by taking on the likes of Michael Phelps and Albert Pujols. The idea is that Shaq will take on the guest athlete's sport, meaning he'll swim laps with Phelps and go to bat against Pujols. The ABC series premieres Tuesday, August 18 at 9 PM, but there's no word as to how many episodes they're signed up for. If it's a huge hit, though, you have to think they're going to need to find more athletes and more challenges for Shaq.
Can he Trade powerslams with Randy Orton? Pump more steroids than Manny Ramirez? Make a better blacklight sex tape than Paris Hilton? Get more tabloid headlines than the Gosselins? The real challenge would be if Shaq starts taking on actors in their chosen field.
Kendra and Deadliest Warrior renewed, now how about a crossover?
You never think of these things until their renewal announcements come on the same day. While Spike was busy ordering up a second season of Deadliest Warrior, E! couldn't sign the papers fast enough to bring Kendra back for a sophomore run. After all, Kendra's been all over the tabloids lately with her pregnancy and Playboy Mansion wedding.So why not mash 'em up and have Kendra represented on Deadliest Warrior. You could do "Playmates vs. Porn Stars." Both groups are offensive to my grandmother's church, but they're actually quite different. Their first weapons could be "silicon implants vs. natural breasts." Warrior is on Spike TV after all. I'm sure their target male demographic would support it.
I wonder what will happen when Deadliest Warrior starts to run out of classic warriors to pit against one another? Will we get "Weekend Warriors vs. Ninja Warriors"? Iron Chefs vs. American Idols? Wait, I think I'm on to something here. Pokemon vs. Smurfs. 100 in each camp!
Wipeout renewed for a third season
As I've mentioned here before a few times, I'm a fan of Wipeout. It's silly and pretty much boils down to people getting hit by something and falling down into water or mud, but I'm a guy and sometimes I want to watch a show where somebody gets hit by something and falls into water or mud. A lot of other people like the summer show too, and now ABC has announced that the show has been renewed for a third season.
Continue reading Wipeout renewed for a third season
Hell's Kitchen: Season six premiere - open thread
"I'm not no bitch!" - Joseph
Yeah, me not no bitch either. Me talk good! This might be the oddest bunch of Hell's Kitchen contestants yet. So much food sent out raw. Why? You know that Chef Ramsay is just going to send it back and you'll have to redo it so you're not hurrying up the process and getting food served. Everyone is arguing, and there are more threats of violence in this episode than in other seasons (including one to Ramsay - cliffhanger!).
The show seems to be a lot of BS now (Ramsay swearing because that's his thing, contestants picked because of controversy or lack of skills, the editing, etc) but it's still entertaining. What did you think? (Video of the cliffhanger after the jump.)
Continue reading Hell's Kitchen: Season six premiere - open thread
Are you interested in knowing who Top Chef's Gael Greene has slept with?
You probably haven't given a second thought as to who Top Chef Masters judge Gael Greene has slept with (why would you?), but you're about to find out. Greene describes it all in her 2006 memoir Insatiable.She has always seemed like an interesting character to me, one of the judges on that show (or the original) that seems to have an intriguing, wild background. And in the book she describes the various famous men she has slept with, and that list includes Elvis (Presley, not Costello), Burt (Reynolds, not Ward), and Clint (Eastwood, not Black).
Here's an excerpt from Greene's book.
[via Pop Candy]
Kathy Griffin: The TV Squad Interview
Kathy Griffin is so ubiquitous these days, you might have to dust off an old cliché (and change it slightly) to describe her - The Queen of All Media. Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D-List is getting the best ratings of its run, she was a guest on Privileged, her CD, For Your Consideration, was nominated for a Grammy, her book comes out in September, and she continues to tour as a stand-up comedian. She was also recently tapped to host the Shmemmys (The Creative Arts Emmys) and to roast her good friend Joan Rivers for Comedy Central. She may not be getting Ryan Seacrest's 45 million dollar paycheck, but she may be challenging him for most entertainment jobs held simultaneously.
I caught up with her by phone recently and had a long conversation. So long, in fact, that we have posted two different versions - this is the short one. There is an unedited version here, for those who need every last morsel of Griffin they can get.
Griffin actually started out by asking me a question.
Continue reading Kathy Griffin: The TV Squad Interview
Kathy Griffin: The TV Squad Interview (full transcript)
This is the full version of my interview with Kathy Griffin, for those who clicked over from the "short" version. Again, Griffin started out by asking me a question. So is this interview going to run anywhere or is this just for your personal collection?
It's going to run on TVSquad, AOL's TV blog.
You know what? I have an exciting announcement. By the way, I'm looking at it myself, I knew, but it was officially announced today. I am hosting the Shmemmys this year. Now if you recall, two years ago when I won a Creative Arts Emmy, I got in a little trouble for telling Jesus to suck it. And now, two years later, when The D-List has its highest ratings ever, they want me to host. And that is what I love about Hollywood.
Continue reading Kathy Griffin: The TV Squad Interview (full transcript)
If Emeril could get a sitcom, why not Padma?
I love Top Chef (well, the regular version... this oddball Masters edition seems to be just summer filler until the real show starts again). I especially enjoy the hosting stylings of Padma Lakshmi, and not just because of her looks. She has a presence, seems to know her food, and displays an intelligence that fits well in the cerebral nature of the show. But the word "funny" has never come to mind when I've seen her work. Which is why I'm scratching my head at the news that NBC is developing a sitcom for Lakshmi. You heard me. As in most cases in the world of TV, the premise can be boiled down into one oh-so-confidence-infusing sentence, according to Variety: "Building on her Top Chef credentials, the show will star Lakshmi as a woman working in the culinary world." One possible title? Single Serving.
Oofah. The show's got "two week mid-season stinker" written all over it, doesn't it?
[via TV Week]
Are two Project Runways on Lifetime one too many?
So the new season of Project Runway premieres on August 20, on Lifetime after a legal battle with Bravo and a long wait (filming ended nine months ago). But there isn't just one Project Runway this season, there's two, if you include the spinoff Models of the Runway, which will show the models they use on the show talking about what went on behind the scenes.
Coming next season: Gaffers of the Runway, where the crew that works on the electricity/lighting on the set will talk about the models, and then Project Craft Services, where the people who supply the food to the cast and crew will talk about what the models eat (or don't eat) and which of the designers eats the most.
Coming next season: Gaffers of the Runway, where the crew that works on the electricity/lighting on the set will talk about the models, and then Project Craft Services, where the people who supply the food to the cast and crew will talk about what the models eat (or don't eat) and which of the designers eats the most.
The Prisoner -- An early look
Sesame Street's 40th: Five funniest characters
Sesame Street's 40th: Five biggest controversies
