AAndE-related stories
Posted Sep 8th 2009 2:01PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, OpEd, Watercooler Talk, Episode Reviews
When it comes to hoarding stuff, I've gotten better over the years, but I'm still a fairly impressive pack-rat. For instance, I've got boxes of newspaper clippings in the basement dating back to the 1980s, when I wrote for the local daily paper.
Do I need this stuff? No, but it's part of my history, so I hang onto it. Maybe at some point in the distant future, I'll make a bunch of nice scrapbooks and pass them on to my kids. Then
they'll have to figure out what to do with it. Isn't that how it works? People just keep handing their stuff down through the generations, and no one knows what to do with it. Eventually, no one even knows who it belonged to in the first place, and maybe it'll get tossed out.
But I must say, after watching A&E's
Hoarders, I feel downright neat and tidy.
Continue reading A&E's Hoarders - And I thought MY place was cluttered
Posted Aug 27th 2009 6:00PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Industry, Cable/Satellite, Reality-Free
A long-awaited merger between two cable channels has been finalized...uh, finally.
A&E Networks aquired Lifetime as part of a deal between Hearst, Disney and NBC Universal. The deal makes Lifetime a sub-company in the A&E empire.
The deal puts Disney and Hearst in the front row seats of both networks with NBC in a distant third. This means that
NBC can sell its holdings in Lifetime to the other two parties within the next 15 years.
There doesn't seem to be any serious announcement or confirmations of a name or brand change under their new owners. Lifetime will still be called Lifetime.
Continue reading A&E buys Lifetime
Posted Jun 10th 2009 5:02PM by Eliot Glazer
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Video, Game Show, Reality-Free
If you're like me, then you're probably a mom. Although, I don't have children. In fact, I'm a quarter-century old dude built like an extra from a 1960's beach movie (that's not necessarily a compliment, especially if you think "compact" is a terrible description of body type, as I often do). However, when I'm at the gym, I seem to get along like gangbusters with all the mothers who take to the Stepper for a mindless lower-body workout in which one essentially climbs to nowhere.
In fact, every now and then, you'll catch me on the machine upwards of an hour, which is by no means an easy task when you have the attention span I do. But luckily, I've got plenty of friends to keep me going, and I don't even have to talk to them. Because they're inside the TV! (Sorry, moms!)
Continue reading Five shows to watch at the gym (if you know what's good for you)
Posted Jun 4th 2009 2:05PM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cancellations, Reality-Free
Though it probably comes as no big surprise, sources are saying that the
Patrick Swayze drama about a rogue FBI agent,
The Beast, won't be returning for a second season.
While A&E has told Variety that no official decision has been made, word is that episode 13, which aired at the end of April, will be the series' last.
I've been watching
I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!, which is a terrible revelation to make about myself, but in the three hours of my life that show has taken from me, I've come to a few conclusions: 1. My life needs more meaning, and 2.
Lou Diamond Phillips is kind of a bad-ass.
I bring this up because apparently, there had been talks of
The Beast continuing with someone other than Patrick Swayze in the lead in case Swayze's poor health prevented him from continuing on the show. Phillips recently guest-starred on the series, and I would love to see him on television (in a situation in which he wasn't getting eaten by rats).
Continue reading A&E cancels The Beast
Posted May 12th 2009 3:43PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Celebrities, Reality-Free
While
Kevin Costner is executive producing a new A&E Western mini-series event, he's not as sure if he'll be directing any of it or even if he'll be appearing in it. It all depends on the script. So he's not sure if it'll be good enough to bother with beyond his current EP duties?
Come on, Kevin. This is A&E. Remember their first, and only so far, mini-series
The Andromeda Strain? Yeah,
I actually watched it and it was horrible! Which means this one simply has to be better. Right? It can't be much worse. Truly. It can't.
Continue reading Kevin Costner may direct/star in a new Western mini-series...or may not
Posted Feb 18th 2009 9:29AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Programming, Celebrities, Pickups and Renewals
Joining the long list of former celebrities who have gotten a second life as a result of television reality programming, M.C. Hammer
will be getting his own series on the A&E Network. It will be called, what else,
Hammertime and will chronicle his life with his wife and five children.
Honestly, is there a 1970's or 80's celebrity who hasn't been the star of his or her own reality television show? We've had Hulk Hogan, Scott Baio and a myriad of others in various reality shows that contain the word "celebrity" such as
Celebrity Boxing and
Celebrity Apprentice. Okay,
Dancing With The Stars doesn't have the word "celebrity", but it has "star" which is close enough.
I think what gets me the most is that this same concept was used in
The Osbournes (depending on the show's use of profanity). I envisage a network exec saying "Think
The Osbournes, but it's a rap star with more kids". If it's good enough for Ozzy...
Posted Jun 6th 2008 12:20PM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Subtle Subtitles, Reality-Free
Welcome to Subtle Subtitles. For those of you who are uninitiated to the purpose of this feature, we're asking you to come up with your funniest quote or description for what's going on in the screen grab we choose for the week. Winners are announced in the following Friday's contest.
Last contest's winner:
apronk
"Clay Aiken is breeding!!!"This week, a scene from the series premiere of CBS's
Swingtown ...
Posted Jan 21st 2008 10:01AM by Jay Black
Filed under: OpEd, TV 101
Do you remember coming back from
your first semester at college and running into a kid you used to go to high school with who decided to use college as an excuse to totally reinvent him or herself? Like he was the class dork and in three months he's all of a sudden a death-metal anarchist? Or she dated the basketball team (the varsity, junior varsity, AND the freshmen) and now she dresses like Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman?
There was always something disturbing about it. Not so much that they had changed -- everyone has a right to change -- but because what they now were was different from the template you had made for them. When the universe doesn't act like you expect it to, you get uneasy; it's a natural reaction. I couldn't help but feel that way this week, when I watched A&E's new show
Parking Wars.
Continue reading TV 101: Channel Drift (or, what the hell happened to A&E?)
Posted Oct 29th 2007 9:54AM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, TV on DVD, Contests and Giveaways
The giveaways continue today! Not only are we giving away the
Twin Peaks Gold Box edition, we've also got
three copies of Criss Angel Mindfreak season one on DVD for three lucky, random commenters. The set is already available in stores and, until October 31, you can
pick up a Criss Angel DVD for a steal at only $5!
To enter, simply leave a comment below before 5:00PM Eastern, Friday, November 2, simply telling us your favorite Criss Angel feat. As always, we'll randomly choose three winners amongst the eligible entries. Some other details:
- To enter, leave a confirmed comment below stating your favorite Criss Angel feat.
- The comment must be left before November 2, 2007 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Three winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Three winners will receive a copy of Criss Angel Mindfreak Season 1 DVDs (valued at $26.95).
Click here for complete Official Rules.
Posted Oct 15th 2007 8:56AM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Contests and Giveaways
It's time for us to give away some stuff ... again! One of today's giveaways is for three copies of
The Kids in the Hall - complete series megaset on DVD, which is in stores October 31, but through Wednesday, October 17th,
you can order the set at 50% off. All you've got to do is submit a comment below before 5PM Eastern, October 19, and mention your favorite sketch from the series. We'll randomly choose three winners to receive the DVDs!
Some other details:
- To enter, leave a confirmed comment below stating your favorite Kids in the Hall sketch.
- The comment must be left before October 19, 2007 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Three winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Three winners will receive a copy of The Kids in the Hall Complete Series Megaset DVDs (valued at $199.95).
Click here for complete Official Rules.Posted Nov 30th 2006 9:22AM by Julia Ward
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, HBO, Cable, Industry, Syndicated, The Sopranos
Beginning January 10th,
A&E will begin broadcasting a cleaned-up version of The Sopranos. No violence. No nudity. No swearing. How likely is it that the PG-13 version of
The Sopranos will suck? According to A&E's vice president of program planning Tom Moody, "
The Sopranos is so well written and so well acted, it doesn't rely on language, violence or nudity to carry story arcs. It overcomes any of those tiny obstacles." Ah, yes, "tiny obstacles" - like how the characters speak to each other, how their actions convey meaning, etc. Not a prob.
Fortunately, HBO thought ahead. Alternative shots and scenes with tamer dialogue were filmed alongside what originally ended up on the air. Less than one minute and no full scenes will be edited out of the seventy-seven episodes destined for syndication, or so they say. If
Sex and the City can be cut down to a thirty minute basic cable-friendly show with no dirty talk, than anything may be possible. Do what you will to
The Sopranos - just don't get any fancy ideas about syndicating
Deadwood.
Posted Sep 26th 2006 1:27PM by Brett Love
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Cable, Industry, OpEd, Celebrities
Trust me, I'm really not making this one up. Apparently, A&E has ordered eight episodes of something called The Coreys: Return of the Lost Boys. The half hour show aims to update viewers on just what Corey Haim and Corey Feldman have been up to over the last twenty years.
The 'Arts & Entertainment' network has also ordered 13 episodes of Paranormal U. This show will follow a research group at Penn State University which studies and debunks paranormal phenomena. I could see myself watching this. I like that real world X-Files theme.
All this does make me wonder though, is it time for a name change for the network? With a slate that includes Dog the Bounty Hunter, Driving Force, Family Jewels, SWAT, Paranormal U, and, The Coreys I'm just not sure A&E really represents the programming.
[via Cynopsis]Posted Sep 14th 2006 2:31PM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Cable, Celebrities
MSNBC just this afternoon broke the news that Duane "Dog" Chapman, star of the
Dog the Bounty Hunter reality show on A&E,
was arrested in at his home by United States Marshals for an extradition hearing to Mexico. Mexican authorities are requesting that Chapman be extradited for kidnapping charges related to Chapman's capture of Andrew Luster.
[
Update: Chapman, his brother, Tim, and son, Leland were apprehended
at Chapman's home separately. Chapman's wife Beth goes on to say that the Federal Marshals explained Chapman was being charged with "deprivation of liberty of Andrew Luster." Bounty hunting, incidentally, is illegal in Mexico.
Luster is a
Max Factor heir, and when Dog first caught him in 2003, Dog spent three days in a Mexican jail over the incident.
Dog the Bounty Hunter was in the midst of producing its fourth season during this most recent arrest. Luster is currently serving time on three rape convictions.]
Related:Lawsuit file against Dog the Bounty HunterPosted Apr 6th 2006 11:02AM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Cable, HDTV
Within the next couple years, both A&E and the History Channel plan to launch
individual high-definition channels. A&E's offering, called A&E HD, will come first, premiering this September.
The channel will kick off with a CSI: Miami marathon on Labor Day weekend, so get ready to become intimate
with David Curuso's pores. After the launch, the channel will simply simulcast A&E's programming. The History
Channel's new high-def channel, which has the similar unoriginal name of History Channel HD, will launch next year. I'm
not sure how the History Channel plans to take advantage of high definition, but I'll bet you'll be able to see
mites crawling around inside Hitler's mustache. That's actually a really good idea for a Disney cartoon. Or maybe
not.
[via Lost Remote]
Posted Aug 31st 2005 10:58AM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, FOX, Programming, 24
So you missed season four of
24 and feel like you might be left out of the next season when it resumes next year? Well if you've got a full 24 hours in a row of your life to spare, you can check out a full season four marathon of the show on A&E this coming Sunday. The new season kicks off January 8.
(Thanks Ryan!)
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