AlecBaldwin-related stories
Posted Nov 3rd 2009 10:17PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, 30 Rock, Awards, Reality-Free
The
Vegas oddsmakers were wrong about Billy Crystal. He isn't hosting the Oscars. Neither is Hugh Jackman. No, today it was announced that
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as cohosts of the 82nd Academy Awards. Interestingly, Martin and Baldwin are costarring -- with Meryl Streep -- in the upcoming romantic comedy,
It's Complicated.
Choosing these two guys, however, is not complicated. It's actually pretty damn clever. Both men are very funny, very comfortable in the moment -- a necessity for a complicated show like the Oscars when anything can go wrong -- and they bring a lot of good will and star power to the proceedings.
Continue reading Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to host the Oscars
Posted Oct 5th 2009 9:00AM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Early Looks, Reality-Free
Sherri, premiering tonight on Lifetime, is a very confusing show. It has flashes of genius, with several lines that made me laugh out loud ("Screw me once, shame on you. Screw a white woman -- we done"). At other times, however, it's bogged down with over-the-top dialogue and atrocious acting.
The premise behind
Sherri is basically
Sherri Shepherd's actual life. Both the real and fictional Sherri has held down jobs at a law office while working as a comedian and an actress, with bit parts on television shows. They both got married and had a son, only to find out that their husband was cheating on them.
Continue reading Sherri -- An early look
Posted Oct 1st 2009 12:00PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: TV on the Bigscreen, OpEd, Reality-Free
The popular children's book character Thomas the Tank Engine is once again
heading to the big screen, proving that Hollywood has no original ideas left whatsoever. Or that the industry will put anything on screen it thinks will make money. Or both. Thomas and his gang of anthropomorphic vehicles currently appear on PBS on
Thomas and Friends.
The character has already starred in the movie
Thomas and the Magic Railroad starring Alec Baldwin (who also narrated the television stories for years). Is that really enough time between revamps? Is it the fact that the youngest generation recycles every seven years, which has kept Disney in business forever?
Given his association with the franchise, it would be a crime if Baldwin didn't at least get a voice-over role in the movie (and preferably a full cameo). In the meanwhile, he'll have to content himself with his Emmy-winning role on
30 Rock.
Posted Aug 10th 2009 10:33AM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: Site Announcements, Reality-Free
The folks at our sister site
Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:
Posted Jul 22nd 2009 1:02PM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: Late Night, Video, Celebrities, 30 Rock, Emmys, Reality-Free
Despite the fact that before
30 Rock Alec Baldwin had primarily been known for his dramatic work, he has long been beloved in the comedy world. He's one of the most frequent hosts of
Saturday Night Live, and has become somewhat of an unofficial cast member over the years. He's proven that he has no shame when it comes to comedy, which goes pretty far to explain why he went on
SNL alum
Jimmy Fallon's show last night in an all-white getup accented by a gold lame scarf, gold boots, and even a gold fanny pack.
Continue reading Alec Baldwin shows Jimmy Fallon exactly why he's nominated for an Emmy
Posted Jul 14th 2009 6:05PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, The Office, 30 Rock, Awards, Emmys, Chuck, Reality-Free, The Big Bang Theory
I know what many of you are thinking. Alec Baldwin is probably gonna win for
30 Rock again so what does it even matter? Hollywood is in love with that show. Which is true, but not entirely undeserved. Baldwin still commands a scene like almost no one on television. But I don't think he was as dominating a comedic force as last year, and he was part of a
30 Rock sweep, so I don't think Emmy intends to repeat that.
Pushing Daisies was still sweet in its last year, but I'm going to have to snub Lee Pace and replace him with
Chuck's Zachary Levi on the ballot. He balances comedy and drama so convincingly you can't help but root for him.
But there was a looming shadow in comedy this year that no one could escape. I don't see how Emmy could ignore the work of Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper on
The Big Bang Theory. He's so convincing in the role that when you see him in interviews you fully expect him to demand his spot on the couch and condescend the host at every turn.
Continue reading Emmy Wish List: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Posted Jul 8th 2009 1:29PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Industry, Programming, OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, 30 Rock, Reality-Free
Let's hear it for Tina Fey. Along with critical success for
30 Rock, the series is being syndicated by Comedy Central and WGN America for a
whopping $800,000 per episode. Not quite the record since it's a fee paid between two networks but it's a fair chunk of change, particularly in a down economy.
I'm a fan of the show and am happy that this deal was struck. It guarantees the show will run for another few years. Of course, it would have run for a few years anyways. I don't see Tina Fey wanting a show she created to end and Alec Baldwin is chained to his contract
until 2012, after which he's apparently going to run for Mayor of New York.
I'm a fan of Comedy Central as well and look forward to seeing Liz Lemon on the network. I can only hope they put it on the schedule between
South Park and
The Daily Show to guarantee that I'll be watching.
Posted May 21st 2009 5:04PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Reality-Free
Despite being a terrific actor, Alec Baldwin has a tendency to apologize for verbal faux pas, whether it involves a telephone call
to his wife and daughter that is being recorded or, more currently, about making a joke on
The Late Show with David Letterman about Filipino mail-order brides.
The politicians in the Philippines may be overreacting a tad. If anybody in this country took Baldwin so seriously, he would not have been the leader of the F.A.G.s in
Team America: World Police. The Russians, being more worldly, apparently did not make a reactionary statement to the part of his sentence involving Russian mail-order brides.
I doubt his position on
30 Rock is in jeopardy as a result of this incident. If anything, he's gotten more publicity out of it.
He just should have said the mail-order bride was from Arkansas. At least the incident would not have been an international one.
Posted May 8th 2009 9:34AM by Mike Moody
Filed under: 30 Rock, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S03E21) "Liz Lemmon, I may hug people too hard and get lost at malls, but I'm not an idiot" - Tracy JordanMaybe Jack Donaghy is right. More family does mean more aggravation. The search for Jack's real dad yielded a plot based on
Mama Mia (apparently, I've never seen it, and I'm pretty sure I'll die that way) and an appearance by TV's most recognizable liberal – Alan Alda.
Don't get me wrong. I love Alan Alda. I was looking forward to seeing him on the show. He was great. But imagine ultra-conservative Jack's heartache when he found out that Hawkeye Pierce was his dad. The look on Jack's face when Alda stormed out of his office and cursed in Yiddish said it all. And I'm pretty sure Jack never imagined himself living out the plot of an Abba musical. Liz Lemon seemed pretty excited about it, though.
Continue reading 30 Rock: Mama Mia
Posted Feb 15th 2009 2:29PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: OpEd, Saturday Night Live, Episode Reviews
(S34E16) It was pretty obvious there was going to be at least two sketches with the Jonas Brothers. I called it! I mean, no one apart from the people in my apartment know I called it, but that doesn't change the facts or my sad sense of accomplishment. I had to tune out once they started singing (sorry, 15 year-old girls), but their skits were all right. Alec Baldwin did a fine job of hosting as well, though there weren't any particularly striking sketches. I suppose after doing something like "Schwetty Balls", just about everything else will pale in comparison.
Continue reading Saturday Night Live: Alec Baldwin/The Jonas Brothers - VIDEOS
Posted Feb 10th 2009 1:31PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: OpEd, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free
The
new fall pilots don't excite me very much, what with all of the cops, doctors and lawyers. But I know networks, and original ideas aren't exactly the "in" thing.
So, why can't we design some spin-offs? You know, the networks might go for some ideas based on hit shows, and we can make them a little bit unique, right? Let's add in some elements that excite us to some familiar characters and see if we can't create some new spin-off pilots better than the actual ones.
Continue reading Six spinoffs you'll probably never see ... but sure would be fun
Posted Jan 6th 2009 11:02AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: House, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Reaper, Reality-Free, Burn Notice, The Mentalist, TV Squad Ten
Random House defines outrageous as
highly unusual or unconventional; extravagant; remarkable. It's as though they've been watching TV, and wrote their definition to fit some of the crazy characters on television shows today.
Oh, don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining. I love these larger-than-life characters, played to perfection by the talented actors who grace these roles. Some fit in perfectly with their surroundings, others stand out like a sore thumb amongst castmates. One thing they all have in common, though, is that watching them is pure entertainment.
Patrick Jane (played by Simon Baker on The Mentalist)Jane doesn't quite have the social graces to blend into society, and that's why I love him. The frumpy suits, the obnoxious antics, and the constant pushing of the envelope make for some good TV. From card counting in the casino to reading Lisbon's mind; hypnotizing suspects to making a sandwich in a victim's home, Jane's done it all. Unconventional, to say the least.
Continue reading TV Squad Ten: Most outrageous characters on TV
Posted Nov 30th 2008 12:05PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Programming, Music and Variety, Celebrities, Cancellations, Ratings, Reality-Free
It seems that the show
NBC hoped would revive the variety show format was getting an autopsy before it even had a chance to get off of the operating table.
E! Online reports that Rosie O'Donnell said her live variety show, the cleverly named
Rosie Live, won't make it past the first episode, or as she so cutely wrote on her
web site, "there will b no more."
The one and only episode of Rosie's return from TV purgatory was dismal, to say the least.
Friday's Wednesday's episode only drew 5 million viewers, despite the appearance of high profile celebrities like
Alec Baldwin,
Alanis Morissette and
Ne-Yo to help them forget the fact that they were watching a show where Rosie O'Donnell is the star.
Continue reading Rosie Live now among the living dead
Posted Nov 29th 2008 1:05PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Celebrities, 30 Rock, Casting, Reality-Free
In the latest of a long line of celebrities to appear on
30 Rock this season, you can
add CNN host Larry King. He joins a parade of celebrities with the same accomplishment including Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Martin and some of the cast of
Night Court.
Granted, he's a celebrity that everyone has heard of, but isn't Larry King getting a little past his prime? It seems the the celebrity guest-stars are getting more obscure as the season progresses. By the end of the season, it'll be Kathy Griffin and the guy who used to play "Screech". Tina Fey herself is now a bigger star than most of the guests.
The storyline involves Larry interviewing Tracy Morgan's character on his show. It would be funny if he then proposes marriage to Liz Lemon.
Fortunately, the writing on
30 Rock is so top-notch that I think they could have Carrot Top as a guest and still make it a good show. Bring it on, Larry!
Posted Nov 28th 2008 10:33AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Video, Ratings, Reality-Free
It looks like
Rosie Live has been declared dead. Her attempt at reviving the variety show format
tied for the lowest-rated program of the evening.
Frankly, I don't think it's necessarily a death-knell for the format so much as the host. Rosie's
highly-
publicized feuds have certainly soured me on watching any sort of television program hosted by her.
In comparison, Stephen Colbert's
A Colbert Christmas pretty much embraced the variety show format (with enough changes to keep it modern and interesting) and it was great entertainment. Granted, cable stations don't have the ratings requirements of network and the entire special was pretty much an attempt to sell the DVD (in a humorous, non-annoying fashion). If some other Broadway-style celebrity hosted the same show, I'm willing to bet ratings would have been higher.
I've embedded a video from
Rosie Live after the jump, guest-starring Alec Baldwin. I'll let you folks judge for yourselves whether or not Rosie's variety show is cringe-worthy or simply unappreciated.
Continue reading Rosie does not equal ratings - VIDEO
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