Christmas-related stories
Posted Nov 22nd 2009 11:29AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Celebrities, Reality-Free
One of the stranger quirks of the holidays on television is the way networks and channels program. Movie marathons have become very common, especially TBS's tradition of 24-hours of
A Christmas Story. Now, another network is following in TBS's tradition by scheduling a movie marathon of its own.
The TV Guide Network will present a 12-hour marathon of Dirty Dancing. That's right, the Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey drama musical.
Look at this beautiful image from the movie. That's Johnny and Baby in the lake, practicing jumps for their big dance number. Doesn't it just scream "CHRISTMAS" to you?
Continue reading The perfect Christmas movie marathon? Dirty Dancing
Posted Nov 20th 2009 3:20AM by Michael Pascua
Filed under: Grey's Anatomy, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(
S06E10) In the last episode of 2009,
Grey's Anatomy combines Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all in one eventful episode. I'm still not in the holiday mood, but the show got me there, except for the fact that they played Christmas music on New Years. Christmas music should stay between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What happened to Alex in this episode? This would probably be the hardest time for a husband who doesn't have his wife for their first Christmas together. Wasn't he invited to Christmas Dinner? At least Meredith could have mentioned that he was stuck at work?
Continue reading Review: Grey's Anatomy - Holidaze
Posted Nov 19th 2009 12:53PM by Jonathan Toomey
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Programming, Animation, Adult Swim, Reality-Free
With the holidays fast approaching, it's good to know that Adult Swim is thinking of you. According to their online schedule,
Aqua Teen Hunger Force will return on December 13th at 11:45 p.m. ET with an episode elusively referred to as "ATHF Xmas."
In true Adult Swim fashion, there's been absolutely no indication as to what this episode might be about, however it's likely that it somehow ties into the recently released
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Christmas CD,
Have Yourself a Meaty Little Christmas. If you haven't bought it yet, do yourself a favor and get it now. Trust me when I say that you haven't lived until you've heard Meatwad croon his own version of "Silent Night" or Carl cackle his way through "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
Anyway, regarding the episode, it's the only one listed on the schedule, so it's probably not the new season premiere, but it'll hopefully have some sort of performance aspect with songs from the album. That and maybe The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future will show up.
Please let the robot turkey be there.
Posted Nov 16th 2009 10:02AM by Nick Zaino
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Animation, Interviews, Reality-Free
Chris Rock has the kind of status as a comedian that allows him to work on any project he wants. He produced the documentary
Good Hair, he's writing a book, and he has been working on back-to-back film shoots.
Tuesday at 8 PM on NBC, you'll hear his voice in
Merry Madagascar, playing Marty the zebra for the third time, along with returning regulars Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. He's confident it's not the last time he'll voice Marty, either, with
Madagascar 3 in the works.
So why does a guy who can do anything he wants spend time in front of a microphone pretending to be a cartoon animal?
"Money," he says jokingly, speaking on a conference call on Wednesday. "No, no they're good. You realize as you get longer in this business, the only thing that keeps you working is doing good stuff. You know, I mean the box office is great, too, but if people don't like what you do the moment the box office isn't fair, they don't want to work with you anymore."
Continue reading Chris Rock has a Merry Madagascar with the family
Posted Nov 15th 2009 9:05AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Industry, In the Limelight, Celebrities, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Reality-Free, Galleries
The cast of the FX sitcom
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia gathered a stone's throw from Beverly Hills this week to celebrate the release of the show's new Christmas special.
A Very Sunny Christmas arrives on Blu-ray and DVD November 17 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Fox teamed with Maxim Magazine to hold a festive bash last Thursday night at Guys and Dolls Lounge in the shadow of Cedar Sinai Hospital on Beverly Blvd. (Event gallery below.)
A modest red carpet set-up gathered a cramped collection of reporters and photographers together to greet the arrivals of show stars Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day.
As if looking to mimic the bleak Philadelphia winter, rain sprinkled the LA streets in the hours leading up to the event -- and temperatures hovering in the low 50s made it a goose bumpy night for the several cocktail dress-clad ladies mingling in the crowd.
Continue reading It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Christmas Special rolls out red carpet
Posted Nov 11th 2009 10:03AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Doctor Who, Reality-Free, British TV
Do Daleks wear jingle bells? Probably not. But the creator of
Doctor Who's deadliest enemies is in stateside toy stores to celebrate the holiday season with the human species he's tried to kill off more than once.
His arrival is very timely when you consider it's November and time for pundits like me to start sending some gift ideas your way.
Since I'm more than comfortable shilling for the geek contingent, the good folks at
Underground Toys sent the evil scientist (right) over for a visit. Though he's a bit of a grump -- the 12" high,
radio controlled Davros should keep any
Who fan entertained. The only question I have is whether he'll end up in the fans of kids or their sci-fi fan parents.
Continue reading Underground Toys materializes TV sci-fi swag for the holidays
Posted Oct 30th 2009 8:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Music and Variety, Awards, Reality-Free, Glee
If you have any doubt about the power of television in the selling of music and making stars, this story should convince you that there is a definite correlation. Fox's
Glee has produced a solid gold successful single.
The
Glee version of "Don't Stop Believin'" has been certified as Gold in digital sales of half-a-million downloads. That's 500,000 people who've heard the song on the TV show and wanted it on their iPod or cell phone or some music playing apparatus.
"Don't Stop Believin'" was the first big song from the
pilot, but it's not the only song that has been popular. Seven songs from
Glee now occupy spots in the top 200 of iTunes' Top Songs chart. On November 3, there will be a compilation CD of the best numbers from the show, called
Glee: The Music, Volume 1.
Continue reading Glee's "Don't Stop Believin'" goes gold
Posted May 28th 2009 9:37AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Casting, Pushing Daisies, Reality-Free
I know it's only May and hardly the time to start thinking of egg nog and holly and Ebenezer Scrooge or any of the other Christmas standbys, but forgive me if I let out a whoop of happiness about the news that
Kristin Chenoweth will star in The Twelve Men of Christmas TV movie. The romantic comedy is slated to be part of the Fa La La La La Lifetime lineup (try saying that three times fast!), and while another holiday film doesn't usually make me gleeful, this one does.
Kristin Chenoweth is a gem. I'm still bereft that we'll probably never see her Olive Snook again because
Pushing Daisies is gone unless there's a movie, and I was tiffed that the David E. Kelly NBC pilot
Legally Mad was not picked up only because La Chenoweth was in it.
Continue reading Christmas with Kristin Chenoweth
Posted Dec 31st 2008 7:18PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Programming, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
Here's what's on TV tomorrow. Lots of marathons, movies, and bowl games.
- Sci-Fi's Twilight Zone marathon continues from last night.
- AMC is showing classic westerns all day.
- Cartoon Network has Looney Tunes all day.
- Hallmark has Christmas movies all day.
- At 6am, USA has a Monk marathon.
- At 7, NBC's Today, ABC's Good Morning, America, and CBS' The Early Show will all have New Year's tips, predictions, advice, and recipes.
- At 8, TNT has a Bones marathon.
- History Channel has Ice Road Truckers episodes all day starting at 8.
Continue reading What's On New Year's Day
Posted Dec 26th 2008 4:02PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
USA has a House marathon all night.- Disney has a Phineas & Ferb marathon all night.
- Discovery has a Dirty Jobs marathon all night.
- MTV2 has a Life of Ryan marathon all night.
- At 8, NBC is showing an episode of Top Chef, for some reason.
- PBS has a new Washington Week at 8, followed by new episodes of NOW and Bill Moyers Journal.
- History Channel has a new Modern Marvels at 8.
- At 9, Hallmark has the movie All I Want For Christmas, then the movie Silver Bells.
- At 10, ABC has a new 20/20.
- Also at 10: E! has a marathon of Chelsea Lately episodes.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk show listings.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Top Chef, Modern Marvels, Kristen Bell, Tracy Morgan
Posted Dec 25th 2008 5:33PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Programming, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
- HGTV has Christmas programming all night.
- SoapNet has old Christmas episodes of General Hospital all night.
- At 8, NBC has a new, two-hour Deal Or No Deal.
- TNT has the Cavaliers/Wizards game at 8, followed by the Mavericks/Trailblazers game.
- Comedy Central has Bad Santa at 8.
- Alton Brown makes cookies on Good Eats at 8, on Food Network.
- Nickelodeon has Christmas episodes of various shows starting at 8: iCarly, SpongeBob, Home Improvement, George Lopez, and more.
- Also at 8: Disney has Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas.
- TCM has Casablanca at 8, then The Big Sleep.
- At 9, Hallmark has the movie Our First Christmas.
- TLC has two Christmas episodes of Little People, Big World at 9.
- Lifetime has the movie A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride at 9.
- At 11, Lifetime has two Christmas episodes of Will & Grace.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk show listings.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Deal Or No Deal, Christmas Movies, Benjamin Button
Posted Dec 24th 2008 12:03PM by Jay Black
Filed under: OpEd, Festivus, TV 101, Reality-Free
If there's one universal among TV Christmas specials it's this: they all seem to want to tell you what the "true" meaning of Christmas is. There are so many specials trying to explain the true meaning of Christmas, it actually makes you wonder if the power of TV to influence has been exaggerated. I mean, you'd think after watching approximately eleventy-five billion hours of holiday programming, we'd have gotten the point already.
Perhaps the reason why America continues to view Christmas less as a time for spiritual reflection than as one for reindeer sweaters, crass consumerism, and suicide contemplation is because our Christmas specials aren't really sending the messages that they claim to be. Sure, on the surface we're told about "peace on earth and goodwill to men, blah blah blah", but there's a bubbling subtext in these specials if you only look hard enough.
I've decided to put my New Jersey state college English degree to good use and break down what Christmas specials are
really saying...
Continue reading TV 101: The true meaning of TV Christmas specials (OR: You're a mean one, Mr. Black)
Posted Dec 22nd 2008 4:00PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 8, ABC has Shrek The Halls.- NBC has The Today Show Looks Back: A Holiday Special at 8, then a new Momma's Boys.
- TLC has two new episodes of Little People, Big World at 8.
- History Channel has a new Modern Marvels at 8, followed by a new Cities of the Underground.
- Food Network has Rachael Ray's Holiday Feast at 8.
- At 8:30, ESPN has a new Monday Night Football, the Bears vs. the Packers.
- At 9, FOX has a new Prison Break.
- USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
- Nickelodeon has two Christmas episodes of Home Improvement at 9.
- Also at 9: Cartoon Network has Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.
- At 10, MTV has a new episode of The Hills.
- E! has The Soup: The Year In Soup at 10.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk show listings.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Today Show, Monday Night Football, The Soup
Posted Dec 22nd 2008 3:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Video, Festivus, 30 Rock, Reality-Free
The web has really opened the doors to the possibilities for what the networks can do. Some haven't done that much, and even the ones that do took a long time to actually harness the power of the web (and if I ever use the phrase "harness the power of the web" again you can punch me in the groin). I like it when cast members of the shows do something online that's in character but isn't just a promotion for the show.
Case in point, this video from NBC. It shows
30 Rock's Kenneth the Page in a Santa hat all excited about Christmas (and the anniversary of the "Parcell Massacre"), dancing around the 30 Rock hallways with a chair. If you're not in the Christmas mood already, this might put you over the top. McBrayer is great because he seems to be up for anything, including being
knocked over by Conan O'Brien.
I'd rather watch video sketches like this than those special "webisodes" that some shows have now. More please!
Continue reading Merry Christmas from Kenneth the Page - VIDEO
Posted Dec 21st 2008 4:01PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Programming, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of Million Dollar Password, Cold Case, and The Unit.
- NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, then the Giants/Panthers game.
- Llfetime has the movie Undercover Christmas, then the movie A Christmas Proposal.
- Food Network has a "Holiday Cake-Off" episode of Challenge at 7.
- At 8, Showtime has a new Brotherhood.
- Style Network has a new Ruby.
- Also at 8: HGTV has What's With That Really Decked Out Christmas House?
- At 9, Nickelodeon has a new Nick News at 9, followed by a Christmas episode of Home Improvement.
- At 10, Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
- BBC America has the season finale of Skins at 10.
- At 10:30, HBO has a new Summer Heights High.
- At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken.
- At 12:15, Cartoon Network has a new Drinky Crow Show.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
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