The "Balloon Boy" incident, the cleanest name I can give this monumental media f#*$#-up, sounded vaguely familiar to me. In fact, it sounded more like the setup to a classic joke with an incredibly unfunny punchline.
It seems the folks at Countdown with Keith Olbermann noticed that as well and turned the whole thing into another umpteenth retelling of the classic "Aristocrats" joke. If you're not familiar with the infamous joke about a family walking into a talent agent's office, search for it on YouTube. But don't come whining to me that your ears won't stop bleeding.
KeithOlbermann-related stories
The Heene Family walks into a talent agent's office and says, 'Have I got an act for you...'
Richard Wolffe returns to Countdown
For regular viewers of Keith Olbermann's MSNBC show, the chemistry has been a little off for the past month. The reason was simple. Richard Wolffe was missing from the opening segment. Well, the missing man has been reinstated. Effective last night, Richard Wolffe was back on MSNBC's Countdown.Talk about a mountain being made of a mole hill. Wolffe's exile had been prompted by a presumed conflict of interest. Wolffe's work load includes working with a D.C. public affairs firm called Public Strategies Inc.
Continue reading Richard Wolffe returns to Countdown
Seven shows that need funny commentators more than American Idol
American Idol's choice of Ellen DeGeneres as a judge replacement threw everyone for a loop, even schlubs like me who don't watch the show. It's not that she's not talented, successful or funny. It's just an odd choice, putting a comedian on the show that takes its goal of crushing losers' dreams on live television so seriously. It would evoke the same reaction from me if they picked Andrew "Dice" Clay as the new judge, if the Diceman was talented, successful or funny.
And besides, why do they need humor and comedy on such an otherwise serious show? There are lots of humorless, vapid and downright boring shows that are crying out for comedic interjection.
Continue reading Seven shows that need funny commentators more than American Idol
Olbermann, O'Reilly told to end personal feud, which just creates another feud
It seems the never-ending feud between Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly has become a kangaroo boxing match. The worst thing you can do is get in the middle of it. That's exactly what the parent owners of Fox News and MSNBC tried to do when they arranged a "cease-fire" between them and their top-tier shows' "lieutenants."
The cease-fire, however, didn't last long. It's another case of the ol' Rufus T. Firefly conundrum for peace. Either side might be willing to do whatever it takes to end this war, but they've already paid two months' rent on the battlefield.
Continue reading Olbermann, O'Reilly told to end personal feud, which just creates another feud
Bill O'Reilly doesn't feel so lucky there's a Family Guy
There have been a lot of uneasy vibes floating around the offices of TV Squad HQ about the elevation of Family Guy to Best Comedy status by this year's Emmy nomination committee. I'm not speaking for the entire group, but it does feel a little out of place earning a nomination that even The Simpsons couldn't score in its 20 year history. It's like giving the Nobel Peace Prize to Michael Jackson for writing "Heal the World" and completely snubbing Nelson Mandela. But no one is more unhappy about the news than pop culture's official lifeguard, Bill O'Reilly.
He called out Seth MacFarlane's cavalcade of cartoon pop culture for winning the nomination during his "Reality Check" segment.
Continue reading Bill O'Reilly doesn't feel so lucky there's a Family Guy
What if the Apollo 11 moon landing didn't happen under Cronkite's watch?
Walter Cronkite's passing didn't mark the end of an era in the TV news business. The era he helped produce and prolong died long before he did. It's hard for me to ever imagine a time when people considered a major network news anchor as America's most trusted source for anything. Claims of bias and political persuasion being injected into every story with a meat syringe created a thick fog that made it very hard to cover anything with a modicum of honesty.
Cronkite, however, was the man people turned to when something blew up, exploded, imploded, launched, landed or any other number of descriptive verbs, because his goal wasn't to make news every time he stepped in front of a camera. His goal was just to report it.
Continue reading What if the Apollo 11 moon landing didn't happen under Cronkite's watch?
Dan Patrick taking his radio show to DIRECTV
Dan Patrick is taking his radio talk show to TV. Unlike his former ESPN comrade Keith Olbermann, Patrick will thankfully be sticking to sports.Beginning Monday, August 3rd, The Dan Patrick Show will air weekday mornings from 9 AM to noon ET/PT on DIRECTV's 101 Network.
According to the network, the show will boast "an unpredictable, anything-can-happen format that will use Patrick's trademark humor and interaction with his production staff to create a unique blend of situational comedy and sports radio commentary."
In other words, he's just going to stick a camera in front of his radio show. And, considering that show is nationally syndicated across the U.S. and Canada -- including Sirius and XM satellite radio -- you can't blame him for staying with what works.
Continue reading Dan Patrick taking his radio show to DIRECTV
Exclusive! Keith Olbermann is not dead
Keith Olbermann! Come on down! You're the next TV celebrity whose death has been falsely reported on the Internet!The MSNBC Countdown's Wikipedia page reported he had died earlier this morning, possibly due to complications from celiac disease.
I sent emails to two networks officials to confirm this jarring claim. Jeremy Gaines, MSNBC's vice president of communications, responded that he is certain the entry is a "hoax" and that he and other network officials were working to correct it. The section on Olbermann's death has since been removed from the page.
Continue reading Exclusive! Keith Olbermann is not dead
Memories of Michael Jackson: Collaborating with Paul McCartney
The stunning news yesterday about the death of Michael Jackson conjured up many memories of the singer for me, as I'm sure it did for most people. For many of us, there was never a time when the Jackson Five and Michael were not part of pop culture. Little Michael and his brothers on The Ed Sullivan Show, their funky outfits when they sang on The Flip Wilson Show (much cooler than the Osmond Brothers!), Michael as the Scarecrow in The Wiz (a hideous movie, but he was quite good).
Well after leaving his brothers to become Michael Jackson, solo superstar, Michael hooked up with Paul McCartney for a couple of songs, "Say, Say, Say" and "The Girl is Mine." The latter was okay, but the former was terrific. They co-wrote it and it reached #1 on the charts in 1983. Those were the times when MTV really showcased music videos and the artists and labels invested in top-notch productions. It was, if you will, the golden age of music videos!
Continue reading Memories of Michael Jackson: Collaborating with Paul McCartney
Jimmy Fallon has started turning Late Night into his La-Z-Boy
Jimmy Fallon's first week on the job wasn't great, but it had some promising moments that showed the former SNLer was capable of doing good if he could just get comfortable in his new pad. Fallon's exuberance for the job shined through, but his nerves sometimes seemed to get the best of him. That's natural. If I was the face of a multimillion dollar television show beamed to hundreds of thousands of people every night, I would consider my work a success if I could get through each show with a clean pair of shorts.
The host has come a long way in the last three months. He seems less nervous and more comfortable as the captain of Late Night, and it has made him and his show funnier. The cleanliness of his shorts are not known. I don't know anyone that close to Fallon's staff.
Continue reading Jimmy Fallon has started turning Late Night into his La-Z-Boy
Sykes gives us a taste of her talk show, right cross
Every year, C-SPAN looks forward to a sharp boost in ratings while the White House press secretary cringes towards a sharp drop in approval points in the long shadow of the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner. It's a chance for the current administration to let their hair down and show everyone that they can take a good joke and stand some pointed criticism in the K-Street jungle. That should explain why the last Bush administration hired Rich Little to do their show in '07.
Continue reading Sykes gives us a taste of her talk show, right cross
MSNBC looking for a new star at 10 o'clock
While NBC is committing all its ten o'clock hours next fall to Jay Leno, MSNBC is looking for a ten o'clock star. They want a show to secure stronger foothold on prime time by filling that hour with a new show. Right now, it presents a rerun of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, but that's not how it's going to remain. Phil Griffin, MSNBC prez, would like to develop a new hour to go along with Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show, and presumably build on the audience Olbermann and Maddow are generating.
Continue reading MSNBC looking for a new star at 10 o'clock
Modern-day Felix Ungers: Seven TV neat-freaks - VIDEOS
Do you think when Neil Simon created the character of Felix Unger in The Odd Couple he knew that he was spawning a generation or two (maybe more) of Felix Unger wannabes? Today, over 40 years since Felix became part of our movie/TV collective conscience, there are lots of people and characters that bring to mind Tony Randall's alter ego. It's Tony's Felix that I think is etched in our minds. He made Felix all he could be, and week in and week out -- opposite Jack Klugman's Oscar Madison -- he typified the ultimate neat freak, persnickety, hypochondriacally, impossible-to-live-with, supercilious know-it-all that made us cackle with laughter.
So, as I was watching TV -- an occupational requirement -- recently, it occurred to me that there are quite a few Felix Ungers on screen right now. Most are fictional, like Two and a Half Men's Alan Harper and, most obviously, Adrian Monk. But there are a couple of Felixes in real life on TV, too, like MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and ESPN's Mike Greenberg.
By my count, there are seven "Felix Ungers" currently on TV.
Continue reading Modern-day Felix Ungers: Seven TV neat-freaks - VIDEOS
Keith Olbermann inks a new four year deal
Here's some news that's bound to equally thrill and displease readers. MSNBC has given Keith Olbermann a new four year deal, ensuring that Countdown with Keith Olbermann remains in the cable's primetime lineup. For fans of Olbermann, the prospect of Keith's continued commentaries and his clever interpretation of the news is a good thing. For those who loathe the man -- and there are just as many detractors as fans -- this is one more reason to be ticked off with MSNBC.The fact is that TV success doesn't depend on having everybody love you. There are many stars, in fact, who are polarizing figures. Either you love them or you love to hate them. The point is that you don't ignore them. So, Keith Olbermann will remain a part of the public discourse and that means the best media feud of the decade goes on -- Olbermann versus Bill O'Reilly.
Continue reading Keith Olbermann inks a new four year deal
Election Night: MSNBC (final thoughts)
It's about 12 hours later and as I look back on MSNBC's Election Plaza broadcast, I can see things a bit more clearly now. Overall, the "place for politics" did a fine job covering the most historic presidential election in my lifetime. It wasn't the most dramatic, but it was living history.History was in the making because we knew going in whether the Dems or the Reps won, an African-American or a woman would be in the White House by the end of the night. MSNBC captured that political reality with images and by letting the camera run long after Obama's speech just to watch the faces of the people -- including Oprah and Jesse Jackson, both in tears -- celebrate in joy.
The prognosticators and pollsters were all on target by choosing Obama/Biden as the winners, so that means nobody's at Gallup or Fivethirtyeight.com is losing his/her job.
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The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
