Maude-related stories
Posted Sep 16th 2009 12:04PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Reality-Free
When I first read the headline about Arianna Huffington getting into the TV comedy business, I had visions of her as
Maude or something equally as bizarre.
Fortunately, it was just my skewed sense of humor at work, because Arianna Huffington, the political talking head and co-creator of The Huffington Post, is not starring in a sitcom.
ABC has bought Huffington's idea for a multicamera sitcom. And just to make sure it's funny, they've hired executive producer Greg Malins (
Friends, How I Met Your Mother) to develop the project.
20th Century Fox TV is producing the show for ABC and, yes, it is about politics. See, there are these three freshman members of the House of Representatives, two men and a woman (but no pizza place). They share an apartment in the D.C. area. "One is swept up in the movement of change... one has been in politics for a long time, and one is a master of the media and sound bites," said Malins.
Continue reading Did you hear the one about an Arianna Huffington sitcom?
Posted Aug 11th 2009 6:00PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Programming, Web, Reality-Free
No, I'm not talking about the first Darrin being replaced on
Bewitched. I'm talking about real, big controversies that not only affected the TV world, but the real world, as well. AOL has chosen the
20 greatest TV controversies of all-time.
Included on the list are the Letterman/Palin battle, the
Aqua Teen Hunger Force bomb scare in Boston, the Smothers Brothers political controversy, the quiz show scandals, and a certain nipple that made a cameo appearance at a rather important sporting event.
Posted Apr 25th 2009 4:30PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: TV Royalty, Celebrities, Obituaries, Reality-Free
And then there were two.
Golden Girls star
Bea Arthur died this morning in Los Angeles. She was 86. This is actually a bit of a shock. Not that 86 is young, but she always seemed healthy and spry, even in the last few years, doing her stage show and guest starring on various TV shows and endless specials.
Continue reading Bea Arthur dead at 86
Posted Mar 23rd 2009 2:10PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: TV Royalty, TV on DVD, Reality-Free
Actually, it's not every season of every show that Norman Lear produced and/or created. That would probably take two UPS trucks to deliver and a spare bedroom to store. But this sounds like an interesting collection nonetheless.
On June 9, Sony will release
The Norman Lear Collection, a 19-disc set that will include the first seasons of the shows that Norman Lear did over the years, including
All in the Family,
Sanford and Son,
The Jeffersons,
Maude,
One Day At A Time,
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and
Good Times. The set will include lots of bonus material, including new interviews with people like Rob Reiner and Jimmie Walker, along with the two unseen pilots for
All in the Family,
Those Were The Days and
And Justice For All (in the original pilot, the Bunkers' last name was actually Justice).
Continue reading How would you like all of Norman Lear's shows in one DVD box set?
Posted Dec 4th 2008 8:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Awards, Reality-Free
You mean
Bea Arthur wasn't already in the TV Academy Hall of Fame before today? Well, actually, that was Bea's choice. In a very
Maude-like way, she had turned them down. "I said, `So sorry, very nice of you, but I can't possibly accept. There are so many talented people in the business,'" Arthur recalled.
However, she's had a chance to think it over and when asked again, she agreed to become a Hall of Famer, just like Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson and Bill Cosby.
As I wrote previously, the TV Academy Hall of Fame will expand to include Bea Arthur, Merv Griffin, Larry Gelbart (
M*A*S*H), Sherwood Schwartz (
Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch), and ABC executives Thomas Murphy and Daniel B. Burke. On December 9 in Beverly Hills, the awards will be presented.
Continue reading And then there's Maude...in the TV Hall of Fame
Posted Jul 4th 2008 11:58AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S01E05) What does Nadia Comenici, civil liberties, Harry Reems and bowling have in common? They were all woven into this very topical episode of
Swingtown, one of the best of this summer series thus far.
The undercurrent of swinging and sex was still there, but the theme of the show was more about choice and control, who makes them and and who has it.
The Millers aren't in synch. In fact, Susan is the first to say it out loud, turning to Trina for guidance. I really like how the women on this show are becoming more real with each episode and less types. Trina is so much more than the wanton from the pilot.
Continue reading Swingtown: Go Your Own Way
Posted Jun 28th 2007 10:21AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Celebrities, Obituaries
A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.
- Donna King Conkling: She was one of the original members of the King Sisters singing group and one of the stars of the ABC show The King Family in the 60s. She also appeared in several movies, including Meet The People, Cuban Pete, and Sing Your Worries Away. She died in Texas at age 88.
Continue reading TV Obits: Richmond, Conkling, Wright
Posted Apr 12th 2007 8:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Web, Celebrities, Talk Show
You can watch several episodes of the TV Land talk show Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg right at the TV Land web site (full episodes from the second season and highlights of the first). Steinberg has interviewed everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Bob Newhart, but the show that I'd like to talk about is the one where he interviews Daily Show host Jon Stewart. It's actually one of the best interviews with Stewart I've ever seen.
Continue reading Jon Stewart talks about drugs, Petticoat Junction and eating lightbulbs
Posted Mar 26th 2007 9:00AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, FOX, Family Guy, Animation
(S05E14) The up and down season of
Family Guy continues, and I thought this one was a bit of a valley, rather than a peak. It had its moments, to be sure, but as a whole, it was somewhat lacking. Peter summed up my feelings for this episode pretty well with his quote after seeing the opening to
Maude, "That was an ordeal."
That bit is a good example of what was wrong with this installment. Aside from the fact that it was a reference to a show that you have to be 40 years old, or a tv nutter, to get, it just wasn't funny. And no matter how long the song went on, it was never going to be funny. I found myself in much the same situation while watching tonight. I was just sitting and watching, waiting for it to get funny.
Continue reading Family Guy: No Meals On Wheels
Posted Mar 19th 2007 7:15PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: TV on DVD
New TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow (a whole bunch!).
- Batman Beyond - Season 3
- Christy - Complete Series
- Deadliest Catch - Season 1
- Garfield and Friends - An Ode To Odie
- JAG - Season 3
- Justice League Unlimited - Season 2
- Kong: The Animated Series - Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and gift set
- Masters of Horror - Pro Life
- Maude - Season 1
- McHale's Navy - Season 1
- Miami Vice - Season 3 and Season 4
- Mythbusters - Mega Movie Myths
- Newsradio - Final Season
- Run's House - Season 1 and Season 2
- Sleeper Cell - Season 2
- The Wild, Wild West - Season 2
Gone Too Soon: Invasion
Scrubs season nine -- An early look
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
