TVSquad

I didn't realize that the late 90s offered up so many cartoons that are still around today. A week or so ago, I mentioned that The Powerpuff Girls were celebrating a 10th birthday with a Cartoon Network special and complete DVD box set. Now comes news that a certain walking and talking sponge is celebrating a 10-year anniversary, as well.

Nickelodeon's pants-wearing sponge will be celebrating his decade of entertainment in a number of ways. If you go to the new SpongeBob.com you'll have a chance to play SpongeBob games, watch SpongeBob videos, and read the blog of Mr. SquarePants' creators. If you watch any of the networks of the MTV universe (which Nickelodeon is a part of) you'll be able to view a documentary on the character and its popularity. Finally, if you can wait a few months, you will be able to catch some new SpongeBob SquarePants episodes featuring Dennis Quaid (March) and Johnny Depp (April).

It looks like after some divisiveness on the subject (including a report confirming her non-appearance), Britney Spears will in fact be making an appearance at the 25th MTV Video Music Awards this coming Sunday in Los Angeles. Britney has been nominated 16 times for VMAs but never won a Moon Man.

This year she has three nominations. With that, I don't know why anybody would think she wouldn't show up. I realize that many thought her last VMA appearance/performance was a trainwreck, but look at what she was going through at the time.

Britney does not have a performance scheduled and I would guess that her appearance will likely be more demure (if MTV is capable of such a thing). I presume she'll just be accepting the award (I think she'll win something. It would be a good career boost. Even Scorsese won an award eventually). Of course, I could be complete wrong. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of MTV executives?

My question is: will Britney's appearance at the VMA's make you more likely to tune in?

According to Extremetech.com, MTV Networks, part of Viacom and the parent company of Comedy Central, plans to put every clip from the show South Park online and available to any viewer at no cost. Since Trey Parker and Matt Stone have already worked out a deal with the parent company to get a piece of South Park's online presence, they should be making a hefty chunk of money out of this (assuming the online episodes will work on an advertising model).

Friday's TCA, which continued cable TV presentations, felt like three days rolled into one.

Just how jam-packed and eclectic are the programs and announcements that were made?

Here's a sample: Dynasty diva Joan Collins is checking into BBC America's Hotel Babylon, Richard Dreyfus (Jaws) is not afraid to get back into the water as host of The Discovery Channel's Ocean of Fear: The Worst Shark Attack Ever and Jonny Fairplay (Survivor) of CMT's Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull-Riding Challenge sadly announced that his beloved grandmother passed away two weeks ago.