Peter Berg-related stories
Posted Jul 29th 2009 6:32PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Sports, Celebrities, Documentary, TCA Press Tour
It becomes extraordinarily tough to do reports during the cable sessions, mainly because the various networks give you one session after another without much time to breathe. You're also shuttling back and forth between two ballrooms. Finally, if you happen to be lucky enough to get some one-on-one time with a few people (as I did with Joan Rivers and the guys behind the new BBC America show
The InBetweeners)... well, it leads to posts that don't go live until nighttime on the East Coast.
Heck, I haven't even written about last night's AMC cocktail party and the comic stylings of Jon Hamm yet. That'll come when I get a chance. The latest info and quips will always be on our
Twitter feed if you're curious.
For now, though, some highlights of the day:
Continue reading Cable day two: they keep you runnin' - TCA Report
Posted May 6th 2009 11:37AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Video, Upfronts, Reality-Free
NBC unveiled its
new shows Monday (they'll reveal the full schedule on May 19), and one of the shows is a medical show. Well, actually, two of the shows are medical shows (the other is
Mercy), but here's the first one. It's called
Trauma, and it's set in San Francisco. Remember those special episodes of
ER that had a helicopter falling on someone or a plane blowing up or a car crashing into the emergency room? This show looks like it has that stuff in every episode! But it makes more sense because these people are paramedics and not ER personnel.
Continue reading Sneak Peek: NBC's Trauma
Posted Jun 25th 2008 9:04AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Battlestar Galactica, Casting, New Amsterdam, Reality-Free
According to the interview with Ron Moore that Brad wrote about, Virtuality is scheduled to start shooting in July. That's like, soon. So a leading man would be a fantastic thing to have. Here comes Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to the rescue. The former star of New Amsterdam is staying with Fox to take the lead in the two-hour pilot. If any crazed fan groups were whittling away at some old-world furniture to send in to the network to save New Amsterdam, they can stop now.
Virtuality tells the tale of Earth's first starship, making its way on a ten year journey to a distant solar system, where no man has gone before... To pass the time during the trip they go into virtual reality machines, assuming different identities and having whatever adventures they choose. That's what we know so far, but I'm assuming that somewhere along the lines something goes drastically wrong so we have some real world conflicts that can't just be switched off. Moore wrote the script with his Galactica pal Michael Taylor and Peter Berg is slated to direct.
Posted Feb 29th 2008 3:41PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Sports, Friday Night Lights
Reality is not reality like in TV reality series. Reality, in fact, is usually too true and very often sad. With that in mind, David Edwards, the young
man who was the inspiration for the character Jason Street on NBC's Friday Night Lights, has died. Just 20 years old, David was injured by playing high school football for San Antonio Madison in November 2003. He was a defensive back, and while going after a pass, he collided with an Austin Westlake receiver. Edwards' neck was broken and the injury resulted in his becoming paralyzed.
Continue reading Inspiration for Friday Night Lights' character dies
Posted Feb 9th 2008 1:20PM by Brett Love
Filed under: Friday Night Lights, Episode Reviews
(S02E15) Yeah. So, we can't really talk about this episode without getting into the possibility that this was the series finale of Friday Night Lights. No matter what comes of the big meetings this weekend regarding the writer's strike, there are no guarantees that the show will even get to finish season two, let alone come back for a third go. Recent comments from the network certainly don't paint an optimistic picture. And all of that is important, because where this episode ends up in the time line of the show will ultimately determine how successful it was. As episode 15 of a 22 episode second season, it was solid. As the series finale, not so much.
Continue reading Friday Night Lights: May The Best Man Win
Posted Aug 7th 2007 4:01PM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Celebrities
Peter Berg (currently a writer/director/producer for Friday Night Lights) and screenwriter Sheldon Turner have teamed up to create a pilot for FX that takes place within the world of the Russian Mafia.
The series (no title yet) centers on two undercover law enforcement officers who find themselves immersed in this world. One goes crazy and disappears and the other is forced to track him down. As Variety points out, it's not unlike Heart of Darkness (or Apocalypse Now, for those of you who don't read books).
Continue reading FX eyes pilot centered on Russian Mafia
Posted Oct 24th 2006 3:56PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Reality Shows, NBC, Dancing With The Stars, Friday Night Lights
I have no interest in watching
Friday Night Lights, but I agree with author Buzz Bissinger (he wrote the book that the TV show is based on) when he gives his opinion of
Dancing with the Stars.
He tells The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he used to work that "America is getting what it deserves - crappy, stupid, artificial reality TV...it's distressing that so many people are flocking to a show that's obviously contrived and ridiculous."
I agree, though I would extend the sentiment to almost every other reality show on the air right now. NBC isn't giving up on the show yet though. Not only has the network ordered nine more scripts for the show, it's also going to give it a shot in
Studio 60's time slot next Monday at 10pm. Maybe some people will tune in after
Heroes, which just keeps on getting stronger and stronger (in ratings as well as quality).
[via
TV Tattle]
Posted Oct 4th 2006 12:18PM by Brett Love
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, NBC, Industry, Celebrities, Friday Night Lights
Peter Berg, creator and executive producer of
Friday Night Lights, did a
live blog during the premiere last night. It's too late to participate in the event, but the entries are still up. Rather than just giving his thoughts on the show randomly, he answered questions submitted by fans. He covers what drew him to the project, his thoughts on Kyle Chandler, the role of religion, and diversity on the show, among other things. There are a couple small spoilers that have to do with casting and characters we have yet to meet, just so you know. No major plot giveaways though. It's an interesting read with some good trivia for fans of the show.
Posted Oct 4th 2006 7:28AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, NBC, Friday Night Lights
(S01E01) I had a
first look at this one a couple weeks back, and now we are finally to the premiere.
Friday Night Lights has taken a back seat to both
Studio 60 and
Heroes where the NBC promotional department is concerned but it is one of the new series that deserves to find its audience.
Right from the start this episode sets the tone for the show. I really like the radio voice over as we peek into various scenes around the town. It takes its time and isn't in a hurry to force too much at the viewer. It also showcases what is the Friday Night Lights look. Lots of handheld camera, shooting on location, and a very real and gritty vibe to everything. It's different, and refreshing.
Continue reading Friday Night Lights: Pilot (series premiere)
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