It was the best of Oscar it was the worst of Oscar. It wasn't the best show I've ever seen, but was it the worst Oscars ever as one friend emailed me? I think there were features that worked and features that tanked. There could have been more star power -- where were Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Jim Carrey, Sandra Bullock, Christian Bale, Tyler Perry (he had the biggest box office opening last week!), etc.? Forget about stars from the '70s...Anyway, I had predicted that the Oscars would stink. Well, I was wrong, or half-wrong. Separate from whether you agreed with the winners -- I did by and large -- or you didn't, what about the broadcast? I think if you had seen all the nominees (or at least the Best Picture noms), you probably had a rooting interest and were amused by most of the show. However, the other half was pretty bad. After the jump, what worked versus what did not.
I don't think this is a case of a big star taking a role 
Lifting its name from a Green Day song, the E! network is launching a series called Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Much like its True Hollywood Story, this series is about the rise and fall of Hollywood stars. Many of the subjects chosen for the series are dead, while others have just plain screwed up their lives after becoming famous.
A movie created through a partnership between HBO and RAI, the Italian state broadcaster about Albert Einstein may feature Sean Penn playing the role of the acclaimed physicist. Penn has apparently expressed interest in both the script and in working with Italian director Liliana Cavani. The TV movie is obviously still in the early stages, so who knows what to expect, but I can easily picture Penn playing this role. The kid's got range, I'm telling you. Hopefully he can affect a decent German accent, too, or at the very least grasp the concept of an accelerating universe. What do you folks think? Could Penn handle this role? Who else would make a good Einstein?
Chris Penn, the brother of Sean Penn, was found dead yesterday at an apartment in Santa Monica, CA. He's known for
dozens of movie roles, including Reservoir Dogs, but also has had some work in television. In 2003, he played
Waylon Shaw, on the short-lived show The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire. Most recently, he had guest
appearances on Entourage, Everwood, The Contender, and Law & Order: Criminal
Intent. He's also the voice of Ofc. Eddie Pulaski in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Remember how Al Gore was going to launch his own 24-hour news network? He did it. Back in August, actually. The
network relies mostly on young documentary filmmakers to fill up its hours and hours of content time. But, 24 hours a
day is a heck of a lot of time to fill and Current needs help. It already is seeking submissions from the viewing
public, but now the network has produced a short film about how to produce a short film. That filmmaking guide, which
can be 
Have any questions for Rich Sommer of Mad Men? Ask them here!
Syfy's Alice -- An early look
The TV Squad Podcast: Surprising shows, decade-end lists, and the Commenter of the Week!
