There are very few sure fire signs that a network is completely worthless and this is one of them.
Comcast has been looking to buy the financially troubled NBC from General Electric, but Wall Street insiders say the deal won't be good for Comcast's stock.
Even confirmed reports of a takeover bid can't save the network in the eyes of the almighty stockholder. What would make NBC more profitable in Wall Street's eyes?
(S04E24) Nick asked the crowd who they'd like to see in the finals, and of course, it was impossible to tell which names they yelled out, since all of the acts have their fans at this point.
Tonight we learn who's taking the last five spots in the finals. Nick also reminded us that the next show will air Monday, Sept. 14, and that there's no judge's pick tonight. The five who go through will be the five that America voted for. As it should be, in my view.
After a brief recap of last night's show, Nick asked Piers why he X'd the acts he did. Piers said it's a simple formula -- a game of the good and the not-so-good. Sharon gave another shout out to Barbara Padilla, whom she absolutely loves. Hoff said, "I'm Hoff crazy!" He also reminded us that they've seen a hundred thousand acts and it's getting down to the wire.
Army Archerd wrote for Variety since 1953, when he replaced columnist Sheilah Graham. That's not a typo. That's 1953, as in 56 years ago. That means he talked to everyone, saw everything, and wrote about just about everything that happened in Hollywood for more than five decades.
(S04E23) There were mixed feelings amongst viewers last week when the America's Got Talent judges announced that they couldn't decide who, between Voices of Glory and Fab 5, should get the fourth place in what was supposed to be a final round of the top eight acts of the summer.
It wasn't much of a surprise when Nick announced at the beginning of this week's performance show that there would be no judges' pick. It wouldn't make sense to have a Top 9, eh? I'm happy that more acts -- aka the same number as last year -- will get to perform in the finals. But what I'm happier for is that America will pick the final five acts to enter the next round. No judges' pick. The results will be solely based on the number of votes.
How did the ten remaining acts perform this week? Which acts should move on? My two cents, Piers' many Xs, and your comments coming up!
In the war between the cable channels, score this week for Lifetime over Bravo. The battle for Project Runway had been a legal wrangle that delayed Lifetime getting to show the fashion reality series until last Thursday, but when it finally appeared it was a ratings bonanza. Project Runway was the highest-rated series premiere in Lifetime's history. That's 25 years!
Expect a lot of Mad Men-themed posts here for the next several weeks. Not only is the second season being released on DVD tomorrow, but the third season starts on August 16. Variety is getting into the mix too with a special archive of Mad Men-era covers that fans of the show (and the magazine) can view at their site. Right now you can see a preview of the archive here. It's not specifically about the AMC show, it's more a look at the entertainment industry in the 1960s.
Though it probably comes as no big surprise, sources are saying that the Patrick Swayze drama about a rogue FBI agent, The Beast, won't be returning for a second season. While A&E has told Variety that no official decision has been made, word is that episode 13, which aired at the end of April, will be the series' last.
I've been watching I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!, which is a terrible revelation to make about myself, but in the three hours of my life that show has taken from me, I've come to a few conclusions: 1. My life needs more meaning, and 2. Lou Diamond Phillips is kind of a bad-ass.
I bring this up because apparently, there had been talks of The Beast continuing with someone other than Patrick Swayze in the lead in case Swayze's poor health prevented him from continuing on the show. Phillips recently guest-starred on the series, and I would love to see him on television (in a situation in which he wasn't getting eaten by rats).
The new Star Trek movie has already opened in places like England, France, and Australia. I'm not sure why it opened there first, but the reviews so far have been pretty much off the charts. Variety loves it, The Daily Mail calls it "the best prequel of all-time," Empire says it's "the most exhilarating Trek to date," Urban Cinefile says it's "an extraordinary achievement," Cinema Blend says it's "the best Trek movie since The Wrath of Khan," and Aint It Cool News says "it makes Gone with the Wind look like a maggot-infested crapfest." Well, no, but they say it's really great.
(If you click on the links above, expect SPOILERS.)
Aside from being a very funny performer, nobody would ever accuse Wanda Sykes of being a shrinking violet. She's a strong, determined and no-nonsense woman and if I was in a foxhole, I'd want her with me.
Therefore, it's my belief that Sykes' deal with Fox for a Saturday night late night show will succeed. It won't be easy, going up against the giant of Saturday night comedy Saturday Night Live, but Wanda's a good bet to give them a good challenge.
Memo to TBS: vaudeville is dead. Apparently, the folks at Turner never got that news flash. TBS has greenlighted a vaudeville pilot to be hosted by Harland Williams. The half-hour installments -- should it get picked up -- would be a late-night entry.
That means you'd have to be up late and probably pretty bored with infomercials to not surf away from the jugglers, puppets, plate spinners, gymnasts and other novelty acts likely on the program.
TBS is serious about this concept, tentatively called The TBS Comedy Roadshow, and if they emphasize the comedy aspect, maybe it'll find a niche. But the term vaudeville makes me very wary.
What the hell is going on here? Have we entered the bizarro world? Is up now down? Has black become white? Was The Simpsons canceled after the first three episodes while The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer went on to become the longest running and most award winning series in the history of television?
Varietyreports that while the big four networks are cutting back on their sitcoms and dramas for more reality fare, cable networks have been ramping up their dramas, comedies and dramadies and are now in a position to compete for some real ratings.
And it's not just in quantity where cable has tipped the scales.
That's the phrase they love to use in the business to describe all the work that's needed to turn a turkey -- albeit one with great ratings -- into a successful series. And Knight Rider, as conceived in that TV movie/back door pilot, needs some major work.
Sure, the WGA strike sucks. But it doesn't just suck for us, the TV viewers (or reviewers, as the case may be here at TV Squad). It sucks for a lot of people with families to support. But I don't want to be a total downer. If you have been following the strike, then you probably already know there are a lot of great resources out there. But if you haven't been reading closely, you may find these nine sites worth clicking to for more information (and, in many cases, entertainment).
Yesterday, Variety reported that several writers from theYoung and the Restless had crossed the WGA picket line in order to keep their jobs. After the article ran, a spokesperson for the WGA-East condemned those planning to cross the picket line and warned them that they'd "never be full members of the Writers Guild again."
However, the Variety article isn't true, according to a memo sent out late Tuesday from the WGA-West and the Y&R writing staff. The Y&R statement reads: "We were incensed to read the incorrect information printed in Variety that several writers on our show sought financial core status...Our entire writing staff of 18 is united and we fully support our union."
Jimmy Kimmel has taken his Matt Damon joke to the next level, by actually placing a full-page advertisement in Variety congratulating Damon on his star on Hollywood Boulevard. Kimmel has an on-going joke on his show where he pretends that he ran out of time and had to bump Matt Damon from the schedule-- he frequently apologizes to Damon at the end of his show. Damon even played along when he appeared on Kimmel last year, pretending to be annoyed at always getting bumped.
The ad says: "Congratulations on the star and sorry we ran out of time. We'll try to squeeze you in soon." And, at the bottom, it says, "This ad cost me $8,512". That's an expensive joke. Do you think he can write it off as a business expense?
There are very few sure fire signs that a network is completely worthless and this is one of them. 
(S04E24) Nick asked the crowd who they'd like to see in the finals, and of course, it was impossible to tell which names they yelled out, since all of the acts have their fans at this point. 
A little bit of Hollywood died yesterday.
(S04E23) There were mixed feelings amongst viewers last week when the America's Got Talent judges announced that they couldn't decide who, between Voices of Glory and Fab 5, should get the fourth place in what was supposed to be a final round of the top eight acts of the summer. 
Expect a lot of Mad Men-themed posts here for the next several weeks. Not only is the second season being released on DVD tomorrow, but the third season starts on August 16. Variety is getting into the mix too with a special archive of Mad Men-era covers that fans of the show (and the magazine) can view at their site. Right now you can see a preview of the archive here. It's not specifically about the AMC show, it's more a look at the entertainment industry in the 1960s.
Aside from being a very funny performer, nobody would ever accuse Wanda Sykes of being a shrinking violet. She's a strong, determined and no-nonsense woman and if I was in a foxhole, I'd want her with me. 
Memo to TBS: vaudeville is dead. Apparently, the folks at Turner never got that news flash. TBS has greenlighted a vaudeville pilot to be hosted by Harland Williams. The half-hour installments -- should it get picked up -- would be a late-night entry. 
What the hell is going on here? Have we entered the bizarro world? Is up now down? Has black become white? Was The Simpsons canceled after the first three episodes while The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer went on to become the longest running and most award winning series in the history of television? 
Well, here's hoping that the powers that be were reading TV Squad after the two-hour Knight Rider movie premiered last February. Then, at least they'll know how to fix the show, because NBC has picked up Knight Rider as a series for the 2008-2009 schedule, and it's going to need some re-tooling.
... nine Writers' Strike supporting sites.
Yesterday, Variety reported that several writers from the Young and the Restless had crossed the WGA picket line in order to keep their jobs. After the article ran, a spokesperson for the WGA-East condemned those planning to cross the picket line and warned them that they'd "never be full members of the Writers Guild again."
Jimmy Kimmel has taken his Matt Damon joke to the next level, by actually placing a full-page advertisement in Variety congratulating Damon on his star on Hollywood Boulevard. Kimmel has an on-going joke on his show where he pretends that he ran out of time and had to bump Matt Damon from the schedule-- he frequently apologizes to Damon at the end of his show. Damon even played along when he appeared on Kimmel last year, pretending to be annoyed at always getting bumped.
Fact or Fiction: Big Bang, Brothers & Sisters and CSI
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
Ask TV Squad: Ghost Whisperer and more!
