TVSquad

Russell Brand made his mark in England as a comedian before climbing up the ladder and landing roles in films. American audiences first got to know him as the aloof rock star Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and as the host of the 2008 MTV Music Awards. Sunday, America gets its first real glimpse of Brand as a stand-up comedian, when his first one-hour special, Russell Brand In New York City, premieres at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central.

Brand is going to be everywhere in 2009. His autobiography, My Booky Wook, hits shelves next week, and he's working on Get Him To the Greek, a new Judd Apatow-produced vehicle for the Aldous Snow character and a remake of Arthur. He's already got the Julie Taymor-directed film of The Tempest, with Helen Mirren as "Prospera," waiting for release. I caught up with him by phone as he was at the airport on his way to Los Angeles.

TVS: Do you feel you have to introduce yourself to America as a comedian because most people know you from movies or perhaps as a host?

The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their latest musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:

• There's a large contingent who believes that the first Hancock wasn't a good idea. Nevertheless, Hancock 2 is in the works. Do you think you'll shell out the cash next summer?
• Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter is so iconic that it's hard to believe that he wasn't the one who originated the role. Cinematical Seven takes a look at the best sequel replacement actors.
• Beyonce hasn't exactly had an illustrious film career thus far, but I'm pretty interested in her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records. Cinematical reviews the film and tells you if this Beyonce film is better than the rest.
• I thought Russell Brand was one of the best parts of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and my aversion to Dudley Moore has prevented me from ever seeing Arthur. Now that Brand is in talks to reprise the role, maybe I'll see what this classic movie is all about.
• Sure, I watch videos on YouTube, but I've never actually uploaded anything myself. I kind of wonder who it is who spends so much time uploading video after video of their personal moments. The new documentary, I Want My Three Minutes Back, explores the people behind the videos.

You asked for it, you got it. PBS says it has responded to viewer requests to make its programming available online by going with Google. You can buy Antique Roadshow, Nova, Arthur, Fetch, Cyberchase, and NOW on Google video. Nova costs $7.99 to download but the other shows are the industry standard $1.99.

I'd definitely be interested in downloading episodes of Frontline and America's Test Kitchen.

Last night's Idol was one of the liveliest shows in the past few weeks. Not because of the performances, but because of everybody else. First off , Whoopi and Chris Rock? When I first spotted them in the crowd, I rewinded my DVR five times to verify that it was them. On the fourth rewind, I had them pegged as impersonators...and darn good ones. But nope, it was them. How funny is it that Chris Rock & Whoopi show up on country night? They're both huge Kenny Rodgers fans, I'm sure.

And it appears that Ryan (like so many men recently) has gone the way of the beard.  

You might not remember the name but you remember the face: Elliott played the father of Dudley Moore's fiancee' in the two Arthur movies, played the police chief in Beverly Hills Cop, and had regular roles on St. Elsewhere, Chicago Hope, Falcon Crest, and Dallas. He died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles on Saturday.