For some reason I thought that Henry Gibson was a lot older than 73, but the character actor with the huge resume passed away from cancer at that age yesterday in Malibu.
One of the more famous TV credits on that resume was Rowan and Martin'sLaugh-In, the influential 60s comedy show that no one under 30 has ever seen. He also appeared in shows like Bewitched, The Beverly Hillbillies, Deep Space Nine, Coach, MacGyver, Evening Shade, Sisters, Newhart, Magnum, P.I., and Simon and Simon.
More recently, TV fans know him from his many appearances as a judge on Boston Legal and his voice work on King of the Hill (he played Bob Jenkins). He was also in several movies, including Magnolia (he played Thurston Howell???), The Nutty Professor, Nashville, The Blues Brothers, Wedding Crashers, and a ton of others.
The one-hour, two-episode King of the Hill finale should stand not just as the end of a great show that never got the attention it deserved, but as a finale that tried not to seek that attention.
The show came to a rather quiet end last Sunday during Fox's "Animation Domination" block that has done just that, thanks in part to brilliant shows like King of the Hill. It featured two episodes that treated their audience to some of the characters' humorous and heartfelt changes before sending it off into the depths of the TV land vaults.
Then it slapped them back into cold, harsh reality by following it up with an all new episode of nature's cruel mistake Family Guy, but that's hardly Mike Judge's fault.
At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother and the two-hour season finale of There Goes The Neighborhood (Note: CBS' schedule might be changed due to U.S. Open tennis).
NBC has Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Bears vs. the Packers.
At 8, FOX has the series finale (two episodes) of King of the Hill.
Food Network has a new Challenge at 8.
At 9, ABC has a new Shark Tank, then a new Defying Gravity.
PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery! at 9.
ESPN2 has the U.S. Open Women's Final at 9.
Lifetime has a new Drop Dead Diva at 9, followed by a new Army Wives.
MTV has the 2009 Video Music Awards at 9.
There's a new Total Drama Action on Cartoon Network at 9.
Also at 9: HBO has the season finale of True Blood, then the season finale of Hung and a new Entourage.
At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken.
Believe it or not, FOX execs Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice did field questions that didn't have the words "Idol" our "Paula" in them. But there weren't many. Here are the highlights:
When Reilly was asked about the "Save Dollhouse" campaigns out there, he joked, "you mean the campaign that started before we starting making episodes?" He cited the solid cumulative numbers the show put up (which included DVR numbers) as to why it was brought back, and the fact that "the fans were there every week. We were there with Joss, and he delivered." While Whedon "wasn't having a lot of fun" in the first half of the season because of the struggles he and the network had to focus on what the vision of the show would be, in the "second half of year he found his voice on the show and had a lot of fun," according to Reilly.
On Futurama and the option the show has to do a first run on the network level: The show will "do its run on Comedy Central first and we'll see what happens. If we see a renaissance of that show, sure. It's not out of the question." But right now, there are no talks to air it on Fox.
Mike Judge doesn't strike anyone as the kind of guy who's created a legendary animated duo and a cult hit movie. And, you certainly wouldn't size him up as a creative mind with two active series on first-run network TV.
The native-Texan is just too unassuming, soft-spoken and self-deprecating to show up at Comic-Con International last week to discuss TV's The Goode Family and King of the Hill alongside his new feature film, Extract.
But there he was in Press Room 28e, preparing for his panel and eyeing the Mythbusters Comic-Con bag I'd just picked up on the convention floor.
"I've got to get me one of those bags before I go out there," Judge said.
On behalf of a grateful TV Squad nation, I offered him mine. He accepted the bag graciously. Then we begin the interview.
The cause of death hasn't been confirmed yet. First reports said that there was no cause of death, then his manager said it was natural causes, and now some news outlets are saying he committed suicide by hanging. I'm sure we'll find out more news later today.
Besides his run on Kung Fu, Carradine made a ton of movies, including the Kill Bill films, Crank: High Voltage, Death Race 2000, Mean Streets, Bound For Glory, The Long Riders, Grey Lady Down and many others. He was also in many TV shows over the years, including Alias, Night Gallery, Ironside, Gunsmoke, Medium, and King of the Hill. He also has a role as Gideon in FOX's summer series Mental.
Just one look at Mike Judge's The Goode Family feels like Hank Hill and his clan are staring into a periscope that's peering into the Bizarro World. The only thing missing on the Goodes are goatees, including the dog.
It's just too parallel not to notice, and it's an unfair assumption to make. Even though they are from the pen of the same creators, they seem like two completely different shows on the surface. But the similarities end after the premiere episode.
The biggest difference is the first episode of King of the Hill was a gaff-guzzling vehicle for FOX, and The Goode Family's pilot felt more like a smart but bold-lacking hybrid for ABC.
Fox showed some surprising stability in its schedule (our network is growing up) for the 2009-2010 season. But they are bringing in four new comedies, two dramas and a late night Saturday show.
Returning Summer:Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, Don't Forget the Lyrics!, So You Think You Can Dance
Returning Fall/Winter:24, American Dad, American Idol, Bones, Dollhouse,, Family Guy, Fringe, House, Kitchen Nightmares, Lie to Me, The Simpsons, 'Til Death (for some reason), So You Think You Can Dance (yeah, two separate seasons summer and fall)
Gone:Do Not Disturb, King of the Hill (though there's still episodes in the can which will air sometime next year), Prison Break (a 2-hour film is being produced that may air next year), Sit Down Shut Up, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
New:Brothers, The Cleveland Show, Glee (sneak peek tomorrow), Human Target, Past Life, Sons of Tucson, The Wanda Sykes Show (late night Saturdays)
The schedule and some details on the new shows after the jump.
Was there a theme for last night's animated shows on FOX? First The Simpsons has an episode about letting a neighbor (in this case, Ogdenville residents) into Springfield and then building a fence to keep them out. Then King of the Hill had an episode where the guys battled with a new family from Canada. I actually thought that the King of the Hill episode was funnier, though I did love that one joke where Krusty eats one of his new environmentally-friendly burgers, but it's really a stunt-eater eating it in a close-up.
I have to say that even though this trailer for Mike Judge's new (May 27) ABC animated show The Goode Family looks funnier than other recent animated shows, it also features a bunch of characters I just want to punch in the face. I know people like this, and I don't know if I can get though an episode of the show without hating the people I'm probably supposed to be rooting for (I sense these people are probably the type that don't flush their toilets more than a few times a week - gah). I think Brian Doyle Murray's curmudgeonly, un-PC character might be my favorite character on the show.
In a move that should come as no surprise to anybody, Fox has shifted the air time for the new Mitch Hurwitz animated comedy Sit Down, Shut Up to 7PM, also known as the "Sunday Night Fox Animated Death Slot." Given the startlingly low ratings the series has gotten in its first two weeks, I can only wonder if anybody will even notice.
Seriously, I watched the premiere (which we reviewed here on TV Squad) and honestly, the rumors are true. The show is cute and quirky (it would probably do well on Adult Swim), but it doesn't have the right kind of funny for Fox Sunday night animation.
In an even bigger insult, Fox is switching the cartoon with its timeslot predecessor King of the Hill, which is now in its final season on the network. It says something when Fox offers greater support to a show that they know won't be back (which, at this stage, now includes Sit Down, Shut Up).
For some reason I thought that Henry Gibson was a lot older than 73, but the character actor with the huge resume passed away from cancer at that age yesterday in Malibu.
At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother and the two-hour season finale of There Goes The Neighborhood (Note: CBS' schedule might be changed due to U.S. Open tennis).
Believe it or not, FOX execs Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice did field questions that didn't have the words "Idol" our "Paula" in them. But there weren't many. Here are the highlights:
Mike Judge doesn't strike anyone as the kind of guy who's created a legendary animated duo and a cult hit movie. And, you certainly wouldn't size him up as a creative mind with two active series on first-run network TV.
Kung Fu star 
Fox showed some surprising stability in its schedule (our network is growing up) for the 2009-2010 season. But they are bringing in four new comedies, two dramas and a late night Saturday show.
Was there a theme for last night's animated shows on FOX? First 
At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
In a move that should come as no surprise to anybody, Fox has 
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