TVSquad

That's the opinion of New York Post columnist Cindy Adams.

Besides the hype and media attention and marketing mistakes made by CBS, Adams thinks that it's Couric's voice is turning off viewers. That regular network news viewers want the stronger, deeper voice of a male anchor like Charles Gibson or Brian Williams.

Remember that Saturday Night Live sketch earlier this season, the one where they depicted a master acting class that prepared actors for bit roles on Law and Order? I thought of that after reading this.

The article points out that Law and Order has been quite a goldmine for actors who live and work in New York City. Most prime time shows are filmed in California, so to have a long-running show cast and filmed on the East Coast was an incredible thing for struggling actors trying to get a break into television and more established actors who prefer to live in NYC than LA. But now if it's canceled, that outlet might dry up (even if Law and Order: SVU is safe). As one actor points out, you can do several Broadway shows but if people can see you on just one TV show it's even bigger.

I guess actors can try out for soap operas and 30 Rock, but it's not the same.

Why can't certain news networks do an obituary of someone without adding on some political, personal dig?

Case in point, this Kurt Vonnegut obituary that FOX News ran recently. Sure, Vonnegut was no doubt a lefty (his last book of essays would tell anyone that), but the entire tone of the obit is pretty shitty.

"By the late 70s, Vonnegut was rich and irrelevent." Really? I think a lot of people, including me, got to know Vonnegut's writing in the 70s and 80s, and that a lot of his work rings true to present times. And why the comment about "being rich?" Oh, yeah, those damn liberal elitists and their money! The reporter also says that Vonnegut "failed at suicide" (that's a clever dig, not only mention a suicide attempt but that he FAILED at it), had writings filled with "mumbo-jumbo," and had "scatalogical humor." Using Vonnegut's own words (the part about male writers being past their prime at 55 and then the reporter saying "but Vonnegut kept at it," as if he should just quit his work) against him.

Regis Philbin, the iron man of daytime television and entertainment in general, looks to be on the mend after having triple-bypass surgery last month. The New York Post reports that not only is he walking again, but he's actually taking shopping trips with wife Joy, and told reporters that he was feeling well.

Originally he was supposed to be out for five weeks, but it's possible he could be back a little earlier than that (though it's already been three weeks, so I doubt he'll be back until the five weeks are up). He didn't ask me, but Regis? Take your time coming back. We know you're in great shape and a workhorse and all that, but really, you're 75 years old and just had major surgery. You don't need to be all excited listening to Kelly's stories about her kids and all those screaming fans.

On Monday, Martin Short will be the guest host on Live with Regis & Kelly, and then Pat Sajak takes over for the rest of the week. The following week, Jeff Probst is the guest host.

I was watching comedian Kathy Griffin on Larry King Live a few weeks ago, and I remember thinking, why is she on this show? Beyond the publicity, why is she on the show of someone she would usually dump on or say funny, nasty things about? And yes, I'm aware that's a terrible sentence, but you can see my point. Larry King seems like someone Griffin would insult or pick on, not appear on his show.

But now comes word that Griffin dumped on King an interview at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center last week. She says that King is either deaf or doesn't listen:

I love it when stars get into petty fights. They're just like us!

Seems that Entourage star Jeremy Piven doesn't like Jack Black that much. Black beat out Piven for the role of the record store employee in the John Cusack flick High Fidelity, and thinks that Piven still holds a grudge. Black told Howard Stern that he was talking to a director at a movie premiere recently, and right in the middle of the conversation, Piven stepped in between them with his back to Black and started to talk to the director. Of course, Piven's rep insists there's no problem between the two.

This is interesting, because Piven is very good friends with Cusack, and appears in most of his movies in some role. So I wonder why (or if) Piven wasn't chosen for the role in High Fidelity.

[via Pop Candy]