A little bit of new info on the Katiegate case. - Dancing with the Stars is unfair to those with two good legs.
- This week's wacky TV news video...involving vastectomies.
- I still don't understand Keith Olbermann's constant attacks on Anderson Cooper. [via Radar]
- If you want a star for your next birthday and David Hasselhoff is busy, maybe you can get this guy.
- What is Justin.TV? [via Pop Candy]
- TeeVee.org isn't happy about Andy Barker, P.I. being canceled either.
- Here's some behind the scenes info on that Get Smart movie, starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Alan Arkin.
Posts with tag olbermann
Out of the Blogosphere
Things I Hate About TV: uncomfortable handoffs and segues
I was watching Larry King Live last night (oh, come on, like you didn't tune in to see what the hell's going on with Elizabeth Taylor), and Larry calls Liz's priceless jewelry "costume," and she's stunned. Larry tries to laugh it off that he was just needling her, that he can't tell the difference between real and costume, and then he goes to a break and throws it to Anderson Cooper to see what's coming up at the top of the hour on 360, and he says something like "Anderson, get me out of this will you?" as Larry and Liz laugh, and since he has put him on the spot, Anderson has to muster up a semi-joking "I can't tell the difference either Larry ...coming up, more violence and bloodshed in Iraq."Why do they always do this, joke about something and then throw it to the news to get some witty, light comment when there's serious news to report? The worse is the local news, when they'll come out of the weather forecast, laughing about "oh, where did summer go? It's so cool out!", and they're all laughing and shaking their heads, and then they'll put on their frowns suddenly and say something like, "we'll be right back with that update on the child who died in the car accident today."
Mixing the serious and the humorous is a very tricky thing. People like Olbermann and Stewart can do it, but their shows are built like that and since they're just one anchor controlling the show, they can make the segues easier. But on most news shows ...ugh, it's horrible.
And I Quote: the best one-liners of the week
"Your Mouth Can't Get Pregnant." - title of
Tina Fey's book about teen pregancy, on Saturday Night Live.- "Youre approaching the age where people shake their heads and roll their eyes." - Amy, to Josh, about him not being married or without anyone seriously at his age, on The West Wing.
- "Old people are gross, no matter how beautiful they try to make them look on Desperate Housewives. Go on, switch over to ABC for five seconds. I'll wait." - Stewie, about Grandpa Griffin, on Family Guy.
- "For God's sake, give me some venilation! It smells like Brian Dennehy in here!" - Stewie, inside a plastic bubble for medical reasons, on Family Guy.
- "I hate fake deer, too. Everytime I see their stupid fake deer faces I wanna grab a shotgun and go all Cheney on 'em." - Veronica, to a guy practicing archery on a fake deer, on Veronica Mars.
- "From Adam and Eve straight through to Suri Cruise, the painting is more than 470 feet long." - Keith Olbermann, describing a painting in India that depicts every scene in the Bible.
Things I Hate About TV: When Keith Olbermann is on vacation
Keith Olbermann brings a
certain... attitude... to his nightly newscast on MSNBC. He's bitingly sarcastic, self-deprecating and good-natured.
The scripts for the newscast are heavily written by Olbermann himself, but his producers and writers obviously have his
tone down and write the way he speaks. So, when Keith is on vacation and someone else fills in, the show really, really
sucks. It used to be that Alex Witt filled in for Keith, but she didn't seem to know what she was reading. She read
everything straight. Witt was apparently booted off in favor of Alison
Stewart, who clearly understands Keith's wit and wisdom, but she still can't deliver his scripts. She tries too
hard to be like Keith, but she obviously does not speak the way scripts are written. Bottom line: when Keith is on
vacation, I don't watch.As far as I can see it, there are three options: 1) Keith works 52 weeks a year, 2) MSNBC replaces Countdown with something else when he's on vacation, 3) Keith clones!
Olbermann's anti-smoking campaign continues
Looks like Keith Olbermann was serious when he made stop smoking the #1 news story on his Countdown the other day. He has launched a regular segment on the show titled "I Quit," which will offer tips and support to people who are trying to quit smoking. And NBC - regardless of what MSNBC chief Rich Kaplan might have thought the night the segment aired - is actually promoting it. Here's the press release.
[via TV Barn]
MSNBC's Kaplan lays into Olbermann
Did you happen to catch the end of Countdown the other night? Keith Olbermann spent the last several minutes of the broadcast revealing that he had a cancer scare too, in his mouth, from years of smoking cigars and pipes (I think that's why Olbermann has been out quite a bit lately - it thankfully turned out to be benign). He went into detail about what happened - in a serious tone - clearly upset about the death of Peter Jennings from lung cancer, and wanted to warn viewers on the dangers of smoking. It was rare television: personal, riveting, and unpredictable.
But according to the NY Daily News, is didn't go over so well with MSNBC boss Rich Kaplan. He reportedly raced down to the studio and chewed out Olbermann after the show was over, saying that Olbermann was "out of control." I watched the broadcast, and I give Olbermann credit for his honesty.
[via Romenesko]











