I'm starting to wonder if TV and movie stars playing poker is more than just an interesting trend. Maybe it's a requirement.
Jason Alexander recently popped up on my TV, not in a Seinfeld rerun or his recent appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm but in the most recent World Series of Poker. And it didn't look as though he was there playing with his own money. He appeared to have his own sponsor and everything.
Here is ESPN's coverage of Alexander's elimination from the tournament. Watch for the fan at the end who accidentally calls him George. It's cringe-tastic.
seinfeld-related stories
Does anyone in Hollywood not play professional poker?
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Reunion
(S07E03) "This is your plan to get your ex-wife back. Pretty f*cking brilliant if you ask me." - Jeff
Larry David a selfish man? Nooooo. How could someone who's never given, nor has any idea how to give, someone the benefit of the doubt be a selfish guy? Wait - don't answer that. Instead ponder this: the moment we've all been waiting for - the Seinfeld reunion - has finally arrived, and we almost didn't get it because for a brief minute, it hinged on what Larry found more enjoyable, a potential funeral or a potential marriage. Selfish? How about sick.
Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Reunion
The Jay Leno Show: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
I'll give Leno credit for getting creative in the ways he's starting to incorporate celebrities into bits and segments. It fills time for him and gives them their plug opportunities. Tonight, he trotted out three of The Real Housewives of Orange County for a "Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars Challenge." And ... wow.I don't watch The Real Houswives of anywhere, but if this is the intellectual capacity of their "stars," then I'm glad I don't. I couldn't tell if they were putting on an act or if they were being themselves. Either way, it was obnoxious and I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle each of them. The blondes were enforcing stereotypes left and right!
If it was all an act, then that's even more unfortunate, because it means they're playing characters rather than being themselves. What? A reality show that's less than real? It was funny that their first reaction to seeing a picture of Nancy Pelosi was that she needed botox. And of course, they had no idea who she was, or anyone else.
Continue reading The Jay Leno Show: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Macy's magical commercial: 150 years in the making
Recently, when I shared my view about a certain Dell computer commercial, some of you thought I was a moron. Okay, we'll call it a difference of opinion. However, just to show you that I'm not a grumpster, allow me to extol the virtues of the Macy's commercial that celebrates this iconic American department story that's been around for over 150 years. What makes The Magic of Macy's so much fun is that it doesn't tell you why the place is legendary, it shows you why. All those film clips from movies and television, years before anyone was using mentions like these for commercial purposes, underscore how much a part of pop culture Macy's was.
(It still is, to some extent, but the days of one brick and mortar store dominating the business landscape are long gone.)
Continue reading Macy's magical commercial: 150 years in the making
Curb Your Enthusiasm, season seven -- An early look
The beauty of Curb Your Enthusiasm has always been its roots. Born from the mind of a man who launched a show about nothing, Curb is little more than an edgier version that's still... about nothing. It only makes sense that one day we would witness the colliding vortex created by those two masses of nothingness and that day has finally arrived. Well, almost. Season seven of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm premieres on HBO this Sunday night, September 20, at 9 p.m. ET and having seen the first three episodes, I'll say this about the long-awaited Seinfeld reunion - it's real and it's spectacular.
Continue reading Curb Your Enthusiasm, season seven -- An early look
Cash for TV clunkers
The "Cash For Clunkers" program ends tonight at 8PM, which is probably a good thing because we won't have to hear the term "Cash For Clunkers" anymore. But what about TV cars? Which famous television autos are in such bad shape they should be traded in? TV Tango has a fun list that includes the Beverly Hillbillies car and Columbo's old Peugeot.It's a clever list, and includes the new vanity plates each car would have.
Jay and Jerry: Seinfeld booked for Leno's premiere
When it was announced recently that Jay Z, Kanye West and Rihanna would be the guests on The Jay Leno Show on Monday, September 14, I wondered if this was a mini-Grammy Awards show. With all those musical guests, would there be time for jokes? Well, I think Jay must have wondered that, too, because fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld is also going to be on The Jay Leno Show premiere. I like Jerry, but I have to admit I'm not too impressed by this booking. It's not like Jerry is a stranger to TV. He's on all the time, and I don't mean the reruns of Seinfeld. Bob posted about Jerry doing commercials in Australia.
Continue reading Jay and Jerry: Seinfeld booked for Leno's premiere
The Seinfeld reunion on Curb will be about a Seinfeld reunion - TCA Report
If the meta-ness of my headline confuses you, I apologize. It's the best way I could phrase it, because it's kind of mind-blowing in concept.At today's HBO session at the TCAs, Larry David came on stage to talk about the upcoming season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. In it, as we all know, he'll be reuniting the Seinfeld cast on the show. And what will they be doing? They'll be working on... a Seinfeld reunion episode.
"The context is that for years I've been asked about a Seinfeld reunion," said David, "and i'd say no it's a lame idea. And then i thought it might be very funny to do that on Curb, and I kept thinking about it and different scenarios of how to pull it off."
When he talked to Jerry Seinfeld and the cast about it, they were all game. "So doiung a Seinfeld reunion show on Curb we'll see writing read through rehersals show being filmed. You won't see the entire show, you'll see parts of the show get an idea of what happened eleven years later."
Continue reading The Seinfeld reunion on Curb will be about a Seinfeld reunion - TCA Report
Seven TV dads we're glad aren't ours
Fathers' Day should be a time of deep reflection and appreciation for the man who brought you into this world, whether you asked him to or not. Oh sure, the old man may seem like the worst father of all time sometimes. He yells and screams. He gets on you for growing your hair too long because he knows he couldn't grow hair if he had a Chia Scalp. He constantly walks around the house in his underwear and then scolds you for not eating the sausage Mom made for breakfast.
But a few minor flaws doesn't mean that he's a bad guy. So go out and get him that witty card with the pipe smoking Dad on the cover, pick out a paisley tie that you'll never see him wear and give him a big hug to remind him he's the best. Because he's your old man and he's not one of the seven bastard sons of hell below.
Continue reading Seven TV dads we're glad aren't ours
What's the best episode of all-time?
I don't mean of one particular show, I'm talking about the best episode of any TV series? Not an easy thing to do. Just think of how many shows and how many episodes we've had in 60+ years. The new issue of TV Guide is out, and while the full list of the 100 best episodes isn't online yet (here are #'s 100-81), we do know some episodes in the top ten (TV Guide did a similar issue back in 1997).
The number one ep? "The Contest" from Seinfeld. "Chuckles Bites The Dust" from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and "Opie The Birdman" from The Andy Griffith Show are up there too, as is the pilot episode of Lost and the "College" episode of The Sopranos. What's the first episode that comes to mind when you think of great TV?
Paul Shaffer was first choice to play George on Seinfeld
Can you picture Late Show with David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer as George Costanza on Seinfeld? He was actually offered the role but turned it down, according to Shaffer's new book, We'll Be Here For The Rest Of Our Lives.Now, this isn't one of those situations where a group of people were brought in to audition for the role, Jerry Seinfeld actually told him he didn't have to audition for the role, the role was his, he just had to accept it. But Shaffer didn't call back because he was too busy with other jobs. It wouldn't have been the first sitcom role for Shaffer. He co-starred in the 1977 show A Year at the Top, with Mickey Rooney and Greg Evigan.
Continue reading Paul Shaffer was first choice to play George on Seinfeld
Jeff Zucker talks about NBC, web content, and why Seinfeld wouldn't survive today
When I first saw this I thought to myself, Jeff, a show like Seinfeld actually would survive if you stuck with it and didn't cancel it, just like NBC did back then. You don't have to cancel shows even today just because they don't get great ratings after two episodes.
This is a clip of NBC boss Jeff Zucker being interviewed at the All Things D conference. He talks about Hulu, iTunes, NBC's woes, and how the industry has changed over the years. (This is highlights from the interview - full report here.)
This is a clip of NBC boss Jeff Zucker being interviewed at the All Things D conference. He talks about Hulu, iTunes, NBC's woes, and how the industry has changed over the years. (This is highlights from the interview - full report here.)
And the funniest TV phrase of all-time is ...
... not what you think it is, probably. Last night NBC had The 50 Funniest Phrases of All-Time special, and here are the top ten phrases. For the whole list, click here.The top 50 list is pretty good, but this top ten has several lame entries, eh?
1. "Yada, yada, yada" (Seinfeld)
2. "Doh!" (The Simpsons)
3. "How you doin'?" (Friends)
4. "Ayyyyy" (Happy Days)
5. "We are two wild and crazy guys!" (Saturday Night Live)
6. "Burn" (That 70s Show)
7. "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" (South Park)
8. "Lucy, you've got some 'splainin to do" (I Love Lucy)
9. "Excuuuuuuuse Me" (Saturday Night Live)
10. "Homey don't play dat" (In Living Color)
Why isn't Jan Hooks famous?
Radner. Louis-Dreyfus. Poehler. Fey. Shannon.
Suffice it to say, the number of women who became famous on Saturday Night Live before graduating to solo success is few and far between. Sure, Gilda Radner can be considered a pioneer in the art of sketch comedy. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus undoubtedly honed her comedic skills before becoming a sitcom icon on Seinfeld. And, yes, Tina Fey can easily be considered a heroine to comedy nerds everywhere who have witnessed her climb from Weekend Update anchor to Mean Girls scribe to single-handedly decimating the vice presidential chances of one certain gun-wieldin', six-pack-totin' Alaskan governor.
But, sadly, the number of men who left Studio 8 for the superstardom of Planet Hollywood (not the theme restaurant) easily outnumbers the ladies. For every Amy Poehler, there's a Will Ferrell. And a Bill Murray. And a Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler (although, to be fair, there's also aDavid Gary Kroeger, A. Whitney Brown, and Charles Rocket for every Melanie Hutsell, too). (And for the record, no, you shouldn't recognize those names.)
Suffice it to say, the number of women who became famous on Saturday Night Live before graduating to solo success is few and far between. Sure, Gilda Radner can be considered a pioneer in the art of sketch comedy. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus undoubtedly honed her comedic skills before becoming a sitcom icon on Seinfeld. And, yes, Tina Fey can easily be considered a heroine to comedy nerds everywhere who have witnessed her climb from Weekend Update anchor to Mean Girls scribe to single-handedly decimating the vice presidential chances of one certain gun-wieldin', six-pack-totin' Alaskan governor. But, sadly, the number of men who left Studio 8 for the superstardom of Planet Hollywood (not the theme restaurant) easily outnumbers the ladies. For every Amy Poehler, there's a Will Ferrell. And a Bill Murray. And a Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler (although, to be fair, there's also a
Continue reading Why isn't Jan Hooks famous?
FOX cancels Talk Show with Spike Feresten
We did a story last year on how FOX had faith in Spike Feresten. Looks like they don't anymore.Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that the network has canceled Talk Show with Spike Feresten after three seasons. This isn't the biggest surprise on the television landscape, of course. The network announced recently that they had signed New Adventures of Old Christine star Wanda Sykes to do a talk show on Saturday nights, and it didn't seem logical for them to keep two late night talk shows on the same night. Feresten's show was paired with Mad TV for the past three seasons and FOX canceled that show, too, after many years.
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