TVSquad

This is always the most depressing end-of-year list -- the TV people (in front of and behind the camera) who died during the past year. This is a big list, but if we forgot anyone, let us know in the comments (and check out the obituary category for more).

• Tim Russert
• Majel Barrett Roddenberry
• Bernie Mac
• George Carlin
• Estelle Getty
• Jack Narz
• Tony Snow
• Nina Foch
• Beverly Garland
• Bill Melendez
• Jeff MacKay
• Julius Carry
• George Furth
• Bernie Brillstein

What's happening on other blogs via the interweb.

• Hmmm...maybe we are a little closer to a strike after all.
• Is a cast member of Ugly Betty leaving the show for CBS' new show Harper's Island?
• TV Newser has reactions to the death of Tony Snow.
• Yes fans, it looks like there will be a Sex and the City sequel.
• Stephen Collins says that Hallmark Channel would be a perfect place for a 7th Heaven movie.
• Ed McMahon is recovering from yet another neck surgery.
• Variety has some ideas on how to improve The CW.
• Broadcasting & Cable has a roundtable of TV critics: what if they ran the networks?

Even though everyone knew he had been battling cancer for quite some time, this is still very sad news.

Tony Snow, the newsman who became White House press secretary and then returned to the world of journalism, died early this morning. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer years ago and had beaten it the first time, but then it came back and he had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments at the time of his death.

Snow joined FOX News Channel in 1996 and hosted FOX News Sunday and was a political analyst for the network. He also hosted his own radio show and used to fill in for Rush Limbaugh on the radio (and later Bill O'Reilly). Snow replaced Scott McClellan as press secretary at the White House in 2006 and left the position in September 2007, saying he wasn't leaving because of his health but because of financial concerns. He became a political analyst for CNN earlier this year.

Snow had a wife and three kids.

Former White House press secretary and FOX News commentator Tony Snow is joining CNN. He'll be a conservative commentator for the news network. He was actually on the network before, as a fill-in host on Crossfire. But then he went to FOX News, where he hosted FOX News Sunday from 1996 to 2003. He was also a speech writer for the first President Bush.

Anchors and pundits change networks all of the time, but one of the reasons that this is a little surprising is that Snow is currently a substitute host on Bill O'Reilly's Radio Factor radio show on the FOX Radio Network. I would have to assume that he will no longer have that role (O'Reilly once warned him about going to CNN).

Snow was treated for cancer twice, once for colon cancer in 2005 and then again last year, when he had surgery to remove a growth. He left his position as White House press secretary in 2007 not because of the cancer but because he wasn't making enough money. He is also reportedly working on a book.

"Gore & Peace": In case you haven't heard already, Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with An Inconvenient Truth. Some members of the media aren't too happy about it, namely FOX News and its team of whiny, whiny newscasters. Sure, Gore with a PowerPoint, but there's got to be a better way to talk it out, FOX News.

Senior Peacetime Correspondent John Oliver talked about how Al Gore is just using this award as a personal bitchslap to President Bush. Oh, John Oliver, how I love thee. The Mandelicatessen is absolutely the greatest restaurant idea I have ever heard. "If it isn't delicious, then throw me back in jail!"

After tonight's episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert will put his cast up for auction on eBay. Colbert broke his wrist in June while running around his set before the show began. The proceeds from the sale will go to the Yellow Ribbon Fund for injured military service members and their families as they recuperate at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund is a favorite of Colbert's. He has already used his cast to raise money for the injured soldiers and their families by selling 'WristStrong' bracelets, a spoof of Lance Armstrong (and Nike's) LiveStrong yellow bracelets that raise money for cancer research. By the way, if you can't afford Stephen's cast, you can probably still afford one of his 'WristStrong' bracelets, which are for sale on his website.

Colbert's cast is signed by a wide variety of political and news figures: Nancy Pelosi, Tony Snow, Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Tim Russert, Bill O'Reilly, and Michael Bloomberg.

The always lovable Tony Snow shared some more stuff about the never-ending Alberto Gonzalez business. Apparently, the firings were not based on performance and, not only that, Snow claimed that he never said the firings were based on performance in the first place. You'd think that, by now, these folks would be more careful in claiming what they have or haven't said in the past because The Daily Show has magical montage-making abilities to highlight contradictions. And I think Tony Snow was actually wearing the same tie in those contradicting clips. I have no idea why, but I feel like that's insult to injury... As if the tie should have the memory of his speech from three months ago. Perhaps this is a sign I need sleep.

"M*E*S*S: General Admission": Jokes about Barbara Bush and Brazilian wax jobs? Ahh! Do not want! Scooter Libby, distract me! Senior Military Analyst John Oliver stopped by to talk about supporting our troops and to show off his kick-ass magnet-covered car. Wait. That wasn't John Oliver... That was Rob Riggle! It looks like they've managed to do an episode without their favorite snarky British correspondent. Just for a bit of fun, I'm going to see how long they can stay away...

Episodes since last John Oliver appearance: 1

... a great TV moment

I remember. It was the evening of April 29th, and I had opted out of attending a major social event to watch, of all things, C-SPAN. Honestly, it felt a little pathetic. Well, not "a little". It felt really pathetic. Little did I know that I, sitting in front of the television with my laptop resting on my tacky pajama bottoms, would soon be witnessing something remarkable.

Have you ever taken a long trip on an airplane and thought to yourself, "This is far too comfortable!" Well, you're in luck because Airbus is pitching the idea of creating some new standing seats (the pasenger would essentially be harnessed onto a padded board). If you've ever wanted to travel the world the same way as an airplane's tray tables or Hannibal Lecter, write to Airbus and let them know how you feel.

Tonight, Countdown with Keith Olbermann had hilarious video of new White House Press Secretary Tony Snow playing in his band, Beats Workin'. What kind of band? Well, the website says they play '60s, '70s, and '80s rock music. Their song list includes Eric Clapton, Beatles, Grateful Dead, Eagles, Chuck Berry and so on.

What was so funny about the video was that Tony Snow was playing lead flute... just like Ron Burgundy on Anchorman (Keith and I said it out loud at virtually the same time). Unfortunately, the video is not up on YouTube. Not yet, anyway.

Adding fuel to the fire about FOX Newschannel's political affiliations, FOX personality Tony Snow has reportedly accepted the Press Secretary position at the White House. The rumblings of this possibility started last week. His appointment to replace Scott McClellan is supposed to be made official Wednesday morning. I fully expect the rest of the press to essentially freak out and suggest that Snow's appointment will mean more exclusives and tips for FOX News. A valid concern, really.

Snow is less of a news anchor and more of a talking head and political analyst. He was a speech writer for the first President Bush in 1991, and a nationally syndicated columnist for The Detroit News and USA Today. It's also worth noting that Snow is currently battling colon cancer.

Putting this guy in the hot seat should be interesting, to say the least. He's used to pontificating in front of cameras and probably doesn't mind getting in the faces of reporters. He's bound to be more animated than McClellan, the White House robot whose only directive is to 'stay on message'.

As the White House staff shakeup continues a name has been mentioned as a replacement for outgoing Press Secretary Scott McClellan: FOX News Channel weekend anchor and political analyst Tony Snow.

Snow, who was previously a speech writer for the elder president Bush, is currently in negotiations with White House officials to take over the position. The New York Times is reporting that Snow is also waiting for a clean bill of health from his doctors (he had surgery for colon cancer in 2005) before he makes a final decision.

Snow is not the first personality to leave politics then jump back in again. Back in the early 1970's Fred Dalton Thompson was an active lawyer during the Watergate hearings. He then appeared in such television shows as Wiseguy, China Beach, and Roseanne and the movies Die Hard 2 and The Hunt For Red October before returning to politics as Senator of Tennessee from 1994 til 2003. He is currently playing Attorney General Arthur Branch on Law & Order.

[via the New York Times]