wb-related stories
Posted Oct 14th 2009 12:07PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
Recently, I spent a couple of hours watching
Gilmore Girls on SoapNet. The experience put a smile on my face and reminded me that I miss the kind of dramedy that Amy Sherman-Palladino created on that show.
The show remains a near perfect blend of character, comedy, drama and emotion to me. So, when I read this morning that
Amy Sherman-Palladino is doing aproject at HBO about a mother-daughter relationship, I let out a "yeah."
True, true, true, Amy's last show was the disappointing sitcom -- hell, call it like it was, dreadful --
The Return of Jezebel James at Fox. No excuses. It was a mess. Still, I'm more than willing to give this writer another chance to soar again.
Continue reading HBO snags Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino
Posted Dec 26th 2008 11:02AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Industry, Reality-Free
In a shining example of the sort of litigation that goes on all of the time in Hollywood,
Warner Brothers Television has freshly sued CBS over residuals from the show
Two and a Half Men. Mind you, this sort of behavior is nothing new in the entertainment industry. Just look at what's happening with the
Watchmen movie.
The creative accounting of the entertainment industry never ceases to amaze me. I recall a business class in which I learned that on paper
Gone With The Wind was still showing a loss six decades after its initial release.
My favorite part of the article was CBS's response statement: "Wow, I wonder what they got the other networks for Christmas." My sentiments exactly.
It's a shame that the WB (whose own network, The CW,
is in dire straits right now) couldn't get into the spirit of the holiday and wait a day to deliver the summons. Bah, humbug.
Posted Dec 2nd 2008 10:02AM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, TV on DVD, OpEd, Video, Vs., Reality-Free
Even before I caught
Twilight on the big screen, I was comparing it to
Roswell, the great teen sci-fi/romance series that aired on The WB (and later
The CW UPN) from 1999-2002. The
Twilight ads and trailers seemed to tell the same story
Roswell told
more than nine years ago: A sensitive girl is saved by a supernatural hunk who makes it his mission to protect her at all costs. The two fall in love, but the relationship is complicated by his other-worldly circumstances.
It's not exactly the most original story in the world. This sort of thing goes back to Bram Stoker's
Dracula, (and probably further back than that). Still, after watching
Twilight, I was a bit shocked by its similarities to
Roswell, especially since
Roswell wasn't half as popular as
Twilight. I haven't read the
Twilight or
Roswell book series, so I can't tell you if the similarities persist in print (but my friend
Stephanie can). I can only compare the big screen and TV versions.
From major plot points to character motivations, these two franchises have a lot in common, but one clearly stands above the other. Let's compare, and you'll see what I mean:
Continue reading Twilight Vs. Roswell: Are aliens more romantic than vampires? - VIDEO
Posted Aug 26th 2008 3:44PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Reality-Free
Remember when rock 'n roll was to blame for teenagers being out of control? What about when John Lennon's quote about The Beatles being as big as Jesus drew the ire of the church and resulted in deejays advocating the destruction of LPs and singles?
Well, here's another missive from an "authority figure" about how pop culture is ruining today's youth. Sociologist Kristin Aune claims that
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer is responsible for young women not attending church.
Dr. Aune, who's written
Women and Religion in the West, and is a teacher at the University of Derby (that's in the U.K.), doesn't know if
Buffy has also affected young men. Her research doesn't address if boys are abandoning the church, too, so I guess they're safe.
This is no joke, although it does sound like a good way to promote a book that would otherwise be ignored. Mentioning
Buffy is a good way to let the world know that Dr. Aune wrote it.
Continue reading It's all Buffy's fault!
Posted Jun 25th 2008 8:04PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Retro Squad, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
Okay, I'm a fan of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
Angel, but not a normal one. I've read all the
comic books for both properties and seen the original movie that launched the phenomenon about three times over the years. And yet, for some reason I've never seen a full episode of either show.
When
Buffy first came out, I lived in a city that didn't have The WB. And by the time it was available to me I was already several years behind, and I hate coming into the middle of something. Then, for whatever reason, it has remained on my "to do" list over the years.
So where does that leave me for the Retro Squad
Buffy/Angel week? I want to participate, but in a way I'm a newbie to the show. So how about you guys tell me a good episode to immerse myself into the world of the
Buffy-verse? In fact, maybe one from each show? I'm hearing from the Squad that 'Hush' is a good candidate.
Continue reading Wanted: Buffy/Angel episode(s) to watch
Posted Jun 12th 2008 4:20PM by Brad Linder
Filed under: Industry, PVR Wire, Web, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Just days after
launching a private beta of its new
online video portal, The WB has announced plans to expand its online video distribution network. Honestly, the whole thing sounds a lot like
Hulu, the online video portal backed by NBC and FOX.
Here's how it will work: You'll be able to visit TheWB.com or TheKidsWB.com and watch full-length episodes of classic WB shows like
Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and
Gilmore Girls, or you'll be able to find videos through a number of partners including DailyMotion, Sling Media, Veoh, TiVo, and Joost. The WB currently distributes
some TV shows through Hulu, but not all of them.
Continue reading WB snubs Hulu, announces web video distribution plans
Posted Jun 10th 2008 11:23AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Smallville, PVR Wire, Video, Supernatural, Web, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Reality-Free
I've long since given up hope for those flying cars we were all supposed to be piloting in the new millennium. Now, I'll settle for that other years ago future dream, all of TV at your fingertips whenever you want it. We're still a ways away from that one, but the new WB is another step in that direction.
The site is still in beta, so the amount of content leaves a little to be desired, but most of it seems to be working, and it gives a good idea of what will be waiting for everybody when the site goes live. They finally came through with my beta invite, and I've been poking around. Hit the gallery for the bigger screen shots of the various areas and interface, and join me after a jump for a quick tour in text. A word of warning, the embedded video after the jump will autostart. Beta.
Continue reading The WB is back ... almost - VIDEO
Posted May 19th 2008 10:32AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: OpEd, Vs., Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Reaper, Reality-Free
I've confessed before -- or should I say shouted from the rooftops -- that I am a
Joss Whedon fan.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my all-time favorite shows and I still mourn its loss (the comic books just don't give me my
Buffy fix).
This season, I was hopeful when
Reaper arrived on the scene. It seemed to have some of the same elements that I liked about
Buffy: demon lore, a Scooby gang, a story arc, and a lighthearted, humorous side to a subject that could be very dark.
So how does
Reaper measure up to
Buffy? When I actually did the breakdown, I was pleasantly surprised. A very interesting outcome, indeed....
Continue reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. Reaper
Posted Mar 10th 2008 3:24PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Industry, Web, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The coffee at Luke's Diner is perking again. Well, sort of.
The WB television network is being resurrected it as a new web site. The WB, tentatively called wb.com, will offer free streaming episodes of
Gilmore Girls, Everwood and
What I Like About You, to start.
Those are all shows that were WB-produced during 1995-2006, before the WB merged with UPN to become the CW. It has yet to be determined if other series, including
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Felicity and
Dawson's Creek are slated for the wb.com stream. Like other online streaming venues that allow people to watch for free, the shows will be paid for by ads. In addition to the shows, the site is also going to create new, short (approximately five minute) vignettes targeting the old WB audience, primarily women 12-34.
Continue reading WB coming back on the web
Posted Mar 6th 2008 10:01AM by Jay Black
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Episode Reviews
(S04E01) Three years ago, I was asked to perform stand-up comedy at my high school reunion. I wasn't a full-time professional yet, but I was getting close; I figured I would go in there and kill. I imagined all the girls who didn't find me attractive in high school (which was, uh,
all the girls) would instantly swoon for me and I'd get some measure of closure on what was a very disappointing chapter in my life. Of course, I tanked. Badly. The people at my reunion couldn't have been less interested in what I had to say if I was trying to sell them timeshares. I spent the rest of the night mixing cold medication and hard liquor, trying to find a combination that wouldn't shut down my liver but would help me forget how poorly I performed that night.
I never thought I'd regret a decision more than my accepting that high school reunion gig. Now, three years later, I've finally found a decision I regret more: accepting the assignment to review TV Land's new reality show,
High School Reunion.
Continue reading High School Reunion: Meet the Mustangs (season premiere)
Posted Feb 28th 2008 8:38AM by Brad Linder
Filed under: Industry, ER, PVR Wire, Web
Online video site
Hulu is already one of the best places to find full length episodes of network TV shows. And it looks like Hulu could be adding to its content library soon. Warner Brothers president Bruce Rosenblum says
a deal with Hulu is "imminent." Right now, all of the content available on Hulu comes from NBC and FOX News Corp.
At first glance, that means that you might be able to find WB-produced shows that air on the CW network on Hulu. But Warner Brothers also produces TV programs that air on other networks, such as NBC's
ER. The studio also produces movies, and while the movie section of Hulu isn't as fleshed out as the TV section, we might soon see a few more feature length films on the site.
Continue reading Warner Brothers set to join Hulu
Posted Feb 4th 2008 12:00PM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Video, In the Limelight, Celebrities, Gossip Girl
If you were asked "Who is
Penn Badgley?," you would probably say something like "Isn't he the guy from
Gossip Girl?" Yes, he is. Others would probably answer with "The curly haired cutie from
The Mountain?" Again, correct. But what did he do before that? Silence would probably be the most popular answer since it seemed as if he first made his mark during the canceled-rather-fast WB's
The Mountain. But what may surprise most is that Penn Badgley has been in the business for almost 10 years!
Continue reading Penn Badgley: In the Limelight - VIDEO
Posted Oct 24th 2007 9:27AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Industry, OpEd
According to a CNN article, Microsoft is going to partner with Nickelodeon and Warner Brothers
to produce a library of family games and entertainment for XBox LIVE. This will include kid-friendly games as well as video entertainment
I have to admit that I don't own a gaming console of any kind, mostly because I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tear myself away from it. This sort of merger of video-on-demand and games-on-demand with a gaming console would no doubt make it harder.
Continue reading Microsoft partners with Nickelodeon
Posted Jan 30th 2007 8:58AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Industry, Family Guy, Veronica Mars, Ugly Betty, Ratings
Nielsen Media Research is making a change to their television ratings. In the past, children of a Nielsen family that were away at college were not factored into the numbers. After doing some research, sponsored by Turner, WB, CBS, MTV, Fox, and ESPN, those college kids will now count in the regular Nielsen ratings.
The
NY Times article (possible login) points to
America's Next Top Model, Family Guy, Ugly Betty, and [adult swim] as programming that should see a boost in their ratings. Disturbingly, it also mentions that in a test done last November the most popular show among college men was
Drawn Together. The audience for the Comedy Central cartoon jumped from 272,000 to 435,000. What are they teaching our youth on these campuses?
This certainly isn't the final answer in the ratings question. There are still plenty of problems and issues with the system, but it is a positive change. Especially so if it gives a much needed boost to the struggling
Veronica Mars numbers.
Posted Nov 10th 2006 2:32PM by Julia Ward
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Industry, Veronica Mars, The CW, Pickups and Renewals
Whether you think the whole shorter mystery arc is working for
Veronica Mars or not, the CW has
ordered three more scripts of the cult fav. Also eluding the chopping block this week is soapy
One Tree Hill, which also received a three script order.
I'd love to see
Veronica Mars stick around so long as it doesn't head down that strange, slow death path that took the life out of
Alias when the creators were pressured to make its twisty plotlines more accessible to newcomers. It's hard for me to care about the continuation of
One Tree Hill only because I'm old and do not understand the ways of these so-called teenagers -- at least teenagers who aren't also noirish super sleuths. It's great news for the fans, however, who couldn't even be sure they'd see their favorite shows back post-WB and UPN merger.
Now we'll just have to keep our eye on the
Gilmore Girls to see whether The CW will issue a mercy killing on behalf of Team Palladino.
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