Jon Hamm by Craig Blankenhorn/AMC
What if they gave an awards show and nobody came? That heretofore rhetorical question has been answered twice in the last week, with unspeakably unwatchable results.First came CBS’ comically corny and pitifully rated People’s Choice Awards last Tuesday. With its ceremonial and traditionally well-attended all-star party scrapped by the writers’ strike, this new and unimproved version (with winners accepting in awkward taped segments) was emceed by poor Queen Latifah from what looked like a drag queen's bunker. I only made it through the first commercial break of that sad excuse for a show before bailing.But I had no choice but to slog through all of NBC’s historic (for all the wrong reasons) telecast Sunday of what the network called “The Golden Globes Winners Special.” Though only an hour long, it felt much longer than the usual three-hour glamourfest as Billy Bush and Nancy O’Dell struggled to vamp their way through what can only be thought of as ...
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The season finale of VH1's Bret Michaels dating show, Rock of Love, drew 5.4 million total viewers on Sunday, and was the cabler's second-highest rated telecast ever among the 18-49.... Nick Jr. premieres its hour-long Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue movie on Monday at 9:30 am/ET.... Billy Bush has inked a new multiyear deal to remain as coanchor of Access Hollywood.... Tim Russert's eponymous weekend talker is moving from CNBC to MSNBC.... A Jan. 22 DVD release has been set for The Girls Next Door: Season Three.
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All right, I’ll admit it’s kind of odd hosting a behind the scenes show (inFANity) of a behind the scenes show (Access Hollywood), then writing a behind the scenes take (this blog) all about what goes on behind the scenes. Just think of this as the most inside, exclusive, behind the scenes, first look (and any other histrionic broadcasting phrase that comes to mind) you’ve ever seen. You’re about to experience history, people!Having worked in several newsrooms around the country -- KGNS in Laredo, Texas, KGBT in the Rio Grande Valley, WAVY Norfolk, KTTV Los Angeles, and KCBS same city -- I know how a good manager can affect what you do and ultimately what people see on the air. Having said that, the reason the gorgeous, perfectly coiffed hosts (hair is real important there as it should be) on Access Hollywood seem to come through the television screen when they speak to you is because of the boss. The Queso Grande. The man who shouts “Action!” more than...
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The Children's Museum of Wilmington has resurrected a 22-foot pirate-ship prop used last season on One Tree Hill — which films in the North Carolina community — to be used as a float in a local holiday parade this weekend.... The Pirates of the Caribbean 2 DVD sold nearly five million units on Tuesday, its first day of release.... Access Hollywood's Jane Lynch and Fred Willard Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush will cohost NBC's live coverage of the 118th Tournament of Roses parade on Jan. 1.... In early 2007, DirecTV will roll out NASCAR Hotpass, an NFL Sunday Ticket-like package offering driver- and camera-angle-specific channels for each of the 38 Nextel Cup races.
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Billy Bush, that is. The Access Hollywood coanchor has been tapped by NBC to cohost the upcoming reality competition, You're the One That I Want, in which Danny and Sandy wannabes vie for roles in a Broadway revival of Grease. Fronting the show with Bush will be U.K. TV personality Denise Van Outen, because after all, you cannot, repeat cannot, have a reality series without a British accent. Just ain't done.
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As any self-respecting TV journalist will tell you, the annual Television Critics Assoc. press tour in Los Angeles is only as good as the free food that's dished out. And from the taste of things, this is going to be a fan-freakin-tastic 10 days. NBC kicked things off Saturday with a menu that included power bars, smoothies, hot popcorn, fresh fruit, a movie theater-style candy counter and, best of all, veggie burgers! Suddenly, the Peacock's new fall lineup was looking a lot better. The only thing missing was Diet Raspberry Snapple, which, by the way, was not waiting for me when I arrived at my hotel. (Let's just say I was not pleased and leave it at that, okay? Great.) Anyway, the day's schedule included panels for Medical Investigation, The Apprentice 2 and the much-talked about Siegfried and Roy-themed CGI comedy Father of the Pride. Here's my minute-by-minute recap:EXECUTIVE SESSION9:00 am The ex
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