Fresh from Fox:"Singer/songwriter John Rzeznik (the Goo Goo Dolls), legendary percussionist and performer Sheila E. ('The Glamorous Life,' 'A Love Bizarre') and Australian TV personality Ian 'Dicko' Dickson (Australian Idol) will serve as judges while Dominic Bowden (New Zealand Idol) hosts The Next Great American Band, premiering Friday, Oct. 19 on Fox."From the auditions, the judges will narrow down the hopefuls to 10 semifinalist bands who will perform weekly in front of a live studio audience. The judges will have their say after each performance, but viewers will vote for their favorite bands to determine who stays in the competition. Voting begins immediately after each show, and the results will be announced at the beginning of the following episode."Each week, the bands will perform either original music or covers of varied styles. The season finale brings the ultimate battle of the bands, with the last three groups competing to secure a contract with 19 recordings and the t...read more
Question: My roommate and I have a dinner riding on this bet. I believe that one of the singers in the "Give a Little Bit" Gap commercial was Lou Reed. She disagrees. Do you know who the artists were? I realize that this isn't quite up your alley — you know all things broadcast television-wise — but do you know about the commercials?
Answer: Y'know, Fan, normally I'd be my cranky self and take you to task for doubting my knowledge of all things television, then move on to mocking you for implying that commercials somehow exist apart from broadcast TV and for missing all the ad-related questions I've answered in this space in the past. But I lived in Manhattan for 13 years, so I'll go easy on a fellow New Yorker.
Do you really think my hero Lou Reed, the gritty, Velvet Underground-founding poster child for rebellion, would go all corporate toadie on me and shill for Gap? For shame! (Well, there read more