Pirate Master: Abandon Ship! Every Man For Himself!
Pirate Master
Title: Debut: “I Want That Treasure”
Aired: 5/31/07
The latest reality show from Mark “I Never Even Knew What It’s Like to Want To Be A Millionaire” Burnett opens on a fog-sacked river under an ominous moon. A rowboat eases past a ragged sail, billowing slow like it has a contagious fever. It’s a scene straight out of Dickens or Melville or Stevenson! Except for the dreadlocked dude with spirals shaved into his beard and the rest of the assorted fanny packs rowing the boat.
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Mya In The Shower? That's A Show
Starpulse News reports that R&B star Mya has signed to host an MTV talent show, but unlike "American Idol," this time the hopefuls will sing...in...the...shower. Alas, MTV promises no nudity. But, uh, gee, anyone else expecting little tiny thongs? Jai Rodriguez and Drew Lachey will also judge.
Mentos And Diet Coke All Around! Daytime Emmys Nod To Internet Content
Web content is a huge issue in TV today, from shows making broadband-only spinoff mini-episodes to writers and actors trying to get a bigger share of online revenue. So perhaps it's only appropriate that the Daytime Emmys will honor Internet content this year. With help from MySpace users, the Emmys nominated content for computers, cellphones and handheld devices in several categories.
Totally Frakked: "Lost" Season 3 DVD Only A Really Long Arm's Reach Away
"Lost" fans rejoice, now you can pay $39.98 to wait breathlessly for the to be released. Amazon has the 7-disc set "Lost" Season 3 DVD available for pre-order today. Just the the series, however, they're going to make you wait - until December 11th for the actual release.
The upside of this long wait is the payoff in special features. The DVD set will include a series of flashbacks that have never been seen before, along with a "24 hours in filming" featurette, an interview with Matthew Fox and a featurette about the Others. Along with all this will be the usual audio commentaries, outtakes and deleted scenes. Knowing "Lost," it will probably also have a cryptographic puzzle that provides you with a sequence of numbers which leads you to a hidden pirate ship filled inexplicably with old Teddy Ruxpin dolls and a recording of a woman's voice pleading for help in Portuguese. And then a polar bear eats you.
The December 11th release may seem a long way off, but don't forget that the Season 2 DVD release was bumped up a bit, so we may have equal luck with season 3.
Morning News: "Battlestar: Galactica" Crashes
The Hollywood Reporter says the fourth season of "Battlestar: Galactica" will be its last. An announcement from producers is expected today. "Battlestar: Galactia" resumes new episodes in November. ... The industry paper also says Jeremy Sisto will join "Law & Order," and that A.J.'s former fiancee on "The Sopranos," actress Dania Ramirez, will join "Heroes" in the fall. ... BuzzSugar picks the Top 10 Ladies of Summer.
Tonight's Picks: Friday, June 1
TV's Funniest Moments
Brad Garrett, who's funny just standing still, hosts a Museum of Radio and Television clipstravaganza featuring the best from sitcoms, late-night and sketch-comedy shows.
Edge of Existence
Discovery Channel examines how primitive societies manage to survive in the modern world, beginning with the desert nomads known as Bedouins. Donal MacIntyre hosts.
Stargate SG1
Fred Willard guests as Vala's father, whose potential as an intelligence source may be compromised by the fact that he's a con artist.
'Lost' Producers Talk Turkey About Spoilers and Season Four
Rule number one: Don't mess with Lost fans. After season three's finale twist was leaked on the Internet weeks before airing, some devoted fans started firing blame arrows at the show's producers. Now, the Lost geniuses are opening up about the whole incident and telling us absolutely nothing specific about season four.
No, Not Even A Mild Surprise: David Hyde Pierce Is Gay
The bloggers at TV Squad have a good chuckle with the "news" that the former "Frasier" co-star David Hyde Pierce is a gay man. Of course five minutes after Niles hit the stage, we all knew, right?
Latest Thing in Reality TV: "The Big Donor Show"
Maybe you could call it "Who Wants to Be Alive?" or "Survivor: Organ Failure." The Dutch creators of "Big Brother" have a new concept they acknowledge is their most tasteless yet: "The Big Donor Show." It features three contestants with severe kidney disease trying to win the favor of a woman with terminal cancer. She'll pick the one she feels is most deserving and award the grand prize: one of her kidneys. (She's keeping the other, which will be enough to keep her alive for her remaining time; her remaining organs will probably not be usable after her death due to damage from the cancer).
The Dutch government has criticized the show, but says they can't stop it: it's horrible, but apparently legal, because everyone involved is mentally sound, at least by the legal definition, and has agreed to do it.
Continue reading "Latest Thing in Reality TV: "The Big Donor Show"" »
Your clip'n'save summer premiere schedule
It's after the jump, and features premiere dates for new and returning shows from "Hell's Kitchen" to "John From Cincinnati." If you're old school, you can print it out and tape it to the refrigerator. Or you can just bookmark it and use the MeeVee Program Details links, where available, to find out more.
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"So You Think You Can Dance?" Well, uh, no.
Give Me My Remote has an hilarious recap of "So You Think You Can Dance." Rarely does television criticism involve both a shoutout to Capt. Morgan rum and the phrase "The Kids With No Limbs." (Except maybe on a show about fetal alcohol syndrome, come to think of it.)
Duckyxdale also recaps the "So You Think You Can Dance" festivities.
A+ news for fans of "Kyle XY"
The second season of ABC Family sci fi series "Kyle XY" begins on Monday, June 11, but as our friends at Televisionista report, the alphabet network will pick up at least the first four episodes of the show to air on the following Friday via broadcast, beginning June 15. The TV Addict notes that this is especially good news for Canadian fans of "Kyle XY," since ABC Family isn't available in the Molsonland.
Morning News & Views: "Law & Order," "The View," YouTube
Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson has asked out of his role as the district attorney on "Law & Order" to concentrate on his possible presidential run, producer Dick Wolf says. Ironically, Thompson was seen on HBO Sunday night playing a president - Ulysses S. Grant - "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee." No word yet on a replacement. ... The latest hopefuls to replace Rosie O'Donnell on "The View" include Roseanne Barr and Wanda Sykes. ... YouTube cuts a deal with Apple to make all its content available viav the Apple TV settop box. ... Tim Goodman and his readers rate the networks' seasons and there aren't a lot of A's being handed out.
Totally Frakked: "Hex" - One Good Reason To Watch BBC America
On Saturday, June 2, "Hex" will return with its far too long awaited second season on BBC America. For those of you who missed its first season - which in the US would be almost all of you - "Hex" is a slick, sexy modern fantasy show about a pretty blonde superhero and her lesbian friend. Yes, yes, we know that premise sounds familiar, but beyond the hair color and the sapphic friend, the show bears little similarity to Buffy.
The show started out following Cassie, a tragically unhip art school student, and her best friend Thelma. In the pilot Cassie inherits some witchy powers, and with the help of Thelma, she tries to figure out exactly what's going on and who the mysterious Azazel is.
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Tonight's Picks: Thursday, May 31
Pirate Master
"Survivor" producer Mark Burnett creates what seems like a spinoff, set aboard ship in the Caribbean - but with intrigue and hidden treasure, and we hope some plank-walking and eyepatches too.
The 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee
No swords or planks here, just a lot of "nascent" and "pluperfect" and other hard words that we swear we didn't have to look up, really. Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" hosts.
The Starter Wife
Two-hour premiere of the six-hour miniseries. Debra Messing is getting sterling reviews for her role as a woman who finds out what really matters when her husband throws her over for another woman.
The doctor's TV family comes apart on "House"
Rumors are that someone is leaving the Princeton-Plainsboro team this fall, and the "House" season finale last night significantly confused the differential diagnosis of who that might be. Read no further if you don't want spoilers.
The patient of the week was a young Cuban woman who kept talking after her heart stopped, but the real drama centered on House's staff. By the end of the hour, all three of the cranky doctor's medical minions had taken their scalpels and gone home. Foreman left just as he'd vowed, House fired Chase in a moment of seeming randomness, and Cameron quit, apparently just to make a set.
Continue reading "The doctor's TV family comes apart on "House"" »
Online Petition To Fire Elisabeth Hasselbeck Surfaces
Just days after her televised spat with Rosie O'Donnell, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is finding herself on the wrong side of an online petition to fire her from The View. The conservative co-host has clearly rattled some cages, and a few thousand viewers are calling for her head.
Morning ink: "How I Met Your Mother" online, "Starter Wife"
Variety assesses the online efforts of "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS and others. "Last fall, the flagging CBS/20th Century Fox sitcom created an anonymous MySpace page honoring fictional pop star Robin Sparkles. When Sparkles was introduced on the show's Nov. 20 episode, the MySpace page attracted 5,000 new friends -- and the show snagged more than 1 million new viewers." ... Debra Messing gets a stellar review from the Hollywood Reporter for her role in "The Starter Wife," debuting Thursday on USA. (see contest below.) ... The New York Times eyes the fan fight to save CBS' "Jericho." The Times also is less than enthralled with "Hidden Palms" but admires the milieu, noting, "Mr. Williamson has created a sick world, but one for which you wouldn’t mind having the swatches."
Totally Frakked: "Heroes" Gets New Characters, Keeps Some Old Ones; No Word On Spandex Suits
With no new "Heroes" in sight until fall, all the fan boys - certainly not me, I'm above such things - are scouring the internet, finding out what's on deck for season 2. There's an awful lot of speculation floating around, but also some good hard facts from Tim Kring and other sources on the "Heroes" team.
It's a delicate tightrope to walk; they want to give us enough to keep us interested until "Heroes" is back on the airwaves, but with a breakout hit there's always a danger of oversaturating the public. Not to mention the expectation that season 2 needs to outperform season 1 in order to impress the fans. Will Heroes pull out the impress a second time, or will season 2 be one of those "troublesome sophomore efforts"?
Of course, be forewarned that what lies on the jump is a wretched hive of spoilers and villainy, etc, etc. Don't read on unless you want to know what's in store.
Starter Kit for "The Starter Wife"
In the new USA miniseries, "The Starter Wife," Debra Messing stars as Molly Keegan - a woman who has the red carpet pulled out from under her when her high powered movie studio exec husband ups and leaves her for another woman. So what are the essentials that Molly needs to rebuild her life? Well there's her family, her friends, and her Malibu Survival Kit. And lucky for you TV with MeeVee has a Malibu Survival Kit just for you.
Miss USA has an oopsy on the Miss Universe telecast
Give Me My Remote offers what will no doubt be the YouTube champion of the week, footage of Miss USA Rachel Smith taking an embarrassing tumble during the big Miss Universe pageant on Monday night.
MeeVee Exclusive: "Hidden Palms" star Taylor Handley
Taylor Handley is no stranger to Palm Springs. He was born in Santa Barbara, so Palm Springs was a regular destination growing up as a kid. Now that kid is grown up and starring in the new CW series "Hidden Palms" debuting tonight. He's had lots of roles in lower-budgeted Hollywood movies like "Jack Frost" and some mainstream TV shows over the past decade, including "The O.C." and a short stint on "Dawson’s Creek" (which "Hidden Palms" creator Kevin Williamson also helmed). Now Handley has finally landed his starring role. How does he feel about the stardom being the Dawson Leery of a new Millennium? MeeVee’s own Steve Czarnecki caught up with Taylor to find out.
What are the challenges in playing the character of Johnny Miller?
Well, the show is about a mysterious murder and about growing up, there’s a big mystery that my character Johnny needs to figure out… someone kills themselves in front of him and he now is asking, Why did he have to do it in front of me? Why do I have to be the last person he saw? So it’s a dramatic journey for the character.
Continue reading "MeeVee Exclusive: "Hidden Palms" star Taylor Handley" »
Tonight's Picks: Wednesday, May 30
Hidden Palms
"Dawson's Creek" creator Kevin Williamson is behind this moody teen drama set in Palm Springs, which features the usual angst and romance with a healthy dose of mystery. Taylor Handley stars as the new kid in town.
Next Best Thing: Who Is The Next Great Celebrity Impersonator
You know it's summer when the reality/game shows get this niche-y. The judges are the comedians Jeffrey Ross, Lisa Ann Walter and Elon Gold.
Shear Genius
Three finalists meet their fate - and the assessing eye of guest judge Vidal Sassoon - in the season finale.
Nicole Richie Refuses to Visit Mom In Hospital
Nicole Richie may not win daughter of the year. The Simple Life star has not visited her mother in the hospital as mom recovers from a major surgery, proving that feuds run deeper than blood.
Kathy Griffin Weighs In On Rosie’s 'View' Exit
Funny woman Kathy Griffin is dishing about the recent on-air spat between Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck (and Rosie’s decision to bail out three weeks before the end of her contract). Griffin, who is good friends with O’Donnell, says that it was the The View's decision to sensationalize the fight with a split-screen effect that pushed Rosie over the edge.
Continue reading "Kathy Griffin Weighs In On Rosie’s 'View' Exit" »
Man behind "The Office," "Ugly Betty" to get top NBC job
Our blogger friends like Give Me My Remote have been all over it for days, but it looks like official word will come within hours that Kevin Reilly is out as NBC Entertainment president, to be replaced by production honcho Ben Silverman. Silverman's Reveille Productions repurposed Britain's "The Office" and the Latin-American telenovela "Ugly Betty" into primetime hits for NBC and ABC. ... UPDATE: It happened.
Mischa Barton, Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, oy!
Young Hollywood's Memorial Day parade route ran straight through the emergency room. Either these young women are addicted to partying without the necessary constitution (viz. Keith Richards) or else going completely off the rails has simply become a good attention-getting move. We already reported what happened to Lindsay Lohan in the early hours of Saturday. Now from Hollyscoop comes word that former "The O.C." star Mischa Barton had to be hospitalized after a BBQ Sunday. Most reports have it as a bad combination of a few drinks and antibiotics, although at least one blog says it was street drugs. Hollyscoop Nicole Richie was at the same bash and she collapsed later too. ... UPDATED: Check out these very messed-up pix of Lindsay Lohan less than 48 hours after her bust. Apparently she's on her way back to rehab, and not a moment too soon.
MeeVee Exclusive with "Hidden Palms" Creator Kevin Williamson
North Carolina native Kevin Williamson seems to focus on teen-related drama. With hits like TV’s Dawson’s Creek and the Scream film series under his belt, Williamson has returned with a whole new show full of fresh teen faces, current teen slang and the all-too-familiar teen problems that seem to carry from one generation to the next. MeeVee’s own Steve Czarnecki recently caught up with Kevin and got the word on the upcoming CW series Hidden Palms.
This show has drawn comparisons to Scream meets Dawson’s Creek, Is it more horror or more a suspense driven show?
More suspense, I don’t know? It wasn’t a goal to do a hybrid. I wanted to tell a story, it’s a very suspenseful story that was the underlining sort of drive, and certainly our main character Johnny’s drive. It is a family drama, a teen drama, it’s quirky. It has jumps, scares, creepiness, unsettling and unnerving moments, but we tried to keep it all character-based, and so the mystery is formed by the characters rather than being plot-based.
Continue reading "MeeVee Exclusive with "Hidden Palms" Creator Kevin Williamson" »
Tonight's Picks: Tuesday, May 29
On The Lot
Three contestants in the Hollywood version of "Survivor" are eliminated after an audience "box office" vote on their short films.
House
A Cuban couple makes a desperate journey to have House diagnose the wife's illness, but things only get worse once they arrive at the hospital. Plus, Forman's departure could be at hand.
Flashpoint
CBS News special, subtitled "Kimberly Dozier and the Army's Fourth ID - A Story of Bravery, Recovery and Lives Forever Changed," looks at the aftermath of a single explosion in Iraq that killed four, including two members of a CBS crew.
MeeVee Video Top 5: Competition - "Survivor: Fiji," "Dancing with the Stars" and more
Great moments of competition in history: Roman gladiators battle in the Colosseum. Jesse Owens' achievements in the 1936 Olympic games. Jordin Sparks wins "American Idol." OK, maybe the last one was a stretch, but competition amongst TV celebs and reality-show stars is a phenomenon that has virtually overtaken television today. During the Roman era, fans' input of either a raised or downward pointed thumb influenced the fate of a gladiator's life. Nowadays, TV competitors fall victim to either a maniacal TV judge or the more anonymous "text decider" in which the amount of text message votes determine a contestant's fate. We truly live in a crazy world!
Our five exclusive videos this week focus on competition.
Check the latest dramatic climax from "Survivor: Fiji." Play the online game of "1 vs. 100." Honestly, do you have anything better to do? Catch clips of the sister shows "So You Think You Can Dance?" and "Dancing with the Stars." Finally, we have a talented singer/songwriter featured on our YouTube Clip of the Week. Having split personalities has never been so funny!
Charles Nelson Reilly dies at 76
TV's first big gay icon died this weekend. Charles Nelson Reilly was an accomplished stage actor and director with a Tony award on his shelf and multiple nominations, but he'll always be remembered for his flamboyant appearance and smutty one-liners on game shows including "The Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares." Some 30 years before Ellen DeGeneres came out on her sitcom, Reilly got away with a torrent of double entendres - and he wore an ascot! Although you could criticize him as a big, flaming stereotype, you could also say he (and near-contemporary Paul Lynde) helped open the door for those who have come after. Amazing side note: According to his Wikipedia bio, anyway, Reilly survived the legendary Hartford Circus Fire in 1944. The Times says his only immediate survivor is his partner, Patrick Hughes.
Tonight's Picks: Monday, May 28
Miss Universe 2007
Vanessa Minnillo and Mario Lopez host this year's pageant, live from Mexico City's National Auditorium. Contestants from 75 countries from around the world compete for the title.
The Ex-Wives Club
No, it's not a Jackie Collins novel. (Well, maybe it is, but...) This is a new reality series in which traumatized dumpees learn about moving on from Angie Everhart, Shar Jackson and Marla Maples, who've been there, baby.
The Riches
Doug's old friend visits, and it's best that he not find out what the family is up to. We can understand that. Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver star.
Lindsay Lohan update: Lilo fails to lie low
Seems the self-destructive, post-rehab waif Lindsay Lohan managed to crash her car not far from her house at 5:30 a.m. Saturday. On Sunset Boulevard, naturally. Got herself popped for suspicion of DUI. And the cops found "a usable amount" of cocaine in her car. Paris Hilton going to jail? Still funny. But there's a certain desperation in Lohan's behavior that's just sucking all the comedy right out of this ongoing drama. Hollyscoop has all the details, or visit Top 10 Sources for more.
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