Author: Deb Medsker (Page 23 of 70)

MTV announces new sketch comedy series for 2007

October 3, 2006 /

The new series will be called “Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz,” and will star Nick Cannon — who also headlines MTV’s “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild N’Out” improv comedy series.

“Nick pitched this show as a way to do for sketch comedy what ‘Wild ‘N Out’ did for Improv-infuse it with a hip-hop vibe and Nick’s own brand of edgy humor,” said Tony DiSanto, Executive Producer, MTV. “It is a scripted companion piece to ‘Wild ‘N Out,’ providing an expanded platform for some of the great comedic talent from that show and a way to break new talent.”

That’s great, and all…but surely MTV must realize that they once had one of the greatest sketch comedy series of all time in their possession, and they just pissed it away. Fortunately, episodes of that late, great series — “The State” — are now available for purchase via iTunes. Many of the best skits — including my personal favorite, which features a suburban dinner party at which the main course is muppet — are also available via YouTube:

Who knew that red wine goes best with blue muppet?

Actors, TV, TV Comedies

P.S., I love Spike

October 2, 2006 /

“Buffy,” “Angel,” and “Smallville” alum James Marsters has landed his most high-profile movie role to date, starring with Hilary Swank in the film adaptation of best-selling Cecilia Ahern novel “P.S., I Love You.” The book is about a widow whose late husband leaves her 10 tasks to complete in order to work her way through the grieving process; Marsters will play the best friend of Swank’s deceased husband.

With a built-in audience of the book’s legions of fans, plus a supporting cast that includes Kathy Bates, Gina Gershon, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny from “Grey’s Anatomy”), and potentially Lisa Kudrow…this is one project to keep an eye on.

Actors, Actresses, Movie Dramas, Movies, News

Dwight’s boys can swim…or can they?

October 2, 2006 /

The October 6 issue of Entertainment Weekly contains an eyebrow-raising tidbit about one of the subplots discarded from last year’s season of “The Office:” an unintended pregnancy for straitlaced head accountant Angela.

According to executive producer Greg Daniels, during a typically awkward Dwight-Angela encounter in the Dunder-Mifflin kitchen late last season, Angela left the room after muttering, “I’m late”…but she wasn’t referring to having someplace else to be at that time.

So why was the storyline cut?

“It was a big move, but we had it in a show that had a lot of other big moves,” says Daniels. “I don’t know if we’re ever going to end up using it.”

Probably a wise decision. It’s hard to wring comedy gold from an accidental pregnancy under the best of circumstances, and while the idea of an actual, physical coupling between Dwight and Angela may be funny to some…it’s the stuff of nightmares to many, many others.

Thus, in lieu of starting a due-date pool for Angela just yet, we’ll have to content ourselves with enjoying NBC’s ode to the oddest romance on television:

“My animal deserves a lot of loving,” muses Dwight. And he’s just the man to give it to her.

The Office, TV, TV Comedies

Angelina shrugged…

September 26, 2006 /


“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.”

…and said, “Sure, I’ll take the lead role in one of the most daunting book-to-film translations of all time. Piece of cake. Why not?”

The translation in question is none other than “Atlas Shrugged,” the sprawling, 1200-page epic penned by Objectivist author Ayn Rand back in 1957. Panned by some as an ode to selfishness, while lauded by others as a piercing indictment of communism and the welfare state, the book explores a future in which the nation’s greatest thinkers, artists and industrialists voluntarily withdraw their talents from public access — forcing the “little people” to fumble along without them.

According to a joint survey conducted by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club, “Atlas Shrugged” is “the second most influential book for Americans today.”

Second only to what, you ask? The Bible. How’s that for high stakes?

And yet, if anyone can pull off the role of a woman dedicated to promoting “rational self-interest” above all else without coming off like a right-wing harpy…it’s probably the same woman who can steal the Sexiest Man Alive from America’s Sweetheart and, due largely to her significant humanitarian efforts, still come out of it smelling like a rose.

Good luck, Angelina. Don’t screw this up.

Actresses, Movies, News

Desperate times call for desperate measures

September 26, 2006 /


“I want YOU…to love me again.”

It’s gotta be tough being Chevy Chase these days. Still stinging from his disastrous Comedy Central roast four years ago (not to mention his failed talk show, numerous failed movies, and failures in his personal life), Chevy has struggled to maintain any semblance of relevance or likability in recent years…and has generally come up short.

So, how does one of Hollywood’s prime examples of “Oh, how the mighty have fallen” raise himself back up out of the gutter? Well, one strategy would be to take on the role of someone who has taken an even mightier tumble in the public eye…like Mel Gibson.

According to a press release from NBC, Chevy will appear in a future episode of “Law & Order” as “a television celebrity who is pulled over for drunk driving while wearing blood-soaked clothes, and whose religious prejudice comes out after his arrest.”

Hoo, boy: This train-wreck-in-the-making is either going to be jaw-droppingly horrifying…or mind-blowingly awesome. Either way, set your DVRs for Friday, November 3.

Actors, TV, TV Dramas

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