Category: TV (Page 178 of 595)

Pamela Adlon gets back to “Californication,” bids adieu to “King of the Hill”

Unless you watch “Californication” — or were a fan of Showtime’s swiftly canceled “Lucky Louie” — you may not know Pamela Adlon’s face. If you’ve ever watched “King of the Hill,” however, you almost certainly know the sound of her voice, because she played the pudgy, slow-witted Bobby Hill during the Fox series’ long run, which comes to a close September 13.

Adlon is, of course, neither pudgy nor slow-witted — which made her great company for Bullz-Eye’s Will Harris during their recent chat. One major topic, naturally, was the long, bumpy road “King” traveled during its time on the airwaves:

For years, Fox moved us around. We weren’t even prime time. They would say, ‘Prime time starts at 8 PM,’ and we’d be on at 7:30. And they pushed us around so much that we were canceled four times before this. But we kept growing back up from the pavement, like a flower. It’s just a testament to the show itself and its writing that it’s survived this long.

With “Californication” kicking off its third season, Adlon’s work on that series was a source of conversation, too — although she couldn’t talk much about what’s going to transpire in the coming weeks. She did, however, get in depth about her character’s story arc in Season Two:

I had E-mailed Tom Kapinos before we started production for the second season, and I was, like, ‘Come on, give me a little taste! Let me know what’s going on!’ And he said, “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but Marcy had a bit of a drug problem back in the ‘80s. And she gets into that again.’ And I went, ‘Oh…!’ I wrote him back and said, ‘Yes! Marcy had a thirsty little nose!

To read more of Adlon’s thoughts on “Californication” and “King of the Hill,” as well as her prolific career in voiceover work, click on the image above or follow this link!

5 questions with Brian Boitano about his new Food Network show

A former Olympic figure skater with a cooking show on The Food Network? For those of you who thought this was a joke when you first heard about it, we’re willing to bet you were pleasantly surprised at how entertaining “What Would Brian Boitano Make” is. The show premiered last Sunday and this Sunday’s episode (we saw a screener of it) features Boitano cooking four different bacon-centric dishes for a roller derby team. Not only is Boitano a natural in front of the camera, his recipes look amazing…..well, anything with bacon looks amazing, but trust me, you’re going to want to try them.

We had the chance to ask Boitano a few questions about his new show and newfound culinary career:

Premium Hollywood: You seem like a natural in front of the camera cooking. I’m curious if you approached Food Network or if they found you, and basically how that all transpired?

Brian Boitano: I have always loved cooking, entertaining and skating. I approached a producer with an idea for a combination cooking and skating show. He liked the idea of me just cooking and convinced me to give it a go. We produced a pilot and sold it to Food Network.

PH: Do you come up with the themes and create your own recipes, and/or how much of that is done by producers?

BB: I came up with most of the themes and recipe ideas, as they are taken from my life, but the producers and I collaborated on the twists that made the show evolve into what it is now.

PH: The roller girl/bacon theme was awesome…can you give away any other upcoming themes?

BB: I have already filmed four episodes, including cooking with my handy man that never works and cooking a paella-inspired meal for my Spanish friend. The first show was called “Brian and the Bachelor” because I created a menu and event around finding a girl for my friend Tony. I invited 15 girls over and surprised him!

PH: Do you think being a world class skater and performing in front of huge crowds helped you in your new role as TV personality, and why or why not?

BB: Certainly, but it is definitely a different process to cook and talk to the camera then to skate in front of the camera.

PH: Your bacon looked like it was cooked so perfectly, I wanted to jump through the screen and eat it. In your mind, what is the key to perfectly cooked bacon?

BB: Using a baking rack and putting it in the oven is the best way for me. It all comes out perfectly shaped and symmetrical.

Catch “What Would Brian Boitano Make” on The Food Network Sundays at 1pm/12 central.

What’s up with “The Norm MacDonald Reality Show”?

Some will remember a few months back when comedian Norm MacDonald announced that he was creating a new show for the FX Network entitled “The Norm MacDonald Reality Show.” Everything appeared to be a go and diehard fans have eagerly awaited for its premier in the fall. The show even has its own IMDB page and everything, despite being very skimpy. We assumed it would appear opposite FX’s single comedy series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia.” Now things aren’t looking so good. When FX announced their upcoming fall schedule, Norm’s show was curiously absent. Instead, word has surfaced that three new comedies have been confirmed. They are Louis CK’s new comedy “Louie,” the partly-improvised “The League,” and the animated series “Archer.” So, what the hell?

It seems like Norm’s been making a comeback over the past couple years. He released a solid comedy album, vexed everyone at the “Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget,” made a hilarious appearance on “Saturday Night Live’s” Celebrity Jeopardy, and has certified himself as the funniest guest to have on a late night talk show. When you watch him with Letterman, Conan, and Jon Stewart, you can see how much they’re having just letting Norm do his thing.

So sit back and enjoy these clips. If FX has abandoned the project, I hope the show ends up on a network looking for some guaranteed hilarity. Maybe TBS or USA will bite.

“Defying Gravity” worth a look

Originally pitched to networks as “‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in space,” I was a bit leery heading into the first episode of “Defying Gravity,” which follows eight astronauts as they embark on a six-year mission through our solar system. The series is set in 2052, but features plenty of flashbacks to 2047, when this group of astronauts first started training for this mission.

I gave up on Ms. Meredith Grey a while ago, but I guess I can see the comparison. This series features a relatively small cast of core characters who live and work together. There’s an extremely cute heroine, Zoe (Laura Harris, who played Daisy Adair on the Showtime series “Dead Like Me”), and the gruff but likable hero, Maddux (played by the ever-watchable Ron Livingston, of “Office Space,” “Band of Brothers” and “Swingers” fame). The two are — wait for it — star-crossed lovers who can’t seem to get together despite an obvious attraction. There’s a history between these two, but I’ll stop there as to avoid ruining it for anyone.

This isn’t Maddux’s first time in space. On a previous mission to Mars, he was ordered to leave two crew mates by his commander, who is now running this mission years later. There is all sorts of ill will about that failed mission, which leads to loads of subtext and mean looks.

“Defying Gravity” is an ensemble drama, but Livingston and Harris are its heart and soul. Whether or not it’s for you will largely depend on whether or not you like these two characters. For something that falls in the sci-fi genre, it’s not terribly exciting or thrilling, but there’s a subtlety to the show that is engaging. With time, it ferments. And there’s an underlying sci-fi storyline that will keep the fanboys happy, at least for while.

I’m not sure that the series will last, as ratings have been less than stellar. It shed about 20% of its audience after the pilot, but has held onto virtually everyone who made it to the third episode. It’s slow place would seem to indicate one of those ambitious, long-term plans that may never see the light of day. But if it gets a second season, it’s worth a look on DVD.

Adam McKay has “The Goods”

You may not know Adam McKay by name, but you’ve almost certainly seen his work: the former “Saturday Night Live” writer has been virtually inseperable from Will Ferrell since the latter ankled “SNL” for a future in feature films, directing such comedy classics as “Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights,” and “Step Brothers.” And that isn’t all — McKay and Ferrell’s production company, Gary Sanchez Productions, is responsible for a long list of films and television shows, including “Eastbound and Down,” “The Foot Fist Way,” and, most recently, “The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.” It’s that last project that has McKay making the publicity rounds these days, discussing the Sanchez-produced, Jeremy Piven-led comedy about a legendary car salesman.

Of course, with a resume — and list of upcoming projects — as intriguing as McKay’s, “The Goods” isn’t the only thing worth talking about, and during his recent chat with McKay, Bullz-Eye’s Will Harris made sure to pick his brain about a variety of topics, from how he and Ferrell met to the second season of “Eastbound and Down” to that oft-rumored “Anchorman” sequel. Which, McKay tells us, will happen…eventually:

We have a very clear idea for it, we want to do it, and we’ve talked to everyone, and everyone has said that they’re in, but everyone has schedules. Sadly, the second part after I say, ‘We’ll do it,’ is that it could be two or three years away.

With eight more episodes of “Eastbound and Down” on the way, it’s only natural to wonder how much McKay can spill about where the next season will take us — and just as natural for McKay to play it close to the vest:

Let’s see if I can give a clue without wrecking anything. I’d say the question for this season is, “Will Kenny return?” I don’t know, I don’t want to say anything. I don’t want to wreck it, because they have some cool ideas.

And that’s just scratching the surface of the interview. To read about McKay’s thoughts on the “SNL” years, his feelings about the impending DVD release of “You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush,” what to expect from Jon Heder’s upcoming sitcom, and more, click on the image above or follow this link!

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