Category: TV (Page 179 of 595)

Epix secures new Lewis Black special

August 27, 2009 /

Black

Epix is a brand new premium channel owned by Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, and MGM Studios. Minimal information has been released regarding the fledgling network. Based on what’s known, things haven’t been looking good. DirecTV, Comcast, and Cablevision have confirmed that they would not carry the channel due to the saturated market. With HBO, Showtime, Starz, Encore, Cinemax, and others already on television, it’s clear why Epix would have a tough time getting picked up. You see, the cable providers are the ones who pay out the premium channels in these relationships. There really isn’t any dire need to add Epix to their bills. Luckily, on July 28th, Epix reached a deal with Verizon Communications Inc.’s FiOS network, who became the channel’s very first distributor.

CEO Mark Greenberg has inferred that Epix will be more similar to HBO than Starz, airing comedy specials, original series, and other special features. It’s first original pilot, “Tough Trade,” created by “Weeds” writer Chris Ouffut, is in the works. A mini-series adaptation of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged has also been suggested. Today, Epix took one step forward towards their vision, nabbing Lewis Black’s newest comedy special “Stark Raving Black.”

Standup will star in the special “Stark Raving Black,” which reps the burgeoning pay channel’s first original comedy event.

Spec, to be filmed at Detroit’s Fillmore Theater, will run in December. It will also unspool this fall in theaters in 20 U.S. markets, as well as 25 international territories. An introduction to Epix will be featured during the screenings.

Besides the special, which will run on Epix’s TV and broadband platforms, the deal also includes an online event featuring Black, who will participate in a chat via Epix’s website following the show.

Epix will launch on October 1st and give America yet another reason to stay inside.

Humor, News, TV, TV Comedies, Video

Top Chef Las Vegas: fun in the sun

August 27, 2009 /

On last night’s “Top Chef Las Vegas” on Bravo, there was another high stakes quick fire challenge, and an elimination challenge that was to cook for a dual bachelor/bachelorette party. At one point during the episode, one of the chefs was talking about how he had nicknames for all of his fellow contestants….so I’m going to start using a few of my own nicknames too.

Kevin will now be known as Kris Kringle.
Ashley will now be known as Ben Folds.

That’s all I can think of right now, but if you watch this show and know what I’m talking about, you are probably laughing right now.

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External TV, Reality TV, Top Chef Masters, TV

A Quick Chat with Joan Rivers

August 26, 2009 /

There’s little question that one of the most lively panels during the early days of the TCA tour was the one dedicated to Joan Rivers’ new TV Land series, “How’d You Get So Rich?” Or, if you read my coverage of the panel, you may be more familiar with it as “How’d You Get So Fucking Rich?” But, y’know, that’s Joan for you. You can learn just about anything you need to know about the concept of the series by checking out the link to my panel coverage that I just offered up (though I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there’s a new episode of the series airing tonight at 10 PM EST / PST), but after she held court before the crowd of critics, a few of us actually had a chance to speak to her one on one for a few minutes each.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that, were it a contest to see who got the best pull quotes out of Joan, Joel Keller of TV Squad – who preceded me in speaking with her – would have taken the victory (she hadn’t been aware that David Tutera was scheduled to have his own TCA panel, but when he brought it up, she let fly with her thoughts on him in her usual forthright manner), but I still managed to get a couple of good lines from Ms. Rivers about “Z Rock,” “The Celebrity Apprentice,” and “Rabbit Test,” and the closing moments of our conversation will live in my memory forever.

Bullz-Eye: It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Joan Rivers: And it’s a pleasure to…well, we’ll see.

BE: (Laughs) I’ve got only got a couple of minutes, but I’ll do my best.

JR: Ask whatever you want.

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Actresses, Celebrities, External Entertainment, External Movies, External TV, Interviews, Movie Comedies, Movies, News, Reality TV, Stand-Up Comics, TCA Blog 2009, TCA Press Tour, TV

Hell’s Kitchen: rolling the dice

August 26, 2009 /

Last night’s “Hell’s Kitchen” episode on FOX began with the guys all getting along and telling each other they felt like a new team without Robert, who had spent the night in a hospital with chest pains. Then Gordon Ramsay had the two teams roll dice at a makeshift craps table, and each one had a letter that represented part of a meal they would cook. For instance, the ladies started with an “R” and Suzanne chose rabbit…can I say something here? EWWWWWWWW. That’s one step below cooking a dog or cat for dinner, isn’t it? Anyway, each team member had the chance to roll and select an ingredient. The red team wound up with rabbit, haricot verts (a fancy French term for thin green beans), potatoes, garlic and ham hocks. Ramsay praised them for having the basis for a nice, rustic dinner.

The blue team, meanwhile, started with haddock, and then Dave, who rolled an “F,” chose figs. The guys were giving Dave a hard time and hoping he would say fennel, but he didn’t. Van chose angel hair pasta for “A,” and they also had apples and tomatoes. Then each team had to cook their meal for Ramsay, and the guys were all surprised at how good their fig/tomato sauce tasted. Ramsay loved the rabbit dish (again, ewwww) but he loved the haddock dish with the figs even more, and the blue team won the challenge. Part of the reason they won was that the garlic in the rabbit dish was too overpowering, something Tennille had warned Ariel about.
The guys’ prize was a trip to Vegas, while the ladies had to unload delivery trucks all day, and even at 1am after they had gone to sleep. Yikes.

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External TV, Hell's Kitchen, Reality TV, TV

Hulu and Britain’s ITV close to partnership

August 25, 2009 /

ITV

Hulu is the offspring of a joint venture between Disney, News Corporation, and NBC Universal. Since February of this year, Hulu has tried to replicate its success in the U.K. by partnering with BBC, Channel 4, and ITV, only to be blocked by the Competition Commission. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped the popular video website from negotiating with their potential British partners. Now it looks like Hulu and ITV are “within weeks” of making a deal.

ITV Productions makes programmes for several channels but Hulu will have exclusive rights to those made for ITV including Coronation Street and Dancing on Ice. It is expected that ITV Player, the broadcaster’s 30 day catch-up service, will continue to show all of ITV’s programming.

ITV will still be able to sign deals with other web TV players, such as YouTube or MSN Video, Microsoft’s new online TV proposition, to broadcast its other content – but will be locked in with Hulu exclusively on these shows.

Channel 4 is understood to be closer to signing a content deal with YouTube, which would see its content play out in full for the first time on video site. It is a non-exclusive deal and YouTube is understood to be offering money in exchange for catch-up long form rights. It is also in similar talks with ITV and BBC Worldwide.

I love the language this writer from The Daily Telegraph uses, treating Hulu and YouTube like sports organizations and ITV, Channel 4, and the BBC like big names on the free agent market. ITV is close to locking a deal with Hulu. However, Channel 4 is still entertaining offers from YouTube. Given that I watch sports very closely, the language used in big business deals rings virtually the same as sports transactions.

Anyway, this deal will be beneficial for all parties involved. Hulu has offered ITV a chance to take equity in it’s company. From my understanding, Britain’s ITV is very similar to our PBS in that multiple franchises have a stake in the brand. Over the years, however, the network has struggled, and ITV plc is now the main company behind most of the programming. The network’s top shows include Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and The X Factor.

News, TV

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