Category: TV (Page 514 of 595)

Fantasia Barrino Story to Air on Lifetime

August 16, 2006 /

THE FANTASIA BARRINO STORY: LIFE IS NOT A FAIRY TALE
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19th at 9pm ET/SUNDAY, AUGUST 20th at 8pm ETMONDAY, AUGUST 21st at 9pm ET

The PR notes say:
This Lifetime Original Movie is the inspiring story of 2004 American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. At 16 years old Fantasia dropped out of school and had a child, but she refused to give up on her dreams. With her passion for life and her vocal talent, she beat the odds and rose to become a successful, Grammy-nominated recording artist. Fantasia will not only play herself in this true-to-life movie, but she will sing as well. Directed by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning director, Debbie Allen, this will be an unforgettable story of the courage to follow your dreams and never give up.

Art Vandalay says:
Okay, this has all the makings of a cheese fest, especially considering it’s a Lifetime movie. But keep in mind one thing…Fantasia can sing her ass off. So it’s worth checking out just for that if you’re a fan.
Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about the cheese.

American Idol, News, TV

Surely Debbie Downer has something to say about this

August 16, 2006 /

Rachel Dratch’s role in NBC’s new Tina Fey sitcom, “30 Rock,” has been significantly downsized, according to a report from EW’s Popwatch. In the original pilot, Dratch played the star of “The Girly Show,” the sitcom’s show-within-a-show. Now, however, “The Girly Show” is called “Friday Night Bits,” and Dratch’s character is no longer the star. In fact, Dratch no longer has a character per se:

Instead, rather than play a singular actor on FNB, she will play multiple roles in the universe of 30 Rock. 30 Rock executive producer Lorne Michaels told Variety that in the series premiere, for example, Dratch plays a cat wrangler who provides animals for FNB. That character could recur on 30 Rock, but Dratch will also play different people who appear just once.

A sign of trouble for Tina’s pet project before it even airs…or a smart move by the show’s producers? Though too much tinkering with any pilot is often a bad sign, this move seems a wise one. Having seen the pilot, I can say with confidence that Dratch was its weakest element…and giving her the chance to play an infinite number of the offbeat characters at which she excels is a much better idea than allowing her to struggle in a role that never played to her strengths in the first place.

So, Dratch may be taking a hit to the ego in the short term, but in the long run both she and the show should be better off.

Now, please: Just promise us that Debbie Downer will never darken the doorways of “30 Rock.”

Actresses, TV, TV Comedies

The good, the not-so-bad and the ugly

August 16, 2006 /

If you had any doubt in your mind as to just how good Dennis Leary and Co. are at balancing the comedy and drama in a weekly dose of “Rescue Me,” you won’t any longer after watching tonight’s episode. And because so much happened this week, I’m going to try something a little different and break things down into three categories: the good, the not-so-bad and the ugly.

The Good:

– The Ladder 62 crew chalked up two more hilarious saves in the opening minutes of the show; first saving a wheelchair-bound guy with Motor Neurone Disease (AKA Stephen Hawkings Syndrome), and then a big black woman (named Oprah, no less) who was stuck on a metal fence. Why? Because one of the posts had gone clear through her forearm! Wowzer! Just how this happened isn’t exactly clear, but the fading shot of the guys lifting her up like the flag at Iwo Jima was priceless.

– Lou’s finally dating again, but it turns out that she’s a “semi-nun.” To clarify, she’s currently living in the church as a nun, but will re-enter society at the end of the month. Of course, Tommy isn’t exactly hip to the idea (since he does try to be a good Catholic every once and a while), but it’s nice to see Lou back on his feet.

– Speaking of the two lieutenants, it’s been decided that Lou’s uncle and Tommy’s dad will move in together, partly because they get along with one another, but mostly to get the old farts off of their backs. At first, Tommy goes so far as to describe the idea as “Stephen King’s next novel,” but after hearing that his dad already agreed to the arrangement, it seems like a done deal. This is easily the next great relationship on the series, and we can only hope to see more from these guys in the near future.

The Not-So-Bad:

– Franco has taken the initiative to sit down with Natalie’s retarded brother, Richie, to discuss the possible future between him and his sister. For once, Franco’s not getting screwed over by some outside force, and it looks like he may just find true love after all. Of course, it’d be nice to see the guy a little more worried about his baby girl. You know, she was just kidnapped by a rich white lady…

– Shawn and Maggie continue to bicker about the wedding, causing them to be banned from every church in the area. There’s nothing especially ugly about this whole setup, but it’s definitely getting a bit tiresome after several weeks of the same crap.

– It also looks like Tommy’s going through with the plans to start a family (or at least a future) with Sheila, and after agreeing on the beach house of their liking, Sheila runs to the bank to scoop up the deed. And get this: she doesn’t even want to see what the house looks like inside. As long as the pictures match up, she’s peachy keen… and ready to write a big, fat check.

The Ugly:

The following two events seem better saved for a killer season finale, but we all know how impatient (and unconventional) these guys are. I mean, they did kill Tommy’s son in the second-to-last episode of the previous season.

– Jerry finally gets up the nerve to jump in bed with Carlene (AKA Rastafarian Nurse), but after doing the deed suffers from some sort of heart attack. And here’s the kicker. Instead of staying around to help, or perhaps call 911, the stupid illegal runs for the door because she’s afraid of losing her job. It’s nice to see she really cares about others’ wellbeing. Maybe she isn’t cut out for a job with moral demands like nursing. Just a thought…

– Oh, and are you ready for this? Johnny has just been shot four times in the back. While bullshitting with his partner on the clock (and lounging around in some shady alleyway), a gangster pops out of the woodwork and blasts him when he’s not looking. I can’t imagine why some idiot would just shoot a complete stranger in the back (which makes me think there’s much more to this than just bad luck), but the more pressing matter is how this effects the story.

If Johnny dies, will Janet run back to Tommy? Will Tommy take her back? And if so, does this not completely screw Sheila, who’s just invested in a beach house for her and Tommy? Let’s hope they don’t take this route again, because it wouldn’t go down in history as one of the show’s smarter decisions.

External TV, Rescue Me, TV

Swearengen in the spotlight

August 14, 2006 /

Deadwood Al Swearengen

The conflict between Hearst and the rest of the camp continues to grow – this week he has the cojones to fire a few shots across Alma’s bow as she heads to bank. Of course, he didn’t take the shots himself – he wouldn’t get his hands that dirty. I was impressed by Al’s leap from his balcony when he rushed to the widow’s aid. Swearenegen’s method of comfort turned into one of the best lines of the episode: “It’s horrible being shot at. It never gets no better.” Bullock was in parts unknown, so it was up to Al to decipher the meaning of the shooting. Brilliantly, he had Dan knock out and tie up Ellsworth before telling him of the incident, so that he wouldn’t fly off the handle and rush Hearst.

It’s clear that Hearst wants to divide and conquer, and with Bullock out of town he saw an opportunity to knock Ellsworth out of the picture. Al, with help from Dan and Alma, managed to rein him in. Al is going to need all the help he can find if he hopes to hold onto the camp, so it’s in his best interests to keep Ellsworth alive.

After the Earp brothers arrived, I thought we might see the familiar story of Wyatt taking over as sheriff (presumably after Hearst takes out Bullock) when all he wants to do is be a private citizen. Their subsequent departure leads me to believe that Bullock will survive at least until the end of the season. Considering that the tension between he and Hearst has reached its boiling point, I don’t know how both of them get out of camp alive. Considering that, in real life, Hearst goes on to be a U.S. Senator, the odds aren’t in Bullock’s favor.

The show continues to spend far too much time with the theater troupe. Jack is an interesting character, but his dealings with a couple of starlets were confusing and disorientating. Clearly, he and this Mary woman have a history, but he chooses to allow another aspiring performer to stay in the theater, much to the dismay of one of his fellow performers (and, of course, to Mary). Jack has worked his way into Hearst’s favor with his ability to relieve back pain, so he should have the opportunity to take Hearst down if he so chooses. I don’t know where the troupe storyline is headed, but I hope creator David Milch has something good up his sleeve.

Joanie and Jane have been growing closer over the past few weeks, and their relationship is starting to head a sexual direction. Jane continues to struggle with her alcoholism, which is a direct result of the blame she puts on herself for Wild Bill’s death. Joanie is a nurturer as well as a tortured soul, and clearly she finds Jane to be a kindred spirit.

But it was Al who really shined in this episode, rushing to Alma’s aid, outwitting Hearst, and beating the snot out of Hearst’s messenger before slitting his throat. It’s been interesting to see Al and Bullock on the same side this season after being at odds for most of the series. Bullock’s return was somewhat uneventful. It was clear at dinner that he was fuming, but he didn’t go after Hearst so Charlie must have filled him in on Al’s take on the shooting.

The camp needs reinforcements, but Al can’t afford to send Dan to get them. Silas convinces him to use Hawkeye, someone Al doesn’t trust, to bring the guns. This adds an element of uncertainty to this storyline, so I wouldn’t be surprised if support arrived at a very opportune time.

There are only two episodes left – how will it end?

Deadwood, External TV, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas

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