Monthly Archives: July 2012
AGT’s Last Quarterfinal Performances
William Close and the Earth Harp
The 36 acts that have performed during the live shows on America’s Got Talent have been disappointing to say the least. A lot of terrible acts have been through to the Top 48 and even some of the acts that have made it through to the semifinals did not deserve it. I have said from the very beginning that the judges did not find 48 talented acts. They followed protocol anyway. That is, until last night. Tuesday’s show proved two things: some people in America have talent and also that putting them against other people who do not is a bad idea.
David “The Bullet” Smith
There’s no question that David “The Bullet” has a unique ability. However, watching him fly through the air out of a cannon ball can only be done so many times. He got shot out of a cannon ball and landed on a net, just like he did in his audition. There’s no way this could sustain itself as a Vegas show. It’s just one of the acts that could be seen at the circus. Risking one’s life for the public’s amusement has been part of American culture for a long time, but it can get boring.
Sherman Hemsley Dead at 74
Sherman Hemsley, who is best known for playing George Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons, died yesterday. He was 74.
In the 90s, Hemsley was still appearing with his on screen wife Isabel Sanford. George and Louise Jefferson were reprised twice on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Cool TV Video of the Day: Stephen Fry Talks about Hugh Laurie’s Accent
Everyone knows Hugh Laurie as House, but many people forget that he is British because his American accent is so accurate. In today’s video, Stephen Fry talks about his visit to the House set and how strange it is for his old friend to keep House’s accent while talking to British people.
Cool TV Video of the Day: The Performance that Got Elvis Costello Banned From SNL
Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ infamous performance of “Radio Radio,” which NBC and Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels did not want played because is a protest song about the media, took place on December 17, 1977. Ironically, the performance and the ban probably would not have happened had the originally scheduled guests the Sex Pistols, who were even more controversial, been able to obtain passports.
At the beginning of the performance, Costello and his band start to play their song “Less Than Zero,” but then stop to consult. This ends with a full performance of “Radio Radio.”
The ban only lasted 12 years. Since 1989, Costello has appeared on SNL 3 times. Lorne Micahels even invited Elvis Costello to perform “Radio Radio” with the Beastie Boys for Saturday Night Live‘s 25th anniversary special.
Episodes Takes A Dramatic Turn
So far this season, Episodes has been enjoyable, but relatively simple. When last week’s episode ended with Merc Lapidus taking a phone call at his own father’s funeral, it’s not surprising that the following episode would be a bit cynical. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t funny. It just got darker than usual. In a way, it’s good for the show. It demonstrates that it can expand its tone. However, those who were looking to laugh without having to think will be disappointed.
The fourth episode of the season opens with Merc and Carole discussing the ratings of Pucks!, which have been steadily declining. This isn’t so much a well directed or well acted scene as much as it is a way to comment that they are in a show about a show. When Carole says that she and Merc are always running into problems with the show’s that are failing, Merc quips rather angrily,”Why don’t we make a show out of it.” This is obviously meant to call attention to the premise of Episodes, but it doesn’t work well. The running joke continues to be the network’s disdain at the success of an unnamed show about a talking dog. It can get a little old, but Episodes’ sense of good and bad television premises should be commended.
Weekly TV Update: July 23
Each week we bring you stories from around the Internet that you might have missed.
WWE Raw reaches its 1,000th episode. It will feature a look back the shows 19 years on air.
Aaron Sorkin lets go of more than half of The Newsroom’s writing staff.
The Olympics opening ceremony is Friday. Find your local Olympics schedule at NBC Olympics.
Mindy Kaling is returning to The Office for at least one more episode.
If you missed the Teen Choice Awards, Jen Chaney of The Washington Post has a summary of what happened.
Mariah Carey Joins American Idol
Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez vacated their judging positions only last week, but one seat on the American Idol judging panel has already been filled by Mariah Carey. Meanwhile, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said at a Television Critics Association meeting that since Lopez told Ryan Seacrest that she was only “99 percent sure” she was leaving, there is a 1 percent chance she will return. Then, Lythgoe went on to contradict himself. He also expressed a desire to keep the show fresh with new judges each season.
Over at The Hollywood Reporter, there are some interesting American Idol related charts, such the following one.
Do you think Mariah Carey will make a good judge? Does American Idol even matter anymore? Tell us what you think in the comments.
The Anticlimactic Finale of Food Network Star
From left to right: Yvan Lemoine, Justin Warner, Michele Ragussis
As this is a review of the finale, naturally, it contains the winner. If you have not seen the finale and want it to remain a surprise, please stop reading now.
The finale of Food Network Star brought all of the season 8 contestants, their mentors, and the judges together for one last time. In what amounted to a glorified talk show clip show, the contestants shared their thoughts and behind-the-scenes footage and flashbacks aired between the conversations.
Most of the show consisted of high school superlatives and gossip. Viewers found out that Team Alton liked being called the nerds, Giada didn’t mind that her team was called the cheerleaders, and Bobby felt that “the jocks” was an accurate term for his “take no prisoners” team. Then the show went into how annoying Michele and Nikki found retro-rad Emily because she would wake up the house with a shrill good morning, which was followed by Malcolm being voted cockiest and Nikki being voted the most competitive.
Cool TV Video of the Day: The First Good Eats Episode
Last night, Food Network Star crowned a new winner. In honor of Alton Brown’s team winning, today’s video is the first Good Eats episode, which is Steak Your Claim, in its entirety.
John Oliver’s NY Stand Up Show Returns To Comedy Central
John Oliver
John Oliver’s NY Stand Up Show began its third season on Comedy Central last night. John Oliver hosts this show, which features short sets from both established and up-and-coming comedians. It once again succeeded in showcasing one of the barest forms of entertainment. There is something very enjoyable in watching one person share his or her observations in an attempt to make strangers laugh. This is the ultimate form of creative control.
John Oliver is a British comic and is well-known as a correspondent on The Daily Show. As host of this show, it almost seems he wants to be portrayed simply as the opening act. The truth is, he deserves more credit than that. Not only is he funny, but his show gives comedians a chance to gain a larger audience.
Wait! What's A Dial? 