Category Archives: Television

ESPN & Discovery to broadcast first 3D programming

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In addition to the 3D programming DirecTV promises to bring this year, ESPN and Discovery have stepped up to the plate with plans to share 3D broadcasts of their own content.

On June 11 ESPN will launch a brand new channel appropriately called “ESPN 3D” and will air their first 3D broadcast with a World Cup soccer match.  According to USA Today: “ESPN 3D expects to showcase at least 85 live sporting events during the first year. There’ll be no reruns initially, so the network will be dark when there’s no 3D event. Among other events planned for 3D broadcast: the Summer X Games (extreme sports), NBA games, college basketball and college football.”

Discovery, Sony, and IMAX have joined forces to broadcast the world’s first 24/7 dedicated 3D TV network.  Discovery was the first to bring a 24/7 basic cable HD channel in 2002, so this all makes sense, right?  The trifecta plans to switch on such a channel sometime in 2011.  Bummer, I know.  At least we’ll have ESPN 3D to whet our appetite before we immerse ourselves into wild documentaries.

And remember kids–in order to watch HD 3D programming you are required to go out and purchase a compatible TV set along with those pesky glasses.  Expect the first wave of 3D-enabled TV sets to hit stores this spring.

[Via USA Today; Engadget, here & here]

Glee’s HI-larious Jane Lynch joins The Cleveland Show

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Glee‘s we-love-to-hate-villian-in-a-jumpsuit Jane Lynch joins The Cleveland Show as “Roberta’s brusque, no-nonsense new teacher Ms. Eck.”  EW’s Ausiello sat down for a short quip with Lynch and she discussed her excitement for the part:

Are you a fan of Family Guy?
JANE LYNCH: I love Family Guy. I am also appalled and shocked by Family Guy. And I am proud to say that several children in my family under the age of 10 get it and love it, too.

How is Ms. Eck similar to Sue Sylvester?
LYNCH: They both lack filters and say whatever awful thing comes into their mind. In-the-head-and-out-the-mouth syndrome.

And how are they different?
LYNCH: Ms. Eck lacks Sue’s icy Nordic aggression.

Your first reaction upon viewing yourself in ‘toon form?
LYNCH: Ms. Eck may have the largest, most disproportionate butt in cartoon history.

Tune in January 10 (FOX, 8:30PM) to see Jane Lynch get animated by Seth McFarlane.  This should be good.

[Via EW; TVSquad]

New logos for Nick & AOL

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Nick

I reported back in late July that Nickelodeon’s “splat” logo was about to undergo a transformation, and now it’s time to follow up.  After much deliberation, the creative team at Nick decided go with what you see above (right).  Obviously the focal point of the new logo is the stretched “i” that resembles a kid.  Cyma Zarghami, president of Nick and MTV Networks’ Kids and Family Group: “We wanted to clean it [the logo] up and allow Nick to be the stamp on all of these channels.  In asking ourselves if everything could live under the splat, we decided that the splat was dated.  It just couldn’t be done in a streamlined way.”  To celebrate Nick’s 30th anniversary, the new logo was unveiled this past fall and is now in full force.  Rest in peace, splat; you will never be forgotten.  Peek after the break for all the new streamlined Nick logos including those for Nick Jr., TeenNick, NickToons, and Nick@Nite.

AOL Logo, Before and After

From “AOL” to “Aol.” America Online has gone through its paces over the years.  First it was everyone’s portal to the Internet during the dial-up days.  Then they merged with Time Warner and became the butt of many jokes since it lost its dominance due to high speed Internet the introduction of the sole Internet browser as the main portal to the other side.  On December 10, AOL detached itself from Time Warner, thus ending a short-lived and unsuccessful merger, and decided to enter the next decade with a whole new identity.  Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL: “Our new identity is uniquely dynamic. Our business is focused on creating world-class experiences for consumers and AOL is centered on creative and talented people — employees, partners, and advertisers. We have a clear strategy that we are passionate about and we plan on standing behind the AOL brand as we take the company into the next decade.”  Sure AOL lost its steam as computer users began to realize they didn’t need it any longer as a source for email and browsing; but it is still relevant today.  AOL owns a bunch of content and their plan for the next decade is to push this content harder.  Besides maintaining the unpopular AOL software, they also continually update AOL Instant Messenger (still used by many as a communication service) and they own popular blogs like Engadget and TMZ.  As a reinvigorated content-driven organization free from the shackles of Time Warner, Aol. enters 2010 with fresh vision and slightly different logo for a new generation.

[Via UnderConsideration, here & here]

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My gift to you…

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THE BEGINNING OF THE END

That link above is my gift to you!  Happy holidays.  Oh ok, I’ll tell you what’s inside.  For a limited time iTunes is offering the following Lost content for free: parts 1 & 2 of the season one pilot and all five season recap episodes.  They include Destination: Lost (Season 1 recap), Lost: A Tale of Survival (Season 1 & 2 recap), Lost: Past, Present, & Future (Season 1, 2, & 3 recap), Destiny Calls (Season 1, 2, 3, & 4 recap), and A Journey in Time (Season 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 recap).  So for all you Lost fans out there, get brushed up by re-watching the brilliant pilot episode and studying all the recaps in preperation for the Season 6 premiere.  Lost: The Final Season begins February 2, 2010.

Lost Season 6 publicity stills

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Nothing too exciting here, but at least it’s something to add to the daily grind of waiting for the highly anticipated premiere that cannot come soon enough!  You can find all the season regulars in their poses in the gallery below; 31 pictures in all!  They include Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Jin, Sun, Sayid, Hurley, Claire, Miles, Ben, Richard, Lapidus, IIana, and Charlie.  HA!  Just kidding about that last one.   //020210//

[Via IGN]

1 2 ... 4

Trailer: HBO’s “How To Make It in America”

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Think of it as Entourage set in NYC.  How To Make It in America follows a group of twenty-somethings from Brooklyn chasing their dreams of breaking into the fashion industry in New York City.  It stars Lake Bell, Samaire Armstrong, Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi), and Bryan Greenberg.  It’s even produced by Entourage‘s Mark Wahlberg.  Producer Rob Weis, also from the Entourage team, has his to say about the upcoming pilot: “This show is a fun ride through the downtown scene, examining the cross section of people and how they relate to the relevant subcultures in NYC.”  How To Make It in America premieres on HBO February 14.

[Via DatNewCudi; Observer]

Mid-season TV cheat sheet

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When are your favorite TV shows coming back?  Where are new episodes of ABC’s Modern Family, FlashForward, V, and Castle?  What about FOX‘s House, Fringe, and Glee?  And what of NBC’s The Office, Parks & Rec, and Heroes?  CBS’ The Mentalist and The Big Bang Theory? I can’t wait for the return of Lost, 24, and American Idol, but when do they air?  When does Dollhouse air its series finale?  RELAX, fellow TV viewer.  Posted after the break is a mid-season TV cheat sheet that provides a complete schedule of when shows return and when season premieres air.  Be sure to thank EW’s intern Sandra Gonzalez in the comments for her beautiful work.

[Via EW]

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New Lost: The Final Season promos

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Get pumped for the final season of Lost with these new televised promos.  The first is an extended 60-second commercial that features Willie Nelson’s “Saving Grace” and plays memorable moments from all five seasons.  The second is a commercial shown in Spain on their Cuatro channel.  “Peridos” features Radio Head’s “Everything in its Right Place” and includes a unique animated chessboard tie-in.  Enjoy my fellow Losties.  The return is upon us.  /020210/

[Via IGN, here & here]

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2010 Golden Globe nods are in!

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The Golden Globes are all about celebrating the best of the best in film and television.  And I’m glad to share that many of my favorite TV shows and movies of the year received nominations this Tuesday.  In the television categories, the FOX sensation that is Glee nabbed four nominations (best comedy or musical, acting nods for Matthew Morrison, Lea Michelle, and Jane Lynch); House received two nominations (best drama, acting nod for Hugh Laurie); newcomer Modern Family received one nomination (best comedy or musical); and Lost‘s Michael Emerson, HIMYM‘s Neil Patrick Harris, and Entourage‘s Jeremy Piven all received acting nods.

With talk of award show nominations always comes the necessary mention of who got screwed over.  Although there are so many snubs to mention (as there usually always are) I will keep my rant in check with one actor who was overlooked this year and that is Fringe’s John Noble.  Noble, who plays the eccentric mad scientist and genius Walter Bishop, is a phenomenal actor who by all standards deserves an award for his acting achievements.  Walter is a strong, emotional character who is, frankly, the best character of the show.  Noble stands out among a solid cast because of his wide-range of skills; he knows how to balance being a crazy mad scientist and a loving and caring father.  His character calls for a great actor to represent him, and Noble was the perfect fit.  Although Fringe is in a bit of a sophomore slump ratings-wise, it continues to push the boundaries of what is shown on TV these days, and John Noble’s Walter Bishop carries it all on his talented shoulders.

Let’s talk film.  Inglourious Basterds, a personal favorite, made the cut along with Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Precious, and Up in the Air for Best Picture (Drama).  The Hangover got a nod for Best Picture (Comedy).  The Best Animated film category includes Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess & The Frog, and (my pick) Up.  Up also got a nod for Best Score.  Some notable acting nods include Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds). For Best Director there’s Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), James Cameron (Avatar), and Clint Eastwood (Invictus), among others. District 9′s Neill Blomkamp received a nod for Best Screenplay.

Head after the break for the full listing of nominations.  The 67th Golden Globe Awards airs January 17 on NBC.  The hilarious Ricky Gervais hosts.  I know I’ll be cheering for Glee, Modern Family, Lost, House, District 9, Up…..

[Via EW, here & here]

Continue reading 2010 Golden Globe nods are in! →

Flight of the Conchords (the show) is over

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Though news of Flight of the Conchords not returning to the small screen does not come with much surprise, the finality of it all still makes me really, really sad.  The show had a great run with two seasons filled with much joy, laughter, and nonsense that will truly be missed.

Stars Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement met with show director James Bobin to discuss the future of the show.  Unfortunately for us, the fans, they decided not to create another 12 episodes and 24 some-odd new songs for a third season.  The duo broke the hard to swallow news on their new website:

“We’ve noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won’t be returning for a 3rd season. We’re very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We’d like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist.”

I’m glad to hear that “the real”  Bret and Jemaine are sticking around.  I hope they continue to share with us their awkwardly groundbreaking comedic brilliance by adding to their collection of two full-length albums and coming back to America with another US tour.  I know I will never get too tired of listening to “Too many mutha’ ‘uckas, ‘uckin with my shi’! and “They call me the Hiphopopotamus, Flows that glow like phosphorous, Poppin’ off the top of this esophagus, Rockin’ this metropolis…”  And I’ll always remember that “a kiss is not a contract, but it’s very nice, yes it’s very nice.”

Oh, be sure to check out their newly renovated official website.  It includes FOTC news updates, merch, video, photo galleries, fan art, chords and lyrics, and more.  Also, you can follow Bret and Jemaine on Twitter; they’re @fotc.

[Via IGN; image via FOTC website]