Category Archives: News

Zemeckis finds his Fab Four for ‘Yellow Submarine’ 3D remake

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Director Robert Zemeckis (A Christmas Carol (2009), The Polar Express), in collaboration with Disney, is remaking The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine feature film.  In 3D.  The original 1968 movie was animated and trippy and featured a soldier named Old Fred, the Blue Meanies, and of course The Beatles and their brilliant soundtrack.  Zemeckis will be using  3D performance-capture technology for the remake.  And the (new) Fab Four are: Cary Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell are George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, respectively.  Look after the break to compare the actors to the real fab four.

Not so sure how all this is going to turn out.  But I’ll give it to the casting crew: all four selections are British and Serafinowicz was raised in Liverpool.  And I love Beatles music.

[Via EW-MusicMix; TheHollywoodReporter]

Continue reading Zemeckis finds his Fab Four for ‘Yellow Submarine’ 3D remake →

Clarification: Monday’s Fringe episode was a blast from the past

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Fringe was billed to return from its short haitus on January 14 at its regular timeslot, Thursday-9PM-FOX.  I had the fourteenth circled on a calendar in my brain (along with the other dates when shows are expected to return).  However, after double-checking my DVR for the return of other shows I stumbled upon what was labled a “new” Fringe episode titled “Unearthed” to air on a Monday, the 11th.  Things are about to get a tad stranger…

For those of you who watched this episode on Monday night and were left scratching your heads in confusion don’t fret because I had the same initial reaction.  The real Agent Charlie Francis was inexplicably back from the dead?  And what of the solid white floating names within establishing shots (they display the location of hospitals, offices, and other places) that did not reflect off buildings and react to their surroundings?  Even the over-arching storyline did not match up with where we left off in “Grey Matters” before the break.  If you start to connect the dots it is easy to see that “Unearthed” is in fact a lost episode from season one.  Why FOX decided to randomly unearth this episode and play it on an out-of-the-blue Monday night is beyond me.  FOX is only asking for trouble by (1) leaving fans in the dark with a lost episode from a previous season and (2) airing what happened to be a lackluster episode for those tuning into their first glimpse at Fringe.  Some say this was done so FOX could test the show in a different, less competitive timeslot.  No matter what the reason, Fringe fans and other fellow TV viewers should have been given proper notice that this was a “lost” episode.

[Tips from IGN, LA Times]

Doomsday Clock stands at 6 minutes to midnight

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The Doomsday Clock was manifested in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago.  It is a symbolic clock that represents our proximity to global disaster posed by the threats of global nuclear war, biotechnology, and climate change.  Scientists move the minute hand closer and farther away from midnight sporadically when global events deem it necessary.

The initial setting of the Doomsday Clock was set at 11:53PM in 1947.  Just two years later it was moved to 3 minutes to midnight during the onset of the Cold War, when the Soviet Union began tests on the first atomic bomb.  The closet it ever inched towards midnight was in 1953, during the height of the Cold War, when it was brought to 2 minutes to midnight.  Since its inception that is the closest its been to midnight and 1991’s  11:43PM setting was the farthest from midnight it’s been.  That year saw the US and Soviet Union sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Since 2007 the clock remained at 5 minutes to midnight.  However, with the recent “worldwide cooperation to reduce nuclear arsenals and limit effect of climate change,” the clock has been set back one minute to 11:54PM in 2010, giving all of us reason for a sigh of relief.  The Bulletin of Atomic Sciences on the recent change:

It is 6 minutes to midnight. We are poised to bend the arc of history toward a world free of nuclear weapons. For the first time since atomic bombs were dropped in 1945, leaders of nuclear weapons states are cooperating to vastly reduce their arsenals and secure all nuclear bomb-making material. And for the first time ever, industrialized and developing countries alike are pledging to limit climate-changing gas emissions that could render our planet nearly uninhabitable. These unprecedented steps are signs of a growing political will to tackle the two gravest threats to civilization — the terror of nuclear weapons and runaway climate change.

[Via Gizmodo; Wiki]

Spider-Man is getting a reboot; Sam Raimi & Tobey Maguire are out

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People, I have sad news to share with you: Spider-Man 4 is not being made.  Director of the first three movies Sam Raimi and Spider-Man himself Tobey Maguire will not be involved in future Spider-Man films.  I am quite disappointed.

Ramai pulled out of the blockbuster franchise “because he felt he couldn’t make its summer release date and keep the film’s creative integrity,” according to Deadline.  There were disagreements between him and the studio heads.  He wanted to focus on one villain while the studio wanted to incorporate numerous villians.  He insisted that John Malkovich play the villain (Vulture), and the studio wanted to nab Anne Hathaway for the part.  The studio wanted to shoot the film in 3D (look at the financial success from Avatar, right?!), but the Spidey 4 team did not include anyone with background knowledge of shooting in 3D.  With all these issues up in the air and the script getting delayed on more than one occasion, Sony Pictures decided to scrap a fourth installment and reboot the entire franchise with a new production team and actors.

Sony has released an official statement about the matter: “The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.”  What direction will the new film take?  “Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.”  Hm, this could work if executed properly.

Raimi shares his thoughts: “Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.”  As does Maguire: “I am so proud of what we accomplished with the Spider-Man franchise over the last decade.  Beyond the films themselves I have formed some deep and lasting friendships.  I am excited to see the next chapter unfold in this incredible story.”

When I first heard news that the Spider-Man franchise was going to be rebooted I felt severely disappointed.  Though the third film was not so good, we are all so invested in the characters and the building relationships and themes in the three films.  I believe the franchise is strong and there’s no need to restart the story.  Tobey Maguire is Spider-Man.  What’s happening here is like taking Sean Connery out of a James Bond film only three movies in.  (I am not comparing Maguire to Connery in any way, shape, or form; it’s the idea that counts.)  With word of new a direction–going back in time to witness Peter Parker’s high school days–I feel somewhat confident that such a new story could work, only if executed successfully.  If the reboot is a flop (think what happened with The Hulk, but Ang Lee’s version coming second) my disappointment will turn into sheer anger.  Hopefully the studio can find the right set of actors and come up with a smart story to reignite the Spidey film series.

[Via Deadline]

Creators and cast members talk Lost

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Lost Photo

On Tuesday the creators (Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse) and cast (Terry O’Quinn (Locke), Michael Emerson (Ben), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) and Emilie de Ravin (Claire) of Lost talked about the show at the TCA (Television Critics Association) Press Tour.

The most important bit of news that came out of this sitdown is that Harold Perrineau (Michael) and Cynthia Watros (Libby) will return this season.

On Season 6 Cuse said, “Obviously not every question’s going to be answered, so obviously, some people are going to be upset that those particular questions don’t get resolved.  We felt if we tried to just answer questions, it would be very pedantic.”  Lindelof added, “Now there is certainly a hope on all our parts that everybody sort of universally loves the ending that we put forward. (But) I don’t think it would be Lost if there wasn’t sort of an ongoing and active debate amongst the people who watch the show as to whether or not it was a good ending.”  Cuse envisions the season to include a “healthy cocktail of answers, mystery character resolution, and some surprises.”

Lindelof added that this season will harken back to Season 1 in many ways in order to compare and contrast how the characters have changed since the beginning.  Cuse said that he and Lindelof had the final image of the series in their heads way back in the beginning; it’s the character development and closure they have to work on.  “We kind of knew what the end point was, but as you move towards the end point, you add elements.  And obviously, the end is not yet written, and there are certain sort of mythological, architectural elements that are intact for that ending, but a lot of character stuff will get worked out as we go along.”  Cuse added, “We are doing something different narratively which doesn’t require sort of deep-and-vast knowledge for you to get, and we also just feel like the stories that we’re telling this season kind of really do harken back to the first season of the show.  I think if you watched the first season of the show, that’s probably the most important thing leading into the final season. We do feel that there’s some accessibility there.”

The cast members shared their favorite moments from the show.  Michael Emerson:  “I have lots of fond memories of breathless confrontations in small rooms” –  referring to scenes from Jacob’s cabin, The Hatch, and Widmore’s bedroom.  Jorge Garcia: “Running away from an exploding plane wing” and “when the comet hits Mr. Clucks…laying there and they’re throwing raw chicken parts at me.”  Evangeline Lilly: her favorite episode was the one  “Do No Harm,” the one where Claire gives birth and Boone dies.  “I’ll never forget watching that episode because for me it just culminated everything we were talking about on the show.  I don’t often cry while watching my own show, but I watched that episode and I cried and I thought this is something that I’m proud to be a part of.”  Terry O’Quinn: “Just coming to work with these people and working the way through a scene and just collaborating with them.”  O’Quinn also talked about how he had no idea that his character had died and he was playing “not-Locke Locke” at the end of last season until the audience found out.  O’Quinn’s script only said that “something about Locke is different,” so that’s all he had to work with.  Emerson added, “It’s actually better on this show to be in the dark – sort of groping around a bit.”

So what’s in store for the Season 6 premiere?  Lindelof said, “Get ready to scratch your heads, America!” Holloway added that the premiere episode plays out like a finale in scale and scope.  I.  Can’t.  Wait.

Lost: The Final Season premieres February 2 at 9PM on ABC.  Speaking of the premiere date, did you hear that President Obama almost scheduled to have his State of the Union Address at the same date and time, potentially pushing the Lost premiere to a later date?  Well rest assured, Losties.  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs confirms that the Address will air on a different date.  Cuse added to the confirmation with this tweet: “No State of the Union conflict with LOST! We go Feb. 2!”

Look after the break for an exerpt of an IGN interview with Lost creator J. J. Abrams, hot off the presses!

[Via IGN, here, here & here; TV Squad]

Continue reading Creators and cast members talk Lost →

NBC’s Day One is now a two-hour movie, potential series?

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I’ve been looking forward to NBC’s Day One, a new post-apocalyptic sci-fi series.  What’s it about?  “The aftermath of a global event that devastates the world’s infrastructures, a small band of survivors strives to rebuild society and unravel the mysteries of why the event took place and what the future has in store. Told from the point of view of an eclectic group of neighbors in a Van Nuys, California apartment building, this journey of survival will show us that hope is found in the smallest of victories and heroes are born every day.”  Day One comes from executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander (Heroes, Lost, Alias) and director Alex Graves (Fringe).  It stars David Lyons, Julie Gonzalo, Adam Campbell, and Xander Berkeley (24).  Alexander describes the show: “It is the story of ordinary people working together to save the world from an extraordinary threat.  Though Day One’s prime time adventures are simple and compelling, its mythology is vast and designed to be experienced across multiple media platforms.”  Sounds awesome.

NBC originally planned on airing Day One with the standard 13-episode run after the Winter Olympics.  The latest news confirms that NBC has changed their minds and plans on airing it as a two-hour movie, see how that does, and move on from there.  If the backdoor pilot receives positive feedback and high ratings NBC has the option to turn it into a regular weekly series.  NBC Entertainment President Angela Bromstad: “We’ve always looked at Day Oneas a big event for us and not necessarily a show that would be an ongoing…you know, a returning show for a second season. It would depend on its success. I think just by the nature of the genre, [these genre shows] tend to get a little narrow.”  So why did NBC decide to make the switch from series to TV movie?  Sources are blaming it on the high expensive of computer-generated images required for realism and the ratings drop with similar sci-fi shows like ABC’s FlashForward and V.

Check out the trailer below.  If you are at all interested in it, please give the show a try when it airs after the Olympics.  If the two-hour TV movie is any good, it will deserve a 13-episode order.

[Via EW; Wiki]

HBO’s How to Make It In America is coming soon, get prepped

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How to Make It In America comes from writer Ian Edelman and executive producers Mark Wahlberg (Entourage), Rob Weiss (Entourage), and Stephen Levinson.  It stars Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi (Dean), Bryan Greenberg (Ben), Victor Rasuk (Cam), Luis Guzman (Rene), Lake Bell (Rachel), and Shannyn Sossamon (Gingy).  The premise is as follows:

How to Make It in America follows two enterprising Brooklyn twentysomethings as they hustle their way through New York City, determined to achieve the American Dream. Trying to make a name for themselves in New York’s competitive fashion scene, Ben Epstein (Greenberg) and his friend and business partner Cam Calderon (Rasuk) use their street knowledge and connections to bring their ambitions to fruition. With the help of Cam’s cousin Rene (Guzman), who is trying to market his own high-energy drink, and their well-connected friend Domingo (“Kid Cudi”), the burgeoning entrepreneurs set out to make it big, encountering obstacles along the way that will require all their ingenuity to overcome.

With HBO’s Entourage likely coming to a close after next season, this show looks like a worthy replacement.  In fact, I feel like it’s Entouage set in New York.  Plus Mark Wahlberg and Rob Weiss are feeding their talent into the production of it.

How To Make It In America premieres February 14  at 10PM on HBO.  It will air in a similar syle to Entourage; every Sunday, half an hour in length, 8-12 episodes per season.  If you missed the teaser trailer look after the break.  The gallery below contains some stills from the first batch of episodes.

[Via DatNewCudi]

Continue reading HBO’s How to Make It In America is coming soon, get prepped →

Glee, Modern Family renewed; what about Fringe, Heroes, FlashForward, 24, & V?

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It’s great to be a fan of TV these days.  So many great shows to watch and discuss.  This past week the TSA (Television Critics Association) Press Tour brought out TV’s stars, showrunners, and executives who talk to the press about what’s to come in the future.  Below is a list of a handful of shows and clues to how their futures will pan out.

Gleeks rejoice!  Glee has been renewed for a second season.  FOX’s President of Entertainment, Kevin Reilly: “We’ve loved Glee ever since it was a pilot script, so it’s been an incredible thrill to watch the show take root and see audiences embrace these characters in such a huge way this season. The show is a true and rare gem in television. We couldn’t be more proud of what Ryan Murphy and the Glee team have created so far, and can’t wait to see what they come up with for Season 2.”  In related news, the Glee execs will be holding a nationwide audition to fill in three new roles for season two.  “Auditions will be open to amateur individuals as well as professionals between the ages of 16-26, and all hopefuls will be able to submit auditions online.  Additional details will be announced soon [via] fox.com/glee.”  Reilly adds that “the winners will be revealed in the first episode of the season.”

Glee returns Tuesday, April 13 on FOX.  (Celebrate the news by watching a Glee flashmob after the break.)

Modern Family, the funniest new comedy of the season, has been given the green light for a second season!  ABC also renewed Cougar Town and The Middle.  Ugly Betty, Better Off Ted, and Scrubs are still in limbo.  ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson says “I’m not going to lie.  The numbers are not encouraging.”

Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9PM on ABC.

What’s going on with Fringe?  Last we heard ratings dropped due to its competitive timeslot.  It airs at the same time as Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, The Office, 30 Rock and Supernatural.  FOX’s Reilly on the matter: “I wish the ratings were higher, but frankly, we’re going to keep it right where it is, because it’s doing a job for us.”  On the future of this season: “We’re going to bring on Past Life, give this a breather, then going to play I think ten episodes in a row in the back half of the season, to really try and blast this when the other guys are in repeats.”  So he definitely feels a good vibe around the show.  But what does the future hold beyond season 2?  “They’re in a creative groove with it. We have a great relationship with the producers.  They’re delivering a quality show and it’s got an audience…The audience hasn’t entirely left it behind; they’re just watching it on their DVR.  So I don’t know.  We’ll just have to see what happens in May.”  Fringe resides in the wait-and-see category, but I have a strong feeling it will be coming back for many more seasons.

Fringe returns Thursday, January 14 on FOX.  (Look after the break for an exerpt from an IGN interview with Fringe creator J. J. Abrams.)

Oh, Heroes.  Season 1 was fantastic.  I even enjoyed watching seasons 2 and 3 on DVD.  Unfortunately most of its original audience lost interest by season 2 due to lack of creativity, among other criticisms.  Though the outlook for a potential season 5 looks bleak, Greg Grunberg (Heroes’ Matt Parkman) is very confident that the show will get renewed.  “We wrapped yesterday and the [final episode] is nowhere near a series finale.  It is cliffhanger-y and exciting, but it is nowhere near an end to a series that people are so invested in. It does not tie everything up in a neat bow… I don’t have any doubt that the show will be back.”  He adds, “We will wrap it up properly in the next season and get to 100 episodes.  At least that’s what I would like to see happen.  They take so much care in writing the show that I would hope we get the chance to end it right.   Lost announced an end [date] and I think that helped both the people working on the show and the people watching it.  They see the finish line and I think it gives them something tangible to invest in and be excited about.  It’s like it’s a movie and they want to see the end of it.  That’s what I hope happens with our show.”  Heroes is one of two “DVD shows” for me.  I watch every season on DVD when it comes out.  It’s the DVD sales and the international popularity of the show that keep it alive, so we will wait and see how it all plays out soon.

Heroes airs its season finale February 8 on NBC.

FlashForward’s long hiatus has just gotten a little longer.  Its return is being moved from March 4 to March 18 so that it does not have to compete with TV juggernaut American Idol.  When it does return it will air back-to-back episodes in a two hour event.  It will run straight to its finale on May 27 with new episodes every week.  Note that the finale will also be two hours in length.  And we are all looking forward to the April 29 episode, aren’t we?

FlashForward returns March 18 on ABC.

As we all start getting pumped for 24 season 8 to begin, talk about a potential season 9 is already making waves.  Keifer Sutherland (24’s Jack Bauer) told reporters that he is  “absolutely open” to making another season if the fans want it.  Sutherland: “I’ve always said that as long as people wanted us to make it , and people were really interested in watching it, I would be interested.  There are a lot of components involved.  Right now my focus is on finishing season 8.”  FOX’s Reilly: “Collectively, we just made a decision to launch the season [first] and then sit down in the next four to six weeks.  But my sense is Kiefer will want to keep it going.”  Executive producer Howard Gordon: “The way I’ve looked at it is that every single season [finale] could have been a series ender.  We just want to take it across the line credibly and then let the [other part] take care of itself.  As long as Jack’s not dead, anything is possible.”  Hell yeah!  Sounds like season 9 is a definite possibility.  And don’t forget a 24 movie is in the works after the show ends.

24, Day 8 premieres Sunday, January 17 on FOX.

As for the future of V…no one knows yet.  ABC’s McPherson was not keen on running such a short first “pod” of episodes this past fall, but due to production issues the show was forced to limit itself to four initial episodes.  ABC plans on airing uninterrupted episodes of V starting in March which will run to its finale in May so that they can “turn [it] into an event.”  As long as there’s more Ana, I’m hooked!

V returns March 30 on ABC.

Check back here for the latest news in popular network TV series; I’ll make sure to update when they are renewed or cancelled and when their premieres and finales are televised.

[Via EW, here, here, here, here & here; IGN, here, here, here & here]

Continue reading Glee, Modern Family renewed; what about Fringe, Heroes, FlashForward, 24, & V? →

Pick a side: Conan O’Brien vs. NBC (+ Leno)

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This past week in entertainment has been filled with rumors and speculation about the late night debacle at NBC.  Leno’s show failed, O’Brien is being forced to a later timeslot; where does this leave Fallon and Carson Daily?  I’ve scoured through the facts and the rumors to present to you the latest details in the war between Conan O’Brien and NBC.

Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Showon June 1, 2009.  Jay Leno gracefully bit adieu the 11:35PM timeslot and O’Brien has continued to pump out the funny to this day.  I wish this is where the story ended, but then I wouldn’t have anything to report, right?  After Leno’s departure NBC decided to green light an “experimental” late night talk show with Leno at the 10PM timeslot.  Having The Jay Leno Show air 5 days a week at the 10PM spot was a major cost cutting move for NBC.  Airing this show instead of different scripted drama series (like the other networks do) saved NBC a ton of money.  After about four months, though, NBC declared this experiment a failure.  Though The Jay Leno Show had some people watching, its weak ratings (compared to other networks) were negatively affecting local affiliates who air 11PM newscasts.  Leno’s weak ratings made for a bad lead-in for these newscasts and this is why the top dogs at NBC decided the show must end and be replaced with standard scripted programming.  Again I wish the story ended here, but it does not.

After February 12 The Jay Leno Showwill halt production.  Jeff Gaspin, NBC Universal’s Chairman of Television Entertainment, proposed a plan that has the late night hosts (and the general public) in a scuffle.  The new plan is to have Leno come back to late night TV with a show at 11:35PM in a half hour format, bumping O’Brien to 12:05AM and Fallon to 1:05AM.  Carson Daily, of course, would likely be finished.  O’Brien is not taking this news well, and he has every right to feel this way.  He was given the prestigious job to host The Tonight Show, following the late great Johnny Carson and Jay Leno.  Just because NBC’s experiment with Leno failed, this does not give them a right to push O’Brien and The Tonight Show past midnight, something that has never happened in the show’s long history.  It’s about tradition and respect, and this latest proposal from NBC throws all that away.  And this is why O’Brien is angry.  O’Brien speaks to the “People of Earth”:

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So where do we stand now?  O’Brien has publicly stated that he will not move to the 12:05PM timeslot.  If NBC decides to go ahead with their current proposal, O’Brien leaves.  AND THIS CANNOT HAPPEN.  NBC really wants to keep Leno and O’Brien, so they better think of something fast.  Gapun on the sticky situation: “What’s important to Jay is telling jokes at 11:30. What’s really important to Conan is The Tonight Show. I couldn’t satisfy both 100%. That’s why I came up with this compromise.”  In my opinion, Leno should be a gentleman like he was when he past the baton to O’Brien at the end of his tenure at The Tonight Show.  His 10PM show was a flop; he should accept this and move on.  But Leno loves two things in life: cars and telling jokes at 11:35PM.  If he gets what he wants we lose O’Brien.  AND THIS CANNOT HAPPEN.  Sure, O’Brien lost a percentage of older viewers from the Leno era, but he dominates the coveted 18-to-49 demographic for advertisers.  And he is so damn funny.  (There’s been speculation that FOX is interested in picking up O’Brien if NBC loses him.)

It’s interesting how people are taking sides on the matter.  “Team Conan” has been a trending topic on Twitter for days now, and even the other late night hosts are sharing their thoughts.  When it comes down to it, almost everyone is on Team Conan (including myself) and we all hope for this to be resolved soon.  Sure, watching O’Brien make fun of NBC and Leno every night has been a blast, but this situation needs to get sorted out so he can move on!  If Leno would just bow out like he should have done before the idea for his 10PM show, everything will work out.  O’Brien keeps his spot and (more importantly for O’Brien) The Tonight Show tradition carries on.  I’m on Team Conan, how about you?

Look after the break for O’Brien’s “People of Earth” letter in it entirety and a few videos of other late night hosts adding to the NBC-bashing fest.

[Via IGN, here & here; EW, here, here & here]

Continue reading Pick a side: Conan O’Brien vs. NBC (+ Leno) →

Simon Cowell to leave American Idol after this season

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This season of American Idol will be the last for judge Simon Cowell.  He is leaving because he plans to bring a version of the British hit show The X Factor to the US.  (The X Factoris the show that jumpstarted Leona Lewis’ career.)  Cowell noted that there was discussion to work on both shows at the same time but ultimately it wouldn’t work out.  Cowell will serve as both executive producer and judge on The X Factor in the States.  For those of you who think the two shows are very similar Cowell points out that “the auditions are done in quite a different way.”  Auditions are held in large auditoriums  “that fill 2000 or 3000 people” and are broadcasted live with a backing track.  Also, the age requirements are different; you must be at least 14 years old to audition and there is no age limit.  The X Factor will premiere on FOX in fall 2011.

Now the question remains–who will fill Cowell’s shoes at American Idol?  Ellen DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul, that was easy.  It’s going to be difficult to replace Cowell; he is the face of the show and a big contributor to its iconic stardom.  FOX reps say they will find a replacement sometime in 2011 in time for season ten.  Cowell on his departure: “[I am] confident [Idol] will continue to be the number one show.  You want to leave on a high.  I’m very proud of what the show has achieved.  It’s been a fantastic time.  I think America needs a second show.  A different show.  I’m going to put my heart and soul into this [The X Factor].”

[Via IGN]

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]