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'Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life' premieres on MTV
Photo credit: Getty Images
What kind of TV blog would this be if it didn't warn you...err, tell you about Ke$ha's new much-hyped documentary series that begins Tuesday on MTV titles "Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life?" MTV at 11?
Not much of a TV blog, that's what.
But really, watching this trailer makes me worried about the longterm mental health and stability of Ke$ha. Too much booze, too much partying, too much everything - as this trailer indicates - equals "not good in the long run." (Ask Lindsay ...) Meanwhile, consider this a slight departure, ironically enough, for MTV -- a series based on a pop music figure, for a change.
'Duck Dynasty' finale, with Segways
Photo credit: A&E Network
"Duck Dynasty" — a hit, you may have heard — ends Wednesday night, or at least the current season does, and in commemoration, a clip.
This one comes courtesy of AOL. What do we learn here? (A book by commentator David Brooks — "Bobos in Paradise" comes to mind, but not sure Brooks ever imagined this ...)
That they don't know how to drive Segways, and the Segways can't make heads nor tails of the bearded ones either. Also, that ducks do not fly over Hawaii. Lucky ducks.
"Duck Dynstasy" has been averaging around 8.5 million per episode this season. That's quite a crowd.
'Mad Men' recap: The best lines from Sunday's 'To Have and To Hold'
Photo credit: AMC
So let's talk "To Have and To Hold," the third episode of "Mad Men's" sixth season and judging by the Twittersphere reaction two days later, the least liked episode so far. Which more than anything proves the downside of crowdsourcing opinions — they can be wrong, everywhere, instantly.
"To Have and To Hold" was this season's best episode. It was a pure pleasure...
Read more »Amazon's new TV pilots: 'Alpha House'
Photo credit: Getty Images
Amazon launched itself into history this week with the premiere of a batch of pilots -- like John Goodman's "Alpha House" -- that'll take it into direct competition with major cable networks and major broadcast ones, too. This week in this space, I'll take a look at some of the big ones (and yes, there are quite a few -- 14, to be exact, via Amazon Studios, the website's new TV division)...
Read more »Boston Marathon bombing coverage: What did the TV networks learn? Anything?
Photo credit: CNN
It may have taken a weekend to process, but April 19 does now appear to have been the most dramatic day for network television news since Katrina's destruction of New Orleans. It was a roaring blast of images, facts, speculation, gossip, dead-ends, loose ends, wild conjecture, ferocious street reporting, and, at moments, a wild throw-caution-to-the-wind melee that had news crews rushing to the source...
Read more »'Dexter' will wrap after the eighth season, Showtime says
Photo credit: AP
One of the enduring mysteries in TV now has a final answer: "Dexter" will end, after next season, its eighth. (And believe me, there was a time when it looked as if "Dex" would go on forever -- or until every last monster, serial killer and evildoer in South Florida was dispatched by the blood-splatter specialist with a secret ... )
The eighth and final season begins June 30 at 9 p.m.
"'Dexter' is a landmark franchise for our network, and we cannot wait to unveil the conclusion of this series, as we know it, to the millions of passionate fans who have supported the show season after season," said David Nevins, president of entertainment of Showtime Networks Inc. "We'd like to thank Michael, Jennifer and 'Dexter 's' indomitable cast, executive producers, writers and crew for eight incredible seasons."
Jon Stewart destroys CNN...but ignores Fox News
Photo credit: AP
In the category of Shooting Dead Fish in a Barrel, Jon Stewart utterly demolished CNN on last night's "The Daily Show." No surpirse - CNN had one of the worst afternoons in its long history, reporting a "scoop" that a suspect had been arrested in the Boston Marathon bombing case when, in fact, there was no arrest, as various authorities stated, even as CNN was saying there was.
If you watched CNN, it was indeed ugly - John King reporting that this was as solid as it gets, until it all slowly unravelled. King and CNN later tried to cover up the gaff, by slowing removing screen supers, and then talking about how it was attempting to correlate all that was known...until it all fell apart, utterly.
But Stewart - unfairly in my opinion - doesn't mention that Fox News Channel - which didn't even bother to cover President Obama's emotional Rose Garden speech following the collapse of his proposed gun bill in the Senate - also reported in no uncertain terms that an arrest had been made. Fox held to line until it no longer could, but the Twittersphere completely ignored its gaff, instead focusing its fury on CNN. AP had also reported an arrest.
Too bad - there was plenty of blame to go around, while NBC News' Pete Williams and CBS News got it right....
Could Anderson Cooper still be part of a 'Today' future?
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ratings for the morning shows - "Today," "Good Morning America America" and "CBS This Morning" come out a little later, and they are expected to indicate the same new story: That "GMA" and "CBSTM" have added viewers from a year ago, while "Today" has not.
Law in morning TV: If you don't add viewers, your anchor team in in trouble, and that has been the case with "Today" for months now. But how much trouble? Brian Stelter, the New York Times media reporter whose book on morning TV ("Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV;" Grand Central Pub.) is out shortly and will be excerpted in this Sunday's Times, indicates - strongly - that Matt Lauer will complete his contract at the show, or, in his words, "Lauer has said he signed again to stop “Today” from sliding. Even though that hasn’t happened, his job still seems safe. High-ranking sources within the company suggest that the only way Lauer would leave before his deal ends is if he wanted to. Few at NBC have the stomach for a repeat of last year" - referring to the Ann Curry transition debacle..
Then there's this: The excerpt indicates that the Anderson Cooper talks are not entirely dead, and that in a brief meet with Pat Fili-Krushel (the executive with in overall charge of the news division, which remains without a president) he had "discussed a role for him on “Today” — not this year, but perhaps in 2014. According to one person with direct knowledge, one option called for Cooper to overlap with Lauer for 12 months, allowing for an orderly transition."
'Breaking Bad' returning August 11
Photo credit: AP
"Breaking Bad," one of the great shows in TV history -- which is to say also one of my favorite shows in TV history -- is returning for its final run and (I am SO much enjoying keeping you in suspense) while there's little doubt this will be one of the programming events of the decade (Okay, now I'm even beginning to annoy myself)...
...August 11. That's the day. Mark the calender. "Breaking Bad" will return to wrap its run on August 11, 2013. Eight episodes will air. And we will learn about the fate of Walter White.
But here, arguably, is even more interesting news: AMC will also launch a show called "Talking Bad," obviously patterned after the successful "Talking Dead." Details:
AMC announces that it will air a special weekly, half-hour live after show to accompany the conclusion of its Emmy® Award-winning series, “Breaking Bad.” “Talking Bad” will analyze and dissect every detail of “Breaking Bad’s” final eight episodes beginning Sunday, August 11. “Talking Bad” will air at 11pm ET/PT, and will be produced by Michael Davies’ Embassy Row with Sony Pictures Television serving as the studio partner.
'Princesses: Long Island:' Meet the cast
Photo credit: Bravo
Yes, there is a lot of interest in this new series from Bravo called "Princesses: Long Island" -- that already threatens, by the way, to trot out every Long Island/Gold Coast/Jewish stereotype known to humankind . . . But let's withhold judgment! For the moment anyway. Here are the bios of the ladies, from Bravo:
Amanda Bertoncini At only 27 years old, Amanda works hard for her tiara...
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