TV Zone
News, scoops, reviews and more from TV land.
Shepard Smith apologizes for car-chase suicide
Fox anchor Shepard Smith apologized to viewers earlier this afternoon for airing a car chase that ended with a man shooting himself in the head. In the scene, posted online, the man is seen stumbling outside the car, then raising what appears to be a gun to his head. He then pitches forward. Smith then barks to the control room, "get off it . . . get off it . . . get off it . . ."
Later, after a commercial break, he came back with this (see below). Needless to say, this incident demonstrates why car chases — a fixture of afternoon cable news for years — are a terrible habit in terms of ongoing news coverage .
Bruce Jenner berates Jimmy Fallon at the Olympics
That Jimmy Fallon appearance on "Late Show with David Letterman" last night is I guess what you would call one of those gifts that keep on giving: Just ran across this very funny clip of Jimmy relaying an encounter with Bruce Jenner. Worth watching...
'Fringe:' The beginning of the end
Photo credit: Fox
"Fringe," one of TV's classic series, begins the final season run tonight (WNYW/5 at 9), with an episode entitled "Transilience Thought Unifier Model — 11." And if you're still reading this post, be assured that the title is something of a broad wink to the audience, with producers having a bit of fun over "Fringe's" not-unfairly deserved rep as an impenetrable...
Read more »Jimmy Fallon talks 'Late Night' with David Letterman
Jimmy Fallon was on "Late Show with David Letterman" last night and of course Letterman was once on "Late Night" - for a dozen or so years, you'll recall. Jimmy and Dave talk about the old studio and 30 Rock and much more in this clip...
R.I.P to 'Grey's' McSteamy
Photo credit: Getty Images
We dispense at this juncture with the usually obligatory "spoiler alert" -- it's late Friday morning: The entire world knows what happened on "Grey's Anatomy" last night. Mark Sloan — Eric Dane — is no more. Injured in the plane crash last season, put on life support, and offed with five minutes to go in last night's season opener, "Going Going Gone," one of the major characters of one of ABC's signature dramas is now officially out of the building.
It was a nice scene — touching, really — surrounded by Derek and Calle, and topped off with a flashback to the moment he was holding baby Sophia.
His exit was foretold in the wake of budget cutbacks (reported in various places over the summer) that beset the show, now entering its ninth season, and leaving fans to wonder: How much longer can this series go on? He was a core part of "Grey's." The man/child with the untamed libido who probably spent more scenes unshirted than shirted. But McSteamy and Dane were no mere dumbo sex symbols — baubles thrown in to lure the masses. Dane was better than that — a good actor who brought some heart to this role and made it one of the most popular over all these years, beginning way back in Season Two. Oddly enough, he was also the adult more often than not — or in comparison to Karev's wounded teen act or Derek's on-again-off-again mope, depending on where he stood with Mere. Dane was also the comic relief — so good-looking, his schickt ultimately became a funny riff on that square jaw and perfect hairline. "Grey's" needed him over these years, as ballast to keep this rubbery tear-sopped soap afloat. (Can "ballasts" keep something afloat? Will get back to you on that.)
Yeah, it's only show biz and actors — along with their roles — move along. But there was something sad about seeing Mark leave this earthly realm last night. "Grey's" will never be the same and never could be.
Meanwhile, check out this clip of a famous scene; there's actually a website, McSteamyuniverse, that has somehow sidestepped ABC's copyright trolls and posted numerous scenes of Sloan over the years . . .
Michael Richards: 'I busted up' after Laugh Factory racial incident
In an unusual (and how) discussion with Jerry Seinfeld over that Laugh Factory gig incident in West Hollywood five years ago, Michael Richards says he “busted up” afterward and that “inside, it still kicks me around.”
Richards appeared as Seinfeld's final guest of the season in web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.“ This was posted last night.
Said incident, as you probably recall, occurred after Richards was heckled during a show at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood.He shouted racial epithets at the heckler, someone was recording the whole thing, and a singular career -- Kramer and a long successful standup one--- seemed to go up in smoke in just a few seconds.
Richards later apologized, many times actually, and did a satellite hookup with David Letterman where he apologized to the world. That incident, needless to say, still haunts Richards as is obvious from this fascinating -- and funny -- encounter.
It's just a few minutes of a rollicking drive up the Pacific Coast Highway that includes a stop at an unsuspecting celeb's home, and a fascinating story on chess (one of those stories that demands the response ..."really?! seriously?!")
Check it out.
Sunday's first three minutes of 'The Good Wife'
CBS is releasing the first three minutes of Sunday's fourth season premiere of "The Good Wife" — which fans would reasonably be expected to assume would resolve the last few minutes of the third season finale back in April. Surely you remember . . . Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) has grabbed an arsenal, and planted herself by a door, waiting . . . waiting . . . for it to open. And who will be there when it does . . .?
Right: That's called a cliffhanger. Here's the clip, but — don't worry — this doesn't begin to give everything away. Much more to come later in the episode . . .
'Modern Family:' Pregnancy; elephant; gorilla
Photo credit: Getty Images
The big news on “Modern Family" -- not counting that third straight best show Emmy Sunday -- was maybe not so big to fans who probably knew it was coming: Gloria (Sofia Vergara) is pregnant. And apparently, no, Vergara is not in real life, though engaged to be married. (She has a 20-year-old son from a previous marriage.)
Last night's fourth season premiere? Pretty good (a solid B+). Funniest part -- and certainly the bluest -- was the elaborate setup between the stuffed gorilla and elephant; and it was elaborate, taking almost the entire episode to set up a 15-second sight gag. Jay as a new father? Let the fourth season begin.
Meanwhile, as movie fans probably realized, last night was a bit of an homage to the classic '38 Howard Hawks screwball comedy, "Bringing ug Baby" - the name of the episode as well. As co-creators Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan might attest, they both owe a debt of gratitude to the classic screw-ball setup. The "baby" of "Bringing Up Baby," by the way, was Katherine Hepburn's character's pet leopard; last night was also about Cam and Mitchell's attempt to adopt a kitty...Clip from a classic moment below ...
Seinfeld, Fallon: During the commercial break
It's not often you see what happens during the commercial break on a late night show (unless you're in the audience) but "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" kept the ol' cameras running Tuesday when Jerry Seinfeld stopped by. it's quite amusing; also, the top of the Seinfeld interview, with Jerry offering pointers on how to do Jerry...
Jon Stewart on Obama's 'The View' appearance: '...whaaa??!'
Is it possible Jon Stewart actually spoke with more world leaders on Tuesday than the president of the United States? It is, or so one would be left to assume from the various bookings (King Abdullah of Jordan was on the show that night; the president was on "The View" that morning...) Stewart had a bit of fun with this Tuesday - check out the clip - but he does sort of pull his punch; the clip here ends abruptly, but that really is about as far it goes; he then moves on to Mitt Romney and his late-in-the-political-season gaffs...Also notable here - someone proposed to someone else in the audience, and the proposee....well, watch:
