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News, scoops, reviews and more from TV land.
Mike Darnell, Fox reality chief, leaving network
Mike Darnell, Fox reality chief and the (oft-called) dark prince behind some of the genre's worst excesses - oh yes, and some of its biggest successes - the last couple of decades, is leaving the network, Fox just announced.
Call this a surprise, conveniently released on the day before a long weekend, all the better to bury any suggestion that his departure is linked to...
Read more »Grading 41 network fall 2013 shows: From first to worst
Photo credit: AP
What are the best new shows of the fall 2013-14 season?
Let's rephrase that for this Must-See/Must Avoid list: What look to be the most intriguing, most noteworthy, most watchable new shows of the fall season, on Fox, NBC, The CW, ABC and CBS?
Ah, that's easier, right? Let's get some basics in order before we proceed here. Foremost, what you are about to read is based entirely on fleeting...
Read more »Steve Forrest dead: 'S.W.A.T.' actor was 87
Photo credit: AP
Steve Forrest, star of the '70s camp cop show "S.W.A.T." and one of TV's classic character actors of yore who appeared in a dozen or so westerns and even headlined a chestnut or two ("The Baron"), has died. He was 87, and died "peacefully" surrounded by family on May 18, per the Hollywood Reporter.
Forrest was one of those actors with a square jaw, great action chops and an ability to make you look at the small screen. He had classic looks too -- younger brother of Dana Andrews -- and used them to real effect in so many TV shows over so many years that it would be impossible to name them all here but included "The Virginian, "Death Valley Days," "Gunsmoke" and "The Longest Day." And the movies of course: "Rawhide," "Cimmaron Strip" and "The Name of the Game."
It was "S.W.A.T.," one of those '70s shoot-'em-ups so in favor then (and frankly, now too) for which he may best be remembered. Too bad, actually, because this wasn't great TV but it was memorable TV.
PHOTOS: Shocking celebrity deaths | Recent notable deaths | Celebs who died young
It's easy to say about Forrest that they don't make 'em like this anymore, but they really don't make 'em like this anymore... He was a World War II vet who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and came back to Hollywood to begin work in a nascent television business where he worked continuously -- and well. Another big loss to classic TV.
Check out the clip below -- "Car chases" -- revealing a cool customer of an action actor who indeed looked like his more famous bro. Surely some of you remember Lt. Dan "Hondo" Harrelson?
'Mad Men' recap: Twenty mad crazy scenes from 'The Crash'
Photo credit: AMC
"The Crash" began with a crash, and ended with a crash, and kind of crashed multiple times during the entire episode, which is to say: Sunday night's "Mad Men" was quite possibly the most accurately entitled episode in show history.
But let's not tarry. Presumably you've already seen, so nothing will be spoiled here for you, but just in case, don't bother reading on. Too...
Read more »'SNL:' Was this Fred Armisen's farewell show, too?
Photo credit: IFC
Everyone knew Bill Hader - AKA Stefon, "James Carville,' "Keith Morrison," Alien Greg, and lots of game show hosts - was leaving "Saturday Night Live" after eight largely terrific seasons. And he did. As Stefon, almost getting married to Anderson Cooper on the 38th season finale...
But what about Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen? (Seth Meyers is being deposed from "Weekend...
Read more »'SNL:' Stefon's farewell
It's not all that often that a very major presence on "Saturday Night Live" leaves this stage -- in this instance, Bill Hader, along with his rainbow coalition of characters, impersonations, and eyebrows. So Stefon's exit last night will forever remain one of those "SNL" moments we could never forget even if we wanted to. This exit is reasonably amazing.
So goodbye Stefon, and mazel tov.
'American Idol' gets worst finale ratings in show's history
Photo credit: Getty Images
"American Idol" viewership totals for the finale are in, and they are grim: A considerable drop from last year's final in both total viewers and the bread-and-butter young adult total.
Fox, to its credit, just sent out the figures, and didn't attempt to sugarcoat anything. This is one of those "it is what it is" situations, and no reason to apply a spin no one would believe...
Read more »'The Office' finale review: Steve Carell returns
Photo credit: NBC
"The Office" finale? We must in the end take the good with the bad with only merely OK. And in the end, "The Office" finale was all of those things -- maybe that's the benefit, or drawback, of having an hour and 15 minutes to wrap.
It was, as expected, sweet and gentle. Pam's closing line was just about perfect: "There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn't that...
Read more »Saying goodbye to 'The Office': Why we loved it, maybe still do
And so it has come to the end, as it must for all good things. The end: "The Office" wraps nine seasons tonight, and some of us are wistful, some of us could care less, and some of us stopped watching years ago. I fall squarely in the wistful camp, and this morning offer this random collection of "what I'll miss the most" thoughts about the show. For the purposes...
Read more »ABC clips: 'Super Fun Night,' 'Betrayal'
Photo credit: MTV Networks
ABC yesterday revealed to the world its fall lineup and right now TVZone reveals to the world a few clips from said lineup. It's always fun to watch these, if only to get an instant vibe about what will work and what will not.
This is not necessarily a surefire way of determining winners — if memory serves, the "Modern Family" tease underwhelmed years ago — but the indication is...
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