Eye of the Potato

Heather Mills Hopes Her Leg Stays On

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:01:48 -0500

You knew this was coming. A British website (via TV Tattle) covers Heather's leg-detaching fears as an upcoming contestant on Dancing with the Stars:

"Mills, who lost her leg in a collision with a police motorcycle, tells US news show EXTRA, "I'm quite happy to be thrown around and hopefully my leg will stay on. It's very unlikely my leg is going to fly off, although it would be quite funny. I'll have a strap on, which I wouldn't normally in every day life."

You'll recall reader, that Mills' leg became detached in public in an infamous 2005 PETA protest-turned-scuffle at Jennifer Lopez's New York offices.

Short & Sweet: 'Black Donnellys'

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:07:47 -0500

NBC.com

Airs: Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC

Premise: A group of Irish-American brothers fall into a life of organized crime.

Press-release sell: "Academy Award winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (both for "Crash") are the creators and executive producers of "The Black Donnellys," a gritty new drama series filmed in New York City and loosely based on Moresco's background."

Highlights: The inner struggle and fall from grace of the brightest of the brothers, Tommy, is a fascinating watch; he sacrifices an honest life and—could it be?—the love of a good woman? (Olivia Wilde, last seen as Mischa Barton's toe dip in the lesbian pool.) With the exception of brother Jimmy, all boys have the fresh pretty faces of CW superstars.

Low points: All the boys have the fresh pretty faces of CW superstars. Organized crime, really? The other brothers' characters are not very fleshed out, and all episodes are told from the standpoint of a cartoonish, ancillary character named Joey Ice Cream.

Final verdict: Donnellys is "loosely based on Moresco's background," when the Westies (Irish-American gang in Hell's Kitchen) still ruled. Those days are over, as Zap2it points out. We're going to put that aside and keep watching, as long as the Tommy character still keeps our interest.

Oscars: The Awards That Should've Been

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:18:30 -0500

Fresh Prince spawn.

The very brief Academy Awards last night had some weak moments (James Taylor and Celine Dion); expected moments (Forest Whitaker for Best Actor), and very, very long moments (I think I need to sit through one more film montage). Scorcese was finally thrown his bone; Peter O'Toole may never be. And as usual, a few awards were not officially announced, even though their presence was made quite clear.

The envelope, please:

Montage most likely to be mistaken for an eHarmony commercial: Errol Morris' opening tribute to the nominees.

Hottest new asshole accessory to make you look like even more of an asshole: Jack Nicholson, hot and bald! Goes swell with the sunglasses.

Best moment for our TV to experience a thirty-second power outtage, which unfortunately did not happen and thus we saw: Ryan Seacrest unveilng his underwear on the red carpet.

Week in Review: 'O.C.' Gone, Abu Ghraib Doc

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 13:29:55 -0500

Clockwise from top left:

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes: PBS doc on Tuesday looked into a taboo topic in hip hop: misogyny and hip hop. Asked viewers the question, Hip hop is a man's world . . . but does it have to be?

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib: Rory Kennedy's (yes, of the Kennedy clan) doc interviewed prisoners and officers at the prison to find out how this tragedy could have occurred.

American Idol: Opens an Idol performance camp. The machine must be fed.

Lost: Continues to lose viewers.

Clockwise from top left:

Anna Nicole Smith: After a legal tug of war, the deceased's body will (hopefully) find a final resting place in the Bahamas, next to her son.

The O.C.: Came to an end. Seth and Summer marry, the Cohens move back to Berkeley, Julie Cooper stays single and gets her diploma, everybody gets pregnant.

Grey's Anatomy: Meredith comes back to life after her Tony Soprano visit to the other side. Wouldn't you know it: Speaks immediately, with no brain damage!

Grey's Anatomy Spin-off: The franchise expands, with the show set to have a spin-off starring Addison Shepherd (Kate Walsh).

Finke: Oscar Spoilers

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:30:35 -0500

Don't like surprises? Want to know which of your favorite Scientologist Actors are presenting, what director big wigs are expected to take the stage, who will perform songs?

Deadline Hollywood Daily knows.

To Watch: Stewie & Brian's Talk Show

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:56:19 -0500

We'd say set your DVRs, but this one's actually on MySpace. This Sunday at 8 p.m., Stewie Griffin and Brian will do a 10 minute talk-show parody to introduce former Daily Show correspondent Rob Corddry and his new show on Fox, The Loser. Pretty brave going head to head with the Oscars, but those who don't see it then can always check it out later. [Via TV Tattle]

'The O.C.': Where Are They Now?

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 14:46:36 -0500

So the O.C. will air its final episode tonight. Star-Ledger's Alan Sepinwall has a fantastic interview with the show creator, who talks bluntly about some stories were wound up so quickly, why some plots sucked, why characters never came back, and whatever happened to the Kaitlin spin-off (which would have been great, by the way). It was a little more interesting than the many "what the O.C. has given us" articles floating about.

So what are the O.C. stars' forthcoming projects now that they've been "relieved"? To IMDB, Batman:

Kaitlin Cooper (Willa Holland): Will star in some movie called The Garden Party. (Note: She is Brian De Palma's stepdaughter, so don't expect her to be delivering your pizza anytime soon.)

Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reeser): In Palo Alto, a teen comedy flick with . . . Ben Savage.

Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan): Jack & Jill vs. the World, a movie starring eternal teenager Freddie Prinze, Jr.

Viacom Snubs YouTube for Joost

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:30:11 -0500

(techtree.com)

Hollywood Reporter writes today that after Viacom forced YouTube to remove 100,000 clips from their site, the MTV & Friends juggernaut has now worked out a deal with Joost, an Internet video site still in its beta stage. (Joost was founded by Skype creators Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom.) Under the agreement, "The company will provide new and old television programming on the site, with shows like "Real World," "Flavor of Love," and "Beavis and Butthead," along with full-length feature films from Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage and Paramount Classics." And yes, it's apparently all for free. No details on the agreement or exactly why they chose to go with Joost instead of work out something with YouTube, although it's no secret that MTV and YouTube have been playing this back-and-forth copyrights game for some time—and then there is that whole competitor situation.

What to Watch: PBS Doc About Hip-Hop's Homophobia

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 17:36:43 -0500

itvs.com

Yes, it's The O.C. finale week, but we find what's far more interesting is the show airing on PBS tonight: "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes." The Washington Post did an extensive review of the documentary, which interviews major rappers about a major taboo: homophobia and misogyny within hip hop.

Check out this excerpt:

When filmmaker Byron Hurt asks Busta [Rhymes] about homophobia in hip-hop, the rapper goes quiet. "I can't partake in that conversation," he demurs. "With all due respect, I ain't trying to offend nobody. . . . What I represent culturally doesn't condone [homosexuality] whatsoever." When asked if a gay rapper could ever be accepted in hip-hop culture, Busta walks out of the room. It's one of the most telling scenes in Hurt's first documentary for PBS, "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" . . .

Introducing "America's Next Top Sucker"

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:42:58 -0500

Todd Oldham from Top Design (Bravo.com)

We learn via Variety today that the makers of Project Runway and Top Chef have started pre-production on the next new widget: America's Next Top Producer. Interesting thing is that it will not be on Bravo or the CW, but on the TV Guide Channel. TV Guide Channel, you say? Yes, it's the channel with the TV Guide schedule on bottom and currently a looped infomercial for Hip Hop Abs. (To order call 1-800-237-5520.)

Methinks Bravo finally knew when to pull the plug on this concept—if Top Design is any indication. And remember, reality superfans, we have yet to know the joys of Top Hair.

Week in Review: Colbert Ice Cream, '24' Torture

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:32:37 -0500

Clockwise from top left:

The Grammys: Timberlake films himself and the broadcast is telecast on TV. Why did this trend ever start?

The Simpsons: Bart makes out with an older woman.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Gets the axe. Later episodes to be shown "at a date not yet determined."

Ben and Jerry's: Name an ice cream after Stephen Colbert. Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle pieces and caramel.

Clockwise from top left:

Beauty & the Geek: The finale. Harvard student Scooter and a Playboy Playmate Megan won over bitchy Cecille and faux-geek Nate.

The O.C.: With the earthquake over, Taylor (pictured) and Summer protect themselves from looters with a flare gun, while Julie and Kaitlin get trapped in the ice cream store. The final episode can't come quick enough.

24: The producers will be cutting back on the torture scenes, but only because they want to.

Grey's Anatomy: Meredith Grey drowns, goes blue, and croaks. Will magically be brought back to life next week.

Calling All: Who Want to Spend Oprah's $$

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 02:57:51 -0500

msnbc.com

Usually, we post a weekly casting call that is creepy. This does not really qualify as such, but it is for Oprah, and Oprah supercedes all. P.S.: Abbreviated for space.

Company: Profiles Television Productions and Harpo Productions
Description:

“THE BIG GIVE”
***OPEN CALLS****

Are you America’s Greatest Unknown Philanthropist?
If so, be sure to meet us in a city near you!

Are you America’s Greatest Unknown Philanthropist?
Are you the type of person who makes things happen and will do what ever it takes?
Do you have a big personality and lots of charisma? Are ready to pay it forward?

Harpo Productions, Inc. is pleased to announce our first primetime network series, “The Big Give”. This show is all about inspiring people around the country to do good for others. “The Big Give” will challenge contestants to dream up creative and innovative ways to help others. Contestants travel through the US completing tasks based around the communities’ needs and changing the lives within them. A new, positive twist to primetime television created in the spirit of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

See you at our Open Calls 9:00AM SHARP!
Los Angeles- Feb. 22, 2007
Nashville- Feb. 26, 2007
Chicago- March 2, 2007
NYC- March 7, 2007

'24' Lays Off the Torture

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:02:17 -0500

So the producers of 24 made the decision to cut down on the torture scenes, but they claim it is not, repeat not, because of recent pressures from the military or human rights activists. (In case you haven't read it, here's the recent New Yorker article detailing the personal visit General Patrick Finnegan, dean of the US Military Academy at West Point, paid to the 24 producers to ask them to tone it down. Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily had her own opinion: stop watching the show. This is perhaps all a little moot now that they've decided to cut back on the torture, a move head writer Howard Gordon said was "driven by creativity":

In its sixth season, 24 has become so torture-heavy that it borders on cliche, he says . . . "It's not something that we, as writers, want to use as a crutch."

What do you think, reader?

R.I.P. 'Studio 60'

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:56:37 -0500

All five fans are crying into their Chandler Bing shirts right now. The show will be shelved, following the next episode, for Paul Haggis' new TV series Black Donnellys. Later Studio 60 episodes are to air later this season "on a date to be determined," which TV Guru Alan Sepinwall sweetly translates as "if Haggis' show does significantly better, get ready for a bunch of unaired episodes on the 'Studio 60' DVD set."

Here, Sepinwall's visit to the set of Studio 60, where Sorkin does not exactly love on the many critics who dislike the show.

Crocodile Hunter Toy Line

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:02:35 -0500

wildliferepublic.com

On March 15, Wild Republic toy manufacturers will launch the Steve Irwin Wildlife Adventure Series, a 38-piece line of toys that looks to include many of the same animals that Steve Irwin discussed on his show Crocodile Hunter. (Admittedly, the stuffed animals are pretty cute: the stuffed dingo, the cockatoo, the baby cheetah.) A "portion of the proceeds" are to go to the animal conservation programs at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, but we're always skeptical of the phrase "a portion," particular when the ad postcard we just received in the mail from them is so very subtle: "Wild Republic helps continue Steve Irwin's legacy! We're unveiling some of our hottest products ever!"
The Steve Irwin Talking Action Figure says 10 phrases, and is naturally quite familiar with the word "Crikey."