The 411 TV News Wrap 08.28.07
Posted by Ben Piper on 08.28.2007
No more THUMBS for Ebert And Roeper? Yet another mini-rant regarding Ryan Seacrest, and American Gladiators will be returning to the airwaves! All this and more awaits inside.
Howsit goin' my peeps? My name as always is Ben Piper, and I am the temporary host of this here shindig, the 411 TV News Wrap. This week's column will be shorter than usual, due to my not feeling all that well this evening. Hopefully it passes. But look at it this way, it will make the big announcement at the end of the column come all that much quicker. So let's get to it, shall we?
Hey, where's the THUMBS?!
That's what fans of the syndicated Ebert and Roeper found themselves asking this past weekend when the show aired without the thumbs up/down system that has been in place since it originated in the mid seventies. This arises out of a contract dispute between ABC Broadcasting, which produces the show, and Roger Ebert himself, whom holds the trademark along with the estate of his late movie critic partner Gene Siskel. ABC put out a press release stating that Ebert demanded that the thumbs system be removed from the show immediately. Ebert responded with a statement on his own website, in which he states that he never made such demands. He claims that ABC made an financial offer to keep the trademarked phrase on the air, but he made a counteroffer after deciding what was proposed was a little on the low side of things. He even stated that he would allow the show to continue using the format while both sides continued to bargain in good faith before ABC hit back with its knee jerk reaction.
I'm with Ebert on this. If what he says is true then it's ABC who are being the hardasses in this situation. Plus, it's not as if he'd be the only individual to benefit seeing as half the money will go to Siskel's family. Mr. Ebert went on to say in his statement that he wishes for this thing to be resolved so the thumbs system could return to the show, even if he can't due to his long term illness that has left him unable to speak.
I'm a fan of Mr. Ebert's, and it a sad thing to consider the possibility of him never verbally reviewing a movie again. But he has gotten back to work in print, which is a good and welcomed thing in my eyes. As far as this trademark situation, ABC is only hurting itself with their hard line tactics. If Ebert is to never to return to the show again, the show will obviously be in big trouble. The only thing that would hurt worse is if it loses the ability to use the thumbs system permanently. It loses that? It'll be time to pull the plug.
Seacrest rant, Pt. II
Hot on the heels of the announcement that Ryan Seacrest would host the Super Bowl pre-game and halftime shows (BLASPHAMY, I say!) Fox put a little extra salt in the wound by proclaiming that the metrosexual nit-wit would also be hosing (Yes, that misspell was on purpose) this year's Emmy Awards telecast. The reasoning behind this move was explained to be an effort to garner higher ratings by attracting more younger viewers.
Okay, I'm loath to admit it, but Seacrest hosting the Emmys isn't as bad an idea as his association with the Super Bowl. But yeah, it's still a bad idea. Let me put it this way; instead of lining up, oh, I don't know, a comedian, (such as Conan O'Brien last year) somebody that can connect with the audience and actually entertain them before the annual snoozefest kicks in, they get this guy instead. Boy, is that opening monologue going to be PAINFUL! I don't see how he is even going to try, but we all know he will. And I for one will be laughing very hard at just how dreadful and embarrassingly lame he'll come off.
And as far as the attracting younger viewers shpiel? Who are they trying to kid? Young people by and large don't watch award shows unless it's the Teen Choice awards, the Nickelodeon awards, or an awards show on MTV! And come on, let's be real for a second. Does anyone that watches American Idol tune in to see Ryan Seacrest hosting?
The execs at Fox are idiots, and this is just further proof of that.
NBC to re-launch Gladiators
You read that headline correctly folks. NBC is planning on having an updated version of the early nineties syndicated hit American Gladiators on its midseason replacement schedule. While they intend to keep the original concept of John and Jane Q. Citizen going up against muscle bound "Gladiators" in a variety of high concept physical contests they also intended to update it somehow utilizing new games.
This could very easily rock all kinds of shiznit. I know that I'll watch at least once to see if it remains true to the original show. If it does, then very likely I would have no other choice but to become a regular viewer. I know I've stated countless times already that I despise reality TV, but this would be an exception to that rule. They had better keep that human sphere game, though. And the obstacle course where tennis balls are shot at contestants. They could lose the wall climbing, though.
Bricks? How about stripper poles?
A few weeks back you'll recall that I wrote about bricks from Satriale's Pork Store from The Sopranos being sold off individually. Well, not to be outdone, the Satin Dolls, the gentleman's club that doubled as the Bada-Bing is doing more than one better. After the end of The Sopranos run, the owners of the establishment decided to do some renovations. As such, pretty much the entire interior of the place is up for auction on eBay. Among the items listed; The stripper poles, a pool table, a disco ball, a florescent men's room sign seen regularly on the show, ten bar stools sat upon by James Gandolfini and his crew of mobsters, as well as a L-shaped section of the bar itself.
You have to admit while it really isn't TV news, this is a really smart decision on the part of the club's owners. You KNOW they are gonna make some bank from this. And besides, how cool would it be to be able to say that you own a part of the ‘Bing, and a piece of Sopranos history to boot?
Nicole gets off easy
Former Simple Life star Nicole Ritchie turned herself in to authorities this past week, ready to begin serving her mandated 96 hour jail sentence for DUI. However, just 82 minutes into serving her sentence, she was released from jail and allowed to go home. L.A. County authorities stated that this was a common practice for people serving less than a month sentence due to jail overcrowding.
Yes, again, not really TV news. I just wanted to include it because you just KNOW that this pissed Paris off to no end. Don't know about you, but that kind of brings a smile to my face…
The Donald gets Trumped
NBC and Donald Trump released the list of celebrities that will be taking part in next season's edition of The Apprentice. They include Carmen Electra, financial analyst Jim Cramer, George Foreman, NASCAR Champ Jeff Gordon, the Indy Racing League's most popular driver Danica Patrick, Tony Hawk, Naomi Judd, Joan Rivers, Pete Rose, & Kimora Lee Stevens. Paris Hilton has expressed interest in being involved and reportedly the Donald is "in talks" with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
However, soon after this list of names was released, Jeff Gordon went public with the fact that while he was approached to be on the show, he turned them down flatly citing his NASCAR responsibilities as well as those to his wife and newborn child.
I'm not a fan of Gordon's, but this just made me smile. Everyone knows that the Donald is an arrogant, egotistical blowhard, so seeing him with some egg on his face every once in a while is a good thing. But this also begs the question of whether or not that list of names is actually legitimate, or just a "wish list" of the people who have been approached. I guess that we shall see.
News and Notes
Lots of casting news. Underrated character actor Donal Logue will get another crack at sitcom success as the title character Hackett. The show, which is being planned as a mid-season replacement on Fox, centers around a disgraced Yale literary professor who is forced to teach high school… News on the 24 front, as they have cast Janeane Garafalo as an FBI Agent and Colm Feore as the husband to the new female president…. Lost keeps adding to its roster. Lance Reddick, (The Wire) Jeremy Davies, (Saving Private Ryan) and Rebecca Mader will all have recurring roles in the show's fourth season.
Useless TV Trivia Question Of The Week
Sorry, I have no prizes to give out if you answer correctly. I'm just curious to how many of you will actually write in after last week's fiasco of asking for reader's TV annoyances. (which is why that section is MIA.)
Which now high-profile actor once was Bill Cosby's stand in on The Cosby Show?
Looking forward to seeing if anyone can come up with the right answer. Or will even try.
And the BIG Announcement is…
This will be the last week that I shall be your temporary host of this here column. (and I can already hear all my haters rejoicing.) Next week at this time, the great Steve Vicious shall be returning to 411 and reclaim what is rightfully his. I would like to thank Leonard for giving me this gig, Steve for giving me his consent to do so, and you, the readers, for playing along. I hope you've enjoyed my musings as much as I have had sharing them. I'll still be kicking around 411 moderating Fact or Fiction, and once LOST returns to the airwaves in February, I'll be back at the job that put me on the map here.
