On Monday's episode of The Jay Leno Show, Mariah Carey made quite the entrance, taking a little stumble on her way out to meet the talk show host. I've always wondered how the heck she walks in those super high heels, but since it's all you ever see her wearing, she gets plenty of practice. In this clip from SlashControl, she doesn't blame the heels themselves, but rather a strap that broke backstage. That would be a shoe strap, not the other kind.
And speaking of that, it's a good thing Mariah didn't fall any further than she did, or there would have been some major wardrobe malfunctions going on. With the dangerous combo of high heels and that massive chest, it's a wonder she can stay upright at all. Oh, come on. You know you're thinking the same thing. Nick Cannon is either a very happy guy, or a very tortured guy who puts up with the diva for, uh, his own personal reasons.
What's Hot on SlashControl: Mariah Carey falls for Jay Leno
Real Housewives of New Jersey to guest on Mercy
The other day I wrote about watching Mercy during a mini-marathon that aired last Saturday on Bravo. Is it possible that someone at NBC Universal was reading my plaudits for the company using Bravo to promote an NBC drama series? I think so, because today comes to the news that two of the Real Housewives of New Jersey will guest on Mercy. That's right; you didn't read it wrong. Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita, the two who were having babies in season one of the show, will appear as themselves on the NBC medical drama, according to the Ausiello Files.
Continue reading Real Housewives of New Jersey to guest on Mercy
I have new respect for The Biggest Loser's Tracey
If you haven't watched last night's Biggest Loser yet, stop reading right now. Ok? Ok. I've never been a fan of Tracey's. I thought she was mean and stabbed plenty of backs on her journey through the emotional minefields of The Biggest Loser. And when it came down to whether Tracey or someone else would go home in last night's episode, I was rooting for Tracey.
"Send her home!" I yelled at the TV. "Make her pay for her crimes!" I was practically lighting my torches, hypothetically speaking.
Continue reading I have new respect for The Biggest Loser's Tracey
Janet Jackson in primetime special ... talking, not singing
ABC News has landed Janet Jackson for a primetime special. The award-winning singer will not be singing and dancing. Instead, she will be talking about her brother Michael Jackson. Good Morning America host, Robin Roberts, will be doing the in-depth interview with Janet. The show will air on Wednesday, November 18, at 10 p.m. (Eastwick will be pre-empted). The interesting thing about the timing is that Janet's new CD compilation, a double set of her hit songs called Number Ones, will be released on November 17
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V showrunner has already been replaced
Despite only having one episode broadcast (the official TV Squad review is here) and four episodes in the can, V is already changing showrunners. They are trading one Scott for another. Rather than Scott Peters, the new guy calling the shots will be Scott Rosenbaum of Chuck and The Shield fame.The switch is not a good sign. On the other hand, I watched the pilot and was underwhelmed. Among other problems, things moved too fast. Also, why do people cheer when aliens land on Earth and give a PSA? Wouldn't they more likely be running for their lives? The pilot would have worked better as a two-hour premiere. However, I enjoy Chuck and hear that The Shield was good. Any talent from either show going could only benefit V. Hopefully I won't be proven wrong.
Will V become more Chuck-like and add humor? Could a concept like that work? An alien invasion comedy?
James Franco goes from movies to soap to 30 Rock
Wouldn't you love to know who's giving actor James Franco career advice these days? I'm not knocking him or her, but I'd love to figure out the strategy. Or maybe this is just Franco being Franco (like Manny being Manny, for you baseball fans out there)? James has just started filming his two-month arc on General Hospital -- check out the first pic (right) -- and now Michael Ausiello reports that James Franco will do a guest spot on 30 Rock.
How's that for a career trajectory -- from box office bonanza (Spider-Man) to Oscar feature (Milk) to daytime soap (General Hospital) to Emmy-winning sitcom (30 Rock). He's like a human pinball machine looking for a perfect score!
Continue reading James Franco goes from movies to soap to 30 Rock
CBS orders a bit more Accidentally on Purpose
CBS Monday night comedies have been doing pretty well so far this season, as far as the ratings are concerned. The Big Bang Theory is challenging Two and a Half Men for top Nielsens for a sitcom; How I Met Your Mother is doing as well or better than last year, and the new kid on the block, Jenna Elfman in Accidentally on Purpose, has benefited by being smackdab in the middle of all that established comic success. CBS has ordered five additional episodes of Accidentally on Purpose. It's not a ringing endorsement, but it does give the show a chance to improve on what it's done thus far.
Continue reading CBS orders a bit more Accidentally on Purpose
I'm glad to see Betty Draper get a backbone
The assassination of JFK on Sunday's episode of Mad Men may have been the catalyst for Betty Draper's "awakening," but it's been a long time coming. Here comes my rant: I, for one, am sick and tired of seeing the women in this show get walked all over! I know it's the way things were back then, but the times they are a changin', so I'm hoping we'll get to see more women stand up and take charge of their lives.
I was cheering when Betty stood up to her lying, cheating, skank of a husband Don and told him she didn't love him anymore. Bonus points for driving off to meet your lover, Betty. Hopefully, he won't cheat on you.
Now if Joan would leave her loser fiance who raped her at the office and then went about his business like nothing happened -- that'd be the icing on this women's movement cake. I'd say that she and Roger Sterling belong together, but she's too good for him.
Review: The Biggest Loser - Week Eight
(S08E07) As promised, absolutely everything Biggest Loser was transported to our nation's capitol, Washington DC, for the week. The contestants had to deal with vacation eating, exercising, and even their challenges and the weigh-in happened surrounded by national monuments.It was a pretty exciting thing for our contestants, and even Bob and Jillian were somewhat in awe of the majesty of where they were. The episode wasn't as emotionally gripping as it's been the last few weeks, but I think a lot of that has to do with the distractions of everything that was going on this week.
It's hard to have an emotional breakthrough when you're away from the comfort of the Ranch and the Biggest Loser Gym, and all the trappings that have come to make these contestants feel at home. So I found myself worried as to what would happen after a week of chaos when these guys got up on that scale.
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Review: V - Pilot (series premiere)
(S01E01) We were promised a modern re-imagining of the classic '80s V mini-series, and that's exactly what we got. Gone were the allusions to World War II Nazism and the treatment of Jews in Europe. Instead, we're offered allusions to the war we've been fighting for eight years now.
I wasn't sure how they could modify the storylines from the series I remembered to accurately find parallels to our war on terrorism, and the terrorist movements themselves, but they did. And they did it all while staying true to the struggles and fears that's kept the original series fresh in our minds for 26 years now.
Even better, I watched this with my 10-year old son who's never seen the original, and he was absolutely riveted. Everything I loved about V back then is here, and there's so much more to get excited about. I always thought V should be an ongoing series, and even though we eventually got one, I think this time they've finally got it right.
Continue reading Review: V - Pilot (series premiere)
Review: Dancing with the Stars - Performance 7 Results
(S09E15) Last night on Dancing with the Stars many of the dancers grew stronger than ever. With Mark & Anna T. on the bottom, it guaranteed that they were either going home or dancing for their lives. Instead of having one performer singing two different songs, we have three performances thanks to DWTS pimping the Ballas Hough Band.
Encore Performance - Team Tango - The second time around, the performance still had the sizzle and the strongest timing. Kelly had this dazed look this time, possibly because she was nervous for the dance-off. Joanna still was the strongest of the night, possibly because Derek's choreography that he gave her was the strongest.
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Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to host the Oscars
The Vegas oddsmakers were wrong about Billy Crystal. He isn't hosting the Oscars. Neither is Hugh Jackman. No, today it was announced that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as cohosts of the 82nd Academy Awards. Interestingly, Martin and Baldwin are costarring -- with Meryl Streep -- in the upcoming romantic comedy, It's Complicated.Choosing these two guys, however, is not complicated. It's actually pretty damn clever. Both men are very funny, very comfortable in the moment -- a necessity for a complicated show like the Oscars when anything can go wrong -- and they bring a lot of good will and star power to the proceedings.
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Kathy Griffin dances her way into new ABC series
Attention, attention! This is not a joke. It's not a spoof or a gag. Kathy Griffin will host a dance show for ABC. That's right, the funny lady of Bravo's My Life on the D-List, has said yes to hosting Let's Dance, a new celebrity reality show in which stars compete with one another by re-creating classic routines from pop culture. That means someone is going to try and do Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" dance from Motown's 25th Anniversary Special, don't you think?I am not a Dancing With the Stars fan, but this show sounds like something I'd be interested in watching for a couple of reason. Number one is Kathy Griffin. I think she's hilarious. She also loves celebrities, so I could see her really getting into this show and being the perfect built-in zingmeister. She'll say whatever comes to her mind, and -- fortunately -- that's usually pretty funny.
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Gordon Ramsay cooks up new show
Fox's master foodie is at it again. Gordon Ramsay has conjured up a new show called MasterChef, only it's not really his idea. See, it's already been done in England and Australia, but Gordon will put his spin on this show. So for all intents and purposes, it's another Gordon Ramsay project. (Like the Alan Parsons Project without Alan Parsons and a small 'p'). In MasterChef, amateur chefs will compete to master the perfect dish. These will be everyday people, not sous chefs or short order cooks, but backyard grillers and homemakers who have a specialty at which they excel. Sounds to me a bit like the Food Network Challenge shows in which people try to make the best chili or the definitive hamburger.
Continue reading Gordon Ramsay cooks up new show
What's Hot on SlashControl: Bill O'Reilly on The View
It's always fun when Bill O'Reilly visits The View. Bob posted about it yesterday, too, talking about how weird Whoopi was acting. My first thought whenever O'Reilly visits The View is Joy Behar. She always looks like she'd rather be anywhere else but sitting next to him. But I suppose she puts up with it -- and has no choice in the matter -- because O'Reilly and Barbara Walters have been friends for a long time, and Barbara, of course, has the final say on who gets on the show and who doesn't.
This is all speculation, of course. I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Just reading the body language, which I've learned a little about while watching Tonya Reiman on O'Reilly's Fox show, The O'Reilly Factor.
Continue reading What's Hot on SlashControl: Bill O'Reilly on The View
Ask TV Squad: Ghost Whisperer and more!
The TV Squad Podcast: Bill Scheft of The Late Show, Cake Boss, Mad Men and more
Meet (half of) The Blanks: Scrubs' Sam Lloyd and Philip McNiven
