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The reality-TV-ization of the entire state of Alaska is continuing, as Sarah Palin’s former-almost-son-in-law and public sparring partner Levi Johnston is seeking to get his own show—by running for mayor of Wasilla, Palin’s former job, and a position, apparently, just two or three steps from the Presidency. (Or from big-time reality …
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I mentioned last week that I was especially curious to see how strong the ratings were for The Real Housewives of D.C. on Bravo, as a test of how fatigued America was with the Salahis and/or the Real Housewives franchise. When I saw the headline claim of the ratings release Bravo sent out, I could tell the show was not an out-of-the-box …
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The Television Critics Association press tour wrapped up over the weekend, with a blast of announcements from various cable channels. Whether it was the swords of Spartacus and Game of Thrones, the gangland pistols of Boardwalk Empire, or the ripped-bicep gun show that is Jersey Shore, they came heavily armed. (And look! Someone’s …
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SPOILER ALERT: Before you read this post, order out for some fried chicken and watch last night’s Mad Men.
After two episodes that took in a pretty wide swath of characters, updating and establishing a number of storylines, …
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Spoilers for the season 4 finale of Friday Night Lights coming up:
I love Friday Night Lights. I am guessing that you, since you are reading this post, love Friday Night Lights. And so I know that at some point over the last four years, you and I have both had some version of the conversation-with-the-friend-reluctant-to-watch-FNL. …
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Where the rest of America leads, Washington, D.C. follows. That is the case, anyway, in the Real Housewives franchise, where the nation’s capital last night became the fifth branch (joining a D.C.-set edition of Top Chef). I’ll be curious to see the ratings for The Real Housewives of D.C. Bravo has seemingly turned the Real Housewives …
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Two of the biggest names in daytime talk will be allying as Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network announced it has signed Rosie O’Donnell to host a talk show, to begin at some point after the channel’s launch in January. It’s an attention-getting deal, but one that you could interpret a few ways: a coup for Oprah, a step back for Rosie or a …
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Spoilers for last night’s Top Chef DC coming up:
When Padma announced the theme of the elimination challenge on the “Foreign Affairs” episode of Top Chef—each contestant picks a different country whose cuisine to make—I dreaded the twist I was sure was coming: “Now, please pass your choice to the chef on your left.”
Top Chef has …
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avOBNaU0fQY]
If there’s one thing that TV, especially long-running syndicated TV, is good at doing, it’s making you feel sentimental and nostalgic for shows that you hardly actually watched. It is in that spirit that I announce, with a touch of actual sadness, that Mary Hart is leaving …
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejvyDn1TPr8]
Regular readers of this blog are probably tired of hearing about Mad Men and its spoiler anxiety, but a quick recap: AMC sent out review copies of the season’s first episode to critics, with a request from Matthew Weiner that reviews mention no plot details whatsoever from the …
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It was PBS Day yesterday at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, and you know what that means: drugs, swearing and cattiness! By which, of course, I mean: steroids in baseball, a respectful discussion of FCC policy and The Cat in the Hat. The too-hot-for-TV highlights follow:
* Ken Burns gave a presentation for The Tenth …
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I didn’t write the TV feature in the new print issue of TIME, but it’s good enough that I’d gladly take the credit: contributor and art blogger Carolina Miranda takes a look at Bravo’s Work of Art, as it’s received by other artists. The reviews are mixed:
[T]here’s been some sensitivity over how the show portrays artists. “We get so
…
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geEfTHGcork]
I must apologize for having been remiss in my coverage of Shark Week this year: the way I see it, you’ve seen one shark, you’ve seen 250 million years of evolution. In compensation, here’s CBS’s Craig Ferguson talking with most talented woman in TV history Julie Chen about his own …
