What's the verdict?: 'Allen Gregory'Fox's new half-hour animated comedy "Allen Gregory" is perfectly titled, because the series star, a beyond-precocious 7-year-old of the same name, is the reason to keep watching. The series, co-created by and starring actor Jonah Hill, made its debut Sunday ahead of another smart-mouthed kid, "Family Guy's" Stewie Griffin. The basic premise is that Allen Gregory's dad has fallen on hard times and needs his (maybe-straight) life partner Jeremy to get a job instead of home-schooling Allen Gregory. That means Allen. G (as we'll call him) has to brave the halls of public school, along with his adopted Cambodian sister, Julie (Joy Osmanski). 'Man Up!': So, real men don't use pomegranate body wash?On Tuesday night, ABC continued its curious examination of gender norms with another sitcom bemoaning the apparent dearth of "real" men. Up until this fall TV season, I had no idea that I was living amongst a bunch of "pantywaists," but someone out there in comedy development seems to find that to be true. If Tim Allen's ranting about being the last rough-and-tumble "Man Standing," he's doing it for the three male stars of "Man Up!": Husband and father Will (Mather Zickel), his brother-in-law Kenny (Dan Fogler) and their friend Craig (Christopher Moynihan), all of whom represent the breed of video-game playing modern guys that Allen's character can't stand. 'Suburgatory' is familiar, but funnyIf “Mean Girls” and “Easy A” had a network TV baby, it’d probably look something like “Suburgatory.” ABC’s new comedy follows Manhattanite Tessa and her single dad George as they relocate from their city digs to the 'burbs after George finds an unopened box of condoms in his daughter's room. Tessa, whose own mom left as soon as the umbilical cord was cut, finds the surgically enhanced, Lady Gaga concert attending, mall trolling moms the most foreign. Cue the oft-played joke of a pink sweater-and-pearls soccer mom rapping along to a song about being a gangsta. You’ve seen it before, but the deadpan delivery is what sells it in “Suburgatory.” ABC's 'Pan Am' lifts offOf the two ‘60s-set new dramas this fall, so far “Pan Am” seems to be the favorite frontrunner. (Sorry, "Playboy Club.") It’s arguable that ABC’s new show is “Mad Men” inspired, but “Pan Am” doesn’t even pretend to carry the complexity of AMC’s Emmy winner, and that’s OK. Following a soap (“Desperate Housewives,” now in its last season) this series was a fitting bit of glossy escapism when it premiered Sunday night. “Pan Am” makes the bygone days of plane travel look glamorous and breezy, bouncing around between New York, London and Rome. In this version of the '60s, everything is so shiny and new – I know it was about the past, but the interior of that Pan Am Clipper Jet looked like the dream of the future. The ex-wife who won't leave on 'A Gifted Man'If you watched only the first ten to 15 minutes of CBS’ “A Gifted Man” and then changed the channel, it’d be understandable. Dr. Michael Holt, played by Patrick Wilson, is a talented New York City neurosurgeon so dedicated to his profession that he’s seemingly failed to develop interpersonal skills. He doesn’t wish his assistant (played by Emmy winner Margo Martindale, yet another asset to this lauded cast) happy birthday, fires a tech who failed to deliver to his standards in the OR, and is brusque with his sister. None of that makes for a likeable character…until his ex wife walks into the room. And then we realize his sister was right: He is a lot less of a jerk when she’s around. FULL POST 'Unforgettable' feels awfully familiarI’m willing to wager that John Bellucci and Ed Redlich, the creators of CBS’ “Unforgettable,” are starting to wonder if they should’ve gone with a different title. The latest in a series of crime dramas from the network feels awfully familiar – the New York City streets filled with crime, the cops who manage to crack the case by the end of the hour – and even with a unique ability for the series star, “Unforgettable” is precisely the opposite. “Without A Trace’s” Poppy Montgomery stars as Carrie Wells, a former police detective with the ability to recall everything that’s happened to her, as she has HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory), or hyperthymesia, as it was formerly known. (“60 Minutes” actually did a piece on the rare condition, which highlighted the experience of “Taxi’s” Marilu Henner, who serves as a consultant for “Unforgettable.”) Greyson Chance takes Ellen DeGeneres' adviceWithin the past year, 13-year-old Greyson Chance has gone from being an unknown talent to landing a record deal, heading on tour and having his debut album, "Hold on 'Til the Night," land among the top 10 sellers on iTunes upon its release on August 2. But while his lifestyle has changed, Chance - whose rendition of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" not only made him a viral sensation but also led to a record deal with Ellen DeGeneres' eleveneleven - is focused on staying the same kid he's always been. "I remember the first time I met Ellen [DeGeneres], she told me never to change myself," Chance told Marquee on Tuesday. "And I really haven’t. I’ve evolved as an artist and a teenager, but I really haven’t changed myself." No goodbye, Oprah says, just 'until we meet again'Watch "Showbiz Tonight's" one-hour special on Oprah's final farewell at 11pm ET/PT tonight on HLN. Before the stage went dark on her long-running talk show Wednesday, Oprah Winfrey still had a few more lessons to share. Instead of inviting one last super-special guest to appear, giving away a car or doing one more incredible makeover, Winfrey opted to take the finale of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" back to basics: It was just Oprah, giving what she called “a love letter” to her audience. "This last hour is about me saying thank you; it is my love letter to you," she said. "I want to leave you all with the lessons that anchor my life. Every day that I stood here I knew that this was exactly where I was supposed to be. There was many a day I came to work tired, but I showed up because I knew that you were waiting, you were waiting for whatever we had to offer. That’s why I never missed a day in 25 years." 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' gets heated[Editor's Note: "Real Housewives of Atlanta" recapper Lisa Respers France is on vacation but will be back to talk "Housewives" drama on January 2.] Last night's episode of “Real Housewives of Atlanta" must've been filmed in the middle of a Georgia summer, because everyone clearly needed to chill out. Tensions were running high as the ghosts of past gossip came back up during face-to-face confrontation, and the ladies all seemed pretty stressed. Kandi was working on her promo tour; NeNe was attempting to land celebrity interviews; Cynthia was trying to plan a wedding underneath the dinosaurs; and Phaedra was trying to be “mom, wife, lawyer and businesswoman.” In fact, the only woman who didn’t seem a little frazzled and should’ve been was Kim. 'The Tourist' as a comedy? The director thinks soFor a movie that's billed as an action-filled drama, "The Tourist" has had people in stitches this week. First there was the noticeable laughter from the press when it was announced that "The Tourist" was nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for a best comedy or musical Golden Globe. Then one of the "Tourist's" own stars, Angelina Jolie, couldn't hold back laughter when she heard she'd been nominated for her performance in the film. The mom of six snagged a Globes nomination in the best actress in a comedy or musical category for her role, and according to the Hollywood Reporter, she said she laughed "because it's the first time that I've been in the comedic category, so it's new for me." |
About this blog
Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.
Sharon Stone sued by former nanny http://t.co/eIGfMEQv 5:58 am UTC, May 24 2012
'Idol' winners: Where are they now? http://t.co/xSsJ3nFs 9:05 pm UTC, May 23 2012
Shirley Manson on Garbage http://t.co/F40e1iya 9:05 pm UTC, May 23 2012
Have a question for Tia or Tamera Mowry? Here's your chance to ask! Act fast and submit an iReport: http://t.co/Ts1ZS6TV 7:22 pm UTC, May 23 2012
Donna Summer's friends gather for disco queen's funeral http://t.co/cm84Zgvx 5:47 pm UTC, May 23 2012
Marquee's lists to follow:
|