Press Tour
On the set of 'Dollhouse' with Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku
This writer's immediate reaction walking onto the Dollhouse stage on the Fox lot: This set is so nice there's no way FOX will ever cancel this series.
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Introducing the 'Untitled Greg Daniels-Mike Schur-Amy Poehler Non-Spinoff'
Amy Poehler will be starring in an NBC comedy from Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, executive producers of The Office.
The CW zigs where others only dare to zag
Like any adolescent, The CW is still trying to discover its identity, experiment with innovative ideas and occasionally make some bold, if borderline wackily uncertain moves. Hey, they may even offend people (read: critics) along the way. Welcome to the first green network, the one that has less to do with living green than spending greenbacks.
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'CSI' plans for William Petersen's departure
As has been widely reported, William Petersen will exit CSI: Crime Scene Investigation mid-way through the hit forensic drama's upcoming ninth season.
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Using gaydar on The Disney Channel
Which Disney Channel character is gay? Could it be the hat-wearing Ryan, brother of the fabulous Sharpay, in the High School Musical films? Or perhaps one of the many other fun and feisty characters in one of the networks' many series, movies or cartoons?
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CBS chief doesn't question 'Moonlight' choice
While CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler insists she still has great adoration for all things occult, she has yet to feel regret about the decision to leave Moonlight off of the network's fall schedule.
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The mystery of Samaire Armstrong and 'Dirty Sexy Money'
Darlings galore filled the stage at Thursday (July 17) afternoon's Dirty Sexy Money panel at the Television Critics Association press tour. One major exception, though, was Samaire Armstrong, who plays the flighty twin Juliet Darling on the ABC dramedy.
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Shonda Rhimes and her new BFFs
Shonda Rhimes should totally Facebook friend her fellow ABC showrunners, because they did what friends do at an entertaining and sometimes informative press tour session Thursday.
Cat Deeley at the FOX TCA Party
In this world, there are fewer than a half-dozen things capable of distracting this writer from the promise of deep-fried Oreos. On Monday (July 14) night at the Santa Monica Pier, one of those things just happened to be Cat Deeley.
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'So You Think You Can Dance': Why Mia Michaels is so mean
So You Think You Can Dance choreographer/Judge Mia Michaels has been on a bit of a tear this season. During rehearsel for the first week's performances she said that she didn't think dancer Mark Kanemura was turning out as well as she thought he would. Then, last week she took Jessica King to task for being "carried" through the competition so far by her much stronger partner Will Wingfield.
Kevin Reilly promises a gayer, blacker FOX
Given the current state of the television landscape, questions of diversity are likely to come up with some frequency in the coming days. FOX Entertainment President Kevin Reilly just had the good fortune to face them first on Monday (July 14) morning.
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Cartoon Network sneak peeks full episode of 'Clone Wars'
Judging by the critcs' applause greeting a screening of Cartoon Networks' Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fans will be happy with the latest offering in the world George Lucas created.
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Spike Lee doesn't regret lost Jackie Robinson opportunity
Is Spike Lee growing up before our very eyes?
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'Deadwood' is well and truly dead
This shouldn't come as too big a surprise, given that it's been nearly two years since Deadwood finished on HBO and its creator and a number of its actors have gone on to other things. But the two movies that supposedly would wrap up the series aren't going to happen.
Chandra Wilson explains Katherine Heigl
We in the media have apparently been uncharitable when it comes to Katherine Heigl and her decision not to submit herself for Emmy consideration.
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'Gavin & Stacey' wins us over at press tour
I started watching a screener of BBC America's comedy Gavin & Stacey a couple of weeks ago. I abandoned it about halfway through the first episode.
Ed Asner brings reefer and other madness to Hallmark
Is the Hallmark Channel, as one network exec claimed, "the best-kept secret on cable television"?
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Brill and Eric Watch TV 222: Press Tour Dispatch
ABC wrapped up Summer Press Tour with a Lost announcement, more gushing about Pushing Daisies, Grey’s Anatomy defense and the new shows Cavemen, Women's Murder Club, Big Shots and Cashmere Mafia.
Continue reading »The last Isaiah Washington item of press tour
The inevitable Isaiah Washington question came up Thursday afternoon when Shonda Rhimes and the cast and crew of Private Practice appeared at press tour.
Steve McPherson has Kevin Reilly's back
Newly minted FOX Entertainment president Kevin Reilly probably doesn't need anyone to fight his battles for him. But if he did, his counterpart at ABC sounds like he'd be willing.
Brill and Eric Watch TV 221: Press Tour Dispatch
Get inside info on FOX's new shows New Amsterdam, K-Ville and Back to You, as well as the next seasons of 24, House and American Idol.
Continue reading »A few quick 'Heroes' spoilers
Maybe it was because we gave them an award the other day, but the folks at Heroes sure were accommodating to the scrum of TV critics that descended on the show's set Tuesday morning.
'Gilmore Girls' creator: I couldn't watch the series finale
Monday marked Amy Sherman-Palladino's first appearance at press tour since her departure from Gilmore Girls following the 2005-06 season. She was there to talk about her new series, a FOX midseason comedy called The Return of Jezebel James, but ...
Thomas Dekker talks about leaving 'Heroes'
The end of Thomas Dekker's time on Heroes last season was marked by controversy. Or, as he told us at press tour Monday, not.
'Idol' Producer: We needed more personalities
Less than seven hours after FOX head Peter Liguori declared that the American Idol franchise isn't broken, series producer Nigel Lythgoe admitted that mistakes were made this past season.
FOX Execs: 'Idol' and '24' aren't broken
You don't often get the opportunity to hear a network executive apologize for the performance of TV's most-watched show or defending an outstanding drama Emmy winner, but FOX's new dynamic duo of Peter Liguori and Kevin Reilly found themselves doing just that on Sunday (July 22) morning.
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Brill and Eric Watch TV 220: Press Tour Dispatch
We have the scoop on Aliens in America, Gossip Girl, America's Next Top Model, Smallville, Supernatural, Beauty and the Geek and more.
Continue reading »CW's missing PC Doll and a mimbo for 'Geek'
Where in the world is Asia? The Pussycat Dolls were missing a member during this month's Live Earth concert: Asia Nitollano, the Knick City dancer who won the CW's reality competition show Pussycat Dolls: The Search for the Next Doll.
'Jericho' hopes to give fans what they want
I'd like to begin by thanking Jericho fans for the peanuts that were sitting on my chair in advance of Thursday (July 19) morning's TCA panel for the resurrected show.
Brill and Eric Watch TV 218 & 219: Press Tour Dispatches
NBC's sessions conclude with Chuck, changes to Bionic Woman and Tin Man, a Sci-Fi channel miniseries starring Zooey Deschanel, Neal McDonough and Alan Cumming.
Continue reading »Who's your daddy, Alex O'Loughlin?
Two rules to live by if you want to avoid hidden razor blades in your lollipops and factual inaccuracies in your industry gossip: Never take candy from strangers and don't believe everything you read on the Internet.
A conversation about Adrian Pasdar's beard
Word began spreading during Tuesday (July 17) night's NBC Press Tour party that Adrian Pasdar wasn't discussing his massive, Grizzly Adams beard.
CBS Prez on 'Jericho,' Mandy and 'Moonlight'
CBS' morning TCA executive session gave Entertainment President Nina Tassler the opportunity to address her network's most pressing issues, most particularly Jericho, Mandy Patinkin, Jericho, Moonlight, Jericho, Mandy Patinkin, Drew Carey and Jericho.
'Friday Night Lights' folks spill on season two
The following post contains what could be considered spoilers for the coming season of Friday Night Lights, but considering that they come from the show's executive producer and he freely shared them with a roomful of journalists, they're probably not that secret.
Geek Chic: 'Chuck' is 'cool-challenged'
Zachary Levi may not have created the term "cool-challenged," but expect the phrase to get oodles of play when critics write about his character in NBC's new action-dramedy hybrid Chuck.
'Law & Order' vs. equal time
It looks like Rohm, a four-year cast member of Law & Order, may not be in danger of having her residuals dry up completely if one of her former co-stars, Fred Thompson, runs for president.
Continue reading »Brill and Eric Watch TV 216 & 217: Press Tour Dispatches
Polishing off the cable portion of the 2007 Summer Press Tour, we dive into the High School Musical phenomenon, Showtime's new comedy Californication (with David Duchovny) and the returning series Dexter and Weeds.
Continue reading »Criss Angel and Norman Lear: Together at last at NBC
OK, so maybe I'm reaching a little with that headline. Criss Angel is coming to NBC, and so is Norman Lear, but they will not be working together.
Bob Costas to L.A.: No NFL for you!
Between his encyclopedic knowledge of absolutely everything and his willingness to whore his recognizable voice out to everything from Cars to Voltron: The Third Dimension, we've always liked Bob Costas. Has the uber-announcer worn out his welcome in Los Angeles?
The TV education of Holly Hunter
It's a given that if you ask any number of actors what they like to watch on television, and they'll tell you they don't see much. Fair enough ...
When critics attack Star Jones
Toward the end of her time on The View, Star Jones looked like the picture you see over there at the left. Now she looks like this.
Talking premieres, pilots and 'Sleeper Cell' at Showtime
Talking to critics at a Bastille Day panel at the Television Critics Association press tour, Showtime Entertainment President Robert Greenblatt talked about the status of a slew of upcoming and pending projects, as well as the fate of Sleeper Cell and Masters of Horror.
Early bird catches the cheddar cheese worm and other 'Bizarre Foods'
Scorpions, crickets, larvae and chicken feet comprised the snacks at Friday's Travel Channel luncheon themed around its Bizarre Foods show hosted by Andrew Zimmern. And yet, I was disappointed that the spread wasn't bizarre enough.
Burning Bridges: Moffat on NBC, Handler on FOX
In his song "Love Minus Zero/ No Limit," Bob Dylan famously sang, "She knows there's no success like failure/ And that failure's no success at all."
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Brill & Eric Watch TV 215:
Press Tour Dispatch
We kick off our 2007 Summer Press Tour coverage with a live dispatch from the HBO party, with stars from Entourage, Sopranos, Flight of the Conchords and Curb Your Enthusiasm and others in attendance.
Continue reading »Jonny Fairplay keeps killing his grandma
It's one thing to kill your grandmother as part of your ploy to win a million dollars, but putting grandma to death in a cheap joke on TV critics? That's just low.
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Darkness Over 'Deadwood' and other HBO news
Back in January, David Milch sounded optimistic about the prospects for a pair of movies that would wrap up the saga of Deadwood on HBO. Now? Well ...
Jeff Garlin's fine with skipping 'Daddy Day Camp'
Daddy Day Camp will hit theaters on Aug. 8, but fans of 2003's $100-million-grossing Daddy Day Care will notice that original co-star Jeff Garlin is nowhere to be seen.
Ernest Borgnine isn't a grumpy old man
"Hiya! I'm sure you kids know me best as Sergeant Fatso Judson in From Here to Eternity."
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Going meta with 'Nip/Tuck'
A press tour session with the folks from Nip/Tuck is usually good for some news, and Ryan Murphy and Co. did not disappoint on Thursday.


