Showbiz Show 1/19/16
On a bonus edition of the showbiz segment of my show, Colin Jeffrey and I discussed the Academy Award boycotts of Jada Pinkett Smith, Spike Lee, and Michael Moore -- none of whom were going to attend because they're not nominated or appear in any of the movies that...
Seth Meyers vs. Trevor Noah
Two months ago, I wrote that Trevor Noah was off to a shaky start replacing Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show," but that it might be too early to write him off. After all, it's always tough replacing a legend, and performers always have to grow into a show to give it...
The News Network No One Watched
This is the first time I've heard oil prices blamed for the death of a TV network. Al Jazeera America is going to close up shop because the country that funds it, Qatar, made rich by oil and natural gas exports, is having a fiscal crisis because energy prices have...
Brian Koppelman, “Billions”
Brian Koppelman and David Levien were responsible for "Rounders," "Ocean's 13," and "Runaway Jury." Now they have a new Showtime series, "Billions," which debuts Sunday night on Showtime (you can watch the season premiere for free here). It stars Paul Giamatti as a US...
Showbiz Show 1/8/16
This week on the showbiz segment of my show, Colin Jeffrey and I reviewed "The Hateful Eight" and "The Revenant," and discussed how The Chipmunks are still a thing more than five decades after they were created. We also discussed Ricky Gervais' history of hosting The...
Brian Stelter Expands His Brand Again
I've been impressed with Brian Stelter since he started TV Newser while still a student at Towson University in Baltimore. After selling that brand to MediaBistro, he landed a job at the NY Times right out of college, covering the media alongside David Carr. Six years...
Reality TV Year In Review
Here's my conversation with Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred about the highs and lows of reality TV in 2015, from "Survivor" to "The Briefcase," with a bunch of bakers, Alaskans, and sharks in between. We also talked about the new sub-genre of reality shows --...
Bonnie and Clyde
"American Experience" on PBS will have an episode devoted to Bonnie and Clyde next month. After watching a DVD screener, I invited director/writer John Maggio to join me and discuss: Why did people line up by the thousands for Clyde's funeral? Notoriety would seem to...