Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 2:33 AMHarvard goes down to 'The Wire'
When I first heard that Harvard will be teaching a class on the seminal HBO drama "The Wire," I thought it was gimmick.
Why would one of the most esteemed universities in the country be teaching a class on a TV show in order to deconstruct the impact of poverty in urban America?
But after discussing the topic with a friend, she pointed out that some people don't understand subjects that are foreign to them unless they see it on TV first.
Oddly enough that makes sense to me.
And if it takes one of the best shows to ever air on television to convey the social and cultural implications of poverty and drugs, so be it.
Harvard isn't the first school to use "The Wire" as a teaching tool.
Duke University and Middlebury College have done the same in the past.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 9:08 PM'True Blood' fans have holiday options
It really is a shame that the second season "True Blood" came to an end long before Halloween.
Thankfully, there is a way to see star Anna Paquin and be scared witless with the movie "Trick r Treat," (Warner Home Video, $27.98).
Available on DVD in time for this spooky weekend, the flick features several stories filled with blood and screams and wait until you learn the secret Paquin's character is keeping.
Happy Halloween!
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 8:14 PM'Ice Age 3' events dazzle Hollywood
First there was a yummy lunch with director Carlos Saldanha and loads of colored chalk to draw on the sidewalk afterward in Century City.
A week later, ice sculptors carved one of the biggest pieces of frozen art known to man in Santa Monica.
What was all the to do? Promotional events tied to the highly anticipated DVD release of "Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (20th Century Fox, $29.98), of course.
One of the cutest children's films around, the flick follows Manny (Ray Romano), Ellie (Queen Latifah) and Diego (Denis Leary) as they try to save Sid (John Leguizamo) from a scary, new world filled with dinosaurs.
Look out for scene stealer Simon Pegg ("Run Fat Boy, Run" and "Shaun of the Dead"), who voices Buck the weasel.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 3:08 AM'Ally McBeal' the quiz
Answer these three questions correctly for a chance to win the "Ally McBeal: The Complete Series" DVD set. Send answers to mmadden@detnews.com and please include your name and address.
But act fast. The prize, and there is only one, will go to the first person with the correct responses.
1. In the pilot episode of "Ally McBeal," we learn that Billy (Gil Bellows) left Ally (Calista Flockhart) and Harvard to go to which university?
a. University of Michigan
b. Stanford University
c. Princeton University
2. True or false, actor Peter MacNicol did not appear on the show until the second episode?
a. True
b. False
3. Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith played Ally's rival and Billy's wife. Her name on the show was:
a. Savannah
b. Georgia
c. Augusta
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 4:07 AMSYTYCD, the Halloween video
The fall version of "So You Think You Can Dance" (8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays) doesn't have the high ratings the show pulled in the summer, but that might change once people see this funny Halloween themed video.
Just a thought.
Enjoy.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 1:59 PMWanda Sykes gets ready for her close up
Wanda Sykes is a funny, busy woman.
These days, she's juggling a role on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "The Wanda Sykes Show," the latter of which debuts Nov. 7.
Sykes hung out with reporters and network execs to give a sneak preview of her show Wednesday night in Hollywood.
The premiere party took place on Sykes' stage, which, funny enough, is located right next door to Craig Ferguson's stage at CBS studios.
"Craig and I are old friends," assured Sykes, who will be taping her show on Friday nights long after Ferguson has left the building.
Besides, Sykes' hands are too full to worry about her pal Ferguson. For staters, she has to plug the mess out of her show to make sure people tune in.
This includes hosting a shindig and true to Fox form, Sykes' premiere party was a hit thanks to access to the talent (Sykes), the food and the drinks.
Eats included orange chicken on a stick, mini Kobe burgers with Guacamole, mini corn pancakes with black beans and sour cream, seared tuna on a stick and Sprinkles Cupcakes with Ws (for Wanda) on them as parting gifts.
Themed drinks included the So Hilarious, made of Patron Silver, Patron Citronage, Pomegranate Juice and a squeeze of Lime.
Wow, Patron sure sponsors a lot of Fox's parties.
"The Wanda Sykes Show" debuts 11 p.m. Nov. 7 on Fox.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 3:38 AMAnimation DVD is a trip back to simpler times
Top Cat sure had a way with words.
Giggle at his misadventures and those of Atom Ant, Quick Draw McGraw, Breezly and Sneezly, Fred Flintstone and more with the two DVD set "Warner Bros. Presents Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Volume 1" (Warner Home Video, $26.98).
Packed with five giddy hours worth of all the best Hanna Barbera had to offer in the 1960s -- there are 12 shows in all -- the DVD set is a great way to plug into the days when cares were few and Saturday mornings were infinite.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 4:11 AMFox kicks off Halloween with 20 years worth of laughs and screams
Halloween started early in Hollywood when Fox celebrated its longest running show, "The Simpsons," with a Treehouse of Horror 20th Anniversary Party.
The festive and very fun shindig took place Sunday at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
In addition to watching the episode live, partygoers were treated to yummy eats (this included chocolate covered bacon), themed libations such as the Zombie Muncher-ita (made of Patron Tequila, orange liquer and lime juice) and music.
There was a sweet DJ and a raucous, fun-loving group called the Spazmatics (Los Angeles). I guess there are other versions of this cover band all over the country. The Los Angeles chapter, for the record, is the bomb.
Just ask actor Gary "Juicy Busey" Busey who loved rocking out with the guys of Spazmatics.
Busey was in the house because he did a guest voice spot on "The Simpsons" once.
Other celeb attendants included Robert Englund, Fred Willard and Sara Gilbert.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 3:36 PMNBC Web series is a great pick me up
Having a bad day?
Pop on over to InGayleWeTrust.com, one of the funniest Web series I have seen in awhile.
For instance, I was having a bad day recently and Gayle (Elisa Donovan, "Clueless") and her world perked me right up.
In case you haven't seen it yet, "In Gayle We Trust" is an NBC Web series that follows an upbeat insurance agent, wife and mother named Gayle who has to deal with a lot of colorful clients.
Tune in this week when Gayle deals with a cheap couple that pretends to need insurance but they're really using Gayle as a couple's counselor.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby (The Detroit News) on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 2:21 PM'Nip/Tuck' cuts into the bad economy
Christian (Julian McMahon) and Sean (Dylan Walsh) are not immune to the bad economic downturn and bad times mean fewer insecure people want to look beautiful but of course they find a way to make money. Oh boy do they ...
Enjoy the strange ride into plastic town now that FX's "Nip/Tuck" has returned for its sixth and final season.
The new season also means a messy and expensive divorce for Christian and Liz (Roma Maffia) and the return of Kimber (Kelly Carlson).
"Nip/Tuck" airs 10 p.m. Wednesdays on FX.
