Tuned In: TV Blog

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Category: Television

Go South on the Fourth

Catch up or get hooked on SOAPnet's new hit reality series "Southern Belles: Louisville," when a five-episode marathon airs from 3-8 p.m. Saturday.

Relive Emily's hair trauma, Shea's engagement-ring shopping, Julie's birthday party, Hadley's dating drama and Kellie's shocking confessions along with all the laughter, tears, parties, shopping, gossip and romance.

A great rival for those real housewives on that other basic cable network, "Southern Belles: Louisville" is a great holiday weekend distraction.

Category: Television

Shoutout to Billy Mays

Billy Mays was a cool dude.

I liked that he was loud and I liked even more that he never took himself too seriously.

When I heard he died Sunday at the age of 50, I mourned the loss but did feel slight comfort when I watched his Arm & Hammer commercial.

Hopefully you will too.

Category: Television

HBO's 'Hung' party big on punch lines

I would've paid money to be a fly on the wall at HBO's planning meeting for the "Hung" screening party. The conversation with the caterer had to be a hoot.

Surprisingly, the soiree, which took place Wednesday night at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, was tastefully decorated. A vision in white and gold, the outdoor gathering was filled with tables covered in brocade cloth, the same material found on the chaise lounges.

Each table boasted a tranquil floral arrangement made up of white tulips and peonies (that's not sexually suggestive, is it?).

What HBO held back in décor, it more than made up for with sexy food and music.

Dinner items included these super jumbo footlong hotdogs. I mean these suckers were obscenely huge. Imagine two Dodger dogs melded together.

Even funnier was watching people like me -- I wasn't the only one -- trying to cut the dogs in fours and maintain some sense of decorum. And, yes, they were that big.

Other spear-shaped food items included white asparagus (wink, wink, get it?) and chicken skewers.

Dessert proved to be a little lurid but very tasty. Items included chocolate covered frozen bananas, pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate and peanut butter, homemade Twinkies and popsicles (very yummy) and chocolate elairs.

A guy trying to eat one of the frozen bananas found out the hard way how awkward those things are especially at a "Hung" party. Unable to contain my amusement, I did a Nelson and pointed and said "Ha Ha."

To this, the guy replied, "I know. Pretty ridiculous, right?"

But I assured him that he wasn't the only one with this, uhm, problem, and that HBO liked a good laugh. Why else would they serve unfortunately phallic desserts like the one he was eating?

Specialty drinks at the open bar included the breezy tasting 1X Gigolo Mojito (1X or 100 proof Belvedere Vodka, lime juice, mint leaves, lime wedge) and the 1X Well "Hung" Paloma (1X Belvedere vodka, grapefruit juice, lemon-lime soda and a lime wedge).

DJ Pesce, a sweet Lady DJ who also spun the "Big Love" casino party in January, kept the sexy tunes coming. She played everything from Prince's "Kiss" to The Roots' "The Seed" and Moby's "Natural Blues."

Star Thomas Jane was the man of the evening. On some level, he knows "Hung" is going to be a hit and it showed all over his smiling face. He wasn't cocky but he's definitely enjoying the fame to come and practically floated.

Smoking a cigar and bopping around in bare feet, Jane posed for pictures and chatted up partygoers about how he wished his parents would've flown in for the screening.

Also missing was Jane's wife, actress Patricia Arquette, who was apparently working.

Lucky for Jane, Arquette's famous siblings -- Rosanna, David, Alexis and sister-in-law Courteney Cox -- came to show love in her place.

That's what I call a party.

"Hung" debuts 10 tonight on HBO.

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Category: Television

More networks pay tribute to Michael Jackson

A number of networks are paying tribute to the King of Pop Michael Jackson all weekend. Here are a few programs of note:

*"Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration" 8 and 11 tonight on TV One.

*E! News with a special focus on one of the last men to see MJ alive, 7 and 11 tonight on E!

*CBS' "The Early Show" will air at 7 a.m. Saturday and feature Mark Lester, godfather of Michael Jackson's children, live from England; Diane Dimond, investigative reporter; and Shelly Berger, former Jackson Five manager.

*"Michael Jackson -- Man in the Mirror," 8 and 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on CNN.

*"On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" live from Los Angeles, 9 p.m. Saturday on the Fox News Channel.

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Category: Television

TV races to cover the loss of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

Farrah Fawcett died Thursday and reporters far and wide -- present company included -- pushed to get quotes and details for a number of obits and appreciations.

TV Land was the first non-news network to respond. The basic cable network announced it would re-broadcast episodes of "Chasing Farrah," a 2005 reality show TV Land produced.

Look for the first two installments beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday.

NBC and the BIO Channel will also be doing their fair share for Fawcett.

But just as all of us were putting the finishing touches on our Fawcett tributes/obits, the news broke that Michael Jackson had died and I didn't want to believe it.

TMZ broke the story and they don't typically get these things wrong but I was in shock. Fawcett had just died that morning.

Besides, everyone knew the Charlie's Angel was going home soon. Media types had said she was going to die last month.

But MJ's death came from nowhere and I think people are still reeling from this one.

Despite this, NBC, ABC, CBS and even late-comer CNN (the last network to confirm his death) did commendable jobs paying tribute to the King of Pop in all his glory and shame last night.

MTV will continue its tribute with "A Celebration of Michael Jackson on MTV," which will air 6 p.m. today. Up until that point, MTV will air his videos all day.

What a tough week.

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Category: Television

Ed McMahon will be missed

Of course Ed McMahon was born in Detroit.

That explains his easy style, great sense of humor and ability to laugh through the bad times -- hence that silly cash-for-gold ad with the gold toilet.

When I heard that McMahon died Tuesday at the ripe old age of 86, I knew that TV would never be the same.

They just don't make small-screen sidekicks like that guy anymore.

A number of stars have publicly mourned the loss of McMahon.

Comedian Tom Arnold, another wingman of sorts, shared a birthday with McMahon and even worked with him on the WB comedy "The Tom Show" (1997-98).

"I am lucky to have worked with him but even luckier to call him a friend," Arnold told me in an email. "I am sad but grateful Ed doesn't have to suffer anymore. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Pam and his children."

Conan O'Brien also tipped his hat to McMahon, who paved the way for his sidekick, Andy Richter.

"It is impossible I think for anyone to imagine 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson' without Ed McMahon.

"Ed's laugh was really the soundtrack to that show. For 30 years Ed played his part perfectly, he played it with effortless joy, and sitting alongside Johnny, Ed was an indelible part of what I think is the most iconic two-shot in broadcasting history. There will never be anything like that again."

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Category: Television

Actors and musicians show what TV can do for our country

Earlier this week, executives from four major TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) announced that they will be airing a week-long television event in support of national service.

During the week of October 19, service themes and plots will be woven into the network's shows to shine a spotlight on the power and importance of service.

The television event is part of the Entertainment Industry Foundation's new multi-year campaign to help make service and volunteerism a national priority.

The initiative was announced Monday by First Lady Michelle Obama with Entertainment Industry Foundation representatives actors Matthew McConaughey and Kerry Washington and rock star Jon Bon Jovi.

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Category: Television

'Nurse Jackie' is good medicine for summer television

A friend and I were enjoying brunch over the weekend and we started talking about Showtime's new dramatic comedy "Nurse Jackie."

"Do you like it?" she asked me.

I had to think about it before I said yes.

"I do like it," I said. "but she has a husband and two kids and you don't find this out until the end of the first episode. And I just found that too hard to believe. What is Edie Falco? Like 45? I don't buy the husband and I don't buy the kids."

And then it hit me.

Perhaps that's the point. We the viewers get to see two Jackies -- the real one and the fake one.

The real Nurse Jackie is at her best and most authentic when she's in the hospital saving lives and kicking butt.

At home, she plays second fiddle as a subservient wife and mom who is trying to feed her kids breakfast before the school bus arrives.

After I told my friend all this she said, "Sounds like a great show."

And she's right. "Nurse Jackie" is a great show because it made me think and talk about it over French Toast on my day off.

"Nurse Jackie" airs 10:30 p.m. Mondays on Showtime.

Check out what I said about the series on Tavis Smiley's radio show recently.

Category: Television

Lifetime's 'Killer Hair' is drop-dead funny

Journalism nerds and fashionistas alike will love Lifetime's movie of the week "Killer Hair."

Maggie Lawson ("Psych" and "Cleaner") stars as Lacey Smithsonian, a fashion columnist who used to be a very skilled crimes and cops reporter.

When her usually upbeat pal, Angie the hairstylist, supposedly commits suicide, Lacey digs deeper to find out if it was indeed suicide or murder.

The flick, which is based on Ellen Byerrum's "Crime of Fashion" mystery series, is full of all the youth and style Lifetime is aiming for these days. Think "Devil Wears Prada" meets "The Closer."

"Killer Hair" airs 8 p.m. Sunday on Lifetime.

Category: Television

'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' get extremely real

Tune into the first season finale of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" when one raven-haired beauty (Teresa Giudice) attacks another (Danielle Staub).

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" airs 10 p.m. Tuesday on Bravo.