Ken Burns Tackles National Parks in 2009 Offering

Posted by Jacci Lewis Categories: Mini Series, Reality, PBS, Announcements, Editorial, News

Mark out some time in 2009. PBS says it will air Ken Burns new documentary on America’s national parks sometime in the fall of that year.

The 12-hour, six-part documentary is called “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”.

According to the Associated Press the series traces the origins and growth of the national park system over 150 years. The series will highlight both the lofty idealism that lead to their creation and the opportunism of some who sought to make money on some of America’s most majestic natural locales.

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Read More | Associated Press

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Kill Bill Stars Reunite for Kung Fu Killer

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Drama, Mini Series, Prime Time, Cable, News

Five years after making Uma Thurman‘s life a living hell, two of the actors from Kill Bill have reunited for another martial-arts project.

This time around, David Carradine and Daryl Hannah are starring in Kung Fu Killer, a two-part revenge movie (sound familiar?) being produced for Spike TV. In Killer, Carradine (White Crane) plays a monk whose mentor is killed by mercenaries. During his attempt to find the suspects, Crane eventually crosses paths with a lounge singer (Hannah) whose brother is being held captive by the same bad guys.

The miniseries - which was shot entirely in China - will air on Spike sometime this August.

Read More | Futon Critic

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The Opposite of the Grammy Awards: ‘Masterpiece Theater’s Pride and Prejudice’

Posted by Jacci Lewis Categories: Drama, Mini Series, Prime Time, BBC, PBS, Editorial

If you are looking for an alternative to the Grammy Awards tonight (live at 8 p.m. ET on CBS) here is one, no actually here is the absolute opposite of the Grammy Awards: Masterpiece Theater.

Okay before you frantically click to close this story consider this: one of the best adaptations of a Jane Austen book begins tonight on the venerable PBS series.

BBC’s 1995 version of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice begins it’s three part run tonight on PBS at 9 p.m. as part of Masterpiece Theater’s The Complete Jane Austen series.

The series has already presented admirable new versions of Persuasion, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey as well as Miss Austen Regrets, a film biography that tells the story of Jane Austen’s lost loves and why she herself, never married. Miss Austen Regrets stars Olivia Williams of The Sixth Sense (1999) and Rushmore (1998) fame. All of these Austen titles are well worth the time and effort it would take to seek them out on DVD or even read them!

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This Week on TV (1/14-1/20)

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Daytime, Drama, Games, Mini Series, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, ABC, Cable, CBS, FX, FOX, NBC, The CW, American Idol, Apprentice, The - Donald, ER, Nip/Tuck, Prison Break

(You can view the whole Revamped TV Programming Schedule here.)

MONDAY (1/14)

• Prison Break (FOX, 8pm):  Season resumes.  “Michael suffers the consequences of solitary confinement, Sona-style.”  I hate to think we left him in there these past few months.
• Kyle XY (ABC Family, 8pm):  Second season resumes.  “Kyle returns to the Tragers to tell them truth about his existence.”  Maybe ABC should consider stealing this show to fill their schedule.  Otherwise, I’ll never get around to watching it.
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX, 9pm):  Regular day and time.  “John grows restless and sneaks out of the house to track down Charley Dixon.”  Maybe they should have recast Edward Furlong.  He would have filled this punk role perfectly.
• CSI: Miami (CBS, 10pm):  Actress Elizabeth Berkeley guest-stars as Horatio’s ex and Kyle’s mother.  Wouldn’t it have made more sense if she was on the regular CSI?  Then they could have linked it back to her Showgirls years.

Click to continue reading This Week on TV (1/14-1/20)

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This Week on TV (1/7-1/13)

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Award Shows, Comedy, Daytime, Drama, Food & Home, Games, Late Night, Mini Series, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, Sports, Talk Shows, ABC, Bravo, Cable, CBS, NBC, Syndication, The CW, Daily Show, The, Medium, My Name Is Earl

(Reminder: You can view the whole Revamped TV Programming Schedule here.)

MONDAY (1/7)

• The View (ABC, check local listings):  Elisabeth Hasselbeck returns from maternity leave.  I’d gladly sacrifice her to the union gods for an end to the writers’ strike.
• Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (ABC, 8pm):  Here’s our chance to see if the DWTS judges can actually teach what they preach.
• American Gladiators (NBC, 8pm):  “In the men’s competition, an engineer takes on a radiation-control technician.”  The year of the nerd has now officially spilled over into 2008.
• Medium (NBC, 10pm):  Season four premiere.  “Allison has creepy visions of a boy being kidnapped from a toy store.”  I never did trust that Geoffrey Giraffe.
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel Channel, 10pm):  Anthony travels to Singapore for his latest season premiere.  I don’t like traveling with crusty people, but I love watching them venture on TV.
• The Daily Show/The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 11:30pm):  Tonight Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will crank out their versions of a writer-less show.  God love ‘em for trying.

Click to continue reading This Week on TV (1/7-1/13)

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‘Tin Man’: SciFi Channel Meets ‘Wizard of Oz’

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Mini Series, Sci-Fi/Horror, Cable

I was probably five years old the first time I watched The Wizard of Oz, under the assurances from my grandmother that I was sure to love the movie. Unfortunately, I was so completely terrified by the Wicked Witch of the West that I didn’t make it to the end of the yellow brick road until I was closer to the age of ten. But in the end, she was right. Besides achieving acclaim and immortality as one of the greatest American film classics of all time, The Wizard of Oz has also been heralded as the only true fairy tale to come from the U.S. From the moment Judy Garland-as-Dorothy Gale opens that black-and-white door to reveal a world filled with color, there is no question that viewers are about to be treated to a fantastical delight. That element of fantasy is exactly what the SciFi Channel hopes to capture with Tin Man.

Zooey Deschanel (whose little sister is the star of FOX’s Bones) will play a more rebellious, modern-day Dorothy, this time with a motorcycle and a new moniker (DG). Like the famed movie itself, the mini-series is based on the L. Frank Baum novel. Basically, it’s a tale about growing up…and staying young at heart. The SciFi version, in keeping with the network, will be darker, more intense, and contain an element of the extraordinary.

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Read More | Yahoo! News

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The Price of Striking Writers

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Daytime, Drama, Late Night, Mini Series, Prime Time, News

The writer’s strike is still going strong, though new negotiations are scheduled to begin next week. That’s a really good thing, too, considering how expensive all these picket lines are getting. If the strike continues into next month, it’s projected that LA will lose $20 million – per day. It won’t just affect our TV watching and give a real boost to reality shows, it will actually hurt the economy of the entertainment-based city.

For those who forgot, the disputing writer’s guild wants to split more revenue with the Alliance of Producers, who don’t want to give it up. That’s what’s been keeping the picket lines going.  The last strike, by the way, lasted 22 weeks and cost right around $500 million, all told.

Read More | LA Times

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TV on DVD: October 9, 2007

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Mini Series, Prime Time, Sci-Fi/Horror, CBS, The CW, Degrassi, Everybody Hates Chris, DVD

Here are some of the TV-on-DVD options you can find on the shelves this Tuesday:

• Degrassi High (The Complete Collection)
• Roots (The Complete Collection)
• Roots: The Next Generations (Four-Disc Set)
• Stargate SG-1 (The Complete Series)
• Everybody Hates Chris (Season 2)
• Family Ties (Season 2)
• Girlfriends (Season 2)
• CSI: NY (Season 3)
• Murder, She Wrote (Season 7)

Click here to see the Movies-On-DVD options for this week.
Click here to see the new titles released on HD DVD and Blu-Ray.

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Andromeda Strain reborn as USA miniseries

Posted by Shannon Bennett Categories: Drama, Mini Series, Cable

I’m going to be honest, I’m not surprised that someone is re-doing Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain.  After all, since there’s a new pod person movie on the loose, films made (and remade) in the 70’s are now fair game for re-adapting.  Andromeda is being packaged out in a neat television mini series for USA with a cast headed up by Benjamin Bratt, who will play the formidable Dr. Jeremy Stone.

This role will be a step away from Bratt’s usual, in that he will now be playing a doctor instead of a cop.  I can’t help but wonder though, since it was constant in Law and Order, Miss Congeniality, and the unfortunate Catwoman - will Bratt finally get a change of costume?

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The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Coverage

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Animation, Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Mini Series, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, Specials, ABC, Bravo, Cable, CBS, FX, FOX, HBO, NBC, Showtime, 24, Amazing Race, The, American Idol, Daily Show, The, Dancing With The Stars, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Extras, Family Guy, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, House, Lost, Medium, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, Saturday Night Live, Survivor, The Office, The Sopranos, Top Chef

The 59th Annual Emmy Awards has not even started, yet I’m already sensing sensing a weird vibe about tonight’s telecast.  Will the show be a celebration of those young and new (e.g. Heroes)?  Will it be a tribute to those bowing out (James Gandolfini and crew)?  Or will performer Kanye West somehow manage to cast a controversial shadow over the rest of the ceremony?

What a difference a year makes.  Twelve months ago, we were still handing out trophies to stars from Will & Grace and The West Wing (those shows feel so five-years ago now).  Today, we welcome a new crop of nominees including Ugly Betty and 30 Rock for Best Comedy.  Last year, we were entertained by an always-hilarious Conan O’Brien.  This year, we are threatened by a song and dance number from this year’s host, Ryan Seacrest.  Last August, 24 snagged the award for Best Drama.  This September, it’s not even nominated (yet somehow Boston Legal is).

I think it would be safe to assume the voters would predictably (and respectfully) shower The Sopranos with honors, but I’ll still be crossing my fingers for an upset sometime tonight.  We’ll need something to talk about tomorrow…

Here’s the play-by-play of tonight’s events coming to you from the neglected West Coast!

Click to continue reading The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Coverage

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