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The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Cable, FX, HBO, Entourage, Editorial, Features

60th Primetime Emmy Awards logo

Even though the previous television season was marred by the annoying writers’ strike, I find myself really excited for the . Not only will this ceremony give us a chance to start anew, it’ll be the academy’s chance to celebrate what’s new.

Tonight, two basic cable shows (Damages, Mad Men) will get a chance to win for Outstanding Drama Series. (That would be an Emmy first.) Meanwhile, nominees in several categories will have an opportunity to compete in a Sopranos-less environment. An added bonus? A new category. This year, reality show hosts will finally be acknowledged for their programming contributions as well.

So who won? Who lost? Who ran up and grabbed the award even though they didn’t win? Read our West Coast play-by-play account of this evening’s telecast and find out!

Click to continue reading The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards

Read More | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

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Jay Leno’s Last Day Announced

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, NBC, Gossip, News, Rumors

Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien

What seemed so far off in the future has now been given a date. ’s departure from The Tonight Show will happen on May 29, 2009.

This calendar announcement was announced earlier Monday by NBC. The news ended any speculation that the network might chicken out and keep the ratings winner in place a bit longer. Also solidifying the decision made years ago was the date chosen for ’s time shift: June 1.

Click to continue reading Jay Leno’s Last Day Announced

Read More | Hollywood Reporter

Jimmy Fallon Takes Over for Conan O’Brien

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Comedy, Late Night, NBC, Saturday Night Live, News

DescriptionWhat was rumored over a year ago is now finally set to happen.  Jimmy Fallon has been tapped to be Conan O’Brien’s late-night successor.

Speculation as to who would fill the 12:30 AM slot has been ongoing since NBC decided to end ’s run back in 2004.  With the 2009 deadline now approaching, the network is formally expected to reveal its newest golden child next month.  (I guess that means more ‘Last Calls’ for snubbed Carson Daly.)

Since leaving , Fallon has appeared in a few film projects including last year’s Factory Girl with Sienna Miller.

Read More | Hollywood Reporter

Late Night War Ends in Violence

Posted by K.C. Morgan
Categories: Comedy, Late Night, Talk Shows, Cable, NBC, Gossip, Video

Conan O'Brien delivers Jon Stewart and Stephen ColbertWell after finished for the evening, when most people were thinking about getting to bed, the began to heat up...again. Let’s re-cap.

host took exception to host ’s claim that O’Brien “made” Presidential contender . Conan responded on his show that he, O’Brien, actually made Colbert. host offered video evidence that in fact Stewart made O’Brien. Thus, the world was put to rights again.

Until a certain redhead (O’Brien) presented a photo depicting himself delivering both Colbert and Stewart, thus proving that he in fact made them both - and by extension, Huckabee. For those who missed it, this battle all came to head last night. Conan threatened to “kick some Comedy Central ass” and so, Stewart and Colbert showed up to give him exactly this opportunity.  (You can see the video clip, after the jump.)

Click to continue reading Late Night War Ends in Violence

Read More | Late Night With Conan O'Brien

The Battle of the Late Night Hosts

Posted by K.C. Morgan
Categories: Comedy, Late Night, Talk Shows, Cable, NBC, Daily Show, The, Gossip

Jon Stewart and Stephen ColbertIn an epic match-up, post- hosts are facing off in a battle for the ages.  It’s a contest of wills that dares a meeting of and network TV that could rock more than one snarky show.

Well, perhaps it isn’t as big as all that - but it is mildly entertaining and it’s giving a little much-needed fodder in this strange world without TV . Like as not, even the best late night programs have been faltering. is opening every episode by flicking paper footballs randomly toward his audience, and on Tuesday’s episode played with clam shells instead of monologuing. Thankfully, Colbert recently picked a fight with fellow host to keep us all amused.

Here’s the breakdown: Colbert invited Presidential contender onto , thus granting him the highly coveted “Colbert bump.” Naturally, Huckabee’s popularity increased - and even he attributed this climb to Colbert. So, when Conan O’Brien claimed to be the real puppet master behind Huckabee’s success, Colbert was affronted.

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Read More | Huffington Post

This Week on TV (12/31-1/6)

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Comedy, Drama, Games, Late Night, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Specials, Sports, Talk Shows, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, HBO, MTV, NBC, Showtime, Apprentice, The - Donald, Desperate Housewives, ER

Dick Clark, Ryan Seacrest

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

MONDAY (12/31)

  • Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2008 (ABC, 10pm):  and will co-host the event.  Is old enough to be associated with a drinking holiday?
  • New Year’s Eve Live (FOX, 11pm):  Idol alums and will perform.  In just a few short weeks, we’ll start caring about a new batch of .
  • Tila Tequila’s New Year’s Eve Masquerade (MTV, 11pm):  NYC masked ball will include Kid Rock and Mary J. Blige.  Has it already been a year since we were forced to watch and kiss?
  • NBC’s New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly (NBC, 11:35pm):  Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz will be performing.  This may be the first time in a while someone has stayed awake to watch show.

Click to continue reading This Week on TV (12/31-1/6)


David Letterman Returns With Writer Support

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, Cable, CBS, NBC, Daily Show, The, News

David Letterman has accomplished what no other late night host has managed to do: reach an agreement with the writers.  Of course, owning your own company does have its perks.

Letterman and his production company, WorldWide Pants, have been sitting down with the for some time now in hopes of working out a deal.  Late today, the two sides came to terms on an independent agreement that would allow both and to come back on Jan. 2nd.  Although the two talk shows will technically be competing with the returns of Leno, O’Brien and Kimmel, CBS will easily have the advantage.  Letterman and will be the only ones with the scripted jokes.

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart will also be returning - sans writers - on January 7th.

Read More | Reuters

Surprises in Store for Late Night TV

Posted by K.C. Morgan
Categories: Late Night, Cable, NBC, Daily Show, The, Gossip

Stephen ColbertIf you’ve attempted to watch TV at all in the last two months, you know there’s an active in the works. Despite the picket lines, lots of studios are “encouraging” their hosts to get and back behind the desk.

, , and (among others) all intend to bring their shows back to the air beginning in January - but this time, they’re doing it without their writers. When it comes to television, this action is very much like walking a tightrope in the circus…with no safety net.

The hosts are members of the themselves, meaning they’ll have to pass by their union brothers and sisters on their way to work every morning (or afternoon, as the case may be). This membership also means the hosts themselves must continue to follow union rules, and will be subject to the terms and conditions therein. For instance, monologues and talk segments (like Colbert’s The Word) may no longer be part of the program. So…what, then, will viewers see on late night in January? For one, you won’t be getting scripted segments.

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Read More | Yahoo! News

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart Return to Work

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, Cable, CBS, NBC, Daily Show, The, Announcements, News

Jon Stewart has just announced the January return of its two late-night talk show hosts.  and will ring in their new years on January 7th, five days after Kimmel, Leno and O’Brien have scheduled their starts.  and - like the ABC and NBC programs - will resume production sans writers.  What this means for these ‘news’ shows and their largely scripted formats is unknown.

Stewart and Colbert, who are also members of the , released a joint statement about the decision:

‘’We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence.’’

Meanwhile, we may get details later today about the plans for late-night programs.  company, Worldwide Pants, will be meeting with members of the WGA today.  If they can reach an interim agreement, both and could also be hitting the airwaves - with scribes - come January 2nd.

No matter how you feel about the writers’ situation, what do you think about The Daily Show and The Colbert Report returning?  Could they possibly be as good as they were pre-strike—or do you think the quality will suffer?  Will you simply be happy to see them back regardless of the content?

Read More | Variety

Jimmy Kimmel Joins Late Night Returns

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, CBS, NBC, News

Jimmy kimmel has announced the return of , effective Jan. 2nd.  The talk show will air new episodes the same evening and also start anew.  Despite their support of the WGA, all three hosts hope their participation can prevent other job losses.

Although an official announcement has not yet been made, CBS may soon be seeing a spark of life in late-night as well.  and his company, Worldwide Pants, are hoping to broker an independent deal with the union.  This could allow his program and the to return with their normal writers in tow.

Read More | Hollywood Reporter

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