There is a definite trend this season on Saturday Night Live: Anytime the younger cast members have a good week (as they did during the Gwyneth Paltrow-hosted show), they're usually nowhere to be found during the next show. Save for Jay Pharoah, no featured player made much of an impact on an episode dominated by veterans. But how did the rest of the cast rank? To the Relevancy Poll!
Unless Sandra Bullock is toasting Betty White, the Screen Actors Guild Awards rarely provide much to write home about. Yeah, the SAGs often foretell the Oscars, but Sunday's ceremony was a limp sequence of tributes, forgettable speeches, and Golden Globe regurgitation. There were really only 15 relevant moments from the two-hour telecast, and some of them might be fabricated. Click ahead for the mostly true review.
A "cocky" Jesse Eisenberg hosted last night's edition of Saturday Night Live, though his performance was a bit lost in the excitement from the worst kept secret of the week: The actor's first (OK, maybe second, considering that they most likely caught up during dress rehearsal) face-to-face meeting with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, whom Eisenberg portrayed in The Social Network. But, stunt cameos aside, how did the recent Oscar nominee fare?
Now that Comcast (or Kabletown) has officially taken over NBC from General Electric, they have a big problem on their hands in the form of returning NBC to its past glory. The Movieline solution: Fun NBC-themed promos! Seriously, where have these been? Specifically, just recreate this "The Stars are Back on NBC" promo featuring Michael Richards sliding down an animated staircase into the waiting arms of a signing Crystal Bernard from Wings. Also, Joey Lawrence says, "Whoa," Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric make out, and John Larroquette picks a star out of his eyeball. Problem solved! And if it doesn't work, just bring back Seinfeld.
I know, I should just be happy that Michael Scott and David Brent finally crossed paths on last night's episode of The Office. Oh, sure, while I was watching the scene I felt nothing but unadulterated glee, but soon after I made the mistake of trying to think through the repercussions of Brent's appearance in Michael Scott's universe. (Yes, I've spent way too much time analyzing the Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis, which is also somewhat involved here, too.) What I'm left with is: How did these two people, living thousands of miles apart, once live a day with the exact same events occurring?
There's been a lot of buzz about Glee's upcoming mid-season premiere, and with good reason: It's being heralded as the most expensive episode of television ever produced for the golden time slot following the Super Bowl. Finally, Fox has released a preview of the expected insanity that will ensue when Schue, Sue and the gang return on Feb. 6 for what appears to be the most random installment yet, "The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle." Take a look for yourselves after the jump.
As usual, American Idol's trek to the frittered ole South produced enough twang to keep Larry the Cable Guy movies in business for over six decades. We were treated to a 15-year-old singer who basically threatened to bench Gwyneth Paltrow using only country strength, as well as a coupla duettin' troubadours who believe singing and crying should take place at the same time. They are mistaken.
Forget the Winklevoss Twins. When you tune into NBC this Saturday night, you may get triple The Social Network pleasure. That's because Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is rumored to be making a cameo alongside host and Network star Jesse Eisenberg. What do you say to a good old-fashioned Zuckerberg-off between Andy Samberg, Eisenberg and the man himself? [NYP]
On last night's Conan, Jane Lynch explained, with regret, how she foiled her own meeting with superstar Brad Pitt at this month's Golden Globes. Elsewhere, Bill O'Reilly revealed that Nazi analogies are not so bad, Melissa Leo's mom hates on The Fighter, and Conan inducted an Oscar winner into his F-Bomb Hall of Fame.
The second season of Bravo's The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection came to swishy, yet tasteful conclusion on Tuesday. Iman reigned over the final three competitors like her queenly cameo in the "Remember the Time" video never ended, and Isaac Mizrahi helped award his favorite designer a deserving victory. Once again we caught up with Mizrahi to discuss choosing a winner, his feelings about a third season, and what he helped teach Bravo.
Just how possible is it to like the audition rounds of American Idol? 35%? Or so? Less? They're such unending trials of schmaltz, nerves, and cruelty, packing none of the torch-song determination of the competitive weeks. American Idol's supposed to make us say, "I want to live" and not "I want to cry for the rate of idiocy in the heartland." Oh, Milwaukee. The tryouts in Wisconsin's most beer-friendly city were fine, but only these three auditions (including a young lady I will soon call Harmonic-a Lewinsky) made the evening worth our cheeseheaded devotion.
If you're a gleebaser like me, you're going through serious withdrawal right about now from Fox's Golden Globe-winning comedy. Because while other network series returned from hiatus last week, Ryan Murphy's cast is waiting until Feb. 6 to bounce back from their long holiday vacation with the wildly anticipated post-Super Bowl episode, "The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle." To tide you over until Glee's zombie-riffic 2011 premiere, here are a few excerpts from Dianna Agron's leg of the I Am Number Four (the Michael Bay and Stephen Spielberg-produced sci-fi film she stars in with Alex Pettyfer and Timothy Olyphant next month) press junket, in which the actress gamely described her gift to the Glee cast, explained why she won't go to the Super Bowl and recounted her own experience with prejudice back in Texas.
Last night, John Cryer stopped by Conan to discuss the crazy antics of his notorious co-star Charlie Sheen -- tales of stolen cars and call girls included! (In fact, Conan had to cut off the story when Cryer started giving too much detail.) Elsewhere, Amy Poehler explained that creepy candy striper stock photo floating around the internet, Stephen Colbert joked about killing the homeless, and Annette Bening told Jay Leno about her former Oscar agreement.
Two new SNL videos have emerged from Studio 8H on this lazy Wednesday afternoon: The first highlights a pair of promos for this weekend's Jesse Eisenberg-hosted show, where Bill Hader congratulates The Social Network star for his Oscar nomination. Standard stuff. Not the second video, though, which features a rare look at the SNL dress rehearsal. Have you ever wanted to see Seth Meyers sarcastically berate the crowd for not responding correctly to his "Update" jokes -- a sin which means that joke will not air during the live broadcast? Here's your chance! Also, if you think that Hader has difficulty getting through his lines as Stefon on the live broadcasts, you really need to watch how hard it is for him at dress rehearsal.
In today's very special Oscar nominee edition of Late Night Highlights, James Franco celebrates his 127 Hours nod by getting stuck under a mini-fridge, and then lamenting the fact that none of his students recognized his Academy Award achievement. Elsewhere, Hailee Steinfeld parodied True Grit with Jimmy Kimmel and Tom Arnold consoled the Oscar rejects -- that means you, Julianne Moore.
FILM NEWS 
