Congratulations to the 21 hardcore Lost fans who risked blood clots and other serious health and boredom-related complications to sit through all 121 episodes at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square this week. And to the 80 or so fans who dropped out over the four-day marathon event -- in spite of paramedics on hand -- better luck next time. The Sun reported last month that the first 280 fans would be allowed to participate in the London event. BBC News notes that only a hundred or so Londoners actually showed up to attempt setting the world record -- for longest continuous cinema sitting. [BBC]
The date Oct. 30 had special significance in yesterday's P.M. programming. For starters, Jon Hamm discussed his Saturday Night Live hosting gig taking place on that date -- and then addressed those ugly Superman rumors. Elsewhere, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert announced that they will be storming the National Mall on the same day to host a rally in the nation's capital. Meanwhile, in unrelated late night news, Ben Affleck reunited with Jimmy Kimmel and William Shatner made Craig Ferguson uncomfortable by talking at length about cigars.
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Some controversial casting decisions aside -- bring back Jenny Slate! -- this season of Saturday Night Live is shaping up quite well. Emma Stone will host the show on Oct. 23, with Jon Hamm returning for a third straight season the following week. They join the already announced Amy Poehler, Bryan Cranston and Jane Lynch as hosts so far this season. Get excited. [Splitsider]
Also in this morning's TV Bites: Glee and 24 showrunners form odd couple to produce a new show for Fox... a Twilight alum heads to The Good Wife... and more ahead.
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The Daily Show host Jon Stewart announced plans for a "Return to Sanity" march October 30 in Washington D.C. which will attempt to tone down the political fervor we're used to from politicians and pundits. "Think of our event as Woodstock, but with the nudity and drugs replaced by respectful disagreement," Stewart said. On the same day, Stephen Colbert will hold a competing "March to Keep Fear Alive" which will advance the same message except, you know, through satire. Sounds like fun, but are competing rallies possible when both shows have the same fan base? [Rally to Restore Sanity, Keep Fear Alive]
You heard the announcement before the announcement: Fox will officially name the 2011 American Idol judges lineup this Wednesday. Sounds like Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson are shoo-ins -- but what if they aren't? Fast, while someone can still print this off and deposit it in Cecile Frot-Coutaz's cubbyhole, let's list 100 more exciting options who could fill Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi's old jobs.
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Sometimes showing up for a talk show interview under the influence won't hurt your career (see: Danny DeVito, Ben Affleck, Bruce Willis, et al.), but other times -- say, when you're just starting to get steady work on-camera -- showing up drunk for a late night segment can get you blacklisted by one of the most powerful P.M. personalities. Just ask Dax Shepard, who learned that lesson the hard way.
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Teen moms are so hot right now, but what about preteen moms? Perhaps we'll soon find out on Desperate Housewives, now that the show has cast Nancy Travis and John Schneider as the parents to new resident himbo Brian Austin Green, despite the fact that Travis and Schneider are only twelve and thirteen years older than their onscreen son, respectively. Will this season's mystery involve time travel and Life & Style cover stories? [EW]
Consider today the announcement before the announcement. Fox will unveil the new American Idol judges next Wednesday at The Forum in Los Angeles. Exciting! Whoever will they pick? (Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson.) [THR/The Live Feed]
Tonight is a momentous occasion, Mad Men fans: We get to see if January Jones can talk about fashion and style as a judge on Project Runway without the aid of costumer Janie Bryant standing in the wings. Elsewhere on the tube, look out for the return of The Apprentice, the verve of Nikita, and the stamina of one of the highest-grossing '90s action movies.
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We'll conceal the champion until after the jump, but America's Got Talent crowned its fifth-season victor last night to the delight of many and to the abject disappointment of others. Let's break down the potential for mainstream success (and credibility).
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It was assumed that NBC waited so long to renew Community last year because of the less than stellar ratings -- even disposed to mid-season, Parks & Recreation was picked up before Community. If the press screener for the season premiere of the comedy is any indication, however, perhaps the network executives waited so long to bring Community back for season two because they couldn't find it on their television schedules. Click ahead for the snafu of the day.
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If you've watched any of Survivor's 19 previous seasons, you know its competitors talk mad sh*t, unleash defensive monologues at the drop of an Immunity Idol, and give the nuttiest confessionals in all of television (sorry, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami), but most importantly, you know that Survivor's evictees often leave a trail of bad decisions about a mile wide. With that in mind, Movieline is beginning its weekly review of Survivor's castoffs, hoping to shed light on the soundbites, actions, and missteps that have led to their demise.
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We had to survive 75 days, 24 chum baths, two showmances, and one shrieking Vegas cocktail waitress, but Big Brother 12 has finally passed. Phew. Summer really is over! Click through for the last BB repulsion rankings of the season.
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As we all know by now, Bravo is an aspirational network for arts-loving gays, tattooed chefs, and sociopathic Botox addicts, and you might think that in light of the wealthy demographic the network attracts that it would take good care of its stars. Not so much, reveals art critic Jerry Saltz, who served as the most outspoken judge on the hopelessly addictive summer series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. "I certainly did not do it for the money -- I made in the mid-three figures per episode -- or the hours," he wrote in New York. Is this why the Watch What Happens set costs six dollars? [New York]
