While making the promotional rounds this morning for his film Get Low, Robert Duvall mentioned in two separate interviews that his best work didn't come from any of the five films that earned him Oscar nominations or even the one film that earned him an actual Academy Award (Tender Mercies). Instead, Duvall singled out an '80s television project.
Deadliest Catch features its most emotional episode tonight, and you can bet we'll be glued to our seats, unless fun auditioners from America's Got Talent or a public medical exam on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List rivet us first.
On last night's Real Housewives of New Jersey, Danielle Staub took a cue from the Oscar-winning film Million Dollar Baby and jumped into the boxing ring. An aspiring fighter ever since a teenager ripped the weave out of her head on last week's episode, Danielle trained two hours with Danny, the homophobic Clint Eastwood to her ghoulish Hilary Swank, hoping that somehow, they could both atone for their criminal pasts.
This week on The Bachelorette, Ali had the audacity to expect that her three remaining paramours wouldn't ditch her for ex-girlfriends. What a shame for her. Frank packed up his frozen stare and marched back to his favorite mistake Nicole, but where does that leave Ali? Alone with her BFFNs (Best Friends For Now) at Movieline who know which of the two bachelors she should pick for her big pink televised wedding.
With the season premiere of Mad Men just days away, AMC has done its best to make viewers hoping to hitch a ride onto the critically acclaimed drama feel welcome. That means airing a marathon of the best episodes from season three last night and scheduling Michael Clayton to run before the premiere (so they can capitalize on the "Jon Hamm is the Next George Clooney!" movement). But does this admittedly killer promo take things just a tad too far?
Liz Phair has spent 17 years in the recording industry as a saint and a "sellout," a cavalier grandmaster of articulation whose monotone delivery and Stones-y dispassion on Exile in Guyville, her breakout 1993 album, inspired countless confessional female singer-songwriters. Now, after being declared a pop misfit with her self-titled album in 2003, Phair returns to her fringe roots with Funstyle, a record she released online herself July 3. In it, she discusses her new gig, one that's already garnered her an ASCAP award: television composer.
Yesterday, General Hospital viewers were finally rewarded for staying tuned throughout James Franco's performance arty arc when the Milk actor stirred a heaping spoonful of meta into Port Charles. Click through to watch James Franco laugh and cringe while watching his own gratuitously dramatic General Hospital scenes... unless, of course, you are "bound by doubt and insecurity -- chains of consciousness that paralyze ordinary people."
Yes, Sylvester Stallone promoted The Expendables by discussing his dog's private parts. Meanwhile, Horatio Sanz made a crude Bigfoot joke to sell his new Comedy Central series, Jay Baruchel outed Morgan Freeman as a Jew expert, and Mary Lynn Rajskub found herself in an awkward, sexually-charged stand-off with Craig Ferguson and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Wake up the Say Whaaaa? Singers! Erstwhile Tonight Show staff writer Deon Cole announced (via Twitter, natch) that the Emmy "powers that be" have determined not to televise this year's announcement for Best Writing in a Late Night Show -- for which, of course, the short-lived Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is nominated. Emmycaster NBC is not blamed for the decision -- yet -- but the implications are clear. Leno-centric conspiracy theorists, start your engines... [Twitter via Videogum]
Also in this morning's TV Bites: Sean Combs' ex-employee gets a reality show... the Family Guy "abortion episode" comes out of hiding... and Donald Trump fires his latest Celebrity Apprentice conquest.
DirecTV is ending this long, hot Monday on a high note. The company has announced that it is rescuing Damages from cancellation by offering a two-season run to the FX series, which has garnered Glenn Close back-to-back Emmys. What's more, unlike Friday Night Lights (where DirecTV partnered with NBC), Damages will not have a second run on a broadcast network. Now, if only DirecTV could save Party Down... [NYT]
As if in sympathy for The Sorcerer's Apprentice's box-office wilt, the week in prime cable picks scans like a visit to Misfit Camp -- a barrage of movie freaks, oddballs, rejects and fringe-dwellers...
Tonight, Jane Lynch adds another credit to her IMDB resume and guns for an Emmy nomination in a non-acting category. Nope, she's not emulating Madonna in a Sue Sylvester concert spectacular, and she's also not guest-starring on a network drama. Even better: With the aid of VH1, she's trying out her hosting chops.
Let this be a lesson to all comedy festival organizers: If Conan O'Brien misses your event because of unforeseen career changes, he will make it up to you by visiting your city six months later for a rambling, wine-fueled appearance in which he talks about everything from toilet-trained felines to his fans.
Feuds between huffy View panelists and loudmouth comedians aren't exactly titillating on paper, but Elisabeth Hasselbeck's war of whines with Kathy Griffin is a surprisingly good time. Today, Hasselbeck lashed out against Griffin for joking on My Life on the D-List that Sen. Scott Brown had "two daughters who are prostitutes," calling Griffin "scum." Did she have a point this time?
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