Monthly Archives: September 2010

MTV’s New ‘TRL’ is ‘The Seven’

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 27, 2010

It’s been nearly two years since “TRL” quit after a decade and 2,247 episodes. But there’s still a need for MTV to have a later afternoon live weekday show, if only to cash in on favors and give promotional time to stars pimping new movies or releasing new albums. Enter “The Seven,” which began its [...]

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Nasim Pedrad Starts 2nd Season at ‘SNL’

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 25, 2010

Nasim Pedrad begins her second season at “Saturday Night Live” tonight, quite a mean feat for the show’s first Iranian-born cast member; not everybody who was invitd to join last year lasted (Jenny Slate, to whom she is often confused). Penrad made her mark with some key impersonations of Kim Kardashian and Sonia Sotomayor. Owing [...]

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Playlist 9-24-10

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 24, 2010

Started with some new stuff from John Legend with the Roots, new stuff from Neil Young, Weezer, Blonde Redhead and Clinic. Heralded upcoming shows by Ra Ra Riot, Bettie Serveert, Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles and Mates of State. Closed with a bunch of Chuck Berry. Here’s what I played on the radio this [...]

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The Rise and Fall of the British Judge

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 23, 2010

When the 10th season of “American Idol” begins in January, it will be for the first time it comes without a British accent. It’s been known for nine months that Simon Cowell will be leaving the program. But as the distinctively blunt, acerbic and most opinionated judge on the panel, he was also the show’s [...]

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‘Detroit 1-8-7′ Minus Its Docu-Style

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 21, 2010

It would have been the trend of the fall TV season: The influence of docu-drama reality show techniques on actual dramas; the blurring of the two by using nonfiction storytelling tools into fiction, all leading to the notion that for Hollywood writers and actors, if you can’t fight em, imitate em. The fake documentary has [...]

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The First Dance of Bristol Palin and The Situation

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 21, 2010

In addition to propping up sagging careers and boosting network numbers, “Dancing with the Stars” may also prove useful in helping cut down young tabloid stars to size. The 11th season premiere of the ABC hit Monday almost singlehandedly quashed the confidence of the “Jersey Shore” star The Situation, and made it seem even more [...]

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What is ‘The Event’? Answer is Coming Soon

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 21, 2010

For those first night samplers who fear they may never know what “The Event” is all about: Producer Even Katz says “we’re very cognizant of the audience’s patience, of rewarding the audience. I mean, the show’s really designed to answer questions, to satisfy people, to keep them hooked, frankly, but yet keep posing questions.” But [...]

Posted in Summer TV Press Tour 2010 | Comments closed

Nucky Days: Scorsese Does ‘Boardwalk Empire’

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 19, 2010

“Broadway Empire,” the biggest new TV show of the season, which starts tonight, began as a suggestion from HBO to a writer who had already spent years writing about New Jersey gangsters. “Toward the end of ‘The Sopranos,’” Terence Winter told writers at the TV Critics Press Tour in Los Angeles last month, “HBO came [...]

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‘Boardwalk Empire:’ Buscemi’s Role of a Lifetime

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 19, 2010

Usually, he’s seen in memorable supporting roles with colorful names – two-bit thief Carl Showalter in “Fargo,” Donny Kerabatsos in “The Big Lebowski,” the hapless Seymour in “Ghost World,” Tony Blundetto in “The Sopranos.” Sunday, he gets the biggest role of his career, portraying the Atlantic City kingpin Nucky Thompson in the lavish “Boardwalk Empire” [...]

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Fall TV Preview: Fridays

By Roger Catlin | Published: September 18, 2010

There seems to be a little life in Fridays on TV, which in recent seasons has been left for dead by networks. But only a little. Here’s how the week rounds out in our survey of the new fall TV season: NEW SHOWS “Blue Bloods” (CBS, 10 p.m., starts Sept. 24). Seems, on paper, to [...]

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