Monthly Archives: July 2011

Thursday TV: Ninth Season Start for ‘Runway,’ ‘Shore’ Refresher

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 28, 2011

Twenty designers have been assembled to start season nine of “Project Runaway” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.), the most in series history. But they will immediately have to plead their case before Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Tim Gunn to explain why they deserve to be one of the 16 who will have a chance [...]

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Afternoon with Anderson Cooper

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 27, 2011

Anderson Cooper, CNN’s biggest primetime name, had his start in daytime talk shows at age 8 on “The Mike Douglas Show,” dressed as a Munchkin in an original costume from “The Wizard of Oz.” The segment was cut. But he did try to fool panelists on “To Tell the Truth” at age 9, lying that [...]

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Among ‘The Simpsons’ Animators

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 27, 2011

In the large dark room of the nondescript building across from the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank where “The Simpsons” is produced, rows and rows of artists slump over their drawings, thousands of which will be needed to produce a show. It brings to mind the famous “couch gag” by the notorious artist Banksy that [...]

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Why ‘The Simpsons’ are Yellow

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 27, 2011

David Silverman, the longest serving director on “The Simpsons” and director of record on the “Simpsons” movies says the family – and most of the townspeople of Springfield – are of that hue because Bart, Lisa and Maggie are blondes. And animators were hesitant to add a hairline to the early character designs of Matt [...]

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How Twitter is Changing Television

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 27, 2011

When show host Jeff Probst sent his first tweet in February for last season’s “Survivor” premiere, his network was not exactly keen on it. “CBS did not like me tweeting in the beginning,” Probst says. “They were like, ‘What? No.’” Eventually, they relented enough to say, “We’re not going to tell you not to do [...]

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Angie Harmon Fights the Law

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 27, 2011

Rail thin Angie Harmon leans back in the chair of her desk – supposedly a  Boston homicide unit – on the Paramount set of the hit cable show “Rizzoli & Isles.” And though she looks more like a model with her luxuriant hair, she is getting more comfortable in what is undoubtedly her toughest role, [...]

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Letter from TCA

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 27, 2011

The nation’s TV critics, reporters and bloggers have gathered once more at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills to learn about the new and upcoming shows from network and cable in a two week sprint of the summer press tour. It was tough to tell on day one Tuesday whether the numbers of critics [...]

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Wednesday TV: Gaga on ‘Dance’; Nicks on ‘Talent’

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 27, 2011

Lady Gaga shows up as guest judge on “So You Think You Can Dance” ((Fox, 8 p.m.), perhaps also giving some creative costume advice to the remaining eight contestants — Jordan Casanova, Tadd Gadduang, Marko Germar, Ricky Jaime, Caitlynn Lawson, Jess LeProtto, Sasha Mallory and Melanie Moore. Lady Gaga will also perform in te show’s [...]

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Tuesday TV: ‘Land Reform’ in Zimbabwe, Pot Boom in California

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 26, 2011

The so called “land reforms” of Robet Mugabe in Zimbabwe has resulted in thousands of farmers driven off their land. “Mugabe and the White African” by Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson, premiering on “P.O.V.” (PBS, 10 p.m.; CPTV, 11 p.m.) tells the story of one brave family who challenged the order in an international court. [...]

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Monday TV: Death on the Taconic

By Roger Catlin | Published: July 25, 2011

The most chillingly deadly motor vehicle accident in New York State occurred two years ago this week on the Taconic State Parkway, when Diane Schuler, described by many as a “supermom” who strove for perfection, drove her minivan from upstate New York two miles south into oncoming traffic of the Northbound lane. Eventually she hit [...]

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