Tonight is Steve Carell's final episode of The Office, a show few people were happy to hear was being made but somehow became a critical and popular success, largely due to Carell's go-for-broke performance.
Much to a beleaguered network's joy and relief, last night many Americans pressed their big buttons and swiveled their space chairs around to watch The Voice, the Peacock's needlessly elaborate new singing competition.
Hey, did you know that NBC premiered a convoluted, Christina Aguilera-headlined singing competition called The Voice tonight? Because, you know, it's not like the network promoted the hell out of it for two months straight or anything. Anyway, as we predicted, the show kind of sucks, and here are two clips—from before the "blind auditions" even started—to illustrate the point.
America's most polarizing actress has been cast in another project, one that's sure to be issuey. What will people say? Also today: a good actress joins a hopefully good movie, more Hunger Games casting news, and some good and some bad for HBO.
Think whatever you want about NBC's Law & Order franchise. I know it has its adherents. But I think it's a gross, stupidly written collection of shows that passes off profound human suffering as casual entertainment. Every time I accidentally stumble onto it, some five-year-old is playing with Legos and describing how he was recently raped, while Ice-T and Richard Belzer make wisecracks in the background. How is this acceptable? It isn't.
Those masterminds at 30 Rock decided that they were going to make some internet cartoons to spice things up a bit, and naturally they enlisted their favorite news anchor toy Brian Williams to help out.
Just when America's stricken media industry thought it finally caught a windfall in royal wedding hoopla—Collector's edition magazines! Bridezilla-bait TV specials! Ads for Rogaine!—Page Six reports this:
Have you ever wondered how NBC makes its programming decisions, given the fact that many—if not most—of its pilots end up on the cutting room floor? On tonight's 30 Rock, Jack revealed the money-wasting secret during a discussion with Liz.
Well, it seems that not even a return from a four-month hiatus following a massive round of retooling could spark much interest in the West Coast edition of Law & Order. Last night's two-hour episode (well it was really two separate eps, but whatever), which killed off poor Skeet Ulrich and demoted Alfred Molina from DA to detective, posted a meager 5.3 million viewers, not a good sign for an already troubled show.
NBC News hero Brian Williams made us laugh last year with a very funny takedown of the New York Times' constant trend reporting on magical bobo borough Brooklyn. Well, he's at it again, only he's skipping the Times stuff and aiming squarely at Brooklyn this time.
Remember 'To Catch a Predator,' the awful festival of horror and shame from Dateline NBC that briefly captured America's heart in the mid-aughts? We thought we'd check in with the creepy internet vigilantes behind it, and guess what? They're broke.
Is Matt Lauer quitting Today, too? A day after TV Guide reported that his co-host Meredith Vieira plans on leaving at the end of her contract, Entertainment Tonight reports the same thing about Lauer. It must be Roker's fault, right?
According to TV Guide, Today co-host Meredith Vieira will leave the show when her contract expires later this year. She's apparently "weary of the demanding early morning hours," which we assume is code for "sick of Matt Lauer." [TV Guide]
We've previously lauded Andy Samberg's Nicolas Cage impersonation from SNL. Well, tonight, Samberg-as-Cage was back—with a very real Jake Gyllenhaal, who delivered the line of the evening: "You're in every movie—you're like the white Samuel L. Jackson."
On tonight's Elton John-hosted SNL, Tom Hanks made a cameo—a Laser Cats (The Musical!) Digital Short cameo! Faced with the kidnapping of his Castaway companion, Wilson, Hanks was forced to pitch the horribly low-budget film to Lorne Michaels.
Divo extraordinaire Elton John is doing double duty on Saturday Night Live tonight by serving as both host and musical guest. The most surprising thing about John's monologue—besides his dressed-down look—was his knack for some parenthood-related stand-up comedy!
When Stephen Colbert donated $26,000 of Jimmy Fallon's money to charity without permission, Fallon one-upped him by challenging the public to come up with the cash. Our prize? Colbert would sing Rebecca Black's "Friday" on tonight's Late Night.
On tonight's Late Night, Elton John stopped by for a chat with Jimmy Fallon. When the topic of John's songs being covered—on American Idol, for example—came up, he celebrated it, while simultaneously bashing "assholes" Kings of Leon.
In your coincidental Wednesday media column: James Murdoch gets a promotion, digital media is a strange business, NBC News misplaced its GE story, Starbucks and Morning Joe will never separate, and the NYO is photogenic.
Yes, NBC is giving the axe to Perfect Couples and won't even finish airing the show's original episodes. So what's taking over in its place? A new show from ...Paul Reiser? Here's a short scene that's a hint at what's in store.
