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Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, late night comedy, late night television, talk show hosts, television, Tonight Show

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 19:18:52 +0000

Whether on a business trip or in the comfort of your own home, enjoying a few laughs is always the best way to unwind after a full day of work. These kings of late night television never fail to deliver the goods. In return, we’ve rewarded them with tens of millions of dollars, a devoted band of paparazzi, and the comfort that no publicity is bad publicity. Right Dave?

1. Conan O’Brien: ‘PERSONA NON GRATA’

Host of: Conan

Network: TBS

Timeslot: Weeknights, 11:00 p.m.

Broadcasting from: Burbank, CA

Installation & Launch: November 2010

The Sidekick(s): Announcer, Andy Richter

The Schtick: Back in 2009, Conan was selected to succeed Leno as host of ‘The Tonight Show’, which holds the leading timeslot in NBC’s late-night line-up (immediately followed by ‘Late Night’, which Conan had hosted for 16 years previous), only to be slighted by the network several months later. After a seven-month stint, he was given an ultimatum for the program’s start-time to be pushed back by a half-hour to accommodate a lead-in by NBC’s newest creation, ‘The Jay Leno Show’. Instead of conceding the show’s timeslot, Conan conceded defeat. After agreeing to a $45-million network release deal, he left behind. After taking himself out on a brief stand-up tour, the ousted comedian was basically left to blow in the wind, and tirelessly took to tweeting away several more months of 2010. But, at last, Conan is again back on-air, courtesy basic cable television station, TBS. He’s currently appearing in a newly self-titled talk show alongside late-night newcomer, ‘Lopez Tonight’.

2. Jay Leno: ‘AN AMERICAN INSTITUTION’

Host of: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Network: NBC

Timeslot: Weeknights, 11:35 p.m.

Broadcasting from: Burbank, CA

Show Launched: 1954 (previously hosted by Steve Allen, Jack Paar & Johnny Carson)

Host Installation: 1992-2009

Host (Re)Installation: March 2010-Present

The Sidekick(s): Bandleader, Rickey Minor & ‘The Tonight Show’ Band

The Schtick: In the wake of this year’s earlier controversial coup by NBC to unseat Conan, many have questioned Leno’s seeming lack of loyalty, his integrity, ethics and even his character. Still, since Jay today is as firmly established a late-night figure as ever, it seems there’s something inherently comforting in flipping-on the TV to find an old, familiar face. Perhaps it’s time that we, the public, finally admit to ourselves that his frequent foibles and freakishly large features are actually among our favorite things about Leno—all of which come together to form the living caricature who distinctly stands out as a sign of our times. After all, nowhere will you find a more widely publicized, preposterously proportioned mandibular point of protrusion, nor stumble upon another celebrity who can successfully sport that aptly centered, skunkish grey streak as part of their signature style.

3. David Letterman: ‘THE DIRTY OLD MAN’

Host of: Late Show with David Letterman

Network: CBS

Timeslot: Weeknights, 11:35 p.m.

Broadcasting from: New York

Installation & Launch: 1993

The Sidekick(s): Bandleader, Paul Shaffer

The Schtick: Letterman originated the ‘Late Show’ for CBS (upon the retirement of Johnny Carson) after NBC failed to follow-through with his presumed promotion (as the then-host of ‘Late Night’) to host of ‘The Tonight Show’, which occupies the premiere time slot. This led us the nation to witness late-night’s now-legendary, on-air (well, off-air, too) rivalry between Letterman & Leno, which is still alive and well today.

Things seem to have worked out alright, and, all these years later, Letterman continues to intrigue America by alienating his own talk-show guests (not to mention the broader media) with his ever-increasing arsenal of indelicate, irreverent remarks. His reputation for questionable, even unethical, behaviour can only be compounded by a continued series of scandals — the latest being Letterman’s shocking (okay, maybe not so shocking) sexual misconduct committed with a member of his own staff.

4. Piers Morgan: ‘THE HEIR TO LARRY’S KINGDOM’

Host of: Piers Morgan Tonight

Network: CNN

Timeslot: Weeknights, 9:00 p.m.

Broadcasting From: New York, London, and Los Angeles

Show Launched: 1985 (formerly ‘Larry King Live’)

Host Installation: Upcoming, January 2011

The Sidekick(s): None (this is a notoriously solo act)

The Schtick: Meet the man who will soon be occupying the CNN timeslot at 9 p.m. that has been home to “Larry King Live” for the past quarter of a century. This past summer, the 76-year-old King announced that he would be stepping aside in the fall from his place on the nightly program he has hosted since 1985. While he plans to remain with the network to host its specials, the final telecast of King’s current show is scheduled to air on December 16th.

CNN later announced that British tabloid, news & TV personality, 45-year-old, Piers Morgan, would be taking up King’s primetime post beginning in January, as host of a new, “candid, in-depth newsmaker interview program,” entitled ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’. Morgan is best known to American viewers as a judge appearing on NBC’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ and as reality-show winner of ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’. According to CNN, Morgan will be based in New York, but also will work from Los Angeles and London. The new show will air live on CNN-US at 9 p.m. ET, as well as worldwide on CNN-International in more than 200 countries.

Morgan himself likened any attempt at filling the shoes of the great Larry King upon his retirement to trying to replace Frank Sinatra’s Las Vegas show. “I have watched ‘Larry King Live’ for much of the last 25 years, and dreamed of one day filling the legendary suspenders of the man [whom] I consider to be the greatest TV interviewer of them all,” Morgan said. He also declared that King is his own first-choice to receive an invitation to join in the new show’s initial airing as the subject of its first guest interview.

5. Jon Stewart: ‘WEARING OFF THE MEDIA SHINE’

Host of: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Network: Comedy Central

Timeslot: Mon – Thurs, 11:00 p.m.

Broadcasting from: New York

Show Launched: 1996

Host Installation: 1999

The Sidekick(s): A team of several supporting cast members, serving as ‘news correspondents’

The Schtick: Self-described as a ‘fake news’ program, ‘The Daily Show’ debuted in 1996, hosted by Craig Kilborn before Jon Stewart was installed as anchor three years down the road. Since then, ‘The Daily Show’ has evolved into the sharpest, most incisive satire of politics and the media on television.

Just as the show proudly proclaims, it’s even better than being informed. Or as the website says, “Watch Jon Stewart and the best F#@king News Team Ever!”

6. Stephen Colbert: ‘SUPREME SATIRE WITH A STRAIGHT FACE’

Host of: The Colbert Report

Network: Comedy Central

Timeslot: Mon – Thurs, 11:30 p.m.

Broadcasting from: New York

Installation & Launch: 2005

The Sidekick(s): (At times, his own alter-ego)

Prior Occupation: The show was created as a spin-off from Stewart’s The Daily Show, where Stephen was featured as a routine correspondent who reported from an absurdly conservative perspective.

The Shtick: The Report presents a farcical first-look at current events from an extreme conservative -biased viewpoint. His radically Right-wing character is suspicious of all things tending towards liberal, with near-zero-level tolerance (frequently resulting in complete denial) for viewpoints varying from his own, who’s sporting a blatantly overblown sense of moral correctness and inherent self-supremacy. His is the quintessential American stereotype, adopting an unapologetically self-serving, U.S.-centric attitude that translates to the audience as absolutely hilarious.

LATE NIGHT’S UP-AND-COMERS:

Jimmy Fallon: ‘THE FRESH-FACED YOUTH’

Host of: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Network: NBC

Timeslot: Weeknights, 12:35 a.m.

Broadcasting From: New York

Show Launched: 1982

Host Installation: 2009

The Sidekick(s): Hip-Hop House Band, ‘The Roots’

The Schtick: A late-night legacy left to Fallon by prior hosts Conan O’Brien and David Letterman, ‘Late Night’ immediately follows ‘The Tonight Show’ in the NBC line-up. An already-established member of the NBC-network family, Fallon started his career with a six-year stint on SNL, which was followed by a brief foray into feature films.

Craig Ferguson: ‘THE SMART-ASS SCOTSMAN’

Host of: The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Network: CBS

Timeslot: Weeknights, 12:35 a.m.

Broadcasting from: New York

Show Launched: 1995

Host Installation: 2005

The Sidekick(s): Recently-gifted skeleton robot, Geoff Petersen

The Schtick: This show is a creation of David Letterman, now in its third incarnation. Notoriously low-budgeted, Ferguson often turns the subject of his program’s financial disadvantage into the butt of its own jokes.

Jimmy Kimmel: ‘THE ALL-AROUND AVERAGE GUY’

Host of: Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Network: ABC

Timeslot: 12:05 a.m.

Broadcasting from: Hollywood, CA

Installation & Launch: 2005

The Sidekick(s): Bandleader, Cleto

The Schtick: Jimmy rose to fame as the co-host of ‘The Man Show’ with his pal, Adam Carolla, and as the Emmy Award winning co-host of the long-running game show, ‘Win Ben Stein’s Money’. He also co-created and executive-produced the hit MTV2 series, ‘The Andy Milonakis Show’, and Comedy Central’s ‘Crank Yankers’.

George Lopez: ‘SPICING UP LATE NIGHT’

Host of: Lopez Tonight

Network: TBS

Timeslot: Weeknights, 12:00 a.m.

Broadcasting from: Burbank, CA

Installation & Launch: November 2010

The Sidekick(s): (TBD)

The Schtick: George Lopez’ popularity with the public recently led TBS to launch his new, late-night talk show. Now, with side-by-side programs, the network is looking to link Lopez and Conan O’Brien as its newest partners-in-crime to grow the two comedy empires together.

Read this story in our digital magazine: http://www.execdigital.com/magazines/3765

True Blood's Anna Paquin amongst People's "Most Beautiful" for 2011

admin — Fri, 27 May 2011 03:57:12 +0000

It’s no mystery to fans of the Alan Ball’s hit vampire series True Blood that there are more than a few stunning faces throughout its seductively talented cast. Amdist the sultry vampires, smoldering werewolves and downright sexy shapeshifters, starlet Anna Paquin, who plays the leading role of Sookie Stackhouse, landed a coveted spot on People Magazine’s 2011 “Most Beautiful” list. The actress will be featured, along with all of the other fabulous nominees, in the pages of the April issue, which hit stands today.

Click here to view the full interview video with Anna Paquin on the People Magazine website. In the brief clip she tells viewers what her concept of true beauty is and what makes her feel the most beautiful, the way her husband, co-star Stephen Moyer, looks at her.

With such a large number of cast on stage, questions tended to invoke a lot of good-spirited, teasing and fan-baiting to see how the audience would react.

The first question of the night was a softball to warm everyone up, with the moderator asking each cast member who they have not yet had a chance to work with and who they would like to work with.

Not even hesitating, Kristin Bauer van Straten coyly tossed out, “I think Jason and Pam would be hysterical.” Followed by Kevin Alejandro who slyly said, “I’d like to work with Stephen or Eric. Anyone but this guy (humorously indicating Nelsan).” Then feeling frisky, Deborah Ann Woll added, “I think Lafayette and Jessica would have a lot to talk about.” Prompting Jim Parrack to admit, “I guess Alex — so I can see why everybody screams so much.” That response nearly brought down the house! Then Rutina Wesley mischievously said, “I think I would like to see some Tara and Pam action,” which elicited a roaring response. But taking a safer route, Stephen Moyer tossed out, “I’d like to sit at [Terry and Arlene's] kitchen table and play Trivial Pursuit.” And queen of the ball Anna Paquin merely acknowledged, “I’m spoiled. I get to play with everyone.” She received her fair share of appreciative hollers from the fans for that comment.

Congratulations to Anna and all of the other exquisite stars!

More info, please visit:

http://www.mydvdbuy.com

http://www.mydvdbuy.com/true-blood-seasons-1-3-dvd-boxset.html

Television – A source of learning

admin — Sat, 21 May 2011 23:46:42 +0000

Television is an inevitable part of contemporary culture. We depend on TV for entertainment, news, education, culture, weather, sports and even music. Today, it is very common in industrialized countries for a household to have at least one television. People spend a lot of time watching TV programs. It is difficult to say whether television is a curse or a boon because there are both advantages and disadvantages of it. The most important advantage of television is that it provides every kind of information and entertainment. It is a way to keep in touch with issues in the wider world. It provides us entertainment; learning and a good time pass when there is nothing to do. It connects us with the world. Hundreds of TV channels provide recreation in different aspects such as movies, songs, Drama serials, Live shows of songs and dance etc. Channels of sports provide us with our favorite sports, live matches, Olympics and many more. Documentary films have shown on TV guides us about real happenings in the world. And develops critical thinking about society and the world. Discovery channel gives us latest information about animals and recent researches. News channels give us the latest information of happenings all over the world. News, current events and historical programming can help make young people more aware of other cultures and people. There are varieties of channels that offer educational programming where we learn new skills ranging from cooking to crafts. Educational programming can develop socialization and learning skills in young children. It is a way to stay informed about what is happening in the world. Television teaches kids important values and life lessons. However, as every thing has two aspects, negative and positive TV has its disadvantages too. If students remain engrossed in TV, they are sure to neglect their studies, physical exercise and health. We can see that due to uncontrolled and excessive watching of TV, reading habits are lost sharply. Social life also comes to standstill, for people do not welcome visitors when they are interested in watching their favorite programs. A new study shows that children who spend more time watching television spend less time interacting with their family and playing creatively. Watching television is a boon or a curse is a difficult matter. It is a boon if carefully selected programs are viewed and we learn something from it but it is a curse if we keep watching it forgetting everything else.

5 Years of Ghost Whisperer TV Show

admin — Sat, 21 May 2011 19:44:09 +0000

The American TV show Ghost Whisperer Episodes premiered on 23rd September 2005 with its first season. The 5th and the last season of Ghost Whisperer started on 25th September and ran for 22 episodes bringing to an end of the successful series which was closely followed by fans and media. The series is based on “Spirit Communicator” written by James Van Praagh and Mary Winkowski which was adapted for TV by John Gray and produced by ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios. Fans of Ghost Whisperer TV show were anxiously waiting for the start of the 6th season when in May 2010 ABC announced that the Ghost Whisperer would not be renewed due to decline in viewer ship, which incidentally started a campaign by viewers for the show’s revival.

However, the whole series is available at the Ghost Whisperer Official Video website where viewers can find the corresponding links for each season of Ghost Whisperer Episodes. Advanced technology has improved the video stream quality so one can stream Ghost Whisperer to watch it live. But the video quality of DVDs cannot be compared with it so it is always better to download Ghost Whisperer’s individual episodes.

The title of the TV series refers to the lead character of Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Lowe Hewitt) who runs an antique shop and has the special ability to communicate with spirits. She plays the role of an intermediary between the ghost and the people they haunt. The writers’ contention is that those who died while they had unfinished tasks become bound to the earth even though they no more exist and cannot ‘crossover’ to the next life to find peace. Melinda helps these spirits to crossover to the Light. Her husband, Jim, (David Conrad) works in a hospital knows about the special ability of his wife and tries to help her in overcoming her tussle with her adversaries, Romano and Gabriel. Romano is a former cult leader of Spain who encouraged his followers to commit mass suicide and Gabriel, who we later come to know as Melinda’s step-brother, also knows how to communicate with the dead. Both of them in their own way prevent the spirits to crossover to find peace. What Melinda does is difficult and at times she has to deal with people who do not believe in her ability. Added to her problems are the attitude and behavior of the mysterious ghosts and Melinda has to carefully look into their needs so that she is able to help them in crossing over.

As the Ghost Whisperer TV show progresses the ghosts’ trusted friend reveals her secret to her assistant and new friend Delia Banks. Rick, who teaches occult classes and Eli James, a psychology professor also come to her assistance. By the end of the 5th season Melinda’s son, Aiden, is grown up and the viewers were expecting the son to come on centre stage when the producers suddenly announced the end of the TV series to the dismay of the fans.

Tv—bane or Boon?

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:14:44 +0000

A BOON has been defined as a benefit enjoyed; a thing to be thankful for; a blessing. A bane is a thing that ruins or spoils; a deadly poison. In the light of our brief review of just a few aspects of the question, can television be considered a bane or a boon, a curse or a blessing?

TV Can Be a Boon

There can be little doubt that many persons consider TV to be a boon. A great number of elderly, sick or handicapped people would not be without it. TV has become their main source of company and companionship.

Few people would deny that television has done much to arouse interest in the news, in what is going on locally and worldwide. It has broadened people’s minds and opened up new horizons for them. Televiewers are less inclined to have a parochial outlook. This is all to the good and something to be thankful for.

Television can also be very educational, bringing a wide range of knowledge to people who have never had the opportunity to study or travel. Finally TV has brought shows, operas, plays, ballets and symphony orchestras into the homes of the poor.

TV Can Also Be a Bane

Unfortunately, what could be a boon can turn out to be a bane, something harmful and even poisonous. TV may be company for the lonely, but what kind of company? It may have filled a gap in the empty lives of many people, but with what has it filled their lives? TV may bring us on-the-spot immediate news coverage, but it can also channel insidious propaganda and be used by selfish men to indoctrinate people. TV may amuse us with its cute ads, but it has done much to create a materialistic society. You may find that television provides you with cheap entertainment, but are you sure that it has not warped your views on sex, violence and honesty? You may rely heavily on TV to keep your children out of mischief, but what mischief is it doing to their minds and, far more importantly, to their hearts?

Vladimir K. Zworykin, often called the father of modern television, recently stated that he never expected TV to become such a pervasive force worldwide.’ He added, however, that he was unhappy about how TV is being used, and that he would never let his children even come close to a TV set. Top-ranking TV playwright Paddy Chayefsky observed: Television coarsens all the complexities of human relationships, brutalizes them, makes them insensitive. We’ve lost our sense of shock, our sense of humanity. That is the basic problem of television.