TV with MeeVee

Hey, That Sounds Good - Diablo Cody Times Two!

OK, one of these is a movie, but with lots of TV ties. Fans of "Juno" and "The O.C." will be pleased to hear that Adam Brody, aka that sweet fool Seth from "The O.C.," and J.K. Simmons of "Oz," "Law & Order" and "Juno," have joined the cast of Oscar-winning "Juno" scribe Diablo Cody's next flick. It's called "Jennifer's Body" and stars Megan Fox as Jennifer, a cheerleader gone demonically bad. Brody plays a hunky rocker, Simmons is a science teacher, and we read all about it here.

Meanwhile, John Corbett of "Northern Exposure" and "Sex And The City" has been tapped for "United States of Tara," the Cody-penned Showtime series starring Toni Collette as a woman with that comedy standard, multiple personality disorder. Corbett is her husband, a guy obsessed with finding a way to help her. The pilot's director is Craig Gillespie of "Lars and the Real Girl," which I saw and liked just a few weeks ago. We read all about it here.

Morning Reading And Random Vicious Mockery.

• The writers strike is officially over. (United Hollywood)
• By a wide margin, too. (United Hollywood)
• The strike was good for cable ratings. (Mediaweek)
• Fucking Ben Affleck is now worthy of a New York Times story. Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
• hahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaha.
• Fans of NBC's "Las Vegas" want a resolution to the cliffhanger. To quote Elvis Costello, I say, "Let 'em dangle." These get-a-lifers want to send baby booties to NBC to make it happen. Lordy. (Buddy TV)
• ABC is getting with the on-demand program. Welcome to the real world, you wacky dinosaurs. (GMMR)
• Not mockery: "Raisin in the Sun" did really well for ABC Monday night. (TV Decoder)
• The Jay Leno's post-"Tonight Show" plot thickens. (NY Times)
• Still hurt feelings over the Oscar videos. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
• Signs of the apocalypse: "According to Jim" may be renewed for another season. (Hollywood Reporter)

And finally, do you think Michael Bay knows what an asshat he looks like in those FIOS commercials where he calls everything awesome, just like the idiot brother-in-law on "Chuck?" I'm just askin'.

Oscar Liveblog! Oscar Liveblog! Woot!

It's Academy Awards time. Ready? Go!
And remember, drink when they show P. Diddy!

11:48: Is that Jack?

11:47: Best picture: Cormac McCarthy, the recluse, is up and cheering. "No Country." Scott Rudin: "A complete surprise." Right. Bed bed bed.

11:45: It would be easier to be happy about the Coens if they weren't so fuckin' weird about it.

11:35: Daniel Day Lewis walking off with his Oscar and Helen Mirren on his arm. For him, worth staying up. But we havent even done best director yet.

11:30: "Ambition...greed...immorality..and good old fashioned cojones." Helen Mirren is getting me hot.

11:25: Diablo Cody - "This is for the writers."

11:14: Seriously, it's 11:14 and we're still giving out documentary awards??? I mean, unlike the other movies, these actually matter. But...

11:12: Tom Hanks comes on. Has his own treacly intro music. He's  introducing the Baghdad hookup. Great to see them, but Hanks, give it a rest. You're turning into Brokaw.

11:10: OH KEEEERIST! IT'S AFTER 11 ET AND WE'RE STILL ON BEST SCORE??? WTF. This could go into tomorrow.

Oscars To Suck? We'll Liveblog Anyway

The end of the writers strike left precious little time to prepare for Sunday's Jon Stewart-hosted Academy Awards ceremony, whether you're a star, a party host, a writer, a critic, a fan or a mere TV blogger. Hope you had time to get together some nachos. We'll be liveblogging the festivities here, beginning at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, when the actual show begins on ABC. But we're not particularly optimistic. Nikki Finke, anointed by her strike coverage as Hollywood's most plugged-in oracle, says to expect "The Worst Oscars Ever In The History Of Hollywood." Yikes. And for those of you who still having trouble filling out your Oscar ballot/betting slip, try this bit of handicapping.

But there is this bright spot from Finke: "This year's unofficial Academy Awards Drinking Game will consist of counting the number of times the cameras cut to Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy) in the audience. His star turn in the ABC telemovie Raisin In The Sun airs the day after the Oscars, on Monday night." So get your Stoli ready folks, and if you see our grammar begin to erode, you'll know why...

Morning Reading: Oscars And More

• Before the red carpet, don't forget to Polaroid, at least according to this crappy celebrity roman a clef. (Reuters)
• Oscar peeps are also worried about the audience size, given the way the writers strike cut down on hype time. (Hollywood Reporter)
• More on Oscar ratings. (tvbythenumebrs.com)
• AWESOME: Edie Falco (right, as Carmela Soprano) signs with Showtime for a "Weeds"-like dark comedy about a New York nurse. I can hardly wait. (AP)
• Monaghan: From "Lost" to Wolverine. (Buddy TV)
• A reminder that "My Name Is Earl reruns bow on TBS. (TV Squad)
• Hot off her kickass strike coverage, Nikki Finke sweeps online categories in Tinseltown entertainment reporting awards. (LA Press Club)

Morning Reading: "Jericho" Weak, And More

• The premiere numbers for the return of CBS' "Jericho" (right) are not encouraging for fans who worked so hard to get it back on the air. In fact, "all signs point to cancel." (TV By The Numbers)
• Kristin Chenoweth of "Pushing Daisies" and mucho Broadway experience will sing at the Oscars. (The Piemaker)
• MTV and NBC are coooking up some slick joint plans for the debut of "Quarterlife." (Reuters)
• CW's "Girlfriends" is a goner. (AP)
• New NBC honcho Ben Silverman has been sort of a lightning rod throughout the season, in part because he's young and in part because he has a habit of shooting from the lip. Wonder what people will say now that he's sold his production company for $125 million. (TV Decoder)
• Be glad you don't work for NBC's "Last Call." Remember when the network browbeat Carson Daly into being the first late-night host back to work? Well now they fired a bunch of his staff anyway. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
• NBC is also going to be the only network that doesn't do a traditional upfront sales presentation. (Reuters)
• Fox confirmed what we've all known for weeks: no "24" till January 2009. (AP)

Oscar Nominees Known. Oscar Show, Not So Much.

The Oscars ceremony airs on ABC on Feb. 24. The best picture nominees announced this morning are "Juno," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will be Blood," "Atonement" and "Michael Clayton." The question now is, who will turn up to collect their Academy Awards?

With the writers strike going on, and the actors supporting the writers, it's entirely possible that no stars will cross a picket line to sit in their seats and squirm as they wait for their names to be announced. Producers reportedly have a secret backup plan that would fill the evening with clips of past telecasts, but that's unlikely to attract the gazillion viewers normally drawn to the telecast to see what the stars are wearing and what wacky things they'll do when they win or lose.

Meanwhile, here are the other major nominees:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Will The Oscars Suffer Like The Globes?

Co-Ed Magazine has started in with speculation about whether the Academy Awards will suffer the same fate as the Golden Globes.

Is it wrong of me to say I hope they do?

Cancel The Oscars? How About Just Cancel The Monologues?

Without anyone to write introductions, segues, monologues, or acceptance speeches, what's going to become of the Oscars? We've already heard that WGA members and supporters aren't going to show up at the Golden Globes.

ABC says people are worrying that the Oscars, too, will be sparsely attended or even canceled. If so, it could be a bad day for stylists, chefs, bodyguards, limo companies, jewelers, and everyone else who relies on the big, self-congratulatory party for a midwinter boost to their earnings.

But what if they just skipped the written portion of the evening, and cut straight to the chase? Imagine it: Stars walk in and take their seats, someone comes up and reads the list of winners (no drumroll, please), and then everyone goes to parties. No endless acceptance speeches, no lame jokes, no musical montages. It could be over in less than three hours, and we'd still get to second-guess the Academy and make fun of the clothes.

MeeVee Video Top 5: Oscar Week, America's Next Top Model

The glitz and glamour was on last night for the 79th Annual Academy Awards. Ellen DeGeneres got her first nod as host. As long as she doesn't do her "white girl dance," she'll win over audiences.

I do have to say, however, I'm very disappointed in the Academy this year. Ellen DeGeneres showed great courage in "coming out," and has made her niche on the comedic world, but there's an even more deserving host.  The woman who has shown greater audacity than Ellen, coupled with even greater humor (hands down!), has to be Britney Spears. Shaving her head was very bold, and her attack on a car with an umbrella? Pure comedy genius! Maybe next year, Academy. Think about it.

Along with Oscar coverage video clips, this week Video Top 5 features Rainn Wilson's SNL monologue, as well as behind-the-scenes looks at The Amazing Race and America's Next Top Model. Enjoy!

Oscar Fashion Best and Worst: Does This Statue Make Me Look Fat?

79th Annual Academy Awards
Aired: Sunday, Feb. 25
The 79th Annual Academy Awards held a whole lotta surprises this year, from awards to speeches to, yes, the fashion. There were smokin’ hot looks, and outfits that made us scream in fright. There were snappy tuxes and oodles of bling. But who were the Oscar fashion darlings? Join us as we reveal the best and the worst of the red carpet styles.

Check out all of Oscar's Fashion Bests and Worsts at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscars: "The Departed" Has Some Staying Power

The 2007 Academy Awards have come and gone, but not without leaving a wake of happy winners and politely smiling... um... "non-winners." Martin Scorsese clearly stole the show, as The Departed took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. This was Marty’s first win for directing, and his timing couldn’t have been better…

Read more about "Oscars: The Departed Has Some Staying Power" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

The 2007 Academy Awards have come and gone, but not without leaving a wake of happy winners and politely smiling... um... "non-winners." Martin Scorsese clearly stole the show, as The Departed took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. This was Marty’s first win for directing, and his timing couldn’t have been better…

Oscars: Scorsese Ends Drought, Departs with Multiple Oscars

After trying a little too hard to be hip last year, the Oscars didn’t pretend to be anything other than what they've always been. Musical numbers, montages, and speeches all wrapped up before they bogged things down, though one had to wonder what a montage was doing at the end of Hour Three. As the show kept going, and going, I found myself parroting Kate Winslet’s evocation of that famous editorial edict-- cut to the chase. In case you couldn’t make it to the end, here’s what you missed…

Read more "Scorsese Ends Drought, Departs with Multiple Oscars" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscars: Ellen DeGeneres (Hearts) George Clooney. Get It?

The questions were numerous. Will Scorsese get the Oscar? What did Tom Cruise whisper in Sherry Lansing's ear? Will Sacha Baron Cohen give the most memorable speech in Oscar history? The last one has been answered in the negative, as Borat lost out to Bill Monahan’s The Departed. The show staves off the second half slump with a few quick quips (one of which, oddly, had DeGeneres pining away for George Clooney) and some cleverly-edited montages that would put any video mashup artist to shame.

Find out why Ellen (hearts) George at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Academy Awards: Off To A Good Start, Maybe Even On Schedule

79th Annual Academy Awards
LIVE! Sunday, Feb. 25 on ABC

We’re halfway home at the 79th Annual Academy Awards and, although the mid-show blahs are starting to set in, the awards hit the ground running. This year’s theme is clear: A celebration of the nominated. So the show started with a short film of by Errol Morris featuring a montage of off-the-cuff interviews with a handful of this year's nominees standing in front of a simple white backdrop (Macintosh commercial style). Then it was time for Ellen Degeneres to do her thing…

Read more about "Academy Awards: Off To A Good Start" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

79th Annual Academy Awards
LIVE! Sunday, Feb. 25 on ABC

We’re halfway home at the 79th Annual Academy Awards and, although the mid-show blahs are starting to set in, the awards hit the ground running. This year’s theme is clear: A celebration of the nominated. So the show started with a short film of by Errol Morris featuring a montage of off-the-cuff interviews with a handful of this year's nominees standing in front of a simple white backdrop (Macintosh commercial style). Then it was time for Ellen Degeneres to do her thing…

Read more about "Academy Awards: Off To A Good Start" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscars: Ads and Inconveniences

Odd how no one talks about Oscar ads (considering the fuss they make about super Bowl ads). Predictably, they all seem to have a cinematic look about them, a bit more aesthetically pleasing than the plague of talking CGI animals that have taken over the Super Bowl. The most striking ones: the image-make-over Citgo ad just before the start of the show, and the ad for the IPhone, which doesn’t come out for another four months.

Read more about "Oscars: Ads and Inconveniences" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscars: Playing It Safe

The Oscars started the trend of beginning each awards show with a goofy skit, a technique perfected a few years ago with the CGI insertions of Billy Crystal into the nominated films. This year’s intro, which looked and sounded like an Errol Morris documentary, played up the “Isn’t it great to be here?” angle. Host Ellen DeGeneres's monologue got a bit sillier, segueing into a strangely brief gospel number. Keeping it simple this year, it appears.

Read more about "Oscars: Playing It Safe" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscars: In Serious Need of Retooling

Is the Oscar telecast first and foremost about who wins -- in which case everything but the announcements of the winners is a distraction -- or is it a show? As a determinant of future success, winning an Academy Award has some short term benefits, boosting box office and DVD sales, but it's no guarantee of lasting relevance. (See: Gooding, Cuba Jr.) Better to just sit back and enjoy the Oscars as the most watched TV show in the world.

Read more "Oscars: In Serious Need of Retooling" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscar Fashion: A Celebration of Mediocrity

79th Annual Academy Awards
LIVE! Sunday, Feb. 25 on ABC

Enough with the hullabaloo about the Academy Awards' best- and worst-dressed attendees. We care about fashion, we really do. But what about the unsung heroes of mediocrity? It’s high time the average lookers at the Oscars have their heyday.

There are those who vacillate between stunning and stupid, gorgeous and gross, perfect and putrid. Others hit a high note here and there, then waver in obscurity.  Some, however, manage to stake their claim to mediocrity, never disappointing with their so-so fashion choices. Meryl Streep is one such average goddess -- she rarely looks either atrocious, or mind-blowing.

Read more about "Oscar Fashion: A Celebration of Mediocrity!" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscars: History Tells Us Little Abigail Breslin Might Have A Shot

79th Annual Academy Awards
LIVE! Sunday, Feb. 25 on ABC

Ten-year-old Best Supporting Actress nominee Abigail Breslin may not know much about such former child stars as Mickey Rooney or Hayley Mills, but she has an outside shot at joining them in the annals of history as a young Oscar winner. Breslin is nominated for her enchanting role as a child beauty pageant hopeful in the offbeat hit Little Miss Sunshine.

Find out why "Abigail Breslin Might Have a Shot" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>   

Weekend Picks: Feb. 23-26

79th Academy Awards
Ellen DeGeneres hosts the latest installment of the only awards show that anyone really cares about, live from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. It's the Super Bowl of awards shows, where the year's greatest films battle for supremacy on the gridiron of Academy popularity.  Except, you know, with less action, more talking, and fewer entertaining commercials. But hey, at least it's still three hours long, right?

Grease: You're the One That I Want
Frankie Avalon, the Teen Angel himself, guest stars on this week's episode to try and squeeze one last rendition of "Beauty School Dropout" out of this franchise. Meanwhile, two more contestants are sent back to their respective community college drama courses after missing the cut.

The Amazing Race: All-Stars --  Beauty is Sometimes Skin Deep
With the first team already gone and forgotten, the second leg of the race begins in Ecuador. The remaining teams must race across a desert in 4x4's. One team gets stuck in neutral when they misread a vital clue. See, kids? Basic literacy does eventually pay off -- despite what Paris Hilton says!

Oscar-Worthy Laugh-Fests: What’s a Funny Film Gotta Do to Get a Statue?

79th Annual Academy Awards
LIVE! Sunday, Feb. 25 on ABC
If asked to conjure up images of an Academy Award winning film, most folks head straight for the drama. Million Dollar Baby, Crash, A Beautiful Mind, American Beauty -- these are tear-filled, punch-packing movies. But the Oscars aren’t just about hankies and love songs; sometimes a comedy slips through, too. This year, Little Miss Sunshine is a funny film that's up for the big prize, proving that Oscar isn’t always so serious. But what does it take for a reel of laughter to catch Oscar’s eye?

Read more about "Oscar-Worthy Laugh-Fests" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

The Hottest and Scariest Oscar Looks This Millennium

Admit it -- you watch the Oscars just as much for the fashions as you do the awards.  Maybe more.  The best-dressed stars at the Academy Awards are always heralded, even as the worst-dressed are ridiculed. In honor of Sunday’s big night, we thought a retrospective was in order. We've seen some wild looks on the red carpet, from swan dresses to bows the size of Mount Fuji.

Here's a look at a few of Oscar’s greatest fashion blessings and blunders from the past six years... 

See more Hot and Scary Looks This Millennium, at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Oscars Release Heavy-Hitting, Slightly Head-Scratching Presenter List

The Academy Awards have released a partial list of presenters for Sunday’s show, and, as usual, it’s a veritable Who’s Who of box office stars. Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Diane Keaton, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, Reese Witherspoon, and certified nutball Tom Cruise are among those slated to hand out Tinsel Town’s most coveted statuettes.

See which surprising stars are presenting Oscars, at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Ellen DeGeneres + Academy Awards = Celebrity Bashing with a Heart

This year’s Academy Awards will be hosted by the ubiquitous and lovable Ellen DeGeneres. Not a bad choice. Ellen’s quick on her feet, not afraid to speak her mind, and will no doubt piss off some people who need to be taken down a notch.

But there's something else Ellen brings to the table -- she truly understands the consequences of leading a very public private life. While Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, David Letterman, and Billy Crystal may not be able to walk into a Wal-Mart without getting mobbed, the details of Ellen’s personal life have been incredibly public for a long time now. As if relationships aren’t hard enough, try coming out on national television while dating another celebrity.

MeeVee's Top Ten Ways To Reinvent the Oscars

In an era with a seemingly never-ending stream of awards shows, it’s pretty natural to get a little bored with the whole format, even the Academy Awards. The acceptance speeches, the musical numbers, and the badly written presenter jokes all start to look and sound the same. Even a well-produced show can be tough to sit through without wanting to take a mallet to your head. So we here at MeeVee have made it our civic duty to come up with a plan to shake up the awards show industry.

Here are MeeVee’s Top Ten Ways To Reinvent the Academy Awards:

10. Random loser gets suitcase full of cash (now more than just “an honor” to be nominated).

Catch the rest of the Top Ten at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Statue Robbery! The Best Films of 2006 That Oscar Ignored

79th Annual Academy Awards
LIVE! Sunday, Feb. 25 on ABC
We all know that massive controversy surrounds Oscar nominations, but the truth is, taste is objective. Every year, a handful of cinematic gems get lost in the nomination shuffle.  Which were the lost and forgotten films of 2006 that deserved shiny gold hoorahs?  The list isn't long this year, but the best may have indeed been ignored.

Read more about "Statue Robbery!" at MeeVee's Academy Awards blog >>

Always a Nominee, Never a Winner: Oscar’s Neglected Darlings

The 79th Academy Awards
LIVE! Sunday, Feb. 25 on ABC

When it comes to award shows -- especially the all-mighty Oscar -- it’s an honor just to be nominated, right?  Certainly, but let’s be real. Nobody ever argues the glory of winning, and after a string of statue-less evenings, losing gets really old. Just ask Susan Lucci.

Continue reading "Always a Nominee, Never a Winner" on MeeVee's Oscars Blog »

Oscar Nominations: Dreamgirls Do, in Fact, Cry

Oscar nominations have become an accomplishment in their own right, prompting as much anticipation and predictions as the actual awards. This year's nomination announcements were embedded in Good Morning America. Following Diane Sawyer's cryptic quip about the sound editing award, Salma Hayek and the president of the Academy rushed through the list of nominees that matter, which included a "hip-hop artist," a Mouseketeer, but surprisingly few Dreamgirls.

Read the full list at MeeVee's Go-to Guide to the Academy Awards >>