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Satellite TV leader DirecTV is taking aim at rival Dish Network’s ad campaign again, but this time it’s not in the court room. It’s on TV via a new commercial which brings back Alex Trebek’s old game show To Tell the Truth.
In the commercial, shown below, Trebek once again hosts a panel made up of reps from DirecTV, Dish Network and one rep generically called “Cable.” Trebek asks which of the three basic television packages offers the best value. The cable rep answers, “We offer the best value in entertainment,” which gets a skeptical response from the panel. The Dish rep says that “we offer the same TV as DirecTV for less,” which the DirecTV rep asks “does the same” mean including AMC, Animal Planet, Bravo and FX.
A couple of weeks ago, Nip/Tuck ended on FX, culminating in its 100th episode being its last. It had a great run and for anyone who was a fan, it was definitely one with many twists and turns. While I thought it was a slightly strange final episode, it was a perfect ending for what was truly a unique series. It was really the first show in recent memory that pushed the TV-MA rating, showing sex and allowing swear words. Also, the change of venues from Miami to Los Angeles helped the series to stay afloat for a couple of years while writers figured out how to tie up the series.
Most television viewers aren’t aware of a rather huge battle that is going on Washington. It’s one of those back page stories in the newspapers that we might glance at but really don’t read. On one side sits the television broadcasters and on the other FCC. Both are fighting on a portion of the wireless spectrum that is up for grabs. The FCC’s new National Broadband Plan was introduced, shrinking the overall domestic spectrum by about 40%. While the spectrum is mostly for cell phone use, there is about 300 MHz of spectrum that has been set aside for over-the-air broadcast.
A couple weeks ago we told you about Craig Ferguson’s homage to Tom Snyder which included taping the entire episode of The Late Late Show sans an audience. But, according to Radar Online, it had nothing to do with Tom Snyder, but more to do with saving some money. Their inside source claims, “They have 100 seats, of which 10 are reserved for house guests, and 30-40 members are through requests for tickets. The rest of the seats, about 50-60, are each paid for by the show. At around $20 per person, that’s almost $1,000 per hour-long taping, which is one expensive laugh machine.”
The first image of Betty White and her co-stars from the new sitcom, Hot In Cleveland, have hit the web, reinforcing the comedienne’s current reign as the queen of pop culture.
TV Land announced yesterday that the former Golden Girls actress had signed on to Hot in Cleveland, which is expected to premiere in June. She’ll be playing the snarky yet adorable Elka Ostrovsky, who works as a property caretaker of the home being rented by three L.A. women of a certain age.
“The talented Betty White is the finishing touch to this outstanding sitcom ensemble,” TV Land president Larry W. Jones said in a statement. “Betty’s illustrious career spans more than 60 years and makes her one of Hollywood’s most iconic and sought after actresses in television today. Her lively role as Elka in Hot in Cleveland is what viewers love to see from her – an amazing sense of timing and fantastic comedy genius. We are confident audiences will love her in this project, TV Land’s first foray into scripted television.”
Charlie Sheen has returned to work on Two and a Half Men after a brief stint in rehab.
Reps for the show and Sheen said that he returned to the set Tuesday to resume production on the sitcom’s final four episodes of the season. The network ordered a total of 24 episodes.
Production on the show, which is TV’s #1 sitcom, was suspended for three weeks when the actor announced he was entering rehab as a “preventive measure.” It is still unknown where he did his rehab or what exactly it involved.
President Barack Obama will appear on Fox News in an attempt to rally last-minute support for the health care reform bill.
Special Report’s Bret Baier will sit down with Obama tonight at 6 pm for an interview regarding health care. After the interview, a panel will analyze Obama’s responses.
Obama has been criticized for avoiding the notoriously conservative network in the past, and it may be for good reason. In a nationwide poll of those who said Fox News was the network they watched most for information about politics, 79 percent said they disapproved of how the president is handling his job overall, and 86 percent said they disapproved of how he is handling health care specifically.
All I can say is, it’s about time. DirecTV and Comcast have finally reconciled one of their differences, finally allowing the Versus network to air once again on DirecTV. The feed will began today, maybe even in time to catch the NHL hockey game. While the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, to me it doesn’t really matter. After all the U.S. versus Canada post-Olympics hype, viewers were clamoring for more hockey. But with only one nationally televised game each week on NBC, you were relegated to watch your local team, if you were fortunate to live near one of the the 30 NHL teams.
Guy Fieri, who hosts the Food Network shows, Guy’s Big Bite and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, is known for his enthusiasm on the road and in the kitchen.
And that zest for life is exactly what makes him a perfect fit for his new gig, Minute to Win It, which debuted last night on NBC. On the show, Fieri hosts contestants who perform seemingly simple, but actually difficult, tasks within one minute. “I really have to keep it in check. There are moments where I want to run right out there and put the ball in the thing for them or yell, ‘Try your left hand!’” says Fieri.
But, Fieri also explains that its worth the stress because he always wanted to host a talk show. “I think anyone that grew up in the ’70s and ’80s grew up with Bob Barker and Wink Martindale and I think that was just always … when you were a game show host, you were the man of the hour,” Guy told TV Guide. “I never in a million years would have believed this is the opportunity that I got, but knowing my personality, knowing my attitude and knowing my energy, I can’t believe it’s not one of the first things I ever did … To be on the Food Network and then to get a call from NBC and get this opportunity has just been monumental, and especially a game show that fits me so well.”
Sunday night, the cast of Glee met with 2000 fans during the closing night of the PaleyFest in Beverly Hills, and not only did fans get to participate in a Q & A, they also got a sneak peek at “Hello,” the next episode set to air April 13.
Here’s are just a few of the secrets the show’s creator and cast spilled during the panel:
Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator said that Puck and Rachel will reunite.”Yes, they will get back together. But the great thing about Puck is he’s a bad boy, so he has an affair with almost every girl on the show.”
