Filed under: News, Industry, OpEd, Celebrities, Obituaries

If anyone in the press should ever ask you, “What were you doing when you heard the great Michael Jackson was dead?”, be sure to answer with: “Reading one of your stories on what a lowlife you thought he was just prior to his death.”

There are times when I’m ashamed to be a part of the media. The 48 hours after Michael Jackson’s death was just such an epoch. I chose that last word carefully because the endless, maudlin, self-congratulatory coverage the major news networks wallowed in following Jackson’s death was as long-winded as it was embarrassingly dramatic.

While that coverage is sure to continue throughout the memorial services, unavoidable custody and estate battles and forthcoming autopsy reports, none of that’ll compare in sickly sweet sensation to what CNN, Fox News and the others lowered themselves to just following the singer’s death.

Continue reading Media stoops to honor Wacko Jacko

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Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Industry, Programming, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free

Yesterday FX announced their fall premiere dates along with the news that an untitled new half-hour comedy would be launched and paired with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Nothing else was announced about this yet-to-be-named series, but thanks to our reader Jared, we now have an idea of what it might be:

The Norm MacDonald Reality Show.

Nothing has come down from FX regarding this in terms of a pilot greenlight or series pick up, but according to Norm himself? He seems to think it’s a go.

Continue reading FX is not picking up The Norm MacDonald Reality Show

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Filed under: Management, KKR, Public or private?

When The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) went public, many observers — myself included — were concerned by the total lack of corporate governance checks and balances.

But at the time, the private equity industry was so hot that Blackstone could do no wrong, and no one cared enough to complain. Now that KKR is mulling a plan to list on the New York Stock Exchange, things could be different. The wheels have come off the industry, at least for now, and the arrogant attitude of “We’ll tell you what we feel like telling you and you’ll like it” might not play so well.

John Jannarone opines in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that “If Henry Kravis does manage to list KKR in New York, investors should insist on a more shareholder-friendly and transparent structure than the Blackstone-style version KKR proposed last time it tried.”

He’s exactly right. And now that it’s a buyer’s market for private equity shares, the corporate governance hawks just might get their way.

The one good outcome of bursting bubbles is that corporate titans are blown off their pedestals and ambitious investors can demand strong corporate governance reforms. If KKR lists in New York with a convoluted share structure that deprives minority shareholders of a state in the company’s future, it will be clear: the lessons of the bubble haven’t been learned.

Will an IPO bring more transparency to KKR? originally appeared on BloggingBuyouts on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, American Idol, Celebrities, Judges

If Simon Cowell decides to stay in his judge’s chair on American Idol, he’ll have to squeak along on a salary of more than $100 million.

The U.K. and U.S. tabloid press reports that Cowell is negotiating for more than $140 million to return to Idol. That’s just a slight raise over the reported $36 million he made for sitting on his backside and ridiculing warbling wannabes last year.

Who knew being aggressively obnoxious and judgmental could pay off so well? (In fairness, his very successful work as a record executive might have played a tiny part in his success, too.)

Continue reading Cowell hunting a cash cow before returning to American Idol

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Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Industry, Programming, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, Reality-Free

FX announced their fall premiere dates today and it turns out that they’ve got quite the schedule lined up for the autumn months.

With Rescue Me set to end it’s 22 episode fifth season on Tuesday, September 1st, it comes as no surprise that Sons of Anarchy has been scheduled to fill the Tuesday 10PM ET time-slot starting the very next week on September 8th. The motorcycle drama’s sophomore season is generating a lot of buzz ever since the announcement of Henry Rollins and Adam Arkin joining the cast.

But wait - there’s more!

Continue reading FX sets premieres for Sons of Anarchy, Always Sunny, and Nip/Tuck

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Filed under: Industry, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free

Were you charmed by the first sweet and funny season of My Name is Earl? Me too. And did you just about give up on the show after it eventually lost most of its charm and became a depressing, unfunny raunch fest? Me too. That’s probably why I’m not too excited about Earl creator Greg Garcia’s new show.

Fox just picked up Garcia’s untitled single-camera comedy. The show will revolve around a young man raising an infant, the result of a one-night stand with a death row inmate, with the help of his dysfunctional family. Garcia tells Variety that his new characters will be “the same type of people” we saw in Earl and that they’ll inhabit a world not unlike Earl’s hometown of Camden.

Count me out if the show will rely on the same mean-spirited lavatory and gross out humor we saw in the last few seasons of Earl. Hopefully, Garcia will deliver something fun, fresh and clever instead of rehashing the same crude jokes and stories that got his old show cancelled.

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Filed under: Industry, Programming, OpEd, Video, Pickups and Renewals

If I go to Hell after I die, I’m quite certain that part of my eternal punishment would be sitting in a room with all the Real Housewives of New Jersey for all eternity. Therefore the following piece of news is about as close to Hell on Earth as I can get: popular rumor has it that Bravo has renewed The Real Housewives of New Jersey for a second season.

I was born and bred in New Jersey (those of you offering condolences can shut it right now. I like New Jersey). As a result of sharing my humble abode with someone of the female persuasion, I’ve been subjected to this program. I have the ability to personally attest that very few people in New Jersey actually act like these “housewives”. If you’re planning a vacation, please don’t let the behaviors of these women put you off from visiting the Garden State.

However, to give credit, the program did lead to a funny sketch on Chelsea Lately. The video of that is after the jump.

Continue reading The Real Housewives of NJ gets a second season

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Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Industry, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

Noah Wyle is going from fighting vampires in The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice to fighting aliens for Steven Spielberg. The former ER doc has signed on to the Oscar-wining filmmaker’s alien invasion pilot for TNT as the leader of a “ragtag” group of rebels set to make trouble for the alien baddies.

The series will take place months after the alien force has decimated the human population of Earth, leading Wyle and friends to strike back any way they can. (Thankfully, George Lucas’ name has not been mentioned in any news surrounding this upcoming sci-fi project.)

Continue reading Noah Wyle officially boards Spielberg’s alien-invasion pilot

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Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Industry, Celebrities, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Casting, Reality-Free

Being a nerd, I’m very familiar with Jeri Ryan’s career. She helped make Star Trek: Voyager watchable for a while as a self-aware Borg and recently starred in CBS’ Shark alongside James Woods. But it was her work on the David Kelley shows Boston Public and Boston Legal that has me thinking she’ll be a good fit for Leverage.

The actress handled Kelley’s sharp dialogue like a pro, and I’m guessing she’ll bring the same confidence to her role as a “smart-ass, street-wise con woman” on the second season of Leverage. Ryan has signed on for a recurring role on the TNT heist drama. Her character will be a friend of Sophie’s (Gina Bellman), Leverage’s sexy grifter with a bag full of tricks and foreign accents.

Continue reading Another Star Trek actor joins TNT’s Leverage

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Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Industry, Animation, Children, Reality-Free, Comic-Con

Lionel Lum’s awesome Bumblebee costume was one of the many cool things I saw at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The giant show floor was packed with sweaty costumed fans, massive geek friendly displays, and a few not-so incognito celebs. Folks at home got a small taste of all the corporate sponsored nerdery thanks to G4’s daily coverage. This year, G4 will air the first televised panel in the convention’s history.

Attack of the Show hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira will host “The Star Wars Spectacular.” The taped panel will feature special guests, a table read and new footage from Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The panel will take place July 24 and air July 25 at 2 p.m. on G4. After the panel broadcast, G4 will air three live hours (on the East Coast) of Comic-Con coverage with celeb interviews and more.

Continue reading G4 to air Star Wars Comic-Con panel

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