USA Today be damned–Flashpoint shot down the critics Friday, scoring surprisingly strong ratings on both sides of the border. The Toronto-based police drama–starring Enrico Colantoni and Hugh Dillon–drew 1.1 million viewers Friday night on CTV, No. 1 by far in its timeslot and No. 1 in the 18-49-year-old demo. The U.S. ratings were lower proportionally
LOS ANGELES–Jon Voight was at press tour Saturday to talk about the American Masters special You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story. It premieres on PBS Sept. 23-25.The Academy Award-winner was on a panel with Time magazine film critic Richard Schickel and documentary filmmaker Gregory Orr, step-grandson of film mogul Jack Warner. After the
LOS ANGELES–There are just 219 days until Uncle Sam rips down all those TV antennas.The U.S. federal government has mandated that Feb. 17, 2009, is the kill date for analog, over the air transmissions. As was explained today at press tour, what this means is that if you live in the States and still pull
LOS ANGELES–Tori Spelling and Canadian-born hubby Dean McDermott were among the former child stars, rehab regulars and assorted D-listers scrambling for cash this weekend at the Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show.The autograph market, which was held at the Burbank Marriott airport hotel, is a surreal experience for even the most devout TV fan. The hotel’s
LOS ANGELES–Now that the contract for the Screen Actors Guild has expired, many in Hollywood are getting nervous that the horror of last winter’s writers’ strike could shut down Hollywood again.The subject keeps coming up on press tour. Here to promote a Lifetime network bio of Coco Chanel, Shirley MacLaine came right out and said,
LOS ANGELES–Remember The Electric Company? PBS, as we learned this morning at press tour, is bringing back the educational kiddie franchise; the new series premieres in January. It will feature “literacy super heroes.” Wycliff Jean contributes some new songs.I also learned, because I was sitting next to Alan Sepinwall (from The New Jersey Star-Ledger, who
LOS ANGELES–Elvis Costello rocked the house this week here at press tour. I spoke with his Canadian entourage, three dudes from Winnipeg, who are behind Spectacle: Elvis Costello With…, a new series of intimate conversations with the rich and famous. Elton John (also a producer on the series), Tony Bennett, Lou Reed and Bill Clinton
LOS ANGELES–May the force fed be with us.In a highly unusual move, critics were forced to watch television this morning at press tour. Naturally, there was hell to pay.An entire’ 22-minute episode of George Lucas’s animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars was shown on giant, high definition screens in the main ballroom of the