Ron Howard's Call To Action

I love this for many reasons.

Stay Tuned & VOTE

Tony Figueroa


Ron Howard wants to talk about the election.
So does Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler.

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

FALL 2007 Part II

Well it's fall again and normally I will write several articles dedicated to the basic idea that I never judge a show by it's pilot, but this fall is different. I don't feel like this is Fall 2008 but more like Fall 2007 part II. It is hard to believe that it was almost a year ago (Nov. 5th 2007) when the Writers Guild of America went on strike. From that point I decided to suspend reviewing any new shows out of a sense of fairness and solidarity. I felt that saying something critical about someone’s show during the strike was kicking someone when they were down. As my readers know, I love television the same way others love movies or music, and even though I was saddened to see the TV season cut short I stood by the writers. I felt that it was important to remind my readers that nothing happens in Hollywood until a writer types the words FADE IN.

The shows I didn't review last fall or Fall 2007 Part I were Life, Pushing Daisies and Samantha Who?. These three shows are all back this season and my favorite show from last fall or Fall 2007 Part I, Journeyman, was canceled but thanks to the strike at least every episode was aired.

Here is my

FALL 2007 PART I

Scorecard.

The Big Bang Theory. Still on the air.
I said, "Sweet characters and cleaver dialogue do not a sitcom make".

K-Ville. Off the air.
I said, "I think that it is great that eighty percent of the show’s crew is from the local talent pool. I am curious what the people of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department thinks of the show".

Cane. Off the air.
I said, "The show should have a broad appeal. It has many of the classic elements of good story telling, man vs. man, brother vs. brother, father vs. son, all set in front of a Latin background. I am optimistic that the show won't resort to some of the stereotypical soap opera conventions like evil twins, people returning from the dead and whole seasons being dismissed as a dream".

Journeyman. Off the air.
I said, "The show has an appeal beyond the science fiction crowd. The only thing about the show that is predictable is that is unpredictable. Other new shows should take a lesson from Journeyman. Start with a good story and build on that".

Bionic Woman. Off the air.
There is one element to the show that I will freely admit to having mixed feelings about and that is the blurry line between who the good guys and the bad guys are. I like that the heroes have baggage. I'm sure that there are viewers that want to see the good guys wearing white hats and the bad guys wearing black hats (Toy companies like straight out good guys and bad guys when it comes to marketing action figures).

Reaper. Still on the air.
I said, "The best way to describe the show is Maynard G. Crebs from Dobie Gillis meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a hint of Ghost Busters".

Back to You. Off the air.
I said, "I was hoping for something more comparable to Murphy Brown or The Mary Tyler Moore Show but instead this reminded me more of Good Morning, Miami, especially the Latina character Montana Diaz Herrera (Ayda Field)".

Cavemen. Off the air.
I said, "I saw the pilot and I can hear my college television production teacher say, "What’s the point?" First you have to buy into the premise that cavemen have lived among us since the beginning of time. The opening credits features a montage of cavemen throughout history. Anything would be better than the chosen premise, time warp, thawed from an iceberg or cloned caveman DNA".

Chuck. Still on the air.
I said, "I watched the pilot. The episode opens on the night of Chuck’s birthday party. Chuck’s sister has invited lots of women for Chuck to meet but I don’t see this guy needing his sister’s help getting laid". And "Zachary Levi is a very talented actor. I liked him on Less Than Perfect, but I don’t see him as a good fit for this show".

As for Samantha Who?, Pushing Daisies and Life:

Samantha Who?: I was quite surprised and impressed with the show. My first impression from the promotional material was this would be a female version of My Name Is Earl. In fact my first reaction was, "Why didn't they call it My name is Girl". Christina Applegate has incredible star power and is likable, cute and willing to fall on her face for a laugh.

Pushing Daisies: This is a fun macabre escape from reality. I use it as a mental sorbet after watching the news.

Life: Damien Lewis is one of the finest actors on TV today. He has created a character that viewers sympathize with but you don’t necessarily want to have a beer with him and at times you just want to smack him. I see an Emmy in Damien Lewis' future.

For Fall 2007 Part II there are only two shows that I really have an interest in checking out and reviewing. Strangely enough both are American versions of foreign shows. From England Life On Mars and from Australia Kath & Kim but most of my TV viewing is fall dedicated to watching 2008 Election coverage. As always I watch the pilot and the first episode following the pilot. My gut tells me that Life On Mars will have a following but I don't see Kath & Kim lasting past Christmas.

To quote Dennis Miller, "Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong".

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Edie Adams

Edie Adams, the actress and singer and wife of comedian Ernie Kovacs, has died at the age of 81 from pneumonia and cancer. Ms. Adams won a Tony Award for playing Daisy Mae on Broadway in Li'l Abner.

She was born Elizabeth Edith Enke in 1927 in Kingston, Pa., and grew up in Tenafly, N.J. She first attracted notice on the TV show "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts." Kovacs was then performing his innovative comedy show on a Philadelphia TV station, and his director saw her and invited her to audition. With her innocent face and refreshing manner, Adams became the ideal partner for Kovacs' far-out humor. They eloped to Mexico City in 1954.

She and Kovacs moved to Hollywood in the late 1950s, and both became active in films.
In Billy Wilder's classic "The Apartment," the 1960 Oscar winner for best picture, Adams played the spurned secretary to philandering businessman Fred MacMurray.
Among her other movies were "Lover Come Back," "Call Me Bwana" (with Bob Hope), the all-star comedy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (as Sid Caesar's wife), "Under the Yum Yum Tree," "The Best Man" and "The Honey Pot."

Edie sings "That's All" in the episode, Lucy Meets the Moustache of the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.

In early 1962 Kovacs crashed his car into a light pole, dying instantly. Adams now a widow was faced with debts of $520,000, trouble with the Internal Revenue Service and a nasty custody battle over Kovacs' daughters, Betty and Kippie, from his first marriage. She and Kovacs also had a daughter Mia, born in 1959 (Mia Kovacs was killed at 22 in a 1982 car accident). Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, Jack Lemmon, Dean Martin and other stars organized a TV special to raise money for her and her daughters.
"Adams said, "No, I can take care of my own children." For a solid year, she worked continuously. After her widowhood, she had two brief marriages to photographer Martin Mills and trumpeter Pete Candoli.


In the 1980s and 1990s, she made appearances on such TV shows as "Murder, She Wrote" and "Designing Women." She also played Tommy Chong's mother, Mrs. Tempest Stoner, in the first Cheech and Chong movie, "Up in Smoke," in 1978.

Over the years, she strove to keep Kovacs' comedic legacy alive by buying rights to his TV shows and repackaging them for television and videocassettes.

To quote Ms. Adams, "Here was this guy with the big mustache, the big cigar and the silly hat, I thought, `I don't know what this is, but it's for me."

I heard that Ernie used to have a light up sign outside his home office that said "NOT NOW!" So if anyone in heaven tonight sees a sign that says "NOT NOW!", please do not disturb the happy reunion.

Good Night Mr. & Mrs Kovacs.

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Edie Adams' - Archive of American Television Interview

Finally! A reason to vote for McCain!!

The SHATNER AWARD goes to Carly Fiorina

On December 20th 1986, William Shatner was the guest host on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In his opening monologue Mr. Shatner mentions that one of the most interesting aspects of the STAR TREK phenomenon has to be the conventions. The monologue dissolves into a sketch set at the16th Annual STAR TREK Convention being held in a convention room of a local Holiday Inn. The highlight of the sketch is when Mr. Shatner growing tired of the Trekker’s nerdish questions says,

"You know, before I answer any more questions there's something I wanted to say. Having received all your letters over the years, and I've spoken to many of you, and some of you have traveled... y'know... hundreds of miles to be here, I'd just like to say... GET A LIFE, will you people? I mean, for crying out loud, it's just a TV show! I mean, look at you, look at the way you're dressed! You've turned an enjoyable little job, that I did as a lark for a few years, into a colossal waste of time!"

A meeting of the SHATNER AWARD committee was held at the Don Knotts room of the Burbank Holiday Inn, September 22nd 2008 at 7:48 P.M. As always the SHATNER AWARD committee was informed that in order to be compliant with Robert's Rules of Order they must use actual dates instead of STAR DATES.

In accordance with out bylaws The SHATNER AWARD will be given to those individuals or groups who need to be told to, "GET A LIFE!" because "IT'S JUST A TV SHOW".

• New Business: McCain campaign surrogate Carly Fiorina called Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live "disrespectful" and "sexist."
  
  

Based on this video where Ms. Fiorina said that the skit "continues the line of argument that is disrespectful in the extreme, and yes, I would say, sexist in the sense that just because Sarah Palin has different views than Hillary Clinton does not mean that she lacks substance." We proudly present Carly Fiorina The SHATNER AWARD for needing to be told to, "GET A LIFE!" because "IT'S JUST A TV SHOW".

The motion passed by a vote of 14 yes, 02 no and 01 GET A LIFE.

The Shatner Award committee has attempted to contact Carly Fiorina but she seems to have disappeared.

Respectfully submitted

Tony Figueroa,
Committee Chair

And the Emmys went to...

60th Primetime Emmy Awards

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
JEREMY PIVEN as Ari Gold HBO
Entourage

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
JEAN SMART as Regina Newly ABC
Samantha Who?

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
ŽELJKO IVANEK as Ray Fiske FX NETWORKS
Damages

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
LOUIS J. HORVITZ ABC
80th Annual Academy Awards

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
DIANNE WIEST as Dr. Gina Toll HBO
In Treatment

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
Tom Purcell, Head Writer COMEDY CENTRAL
Stephen Colbert, Writer
Allison Silverman, Writer
Richard Dahm, Writer
Michael Brumm, Writer
Rob Dubbin, Writer
Eric Drysdale, Writer
Peter Gwinn, Writer
Jay Katsir, Writer
Laura Krafft, Writer
Frank Lesser, Writer
Glenn Eichler, Writer
Peter Grosz, Writer
Bryan Adams, Writer
Barry Julien, Writer
Meredith Scardino, Writer
The Colbert Report

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
LAURA LINNEY as Abigail Adams HBO
John Adams

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART COMEDY CENTRAL
Jon Stewart, Executive Producer
David Javerbaum, Executive Producer
Rory Albanese, Co-Executive Producer
Kahane Corn, Co-Executive Producer
Josh Lieb, Co-Executive Producer
Jim Margolis, Supervising Producer
Jennifer Flanz, Supervising Producer

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
BARRY SONNENFELD ABC
Pushing Daisies
Pie-Lette

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
TINA FEY NBC
30 Rock
Cooter

OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE
RECOUNT HBO
Paula Weinstein, Executive Producer
Len Amato, Executive Producer
Sydney Pollack, Executive Producer
Jay Roach, Executive Producer
Michael Hausman, Produced by

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
TOM WILKINSON as Benjamin Franklin HBO
John Adams

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
JAY ROACH HBO
Recount

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
KIRK ELLIS HBO
John Adams
Independence

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
DAME EILEEN ATKINS as Miss Deborah Jenkyns PBS
Cranford (Masterpiece)

OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
THE AMAZING RACE CBS
Jerry Bruckheimer, Executive Producer
Bertram van Munster, Executive Producer
Jonathan Littman, Executive Producer
Hayma "Screech" Washington, Executive Producer
Amy Nabseth Chacon, Co-Executive Producer
Elise Doganieri, Co-Executive Producer
Bill Pruitt, Supervising Producer
Matt Schmidt, Supervising Producer
Mark Vertullo, Supervising Producer
Jarratt Carson, Senior Producer
Giselle Parets, Senior Producer
Phil Keoghan, Producer

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES
JOHN ADAMS HBO
Tom Hanks, Executive Producer
Gary Goetzman, Executive Producer
Kirk Ellis, Co-Executive Producer
Frank Doelger, Co-Executive Producer
David Coatsworth, Produced by
Steven Shareshian, Produced by

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM
DON RICKLES HBO
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
GREG YAITANES FOX
House
House’s Head

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
MATTHEW WEINER AMC
Mad Men
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Pilot)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
PAUL GIAMATTI as John Adams HBO
John Adams


OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
ALEC BALDWIN as Jack Donaghy NBC
30 Rock

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
GLENN CLOSE as Patty Hewes FX NETWORKS
Damages

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
BRYAN CRANSTON as Walt White AMC
Breaking Bad

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
TINA FEY as Liz Lemon NBC
30 Rock

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
JEFF PROBST CBS
Survivor

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
30 ROCK NBC
Lorne Michaels, Executive Producer
Tina Fey, Executive Producer
Marci Klein, Executive Producer
David Miner, Executive Producer
Robert Carlock, Executive Producer
John Riggi, Co-Executive Producer
Jack Burditt, Co-Executive Producer
Jeff Richmond, Producer
Don Scardino, Producer
Jerry Kupfer, Producer

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
MAD MEN AMC
Matthew Weiner, Executive Producer
Tom Palmer, Co-Executive Producer
Scott Hornbacher, Producer
Lisa Albert, Producer
Andre Jacquemetton, Producer
Maria Jacquemetton, Producer

9/11: Seven Years Later

The Dream

Last night we saw the first act of a 45 year old dream that looks like it was directed by Frank Capra and written by Aaron Sorkin.

To quote Tim Russert's Dad Big Russ, "What a country!"

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Bernie Mac

The rumors of the of death of Bernard Jeffrey (Bernie Mac) are sadly not exaggerated.

“I'm an ordinary guy with an extraordinary job.”
Bernie Mac

I just wanted write a few things about this comedic icon. I admired Bernie Mac as a comedian and I found his somewhat biographical sitcom The Bernie Mac Show very inspiring. Not only was he able to take a real event from his life (becoming guardian over his sister's three children after she enters rehab) he was able to do this successful single camera sitcom with out a laugh track. Please note that this was before My name is Earl and The Office. On the show he was able to use his stand up skills and break the forth wall to communicate his thoughts to the audience who he affectingly addressed as America. Often times when stand up comic is given a sitcom they are plugged into situations that are stale, unoriginal or just not a good fit. Bernie Mac made sure that his sitcom alter ego and the show's story line were true to himself and his life.

I have one more Bernie Mac Quote, "When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters on the grill, get the ice-cold beer and the cigars - that's heaven here on earth".

Good Night Bernie Mac enjoy the beer and the cigars in heaven and I will do the same on earth in your honor.

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad

This is an ad for The Paris Hilton Presidential Campaign.
Paid for by Funny Or Die.

So There!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die