NaBloPoMo Month - "And The Emmy Goes To..."

NaBloPoMo Month - "And The Emmy Goes To..."
Entry #29 - 11/29/2013

Well color me jealous...Ismael "Smiley" Cekic an actor and singer from Bensonhurst found an Emmy in a garbage can near his home...and he's looking for the actor or actress it belongs too.

Cekic told local reporters that he found the Emmy award on September 20th near his house on 28th Avenue between Cropsey and Harway when he went through a box of trophies left for the garbage man! It wasn't until days later that the actor/singer first learned what and who the winged statuette was - while watching the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards.

The funny, and perhaps unbelievable part of this story is that Cekic went on to tell the writer of the article that as an actor he had watched the Emmys before...but didn't know that he had found one by go through someone's trash!

The award is believed to be from the 1950s and Cekic has made plans to find it's rightful owner earlier this month...which is more than I would do. I'm sorry...you throw it away and I find it...that's mine!

Plus, it's always been a lifelong dream of mine to have an Emmy award!

Until Next Time...I'll Keep Going Through the Trash...Ciao Bella!

Photo by Elizabeth Graham

NaBloPo Month - "You're Alive...Phone Home"

NaBloPoMo Month - "You're Alive...Phone Home"
Entry #27 - 11/27/2013

Ya'll know that I love my stories! I grew up watching the CBS soap operas - "The Young and The Restless" and "The Bold and The Beautiful" and "As The World Turns" and "Guiding Light" but in the last ten years there have been several soap operas that have went to that great dramatic heaven in the sky...

Which has led to my new found love and appreciation of the ABC's lone soap opera "General Hospital" which tells the story of the citizens of Port Charles! Part of the reason I have turned my love and attention to GH in the last two years was in part to the placement of Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati as the Executive Producer and Head Writer, respectively. Frank and Ron's past credits include helming the ship of the now canceled "One Life to Live."

One thing I can appreciate about soaps is the over the top drama that it produces...with the recent storyline of Dr. Robin Scorpio Drake's return from the dead story as evidence. Granted fans of the soap opera and the character will appreciate the return of the character who longtime fans have watched grow up on the show. But one thing that just made me laugh and as normal...got me to thinking was a scene between Duke Lavery (Robin's former step-father who also returned from the dead recently) and Robin herself...when the aforementioned Duke urged Robin to let her late husband Dr. Patrick Drake know that she was alive before he married Ugly Betty, correction, Nurse Sabrina!

Got all that?

Duke encouraged Robin...upon finding out that Patrick was to marry another woman that she should call Patrick...and luckily he had a cell phone on him to provide her the opportunity!

I am sorry! I am sorry! If anyone that I knows that has died and returned from the great beyond...they had better damn well think twice before they dial me to let me know, "Hey Boo! I'm alive!"

Just an FYI in case any of my friends or the not yet found love of my life ever does die and return from the grave!

Until Next Time...Ciao Bella!



 

NaBloPoMo Month - "RIP Brian..."

NaBloPoMo Month - "RIP Brian..."
Entry #25 - 11/25/2013

Lost and Grey’s Anatomy have made the killing of a major character an art form on their respective shows, but it was Family Guy who broke our hearts last night and killed man’s (and Stewie’s) best friend.

Not to be outdone by its fellow cartoon-comedy The Simpsons, who announced last month that they would kill a character voiced by an Emmy award winner in Season 25 or Season 26, Family Guy with much less fanfare killed Brian “The Dog” Griffin, an original character on the animated series.

  

 

The storyline saw Stewie destroying his time machine and while at the local dump Brian found a soccer goalie that he took home to play with in the street, no less...only further proving that Family Guy is not Sesame Street. In a scene very familiar of when Andrew Van de Camp ran down Momma Solis on Desperate Housewives a mad driver came and ran down Brian. He later died at the vets office while a chicken with it's head cut off waited to be helped!

 

By the end of the episode the Griffin's had welcomed a new dog into their home and into their lives named Vinnie - who bonded with Stewie and slept by his bed.

I was introduced to first introduced to Family Guy shortly after I started working at IGT in 2008...and immediately fell in love with the Griffins...with Stewie and of course Brian. My own personal favorite Brian moment...

 

Sadly though, Brian’s death was overshadowed by a suicide of sorts…the suicide of Katie Couric’s career as a network broadcast journalist…as confirmation came today that she was in fact leaving ABC News for a job as a Global Anchor…whatever that means!

NaBloPoMo Month - "Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen"

NaBloPoMo Month - "Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen"
Entry #23 - 11/23/2013

 

I was never a fan of Katie Couric's when she was on the "Today" show, however when she moved to CBS in 2006 to take over the anchor chair from Dan Rather I found the historic move to be interesting and learned to like her as a journalist. Couric did in 2006 what no other woman had done - anchored an evening news broadcast of a major network solo. Sure there had been Barbara Walters and Connie Chung to help break down that wall, but it was Couric who broke it down and entered into broadcast history. Sadly, though her five years at CBS was considered a failure...and Diane Sawyer proved to ABC and the rest of the world that she had what Couric didn't, by going from primetime news magazine to morning show anchor to solo anchor of the ABC World News Tonight.

 

 

After her CBS contract was up, ABC News swooped up the journalist with a lucrative and wide-ranging deal that included primetime specials, guest hosting "Good Morning America" and a talk show that reportedly cost somewhere in the ballpark of $80 million dollars to produce. Couric and her self titled talk show, that many consider not only a rating and financial failure, will most assuredly conclude in May 2014 after two seasons.

 

However, The Hollywood Reporter reported yesterday that Couric is negotiating an exit package that will allow her to leave ABC news and shockingly the journalist is close to finalizing a deal with Internet giant Yahoo! The article from THR says that Couric was wooed personally by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer who is looking to boost the Internet giant's media presence. Couric is anticipated to host a newsmaker interview program that would be featured on the site's highly trafficked home page.

 

But is this a step up or down for Couric, who at one time was considered the reigning queen of morning television? Since then beloved Robin Roberts has taken over that title at ABC's GMA. Couric's career included covering 9/11, elections, interviewing presidents and all the major news stories since 1991 when she started anchoring at Today. I can conceded that the future of news and broadcast could go the way of Internet and yes it would be good for someone of Couric's stature to help take us there - but is she really prepared...is she really the right choice...because it appears that in the last few endeavors that she's undertaken at CBS and now at ABC she has failed.

 

I guess Couric didn't think she should take my advice and head over to enjoy the view!

NaBloPoMo Month - "A Whole New View?"

NaBloPoMo Month - "A Whole New View?"
Entry #21 - 11/21/2013

Earlier this week "Radar Online" reported "The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd could be following in the footsteps of Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters (in 2014) and leaving the talk show that helped to re-establish her as a household name and bonafide star!

 

According to the "Radar Online" article, a well placed source revealed to them that Ms. Shepherd is worried about her job as Mother Barbara prepares to take her leave from talkfest she created in 1997. This comes after rumors that Mother Barbara is not happy with the ratings and the focus group data that has shown Jenny McCarthy is a failure on the morning talkshow - in fact another "Radar Online" article says that McCarthy is even less popular that staunch Republican Hasselbeck who know calls Fox News her morning home away from home!

 

Sherri Shepherd has been a "View" staple since the 2007 season when she famously sat at the table for the Rosie vs. Elisabeth bitchfest in the spring of 2007, before joining the panel fulltime later that year!

 

It's funny, because I used to blog on MySpace around that same time and I had an idea that I still stand by that could shake up "The View" once and for all...considering that Sherri does leave the show...that Jenny finally keeps her mouth shut long enough to bring in the VIEWers...that Barbara finally offers Meghan McCain that job she should have offered her when Elisabeth first left and that ABC Disney acknowledges what a failure Katie Couric's talk show was...

 

Ya'll don't even need to lie...you know I was going there! And the fact is your would pay M-O-N-E-Y to see it! I already have the marketing campaign and theme song all planned out...I'm just waiting on a phone call from ABC Daytime!!

 

"It's a brand new day...a whole new view...this September on the Emmy Award Winning The View..."

NaBloPoMo Month - "Murder, Oh Yes She Did Children"

NaBloPoMo Month - "Murder, Oh Yes She Did Children"
Entry #11 - 11/11/2013

I'm going to continue with the Pop Culture theme in tonight's blog as Angela Lansbury tells it like it T-I-S children.

In October, Deadline reported that NBC was taking it old school and was slated to remake the 1980s writer-turned-crime-solving drama "Murder, She Wrote" with Oscar winner Octavia Spencer in the role made famous by Angela Lansbury. Though the original aired on CBS, the remake would air now on NBC - which has tried to remake "Ironside" and "The Munsters" - both of which have failed. Plus let's not forget NBC's other attempt at remaking Thursday nights must watch TV with former sitcom stars - Sean Hayes and Michael J. Fox...Hello Epic Failure.

But today, the divine Angela Lansbury came out and told it like it T-I-S and declared that a remake of the show she helped make a 12 year success was a mistake! The much honored actress, who received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for every season of the original series told the Associated Press, "I think it's a mistake to call it Murder, She Wrote..." and I have to say I couldn't agree more. While there have been other remakes of iconic television series that have been successes (Dallas), mediocre successes (90210) and downright failures (the aforementioned Ironside) - Hollywood seems to be running out of ideas. Why would the network who gave us the Law & Order franchise need to rely a show that has been off the air for nearly 17 years? It's time that Hollywood comes up with better ideas and make them work instead of just recycling the same ole stuff from yesteryear! And Octavia Spencer remembers that she won a freaking OSCAR right!? Honey boo, you're so much better this! And please...don't make us pick sides...because many of us are going to side with the original Jessica Fletcher!

 

NaBloPoMo Month - "The Good Wife"

NaBloPoMo Month - "The Good Wife"
Entry #10 - 11/10/2013

When it debuted to 13.71 million viewers on September 22, 2009, "The Good Wife" was by every definition a story ripped from the headlines...a Chicago politician is caught in several comprising positions with a hooker and his wife dutiful stands by his side...the show even referenced Bill & Hillary in the premiere episode as Alicia Florrick, portrayed by the ever stunning and always beautiful Emmy winner Julianna Margulies, returned to the workplace when the aforementioned politician went to prison for his dastardly deeds.

Peter & Alicia Florrick in 2009

But "TGW" was much more than just a stand-by-your man drama series, it aired on the CBS after all so an element of law and crime needed to come into play - enter Josh Charles as Will Gardner and Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart. Of course there was also Mr. Big, rather, Chris Noth as Peter Florrick and our beloved Grams, from "Dawson's Creek" Mary Beth Peil as Alicia's mother-in-law from hell, Jackie Florrick. Together this cast created a serialized drama set in a Chicago based law firm and as week after week went by viewers saw one case of the week right after another.

Earlier this year the series premiered with it's fifth season opener, after a rocky season four which included the often mentioned husband of "is she or isn't she" bi-sexual Kalinda, played by Emmy winner Archie Panjabi - which turned out to be a major disappointment and flop for the former critically acclaimed series. However, the October 27th episode of the series proved exactly why it was once considered and should still be considered one of the best dramas on network television with the episode aptly named, "Hitting the Fan."

In the episode Will Gardener learns that his former lover Alicia is leaving the firm, after he took her in the 2009 pilot episode and helped her rebuild her life after Peter went off to prison...and let's not forget how hot and heavy the duo got in the season two finale! When it comes to primetime dramas, such shows as Mad Men, Homeland, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead seem to be on the lips of every critic in town, The Good Wife proved that it was in fact the best damn show on not only network television, but on network and cable television.

Alicia Florrick stood up for herself, all the while breaking down in tears after leaving her former law firm for the last time. There was betrayal, backstabbing, heartbreak and even a little afternoon romp in the sack with Alicia and her now Governor-Elect husband Peter! I have watched a lot of television in my twenty-nine years, some good and some bad, I have seen a lot of melodramatic soap operas where the announcer teases "It's the moment that changes everything" but in the October 27th episode and the November 3rd episode - they were literally the episodes that changed everything for this veteran series.

The Good Wife is more than a show about lawyers and law firms - it's a show about a woman he reinvented herself at a time when she needed it the most and as art often imitates life, the show, The Good Wife has done just that in Season 5. It has got people talking and it has become must see TV! Check out TV Guide's Top 10 Biggest Twists for the series and check it out on Sundays on CBS.