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'Keep Fox On' is a 'Lie To Me' campaign

27 December 2009 3:17 AM, PST | Comicmix.com | See recent Comicmix news »

You may have seen the ads on your local Fox station: the big meanies at Time Warner Cable might keep you from watching Fox networks. The problem is that the ads are filled with fibs and fertilizer.

The negotiations have nothing to do with the main Fox broadcast network, which actually airs all the shows mentioned in the ads (House, American Idol, The Simpsons, Family Guy and the NFL broadcasts). What's being renegotiated are what Time Warner Cable is actually paying for Fox’s cable channels, such as FX, Speed, Fuel TV, Fox Movie Channel, Fox Reality Channel, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español, and Fs Arizona, Florida, Houston, Indiana, Kansas City, Midwest, Southwest, West, and Prime Ticket, SportSouth, and Sun Sports.

In fact, Time Warner Cable Can't lose the Fox broadcast channel, that channel has must-carry status-- a status that Fox has lobbied very hard to get for Fox News, »

- Glenn Hauman

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"The Simpsons" Gets Vatican's Thumbs Up

25 December 2009 4:43 AM, PST | icelebz.com | See recent iCelebz news »

Homer Simpson gets the thumbs up of the Vatican. The Roman Catholic Church has praised the long running Fox animated series "The Simpsons" for its dealings with religion.

Vatican's newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said in an article published on Tuesday that the show, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary on air, has "realistic and intelligent writing."

It praises the Matt Groening-created show, because without it, "many today wouldn't know how to laugh."

It described the show as a "tender and irreverent, scandalous and ironic, boisterous and profound, philosophical - and sometimes even theological - nutty synthesis of pop culture and of the lukewarm and nihilistic American middle class."

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The Morning Meme (Thursday, December 24, 2009)

24 December 2009 6:42 AM, PST | AfterElton.com | See recent AfterElton.com news »

Info Meme

As if I wasn't already finding him swoon-worthy,, a newly single Jake Gyllenhaal stepped out in New York City last night to a benefit for God's Love We Deliver, an HIV/AIDS charity. People bills it as a guy's night affair, as the party was thrown by Justin Theroux, Mark Ronson and Scott Campbell. Still, cute, single, and doing good? Call me Jake!

File this under news I didn't expect to ever hear, but the official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, has issued a statement praising The Simpsons. The Vatican says that without the residents of Springfield, "many today wouldn't know how to laugh" and even said it could be possible to come up with a "Simpsonian philosophy." Okely-dokely then.

I know I show my true colors as an Anglophile fairly frequently in these Memes, but one thing that does put me off is how intrusive it feels law enforcement is at times. »

- lostinmiami

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Deconstructing the decade from 'The Shield' and beyond: Zap2it Rick's favorite episodes

23 December 2009 10:43 AM, PST | Zap2It - From Inside the Box | See recent Zap2It - From Inside the Box news »

You can scarcely swing a dead cat lately without hitting some kind of best-of-the-decade list (even though, technically, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't end till next year).

Well, here comes another one. Rather than try to construct another best-shows-of-the-'00s list, though -- something that's already been done here, there and everywhere -- I decided to focus on individual episodes from 2000-09. Are these the flat-out "best" episodes of television over the past 10 years? Probably not. But these are the ones that stick with me, that I can still remember not just for brilliant lines or beautifully constructed plots, but for how I actually felt while watching them. They are, simply, my favorites.

Here's my list, in no particular order. What's yours?

"Final Grades" ("The Wire")

HBO sent critics the entire run of season four of "The Wire" before it premiered in 2006. I had watched the first »

- editorial@zap2it.com

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TV Bites: Wishing You a Yellow New Year

22 December 2009 7:15 AM, PST | Movieline | See recent Movieline news »

· This season has been one long 20th anniversary party for The Simpsons with updated cast posters, 3-D specials on ice, A-list guest stars and a new character contest. And for Fox's final marketing push, it will cast a yellow glow over the network the week of Jan. 3. That means all graphical elements, Fox Web sites, special on-air promos, news anchors' neckties will be a Simpsons hue of yellow. Fortunately for Simon Cowell (yellow is not his color), the celebration will end before American Idol's Jan. 12 premiere. [THR]

Anna Nicole is overthrown, Apple plans to revolutionize television, and more TV Bites after the jump. »

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Simpsons 20th anniversary and all things yellow at Fox

22 December 2009 2:15 AM, PST | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »

Fox network will morph into a very Simpsons yellow to mark the 20th anniversary of the animation series. The graphical elements at Fox properties will turn yellow for a week on January 3 to pay tribute to the much-loved quirky set of characters created by Matt Groening. Simpsons yellow stunts at the network are tipped to include yellow on-air graphics, social networking pages, anchors wearing yellow ties and anything else that could possibly be more zany. The frivolity is in fitting with the New Year's season and the nuttiness of Homer and his family. On January 10, a one-hour documentary special directed by Morgan Spurlock will feature. The Simpsons will air its 450th »

- Philippa Bourke

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Collider Goes to Dinner With Mike Judge

21 December 2009 8:20 PM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

There are two sides to Mike Judge in Hollywood. There’s the TV star, who took a ton of heat but came out as one of the most daring and biting voices of satire in the 1990’s with Beavis and Butthead, and the successful maistream animator with a thirteen season run of the folksy and engaging King of the Hill. Then there’s the film director, who was cajoled into the theatrical Beavis and Butthead Do America, but has worked in live action ever since. He made two films for 20th Century Fox to see them abandoned theatrically, only for both 1999’s Office Space and 2006’s Idiocracy to now be regaled as cult classics. His most recent film, 2009’s Extract did not set the film world afire (Extract is now available on DVD and Blu-ray), but it showed a less biting Judge doing what he does best: everyday life comedy. »

- Andre Dellamorte

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Mike Judge talks 'Extract': Dinner with the 'Beavis and Butt-head' creator

21 December 2009 4:08 PM, PST | Zap2It - From Inside the Box | See recent Zap2It - From Inside the Box news »

When I'm offered a dinner with director Mike Judge, there's very little convincing needed.

Not only is Judge responsible for the underrated comedy "Extract"  (available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, Dec. 22) but he's also the sly genius behind Fox's Emmy-winning "King of the Hill," the 1990s iconic cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" and one of the best workplace comedies of all time, "Office Space."

It was a cool December evening when my fellow reporters and I descended upon Joe's Restaurant in Venice, Calif., where a custom-designed four-course tasting menu with wine pairings awaited us. With the help of champagne, the conversation kicked off with talk of Comic-Con, which Judge said was filled with "very likable nerds."

Speaking of nerds ...

I am one for taking this picture. Yes, I was seated next to Mike Judge. Okay, my name is misspelled, but still -- Mike Judge!

Our humble director probably caught on »

- editorial@zap2it.com

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Homerpalooza: 20 Years of Awesome Musical Guests on The Simpsons

21 December 2009 2:47 PM, PST | TVGuide - Breaking News | See recent TVGuide - Breaking News news »

When you think of music meccas, you may think of Memphis, Austin or New York City. But don't forget Springfield.

Watch full episodes of The Simpsons

Along with bizarre characters and brilliant one-liners, The Simpsons has brought us two decades of great tunes — and welcomed a musical lineup that would make any show jealous. Guests have included Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash and U2. (Resident music critic Mr. Burns called the Irish rockers "wankers.")

Check out Sneakmove.com's list of awesome musical Simpsons guests, and tell us...

Read More > »

- TV Guide News

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'21 Jump Street's' big screen hopes aren't 'Cloudy'

20 December 2009 10:46 PM, PST | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »

  Sony Pictures has spent quite a long time developing a big screen incarnation of the 80s TV show "21 Jump Street" which along with "The Simpsons" helped put the fledgling Fox Network on the map.  The studio has spoken to directors such as Catherine Hardwicke and Ruben Fleischer about the new film, but haven't been happy enough to greenlight the reboot which is expected to star Jonah Hill.  Now, it appears the chances for "Jump Street" to make a comeback are better than ever. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" directors Phil Lord and Christopher »

- HitFix Staff

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My ten years as a TV critic by Kathryn Flett | Feature

19 December 2009 4:40 PM, PST | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news »

For 10 years, Kathryn Flett held her dream job: watching the box… and being paid for it, too. Now she has written her last dispatch from the sofa. Here she presses the rewind button…

I didn't plan it this way, honest, but the very last word of the final sentence of the review that turned out to be my last as the Observer's TV critic was "Cowell", and as he currently occupies a metaphorical throne at the centre of primetime TV (though technically, of course, Simon is always on the far right of the screen, next to Cheryl) it feels as though the c-word is a fitting pay-off after frittering away 10 years of my life in front of the telly.

But indulge me while I rewind to the summer of 1999, not only a previous century and a technological aeon ago (when I used to watch the bulk of TV programmes on Vcr, »

- Kathryn Flett

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Right Now on TV Squad

19 December 2009 9:02 AM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy. USA Network is making a series out of the 1990 film The Freshman. To get fans revved up for the new season of Chuck NBC will be running a marathon of previous episodes but you'll have to switch over to Syfy to see it. Check it out! Stephen Colbert is totally kissing that guy! If you've got some time to kill see if you can identify all the characters on this new poster that commemorates The Simpsons' 20 years on the air. Would you believe that Susan Boyle's appearance on Britain's Got Talent was the most watched Youtube video of 2009? ...and finally, if you can get past the incredibly gross place it comes from on Futurama, you may want to try some Slurm as »

- Matt Bradshaw

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Mike Judge Discusses Extract Over Dinner

18 December 2009 3:44 PM, PST | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

Mike Judge sits in the directors chair on the set of Extract As clich&#233 as it sounds, I have grown up on the work of filmmaker/animator Mike Judge. From his controversial MTV animated series Beavis and Butt-head and the successful Fox animated series King of the Hill to wonderful film classics Office Space and Idiocracy, if I hear the words Mike Judge on any film or TV project, needless to say, I'm on board. So, naturally, I was on board as well when I was invited to head down to Venice, California to Joe's Restaurant (don't let the name fool you - this place is high-class all the way) for dinner and a chat with Judge for his new film Extract, which will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 22. Despite all of his success, Judge still seems surprised about the fervent fandom associated with his work. When »

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The Morning Meme (Friday, December 18, 2009)

18 December 2009 5:45 AM, PST | AfterElton.com | See recent AfterElton.com news »

Info Meme

Bryan Singer, who directed the two good X-Men films, is coming back to direct X-Men: First Class, which is evidently an origin story about Professor Xavier’s first students. Obviously, all the original actors except Patrick Stewart are going to be way too old to play themselves in this, so I suppose we’re looking at an all-new cast of hot actors. Singer’s always had excellent taste in hot men. Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, and Angel are who need cast, according to Wikipedia. Ideas?

The cast of the U.S. version of Shameless is starting to take shape. We already knew William H. Macy was Frank, but now we find out Emily Rossum will pick up the Fiona role, Allison Janney (goddess) will play a role that sounds like Sheila, maybe, and Justin Chatwin will be Steve, originated by hunky James McAvoy. The cast is stellar, other than Chatwin, »

- lostinmiami

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Joe Mantegna Talks 'Criminal Minds'

17 December 2009 3:14 PM, PST | buddytv.com | See recent BuddyTV news »

Joe Mantegna was, among others, Fat Tony on The Simpsons. Coming in as a replacement for Mandy Patinkin on Criminal Minds, then, did he have problems playing a subordinate? After all, his character David Rossi founded the Bau.

"That was planned," Mantegna, 62, tells If Magazine. "We would address it in the show, where I basically have a line where I tell the government official that I want to come back - I say, 'I don't want to come back to take over the unit. I trained the guy who's running the unit. I want to come back just because I want to come back.'"

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- editor@buddytv.com

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Simon Cowell for Sky1 'Simpsons' special

17 December 2009 2:52 AM, PST | digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news »

A series of The Simpsons specials will air on Sky1 next year, it has been announced. The three programmes, titled Access All Areas, Mischief And Mayhem and Celebrity Friends, will be screened to mark the show's 20th anniversary on Thursday, January 14. In Access, which airs Monday, January 11, celebrity fans including Simon Cowell and Hugh Hefner offer their opinions on why the animated comedy has been so successful. The show also takes (more) »

- By Dan French

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New Simpsons 20th anniversary poster will make your eyes bleed yellow blood

16 December 2009 6:00 PM, PST | AOL - TVSquad | See recent AOL - TVSquad news »

Think you can identify every Simpsons character ever in the history of the known universe? Be our guest.

Fox has unveiled a huge new poster of all of the show's characters in the last 20 years. You can see a bigger image of the breathtaking new poster here.

It's actually quite detailed and goes well beyond the two decade long scope of the actual show. A quick scan of the characters turned up a shot of Marge and Homer from their short days on The Tracey Ullman Show.

 

Filed under: The Simpsons, Reality-Free

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- Danny Gallagher

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What is Matt Groening's favorite episode of The Simpsons?

16 December 2009 12:03 PM, PST | AOL - TVSquad | See recent AOL - TVSquad news »

More than most other shows, it's almost impossible to pick a favorite episode from The Simpsons. When a show is around for 20 years, it's hard to narrow it down to the one episode that stands out among all the rest. Sure, there are episodes that stand out to me immediately (none from the past four or five years, that's for sure), but it would be hard to choose my favorite.

The new issue of Emmy magazine asks several writers and producers from the show what their favorite episodes are, including creator Matt Groening. Can you guess which episode he picked?

Continue reading What is Matt Groening's favorite episode of The Simpsons?

 

Filed under: The Simpsons, Reality-Free

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- Bob Sassone

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The Simpsons, by the Numbers

16 December 2009 11:22 AM, PST | Fast Company | See recent Fast Company news »

¡Ay, caramba! With new episodes airing at least through 2011, The Simpsons, which turns 20 on December 17, has been on the small screen longer than any other comedy or drama in prime-time television history. Below, a look at the dough -- or is it d'oh? -- behind Matt Groening's brainchild.

Animating each half-hour episode takes six months, requires dozens of animators in the u.S. and Korea, and cost more than $500,000.

This season is The Simpsons' 21st, making it the longest-running prime-time comedy in U.S. TV history. (No. 1 drama: Gunsmoke, which ran for 20 seasons.)

During the show's opening credits, a supermarket cashier scans Maggie Simpson. She's worth $486.52.

The Simpsons universe contains more than 300 supporting characters, including Comic Book Guy, Squeaky-Voiced Teen, and Krusty the Clown.

The major Simpsons cast members make $400,000 per episode.

Consumers worldwide spent more than $750 million on Simpsons merchandise last year.

Homer Simpson makes and estimated »

- Dan Macsai

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EW Exclusive: New poster from 'The Simpsons' celebrates 20th season

16 December 2009 6:30 AM, PST | EW.com - PopWatch | See recent EW.com - PopWatch news »

All this poster is missing is Waldo. Tied to the DVD release of The Simpsons' 20th season (out Jan. 12), Fox has created an updated poster of their famous shot from 2007's The Simpsons Movie. Because, clearly, they did not fit enough characters on their first poster. Slackers. (You can only enjoy this new and improved poster in larger form here—this shot is exclusive to EW!) Springfield folks I'm glad made the cut this time around? The Golem from "Treehouse of Horror Xvii," the angel skeleton from "Lisa the Skeptic," and Ray Romano's Ray Magini from "Don't Fear the Roofer. »

- Kate Ward

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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1997

1-20 of 393 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

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