8:05 PM - Ricky makes a nice joke about Jay Leno replacing him as host if he isn’t funny enough.

Nicole Kidman presents the award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. Before announcing the winner, she announced that many are wearing ribbons to support the victims in Haiti.

The Nominees:

Penelope Cruz – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up In the Air
Anna Kendrick – Up In the Air
Mo’nique – Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire
Julianne Moore – A Single Man

The Winner: Mo’nique – Are we surprised? Nope. We saw this one coming. We saw the clips and we were impressed.

How we rate her speech: Awesome. Very emotional, but also humble.

8:10 PM: Matthew Fox and Sophia Vergara are up next with the Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical.

The Nominees:

Toni Collette – United States of Tara
Courtney Cox – Cougar Town
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey – 30 Rock
Lea Michele – Glee

The Winner: Toni Collette – We love Toni in pretty much everything she does. Did she deserve it? Definitely, considering she plays 4 characters on one show! We thought Tina Fey had it in the bag, though were secretly were rooting for Lea Michele, just because Glee is so awesome. Still Toni was the best choice, just based on how well she hides her accent.

How we rate her speech: Basic. She thanked people and left. We are glad she was quick, but it wasn’t anything we’ll remember tomorrow.

8:17 PM: After a commercial break, Jeff Parsons and Lauren Graham introduce Miss Golden Globe (Alfre Woodard’s daughter, Mavis). They present the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

The Nominees:

Michael Emerson – Lost
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother
William Hurt – Damages
John Lithgow – Dexter
Jeremy Piven – Entourage

The Winner: John Lithgow – Based on his performance on Dexter, we are NOT surprised. He deserved the win and knew he’d get it!

How we rate his speech: We thought it was VERY sweet. We loved how he thanked his wife of 30 years. Awww.

8:22 PM - Sir Paul McCartney (yes, of The Beatles) comes out to “Yellow Submarine.” He jokes about being known as ‘that guy from Rock Band.’

He is here to present Best Animated Feature Film, which he claims are for kids and adults who like to take drugs.

The Nominees:

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up

The Winner: Up – We absolutely LOVED this movie and were so glad it won. This was our personal choice.

8:28 PM - Kate Hudson is back after the commercial break. She is there to present a video of the nominees for Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical.

She is showing the video for Nine, which is actually pretty terrific. Did anyone know Kate Hudson could sing?! We definitely want to check this movie out.

8:29 PM - Ricky Gervais is back to be funny. He let us know you cannot buy a Golden Globe. He thinks he is funnier than we do.

8:31 PM = Felicity Huffman is up next. She is stumbling over her words. What was she smoking before the awards? She is here to introduce Phillip Burke, the president of the Foreign Press Association.

8:33 PM - Jane Krakowski and Neil Patrick Harris, two comedic actors, present the award for Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama.

The Nominees:

Simon Baker – The Mentalist
Michael C. Hall – Dexter
Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Hugh Laurie – House
Bill Paxton – Big Love

The Winner: Michael C. Hall – Honestly, we watch the majority of shows on this list so we were just hoping for one of our favorite guys. Hall is one of them so we can’t complain!

What we thought of his speech: We were shocked initially to see Hall in what appeared to be a simple, yet interesting black cap. We thought of making a joke (okay, we made one), but then we found out the reason for the cap. Apparently Hall has been undergoing cancer treatments (he’s currently in remission). The speech was good, even if it was not the most memorable of the night. Regardless of the speech, his work on Dexter and other shows (and on stage) will not soon be forgotten. We’re sure this is just one of many for Michael C Hall!

They also gave out the award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama.

The Nominees:

Glenn Close – Damages
January Jones – Mad Men
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
Anna Paquin – True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer

The Winner: Julianna Margulies – We wanted her to win. We LOVE The Good Wife. We’ve loved her since ER. We also love that George Clooney kissed her on her way up to the stage.

What we thought of her speech: The first to commend her fellow nominees, we appreciate her humbleness. We appreciate the sweetness of her appreciation towards her job and happiness in winning.

8:42 PM - The awards return with Harrison Ford. He shows off the video for Up in the Air, George Clooney’s new movie. We already knew we wanted to see it before we saw this video, though George is looking a little scruffy at the awards.

8:44 PM - Cher and Christina Aguilera are up to present Best Original Song – Motion Picture. We just want to point out Cher looks like a grown up Wednesday Adams.

The Nominees:

“Cinema Italiano” – Nine
Music & Lyrics By: Maury Yeston

“I See You” – Avatar
Music By: James Horner and Simon Franglen
Lyrics By: James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell

“I Want To Come Home” – Everybody’s Fine
Music & Lyrics By: Paul McCartney

“The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” – Crazy Heart
Music & Lyrics By: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

“Winter” – Brothers
Music By: U2
Lyrics By: Bono

The Winner: “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” – Crazy Heart Music & Lyrics By: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett – We have no idea who these people are!!

They also present the Best Original Score – Motion Picture:

The Nominees:

Michael Giacchino – Up
Marvin Hamlisch – The Informant!
James Horner – Avatar
Abel Korzeniowski – A Single Man
Karen O and Carter Burwell – Where The Wild Things Are

The Winner: Michael Giacchino – Up – How fantastic. This movie was so beautiful, and so was the score. He was humbled by Paul McCartney’s praise, which was awesome.

8:54 PM - Amy Adams and Josh Brolin present the nominees for Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television.

The Nominees:

Georgia O’Keeffe
Grey Gardens
Into The Storm
Little Dorrit
Taking Chance

The Winner: Grey Gardens – We aren’t surprised, because we’ve heard such wonderful things about this film!

8:57 PM - Tom Hanks is here to show off the video for a Meryl Streep movie, and that movie is Julie and Julia.

Ricky Gervais is back to introduce Colin Ferrell. He is presenting the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical.

The Nominees:

Sandra Bullock – The Proposal
Marion Cotillard – Nine
Julia Roberts – Duplicity
Meryl Streep – It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

The Winner: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia – Well she had a 2/5 shot, considerably better odds than the other three nominated actresses. I think the only person disappointed in Meryl Streep for not winning for It’s Complicated!

What we think about her speech: We love her speech…especially if she changes her name to T-Bone. She is going out on the fly and seemed overwhelmed, but she is also very funny. Does she not realize she’s Meryl Streep? We wonder!

9:09 PM - We return with Helen Mirren. She is here to show the video for Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire.

9:11 PM - Zoe Saldana and Same Worthington have come to present the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

The Nominees:

Kevin Bacon – Taking Chance
Kenneth Branagh – Wallander: One Step Behind
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Endgame
Brendan Gleeson – Into The Storm
Jeremy Irons – Georgia O’Keeffe

The Winner: Kevin Bacon – We had no clue who’d win this. He’s as good as any.

What we thought of his speech:

They also presented the award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

The Nominees:

Joan Allen – Georgia O’Keeffe
Drew Barrymore – Grey Gardens
Jessica Lange – Grey Gardens
Anna Paquin – The Courageous Heart Of Irena
Sigourney Weaver – Prayers For Bobby

To Read More, Go to Page Two

The Winner: Drew Barrymore – We were rooting for her. Poor thing is so overwhelmed by her win (we don’t think she expected to win), but she deserves it. WE LOVE DREW! She’s a Barrymore and its clear she has the acting chops to get all the praise she deserves.

9:21 PM - Cameron Diaz is here to show the video for It’s Complicated, the film where Alec Baldwin sleeps with Meryl Streep. Cameron can barely read a teleprompter. Wow.

Ricky introduces Gerard Butler and Jennifer Anniston (what?), who are here to present the award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture. Ash hates Jennifer’s dress, but likes her hair.

truTV will pay tribute to Dominick Dunne, who passed away yesterday at the age of 83. The network will celebrate Dunne’s work with a 13-hour marathon of episodes of Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege & Justice, which has been an important part of the network’s primetime lineup since 2002. The marathon will begin Friday, Aug. 28, at 3 p.m. (ET).

“Dominick Dunne has been a valued and beloved contributor to truTV through the long-running series Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege and Justice,” said Marc Juris, executive vice president and general manager of truTV/IN SESSION. “He was a master storyteller who dug deeply into the legal details of notorious criminal cases, but always kept his eye on the human story behind the crimes. We will miss him dearly.”

In his long-running Power, Privilege & Justice, Dunne has examined what happens when crime and money create a deadly mixture. Among the high-profile stories covered in the series are the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who murdered their parents; the murders of Judge Vincent Sherry and his wife in Biloxi; the case of JT Lundy, who killed his horse for insurance money; and the disappearance and suspected murder of Brach’s candy heiress Helen Brach.

Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege & Justice premiered on truTV (then Court TV) on June 19, 2002, and is currently in its ninth season, which is scheduled to end Friday, Sept. 25. Over the course of its nine seasons on truTV, the series has averaged 1.2 million viewers.

The following is the schedule for truTV’s Friday, Aug. 28, marathon of Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege & Justice and the cases that are explored. At 10 p.m. (ET), truTV will premiere a new episode of the series.

3 p.m. – “Deadly Parlay” – Murder of Dallas socialite Doris Angleton.
4 p.m. – “Billionaire on the Run” – Case of New York real estate heir Robert Durst.
5 p.m. – “Burning Obsession” – Murder of pharmaceutical heir David Coffin Jr.
6 p.m. – “Brothers in Arms” – Case of brothers Lyle & Erik Menendez, who murdered their parents.
7 p.m. – “The von Bülow Affair” – Case of Claus von Bülow, accused, convicted and later acquitted of murdering his wife, Sunny.
8 p.m. – “Deadly Designs” – Murder of designer Gianni Versace by Andrew Cunanan.
9 p.m. – “Sinister Harvest” – Murder of California farming mogul Ray Yocum and his wife, Gayle.
10 p.m. – “Programmed for Murder” – Disappearance of Nina Reiser, wife of technology magnate Hans Reiser.
11 p.m. – “Evil Deeds” – Date-rape case of Max Factor heir Andrew Luster.
Midnight – “Deadly Designs” – Murder of designer Gianni Versace by Andrew Cunanan.
1a.m. – “Sinister Harvest” – Murder of California farming mogul Ray Yocum and his wife, Gayle.
2 a.m. – “Programmed for Murder” – Disappearance of Nina Reiser, wife of technology magnate Hans Reiser.
3 a.m. – “Evil Deeds” – Rape conviction of Max Factor heir Andrew Luster.

Technorati Tags: Dominick Dunne, Death, Tribute, Power and Privilege, truTV, Schedule, Marathon, Ray Yocum, Andrew Luster, Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, Nine Reiser

Why did you sign up for Samantha Who?
JEAN SMART: After working on 24 for a year, I thought it would be fun to get back to a comedy for a while. I thought that Samantha Who? was so cleverly written and I was a fan of Christina Applegate, so it seemed like the ideal project for me.

How would you describe your character in the show?
JEAN SMART: I play Samantha’s mother and she is a wonderfully self-obsessed character. It’s so fun to play someone who does not live the Zen of life at all. It’s very interesting because you meet people like her sometimes and they just don’t think in the same way as other people. They don’t examine themselves at all. They don’t question their motives ever – and it’s almost like there’s something missing from them. They don’t mean to be selfish; that’s just the way they are. That’s just the way they’re wired.

What kind of mother is Regina?
JEAN SMART: Well, my character has been given this great second chance to be the mother that she thinks she should be. She’s having a second go in trying to wipe the slate clean from her past and she’s trying to be the mother of the year. She’s just a little hammer-handed.

Do you believe in second chances?
JEAN SMART: I do – and I think that’s one reason why the show appeals to people. We all fantasize about a relationship we’d like to do over or something we’d like to change about our past. I think there are a lot more opportunities for second chances in our lives than we think.

What makes you say that?
JEAN SMART: I think that people get to a certain point in their life and they think that nothing can change. They think, ‘Well, this is the way my life is. I don’t particularly like it, but I can’t do anything about it.’ Personally, I think life offers us the opportunity to take chances and make changes all the time. These chances scare us and people think, ‘I can’t do that.’ Or they think, ‘My life is too settled and that would be too disruptive.’ But everyone’s got the opportunity to make these changes. I’m not talking about dumping your wife and running off with an 18-year-old. No, I’m not saying anything like that – but I don’t think it’s too late to change certain things in your life, such as your career and your relationships.

Is there anything you’d like a second chance with?
JEAN SMART: I was thinking about this the other day. My husband and I don’t eat dinner together with my son very much anymore. We used to eat together all the time – especially when my son was little – and it was very important to me because that’s the way I grew up. I always used to enjoy the evening meal where I could listen to my parents talk about something they’d read in the papers or hear about anything from their day. So last night, I forced my husband and my son to sit down and have dinner – and it was nice. I just thought to myself, ‘Darn it, we’re just going to do that again.’ It’s a tiny thing, but people get stuck in their ways and they think that’s just the way it is. They think that nothing can change, but things can always change.

How does your outlook on motherhood compare with your character’s?
JEAN SMART: I hope it’s not too similar to Regina’s past mothering skills. I have a wonderful relationship with my son. When he was little, he liked to cook with me and he would go to antique stores with me – but now he’s 19 years old and he doesn’t want to do any of that. It breaks my heart. He was 11 or 12 the first time he said he didn’t want to go to the store with me and I remember feeling so crushed. A daughter would probably say yes, but not a son. He still holds my hand sometimes – when nobody is looking. We have little arguments every now and then, but we have a great relationship. It’s funny. He’s 6’3″ now, so I have to look up at him if I want to yell at him. He’s still very cuddly, which is nice.

How does it feel to have a daughter on screen?
JEAN SMART: It’s very nice. I feel very maternal towards Christina, which is lovely for me. In fact, I called her ‘mini-me’ one time.

How did she feel about being called ‘mini-me’?
JEAN SMART: I’m not sure. I’ll have to try it one more time and see what she does. It’s funny because Christina and I are very, very different in a lot of ways, but we have some very similar things in our life experiences that we share.

Does Christina ask you for advice?
JEAN SMART: She does. For example, the other day she asked me for advice about a business thing. I hope I give her good advice. I’m always there with advice for her if she needs it.

How does the mother-daughter relationship change in the second season of the show?
JEAN SMART: We start to work together, which is a lot of fun. This season, I wanted to make sure that our relationship doesn’t get too healthy too soon. I had to keep nudging the writers on that one. It was like when my character on 24 went off her pills. I started to say to the writers, “She’s not as much fun off the pills.” They said, “You’re right. Let’s get her back on the meds.” It sometimes works when you nudge them lightly.

Do you enjoy playing characters with addictions? Your character in Samantha Who? boozes a lot and in 24 you were popping pills…
JEAN SMART: It can be a lot of fun to play these roles, but I certainly hope I don’t get typecast in this way. That would be rather limiting. But yes, it’s always fun to have these props. And I do like a glass of wine every now and then.

Before we go, can we ask what it’s like to work with Tim Russ [who plays Frank in the show]?
JEAN SMART: Tim Russ is hilarious. I actually did a movie with him years ago, but I hadn’t seen him in 20 years, so it was really fun to get together again. We did a movie with Virginia Madsen called Fire With Fire where I played a nun and Tim played the local deputy – and we got along really well.

What do you think of his character, Frank the doorman?
JEAN SMART: I pitched an idea to the producers of Samantha Who?, which we might see happen towards the end of the second season. I want to see Regina look at Frank as a bit of a challenge, but a good source of information about her daughter – so I think she should always be trying to wheedle stuff out of him. I hope to see her come by the apartment building and bring him treats or try to trick him into telling her something, but constantly being foiled because he’s so inscrutable. I hope it makes it into the show.

Samantha Who?: The Complete Second and Final Season is set to be released on DVD on August 25, 2009.

Technorati Tags: Samantha Who?: The Complete Second and Final Season, DVD Release, Interview, Jean Smart, TV Show, Box Set, Comedy

CENTURY CITY, Calif. – Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie return for more outrageous adventures when “The Simpsons” The Complete Twelfth Season arrives on DVD August 18th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. The longest running animated series in television history, the latest DVD collection features all 21 classic episodes from the 2000-01 season including Bart’s boy band odyssey in “New Kids on the Blecch” featuring pop sensations N’Sync and a hilarious less-than-ordinary day for Homer, Bart and Lisa in “Trilogy of Error.” The season also boasts an impressive line-up of talented guest stars including Drew Barrymore, Edward Norton, Justin Timberlake, Stephen King, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Roger Daltry and many more.

“The Simpsons” The Complete Twelfth Season is loaded with special features including an introduction from Matt Groening; audio commentaries on every episode with Groening and “The Simpsons” Executive Producers, Writers, Actors and Directors; deleted scenes; animation showcases; original sketches; special language feature; featurettes and more. As an added bonus, the set comes in collectible packaging modeled after the overweight and over opinionated retailer Comic Book Guy. The DVD collection will be available for a suggested retail price of $49.98 U.S./$69.98 Canada. Prebook is July 22.

*Emmy – Outstanding Animated Program (“The Simpsons”): 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2008

“The Simpsons” The Complete Twelfth Season Special Features:
All episodes are compiled on four discs (full frame, aspect ratio 1.33:1). Each episode is presented with English 5.1 Dolby Surround, Spanish and French Stereo and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The following is a breakdown of each disc:

Disc One:
o Treehouse of Horror XI
o A Tale of Two Springfields
o Insane Clown Poppy
o Lisa the Tree Hugger
o Homer vs. Dignity
o Additional Bonus Features Include:
-Commentaries featuring Executives Producers, Writers, Directors, Cast and many more
-Illustrated Commentary: Lisa the Tree Hugger
-Animation Showcase: Treehouse of Horror XI
-Deleted Scenes
-Special Language Feature: Homer Vs. Dignity

Disc Two:
o The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
o The Great Money Caper
o Skinner’s Sense of Snow
o HOMR
o Pokey Mom
o Worst Episode Ever
o Additional Bonus Features Include:
-Commentaries featuring Executives Producers, Writers, Directors, Cast and many more
-Deleted Scenes
-Comic Book Guy: Best. Moments. Ever. featurette
-Illustrated Commentary: HOMR

Disc Three:
o Tennis the Menace
o Day of the Jackanapes
o New Kids on the Blecch
o Hungry, Hungry Homer
o Bye Bye Nerdie
o Simpsons Safari
o Additional Bonus Features Include:
-Commentaries featuring Executives Producers, Writers, Directors, Cast and many more
-Deleted Scenes
-Animation Showcase: Day of the Jackanapes

Disc Four:
o Trilogy of Error
o I’m Goin’ to Praiseland
o Children of a Lesser Clod
o Simpson Tall Tales
o Additional Bonus Features Include:
-Commentaries featuring Executives Producers, Writers, Directors, Cast and many more
-Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by Executive Producer Mike Scully
-Global Fanfest
-Sketch Gallery
-Illustrated Commentary: I’m Goin’ to Praiseland
-The Commercials

About “THE SIMPSONS”
Currently the longest-running sitcom on television, The Simpsons aired their historic 400th episode in May 2007, followed by the hugely successful The Simpsons Movie in July 2007. The critically acclaimed series features Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson who take traditional family life and turn them upside down. Exploding into a cultural phenomenon in 1990, The Simpsons has remained one of the most visible and marketable properties both domestically and internationally. The Simpsons is noted for its famous celebrity guest voices and received a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in January of 2000. In Spring 2008 The Simpsons Ride opened at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and Hollywood, CA.

This multi-Emmy Award®-winning series is currently in production of its 21st Season. The Simpsons is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the Executive Producers. The Gracie Films Licensing and Marketing Division develops and produces the DVD collection for the series. Film Roman is the animation house.

About TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets – from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce – throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.

Technorati Tags: The Simpsons, DVD Clips, Season 12, DVD Release, 20th Century Fox, TV Show

Series to Wrap-up with Nine Episodes in Summer 2010

SAVING GRACE Averaging 3.5 Million Viewers Going into the Summer Finale on Aug. 18

TNT will conclude the fascinating journey of Oklahoma City Police Det. Grace Hanadarko in 2010, when the network’s groundbreaking original series SAVING GRACE will come to an end. SAVING GRACE will wrap up with a nine-episode run planned for next summer. The provocative drama stars Oscar® winner Holly Hunter (The Piano), who this year received the second of two consecutive Emmy® nominations for her no-holds-barred performance. Hunter also serves as executive producer of SAVING GRACE, along with show creator Nancy Miller (Any Day Now), Gary A. Randall (Any Day Now, Leaving L.A.) and Artie Mandelberg (Leaving L.A., Mr. & Mrs. Smith). For its current summer run, which ends Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), the show has averaged more than 3.5 million viewers and ranks first in its time period among viewers, households, adults 25-54 and women 25-54.

“Since SAVING GRACE began in 2007, the series has both challenged and entertained viewers in ways few other shows on television ever dare,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “The show’s continued success is thanks to the amazing talents of Holly Hunter and Nancy Miller, along with a tremendous ensemble cast and a highly skilled production team. They have taken us on a unique journey, and we look forward to seeing where it will ultimately lead.”

In SAVING GRACE, which comes to TNT from Fox Television Studios, Hunter’s Grace Hanadarko is a high-spirited detective who holds nothing back, whether on the job or in her personal life. The series follows as she investigates brutal crimes while also trying to find balance in her conflicted relationship with her partner, Ham (Kenneth Johnson – The Shield), whose grief she helped soothe after the death of his brother in Afghanistan. Grace also has to deal with her unconventional last-chance angel, Earl (Leon Rippy – Deadwood), whose interaction and occasional interference in her life is, according to him, all part of some master plan that even he doesn’t fully understand.

In this summer’s episodes, Earl has worked to create a connection between Grace and a young addict named Neely (Yaani King – The Prince & Me), whose life may eventually be in Grace’s hands. While trying to figure out Earl’s plans, Grace has also provided firm support for her best friend, criminalist Rhetta Rodriguez (Laura San Giacomo – Just Shoot Me), who is emotionally despondent over losing her family home and catching her husband in an affair.

Grace’s circle also includes her admiring nephew, Clay (Dylan Minnette – Prison Break); her boss and friend, Kate Perry (Lorraine Toussaint – Any Day Now); and her fellow detectives, Butch Ada (Bailey Chase – Las Vegas) and Bobby Stillwater (Gregory Cruz – Criminal Minds).

For its first season in 2007, SAVING GRACE ranked as ad-supported cable’s #1 new series of the year in delivery of viewers and households. Over its three seasons to date, the show has averaged 4.1 million viewers. This summer, SAVING GRACE has performed well among DVR users, scoring 33% growth among viewers and 34% growth among adults 25-54 when comparing Live to Live + 7 deliveries.

SAVING GRACE is one of six high-profile original dramas that have populated TNT’s Monday-Wednesday lineup this summer. The six dramas – which include Monday’s The Closer and Raising the Bar, Tuesday’s HawthoRNe and Wednesday’s Leverage and Dark Blue – are part of an aggressive TNT strategy to build a slate of quality original programming in primetime.

TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Technorati Tags: TNT, ending series, Saving Grace, Holly Hunter, Summer 2010, television, TV Series, Press Release, TV News

TNT has picked up a second season of its hit medical drama HAWTHORNE, starring and executive-produced by Jada Pinkett Smith (The Women, The Matrix trilogy) and created by Emmy® winner John Masius (St. Elsewhere, Providence, Dead Like Me). The network has ordered an additional 10 episodes of the character-driven drama, which airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). For its first season, HAWTHORNE is averaging 3.8 million viewers and ranks as ad-supported cable’s #1 entertainment program on Tuesdays among adults 25-54 and women 25-54. The second season is slated to air in 2010.

HAWTHORNE co-stars Michael Vartan (Alias), Suleka Mathew (Men in Trees), David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites), Christina Moore (Hyperion Bay) and Hannah Hodson (TNT’s The Ron Clark Story). The series is produced for TNT by Sony Pictures Television in association with Pinkett Smith’s 100% Womon Productions, John Masius Productions, and Jamie Tarses’ FanFare Productions. Pinkett Smith, Masius, Glen Mazzara (The Shield, Crash, Life) and Jamie Tarses (My Boys) serve as executive producers.

“HAWTHORNE has been a great addition to TNT’s lineup of original series, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s performance has been a tremendous draw with viewers,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “There are powerful episodes remaining, and we’re looking forward to what is certain to be an extraordinary second season.”

HAWTHORNE, which premiered Tuesday, June 16, with 4.4 million viewers (Live + 7), is one of six high-profile original dramas populating TNT’s Monday-Wednesday lineup this summer. The six series, which include The Closer, Raising the Bar, Saving Grace, Leverage and Dark Blue, are the fulfillment of an aggressive TNT strategy to build a slate of quality original programming in primetime.

HAWTHORNE is scoring tremendous growth over programming in the same Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot last year, with adults 25-54 up 90%, viewers up 69% and households up 63%. In addition to its success as part of TNT’s Tuesday night lineup, the show performs well among DVR users, averaging a 38% lift when comparing Live to Live + 7 delivery of adults 25-54.

Pinkett Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, a compassionate and headstrong Chief Nursing Officer heading up a group of dedicated nurses at Richmond Trinity Hospital who spend long days and nights on the hospital’s front lines. Hawthorne is the kind of nurse who fights for her patients and doesn’t let them slip through the cracks. When necessary, she takes on doctors and administrators who are overworked, distracted or just unable to see the human being behind the hospital chart.

But the long days at the hospital and Christina’s intense focus on helping others take a toll on her personal life. She is still coming to terms with losing her husband, who died a year ago after a battle with cancer, leaving her to raise their smart, rebellious teen-age daughter on her own. Constantly trying to strike a balance between her career and her equally important role as a parent, Christina finds little time to take care of the one person who always seems to fall through the cracks – herself.

Vartan plays Dr. Tom Wakefield, the oncologist who treated Christina’s husband and serves as Chief of Surgery for the hospital. The cast also includes Mathew as Bobbie Jackson, the head ER nurse and Christina’s best friend; Hirsch as Ray Stein, a nurse struggling with being accepted in a female-dominated profession; Moore as Candy Sullivan, whose stunning beauty is matched by a unique sense of duty; and Hodson as Camille, Hawthorne’s daughter. In addition, special guest star Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under) portrays Amanda Hawthorne, Christina’s mother-in-law, who also happens to be a member of the hospital board.

TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Technorati Tags: TNT, Hawthorne, RN, Jada Pinkett Smith, Television Show, Renewal, Second Season, Press Release

2009-2010 is looking to be quite promising for Fall and Winter television. There are several new shows set to air that look to be the next big thing.

Here’s our list of the Top Ten New Shows of Fall 2009 (and one Honorable Mention). Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on our list.

Honorable Mention Glee: You are probably wondering why we have an Honorable Mention position and why Glee, which looks to be one of the best new shows of 2009, is in this spot. Since most of us have already seen the pilot for Glee, we have an idea of what to expect. It’s really not a “guess” of a show that should be in the Top Ten. Hence we didn’t put it in the Top Ten. With the premiere absolutely rocking and a fun, young, promising cast led by Matthew Morrison, what’s not to like about Glee? If nothing else, it has Jane Lynch in it, which is a major, major plus.

10. The Middle: We’re not big fans of comedy, but Patricia Heaton’s new comedic vehicle looks rather quirky in that fun sort of way. Besides Heaton, the shining light in the show is her character’s son, Brick (played by Atticus Shaffer). Of course, you can’t discount Frankie’s (Heaton) clueless husband, Mike (Neil Flynn), and her nerdy, somewhat flaky daughter, Sue (Eden Sher). What’s hilarious is that this exact concept tried to happen with Ricki Lake in the leading role back in 2007, but the show sucked and never made it to air. The creators re-vamped, kept Atticus Shaffer on as Brick, put Heaton in the lead, and now it actually looks, and sounds, funny and relatable. We ask for so little in our comedies. By the previews, The Middle seeks to give all that and then some.

9. Day One: It’s hard to discount a show created by Jesse Alexander. Alexander has been a part of the creative team behind Lost, Alias, and Heroes. Add in the fact that the premise sounds interesting and I can see another, hit NBC television series. Day One features Xander Berkeley and Catherine Dent, amongst other ‘survivors’ in this world that has been hit by a global disaster. The Post-Apocalyptic genre is quite popular right now, and it brings back memories of other ‘survivor-based’ shows like Jeremiah and Jericho. Let’s hope that Day One finds its audience early on and doesn’t suffer the same fate as these two, now defunct shows.

8. Parenthood: We liked the 80s movie this show is based upon and we like the cast of this new series. The funny thing is this show happened right after the movie came out. Let’s hope that this modernized, updated version executive produced by Ron Howard (yes, THE Opie himself) lasts longer. Seriously, it’s Ron Howard. This is one of those shows you have to watch, with timeless family struggles that seem to translate well into this world 20 years past the original movie’s setting. Add in a standout cast which includes Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, Dax Shepard, Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Mae Whitman, and Marguerite Moreau and you have a recipe for success in this series.

7. Happy Town: When the previews first started airing for Happy Town, we dismissed the show without even seeing them all the way through. This series was going to be another October Road, type of romance drama, right? Well color us wrong. There’s murder, mayhem, and mystery in this perfect little town (for a killing). Besides, it has the adorable, Amy Acker (Dollhouse) in it and Sam Neill, who needs a new gig since they cancelled the excellent Crusoe. We love a good murder mystery (see Harper’s Island) and anticipate this show will be a must-watch when it airs, but wonder if it will have the longevity in its story to last more than one, inevitable season?

6. Trauma: We’re not just looking forward to Trauma because it looks to be a cracked out version of ER on speed. Okay, well maybe that is why we’re interested in watching. ER is over, so it’s time for a new medical drama to take it’s place. We instantly recognized Cliff Curtis from the previews (he’s in the new film, The Last Airbender, too), but the cast is filtered with plenty of other familiar faces including Derek Luke and Anastasia Griffith. While ER was the definitive medical drama, never to be duplicated again, Trauma promises to offer a new look at the medical world as it explores the high action lives of first on scene trauma responders. Old formula + new take = winner in the making.

5. V: We’ve been fans of Elizabeth Mitchell since she starred opposite Angelina Jolie in Gia. Since then, Mitchell has found a welcoming place both in film and on television. She had the chance to get Lost, and now she returns to ABC for a new series where she plays FBI agent, Erica Evans. While ABC is claiming Mitchell is still on Lost (the season finale didn’t look promising for Juliet), this new series thrusts her into lead character status. Mitchell isn’t the sole reason for us wanting to watch V when it premieres in November. We’re actually looking forward to the story, which revolves around the Visitors, high-tech aliens from a foreign planet, who come to help Earth in it’s darkest hour, and perhaps have ulterior motives. At the beginning of the promo for V, it reminded us just a little too much of Independence Day, except these visitors actually seem to want to help, or at least appear as though they want to help. Either way, V looks quite promising.

4. The Forgotten: What happens to people who wind up dead (usually murdered) who go unidentified? Their cases become cold cases and sometimes never go solved. The Forgotten follows a group of investigators who take the time to actually find out who these victims are, so they do not have to become the forgotten. This puts a new spin on shows like Cold Case and Criminal Minds, looking through the victims’ eyes to solve the crime. It also stars Reiko Aylesworth (Michelle from 24) and Rupert Penny-Jones. Great actors, an interesting plot, an intriguing promo – what more could you want from a crime drama?

3. Flash Forward: This has to be one of the very best previews for a new show we’ve seen. The show is good enough to bring Joseph Fiennes to television. While the fact that a Fiennes is on television at all is awesome, the entire story behind the show is what caught our attention. Imagine if you blacked out for two minutes and in that time fast forwarded six months in the future to see where your life was? The shocking truth shows a woman pregnant (one who doesn’t even have a boyfriend six months earlier), one man sees nothing and he assumes he’s dead in six months, and another sees herself with another man who isn’t her husband. As you can imagine this creates all kinds of drama for everyone involved, and plenty of cliffhanging style goodness for all of us viewers wondering why the flash forward happened in the first place.

2. The Good Wife: Julianna Margulies pretty much guaranteed we’d be watching The Good Wife, but Christine Baranski and Josh Charles (who doesn’t love Sports Night?) were the icing on the cake. Marguilies plays the good wife. After her politician husband resigns from office proceeding a sordid affair with several hookers, and ends up going to prison as a result, Alicia Florrick must find a way to put her life back together for herself and her children. She ends up going back to work, at a law office, after 13 years of living as the good wife. With as many political scandals as there have been in past years, this show is bound to be a hit both in our house and in yours.

1. Three Rivers: The show we’re most looking forward to (for a variety of reasons) this fall is Three Rivers. Set in Pittsburgh where the three rivers meet, this show is another medical drama, only this time, it looks at transplant patients and the doctors who decide whether they are going to live or die. As intriguing as this subject is, the acting is what attracted us to this project. This show is going to blow the other medical dramas out of the water. Not only is the subject matter touchy (full of drama), the cast includes Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight), Katherine Moennig (The L Word), and Julia Ormond. While the other two are certainly major draws to this show, it’s Katherine Moennig who pretty much sealed the deal of making this our most anticipated show of 2009-2010.

8/01/09 – **Correction** It has just been announced that Alfre Woodard will be replacing Julia Ormond on Three Rivers. How awesome is that?!

What do you think of our top ten list? Leave us a comment letting us know the top ten shows you just can’t wait to see air during the Fall 2009-2010 television season.

Technorati Tags: ABC, NBC, CBS, Three Rivers, The Forgotten, The Good Wife, New Shows, Fall Preview, Television, V, Flash Forward, Happy Town, Glee, Trauma, Parenthood, Day One, The Middle, Network Television. Fox

In the world of pro sports, classic rivalries are woven into the fabric of the game. In basketball, there’s the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers; in baseball, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; in football, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. In boxing, there’s Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, whose epic three-bout series from 1971 to 1975 transcended the sport.

Thrilla in Manila tells the previously unknown story of their final fight in the searing heat of the Philippines through the eyes of the “other man” in the ring – Frazier – when it debuts Saturday, April 11 exclusively on HBO.

An Official Selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, Thrilla in Manila chronicles one of the bitterest sports face-offs ever, recounting a tale of personal betrayal that was stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America.

Featuring archival footage and exclusive interviews with boxing insiders, including Ferdie Pacheco, Butch Lewis and Dave Wolf, as well as Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines, the documentary tells the story of two great fighters forever linked by three epic bouts, and looks at their final fight, considered the most brutal, from Frazier’s perspective for the first time.

View the trailer here: http://www.dailymotion.com/HBOclips/video/14859629

For more information on Thrilla in Manila visit: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/thrillainmanila/index.html

Technorati Tags: Thrilla Manilla, HBO, sports, television, press release, premiere, trailer

A Jihad for Love wins Outstanding Documentary

NEW YORK, NY March 30, 2009 – It was twice as nice for Logo at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday, March 28, 2009 when “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom” received the top award Outstanding Film – Limited Release in a tie with “Shelter” and First Run Features’ “A Jihad for Love” won Outstanding Documentary.

Patrik-Ian Polk, creator, director and writer for the series “Noah’s Arc” accepted the award on behalf of “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom” at Saturday’s ceremony held at The Marriot Marquis in New York City along with stars of the film Darryl Stephens and Jensen Atwood.

From its conception, the “Noah’s Arc” franchise proved to successfully cross all media platforms and audiences with its poignant, funny and revolutionary story about four African-American gay friends living in Los Angeles. Based on the hit television series on Logo, “Noah’s Arc” followed the lives of Noah (Darryl Stephens), Alex (Rodney Chester), Ricky (Christian Vincent) and Chance (Doug Spearman) as they venture together through the world of relationships, careers and friendships. “Noah’s Arc” portrayed issues rarely seen on television related to the African-American gay community including down-low culture and HIV/AIDS, turning the show into a sleeper hit.

Fresh on the heels of the TV show’s first two seasons, “Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom” jumped to the silver screen where we find the men and their significant others traveling to Martha’s Vineyard for a weekend wedding getaway. With its release in October 2008, “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom” demonstrated itself as the “little film that could” reporting one of the best per-screen box office averages of any independent film in 2008.

“Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom” was recently released on DVD on February 3, 2009 and is now available for purchase on shop.LOGOonline.com and retailers nationwide. Brand new special features including a “Making Of,” deleted scenes, photo shoots and more. The film from Logo and Paramount Home Entertainment will also be sold as a 2-pack with the soundtrack from Tommy Boy Records, featuring Michelle Williams, Solange, Bob Sinclair and many more.

Logo and First Run Features’ “A Jihad for Love” garnered the Outstanding Documentary award. Logo oversaw the production of this multi-award winning documentary exploring the lives of lesbian and gay Muslims. Producer Sandi DuBowski and director Parvez Sharma accepted the award at Saturday night’s ceremony. “A Jihad For Love” explores the many legal, social and spiritual challenges that LGBT individuals face in a conservative and sometimes harsh Muslim world where government and religion are deeply intertwined. Filmed over 5 years in 12 countries and 9 languages, this documentary looks beyond the present situation and seeks to reclaim the Islamic concept of a greater Jihad, which can mean ‘an inner struggle’ or ‘to strive in the path of God’. In doing so, the film and its remarkable subjects move beyond the narrow concept of ‘Jihad’ as a holy war.

“A Jihad for Love” premiered on Logo as part of its critically acclaimed documentary series “Real Momentum.” This remarkable documentary series explores change and growth in the LGBT community through investigations of a wide range of fascinating and unexpected LGBT stories about diverse people, issues, and places. Past documentaries have introduced viewers to Bayard Rustin, Allen Ginsberg, Freddie Mercury, LGBT farmers, hip hop artists, pro-mountain bikers, Jewish grandmothers, gender rebels, a transgender gospel choir, the rich history of Fire Island, a gay teen bible camp, Cuban life, the gay rodeo circuit, and the fascinating world of the gay animal kingdom. To watch full documentaries, go LOGOonline.com.

To view the full documentary of “A Jihad for Love,” go to http://www.logoonline.com/video/misc/354868/a-jihad-for-love-part-1.jhtml?id=1607044. For more information on the documentary, go to http://www.ajihadforlove.com/.

ABOUT LOGO
Logo is the world’s leading ad-supported cable, satellite, online, mobile and digital entertainment gay and lesbian themed network from MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B). Launched in 2005, Logo’s cable channel is in more than 35.5 million homes across the United States and is complemented by a federation of online properties, including LOGOonline.com, AfterEllen.com, AfterElton.com, 365gay.com, DowneLink.com and NewNowNext.com. Logo’s content is distributed across all leading download-to-own, streaming and mobile services. The most influential brand for the most influential audience, Logo provides a mix of original and acquired entertainment as well as news, social networking and community building that are authentic, smart, fun, entertaining, and inclusive. Logo joins MTV Networks’ roster of popular and highly targeted brands which include MTV, Comedy Central, VH1 and Spike TV.

ABOUT MTV NETWORKS
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.

Technorati Tags: Noah’s Arc, Jumping the Broom, GLAAD Awards, A Jihad for Love, ceremony, LOGO, MTV Networks

Young poets from across America take the spotlight in the exclusive seven-part HBO series RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS BRAVE NEW VOICES. Narrated by Queen Latifah, the show follows six promising teams from New York, San Francisco, Ft. Lauderdale, Ann Arbor, Hawaii and Philadelphia as they prepare for a chance to compete at the 2008 Brave New Voices National Youth Poetry Slam Championship in Washington, D.C.

Held in a different city each year, the Brave New Voices championship presents the voices of 21st-century America in all its demographic diversity. Created by Youth Speaks in 1998, the Brave New Voices Youth Poetry Slam Festival has quickly become the largest youth poetry festival in the world, bringing together 500 youth and 100 nonprofit organizers from up to 50 different US cities annually.

In the months and weeks leading up to the July 2008 finals, HBO’s cameras captured the six teams and their coaches as they prepared for the semi-finals and finals in Washington, D.C. The half-hour series profiles hopeful poets and their coaches, revealing their personal struggles and triumphs like 19 -year old Brooklynite B. Yung, who sees poetry as a way out of the streets, Jasmine, the 18-year-old leader of the Ft. Lauderdale team who is held back by sickle-cell disease, Ericka, a 16-year-old San Francisco resident seeking refuge from her tough upbringing through overeating and poetry, Britney, an 18-year-old New Yorker with cerebral palsy, Ittai, 18, a one-time prodigy who has become a leader of a strong Hawaiian team; Aimee, Carolyn and Fiona, all 17, representing an Ann Arbor team that is hindered, ironically, by their white upper-middle-class backgrounds and April, a Santa Fe native and 18-year-old member of the Navaho tribe who seeks to preserve her native American culture in her life and poetry.

To watch the trailer and meet some of the poets featured in the show click here: http://www.hbo.com/bravenewvoices/index.html

Brave New Voices on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brave-New-Voices-on-HBO/52859334233

Don’t miss the premiere of HBO’s new late night series when Brave New Voices premieres Sunday, April 5th at 11pm ET/PT.

Technorati Tags: Russell Simmons, Poet, April, poetry teams, press release, Brave New Voices, HBO, television show