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'GMA' tribute to Robin Roberts' mother, Lucimarian
As you may know, Robin Roberts' mom, Lucimarian, died last night at the age of 88. Roberts, about to undergo a bone marrow transplant, left the show yeterday to be with her ailing mother. Here's "Good Morning America's" tribute from this morning...
Clint Eastwood speech with empty chair upstages Mitt Romney at GOP convention
Photo credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Political conventions are TV shows, only TV shows, and the one from Tampa last night starred a silver-maned screen icon named Clint Eastwood who drifted wildly off-script, addressed an empty chair, put words in the mouth of an invisible “president” that were vaguely — no, very distinctly — scatological, rambled for 11 minutes, drove event organizers to drink and in the process totally, irrevocably heisted the entire week.
It doesn't matter what stripe your politics are, or whether you thought last night was a victory or disaster, Eastwood stole the night. He stole it with the expertise and facility of a veteran actor who knew exactly what he was doing — stealing a scene, and stealing it with utter conviction.
There is but one thing anyone will remember from this week — one thing and one thing only: The sight of Dirty Harry addressing an empty chair.
MORE: Where do you stand? | Analysis and opinion about the Republican National Convention | Complete coverage
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Let the big minds address whether this remarkable TV moment was good or bad for the Republican ticket and they already have: Bob Schieffer last night said it was a political disaster, shifting attention from the candidate to a loopy actor addressing an empty chair. His colleague Norah O'Donnell said Friday morning that it was the “not good, the bad and the very ugly.""
But wait! What about us? The viewer — the ones sitting at home, drifting off to sleep, wondering when we'd hear yet another speaker talk about yet another mother who had to drive 130 miles to work, while the kids at home were burning the pancakes? The ones watching Taylor Hicks and saying “I voted for THAT guy!?"
Instead, we got Clint and it was electrifying — a glorious, bizarre, fun, wild, weird, kooky, incendiary moment that threatened to throw the entire convention into a complete tailspin — and just before the nominee spoke.
Now THAT'S entertainment, friends.
The lasting effect of this? Well, you know the DNC at this very moment is cooking up a comeback and Twitter last night was alive with speculation — Oprah addressing an empty chair in Charlotte? And surely someone at the DNC had this idea — get an empty SUIT on a rack up onstage and have George Clooney address “Mitt Romney.“
Reporters love to criticize/whine about the convention — no news! All scripted! Why even cover this thing?
Last night Clint Eastwood gave them — us — reason to watch. You may never vote for Romney in a million years — or may never vote for Obama in a million. But you will remember Clint Eastwood, and the memory doubtless will be a pleasing one: “Something fun and crazy finally happened at a political convention. Maybe I'll stick around for the mystery guest next time.”
HBO's Rolling Stones doc to air in November
Photo credit: Getty Images, 1964
Hearken ye Rolling Stones fans — a major film on arguably the greatest rock and roll band in history will air Nov. 15 on HBO. This should be a marquee event, if you believe some of the hype out of the recent press tour (I do). Lots of exclusive material, clips, never-before-seen material, and the boys in all their glory. This is one of those can't-miss-it shows.
Directed by Brett Morgen -- "The Kid Stays in the Picture," "Chicago 10" -- HBO says the film, entitled “Crossfire Hurricane” (good name!) will give “the audience an intimate insight, for the first time, into exactly what it’s like to be part of the Rolling Stones, as they overcame denunciation, drugs, dissensions and death to become the definitive survivors. It’s the backstage pass to outdo them all. The odyssey includes film from the Stones’ initial road trips and first controversies as they became the anti-Beatles, the group despised by authority because they connected and communicated with their own generation as no one else ever had. “When we got together,” says [Bill] Wyman, “something magical happened, and no one could ever copy that.”
Robin Roberts last day Thursday on 'Good Morning America'
Photo credit: AP
Robin Roberts will sign off from “Good Morning America” this morning, Thursday, a day before from her planned departure, she announced Thursday morning. Reason: To be with her mother, Lucimarian, who is ailing and living in Mississippi, Roberts said.
"Our beloved mother, the matriarch of our family, 88-years-old, has had some health issues recently and it's got to the point that Sally-Ann and I need to get home so I'm leaving a day early."
Roberts will shortly begin preparations for a bone-marrow transplant next week and a recovery process that could take her away from the resurgent show -- resurging largely because of her efforts -- for months. She deflected questions on how long that recovery process would be, only saying (jocularly) to her colleagues, “I know we're going to see moments like this again and have them when I come back..."
Roberts' doctor, Gail Roboz, also on the air Thursday morning, told Roberts -- who will undergo her transplant at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center -- that “you look at the first 30 days as time to rebuild your system.” With the transplanted marrow, collected earlier this week from Roberts' sister Sally-Ann, “we wiped out your marrow and immune system, but Sally's . . . has to find a way to set up shop in you.” Again, no indication about how long the recovery process will take.
And this: The show announced that the cast of “Modern Family” will stand in for Roberts at some point during her recovery. How can a cast anchor a show? Guess we'll have to watch and see. Other stand-ins include Kelly Ripa, Rob Lowe and “surprise guests.”
Charlie Sheen, 'Anger Management' get 90-episode order
Photo credit: FX
Well, that's that: No getting away from Charlie Sheen and his newish sitcom, "Anger Management," now. FX just handed them a 90-episode order.
That was certainly expected — FX said as much at the recent press tour, and the show tracked around 4.5 million viewers, which is some kind of track. But still, 90?! As noted from the recent press tour, Martin Sheen has also joined the cast - so this announcement was pretty much a foregone conclusion.
FX says "Anger Management" is cable's highest-rated new comedy series this year.
FX Networks executive vice president Chuck Saftler told The Associated Press he's confident the producers and cast will be able to produce another 90 episodes during the next two years after quickly turning out the first 10.
Let's do the math: If the show does stay for its entire 90-episode order, and airs about 13 episodes per season, that'd work out to a seven-year run. Sheen, who turns 47 next week, would be around 54. Oh, before I forget: Happy birthday, Charlie!
$2 million pot for 'Amazing Race' winner; teams list
First things first: There are no couples from Long Island in the new edition of "The Amazing Race," arriving Sept. 30. But there is this interesting new twist - the winning team can possibly score a $2 million pot. That's not the biggest pot in reality TV history by a long shot ($5 million for "The X Factor") but double the money for "Race." Here's the line from the...
Read more »Study determines the TV shows liberals, conservatives watch
Photo credit: Getty Images
Are you a "super liberal" or "ultra conservative" -- and if so, do you watch shows like "Watch what Happens" or "Antiques Roadshow?" An idle and perhaps irrelevant question, but undeniably interesting, and read on to find out exactly what the color of your TV rainbow is.
Experian Simmons, a major market research firm, has put together...
Read more »Seth MacFarlane, Frank Ocean open 'Saturday Night Live'
Photo credit: AP
Entering its 38th season, "Saturday Night Live" will open with Seth MacFarlane as host and Frank Ocean as its first musical guest. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is back on the show Sept. 22; Mumford & Sons arrive that night too. Let's see . . . oh, yes, and this: Daniel Craig on the 6th of October with Muse as musical guest. Craig has a new Bond to promote.
Does Seth need an introduction? No, but just in case, he's master of the cartoon universe at Fox ("Family Guy" et al) and star/writer/voice of "Ted."
Now, we all anxiously await word from "SNL" on this season's complete list of cast-members . . .
'Boardwalk Empire:' New trailer
This new trailer - well, if "new" means within the last 24 hours - of "Boardwalk Empire" is out, and fans will want to parse its many interesting twists. Third season arrives Sept. 16...
Discovery Channel dedicates Saturday to Neil Armstrong
Now this - another major tribute to Neil Armstrong, on the Discovery Channel this Saturday. But of particular note, the network has rushed a brand new doc on Armstrong that'll air at 8 p.m. entitled "One Giant Leap: A Neil Armstrong Tribute." Check out TDC program note details below...(Meanwhile, the History Channel's tribute is underway today.) Also, check out this TDC blog and the clip...
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