Post by Flamingo on Feb 23, 2004 14:03:43 GMT
Some news this week:
Taken from Syracuse.com 19th feb. Written by JOAN E. VADEBONCOEUR
ENTERTAINMENT COLUMNIST
Sorkin after 'West Wing'
Been wondering what writer/producer Aaron Sorkin has been up to since he departed "The West Wing"?
He's been pretty silent since leaving the TV series he created, almost a year ago. Now the Syracuse University drama graduate has popped back into the news.
Sorkin has finished a movie script, although further information is not available. Plus, he wrote an extended foreword and chose the content for the recently released book " 'The West Wing' Seasons 3 and 4: The Shooting Scripts."
Also, he remains in touch with the series and is sent all the scripts, says current executive producer John Wells.
Kansas.com
Posted on Wed, Feb. 18, 2004
SAG Awards: Precursors of Oscars, Emmys, or just redundant?
The 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are Sunday night, and they're going to be pretty much duplications of the Oscars later this month and the Emmys this fall.
In fact, the awards themselves seem a little redundant -- like the Golden Globes and People's Choice Awards -- although everybody in Hollywood prefers to think of them as "precursors."
It's also a second -- or third or fourth -- chance to take home a gleaming statuette for the same performance -- although the downside is you can be also-rans three or four times for the same performance, too.
SAG members are quick to point out that their awards are the only ones selected purely by the actors' peers.
That doesn't guarantee that they'll be any less political or popularity-driven in favor of pure professionalism.
But SAG does one thing nobody else does. It honors acting ensembles so even minor cast members can take something home -- although winners seem to represent the equivalent of best picture or best TV show.
In any case, awards are given in five movie and eight TV categories. Here are this year's nominees and my take on them. See if you agree.
Movies
ACTOR -- Johnny Depp ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" ), Peter Dinklage ("The Station Agent" ), Ben Kingsley ("House of Sand and Fog" ), Bill Murray ("Lost in Translation" ) and Sean Penn ("Mystic River" ).
Depp is a very rare comedy entry, and Murray is an unexpected dramatic surprise. Only the peer actors of SAG can probably appreciate that instead of going with safe choices. Give it to Murray.
ACTRESS -- Patricia Clarkson ("The Station Agent" ), Diane Keaton ("Something's Gotta Give" ), Charlize Theron ("Monster" ), Naomi Watts ("21 Grams" ) and Evan Rachel Wood ("Thirteen" ).
Young Wood gives a remarkably mature performance as a 13-year-old partying herself to death, but the smart money is on a deglamorized Theron as a serial killer headed toward execution.
SUPPORTING ACTOR -- Alec Baldwin ("The Cooler" ), Chris Cooper ("Seabiscuit" ), Benicio Del Toro ("21 Grams" ), Tim Robbins ("Mystic River" ) and Ken Watanabe ("The Last Samurai" ).
Baldwin is a dark horse surprise as a vicious casino boss, but this is probably between Robbins as a repressed victim of child sexual abuse and Del Toro as a hit-and-run driver in deep denial after a fatal accident. Give it to Del Toro.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS -- Maria Bello ("The Cooler" ), Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider" ), Patricia Clarkson ("Pieces of April" ), Holly Hunter ("Thirteen" ) and Renee Zellweger ("Cold Mountain" ).
Young Castle-Hughes could be the spoiler, although she should be in the top actress rather than supporting category. Nevertheless, Zellweger is my pick for singlehandedly jump-starting "Cold Mountain" with her catchy, quirky turn as a farm gal who suffers no fools.
CAST -- "In America," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Mystic River," "Seabiscuit" and "The Station Agent."
You can't get any better than the cast-of-thousands "Lord of the Rings" guys, who meshed so well for three movies in a row.
Television
COMEDY ACTOR -- Peter Boyle, Brad Garrett and Ray Romano ("Everybody Loves Ray" ), Sean Hayes ("Will & Grace" ) and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk" ).
Shalhoub as the obsessive-compulsive detective gives comedy a sublime distinction next to the sitcom antics of the other nominees.
COMEDY ACTRESS -- Patricia Heaton and Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves Raymond), Debra Messing and Megan Mullally ("Will & Grace" ) and Lisa Kudrow ("Friends" ).
Doesn't anybody watch "Gilmore Girls"? Either Lauren Graham or Alexis Bledell would be better than these deja vu, already overly honored choices. By default, I go with Kudrow because everybody is gonna miss "Friends."
DRAMA ACTOR -- Peter Krause ("Six Feet Under" ), Anthony LaPaglia ("Without a Trace" ), Martin Sheen ("The West Wing" ), Kiefer Sutherland ("24" ) and Treat Williams ("Everwood" ).
Sheen has won twice before as the best president we've never elected while Sutherland as an FBI agent battling world-ending threats is the hardest-working, most battered actor on TV. Sutherland deserves it this time.
DRAMA ACTRESS -- Stockard Channing and Allison Janney ("The West Wing" ), Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under" ), Tyne Daly ("Judging Amy" ), Jennifer Garner ("Alias" ) and Mariska Hargitay "(Law & Order: SVU" ).
Garner and Hargitay are out of their league here. Conroy just won a Golden Globe. But I think it comes down to savvy White House spokesman Janney or outspoken social worker Daly. I'm going with Janney one more time (she's won twice before).
MINISERIES ACTOR -- Justin Kirk, Al Pacino and Jeffrey Wright ("Angels in America" ), Paul Newman ("Our Town" ) and Forest Whitaker (" Deacons for Defense" ).
The "Angels in America" guys are right at the top of everyone's list with Pacino, as notorious commie-baiter Roy Cohn on his AIDS deathbed, edging out the other two.
MINISERIES ACTRESS -- Anne Bancroft and Helen Mirren ("Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" ) and Mary-Louise Parker, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson ("Angels in America" ).
Again, the "Angels" cast rises to the top with Streep, in three distinct roles (including under heavy makeup as a Jewish rabbi), edging out her very keen competition.
COMEDY ENSEMBLE -- "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Frasier," "Friends," "Sex and the City" and "Will & Grace."
With three of the five shows ending this year, the nostalgia vote will get underfoot. Nevertheless, I give it to "Frasier" for its unbeatable sophistication and wit.
DRAMA ENSEMBLE -- "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Law & Order," "Six Feet Under," "The West Wing" and "Without a Trace."
"The West Wing" has won the past two years. There's no reason to believe it won't do it again.
IF YOU WATCH
SAG AWARDS
What: 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards honoring best performances in five movie and eight TV categories
Where/when: 7 p.m. Sunday on TNT (cable Channel 30)
Reach Bob Curtright at 268-6394 or bcurtright@wichitaeagle.com
Digital Bulletin 23rd feb
Newcomers vie with old favourites on coolest TV list
Jennifer Whitehead, Brand Republic 09:00 17-02-2004
LONDON - 'Twin Peaks', 'Miami Vice' and 'The Prisoner' are on a list of the coolest shows of all time, according to Radio Times magazine.
The list is bound to spark controversy with the inclusion of newer shows such as 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' and 'The West Wing' alongside iconic programmes including 'The Avengers' and 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E'.
Out of the 14 programmes on the list, none were shot in the 1970s and the pastel-clad crime-fighting duo of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs from 'Miami Vice' are the only representatives from the 1980s. From the 1990s are 'Seinfeld', 'Murder One', and 'Queer as Folk', as well as the ongoing series 'The Sopranos' and 'The West Wing'.
From the Noughties new BBC hits also made their mark with MI5 drama 'Spooks' and last year's hit political drama 'State of Play' making appearances.
Radio Times magazine has drawn up the list ahead of a new BBC One programme called 'Hustle', beginning next week, which stars 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E''s Robert Vaughn. The magazine's television editor Alison Graham explained the criteria for deciding the list.
She said: "At its best, Cool TV makes you want to leap from your armchair and shout: 'Yes! I want to live like that! I want to wear sunglasses to work and walk down corridors in slow motion!'."
The full list (in alphabetical order) is as follows:
The Avengers (1961-69)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2001-)
The Man From Uncle (1965-68)
Miami Vice (1985-90)
Murder One (1996-97)
The Prisoner (1967-68)
Queer as Folk (1999)
The Saint (1962-69)
Seinfeld (1993-2001)
The Sopranos (1999-)
Spooks (2002-)
State of Play (2003-)
Twin Peaks (1990-91)
The West Wing (1999-)
E-Online(February 21st) are reporting that the emmy rules may be tweaked so shows like The West Wing cant win year after year, they think the repititon is causing a loss in ratings..
Taken from Syracuse.com 19th feb. Written by JOAN E. VADEBONCOEUR
ENTERTAINMENT COLUMNIST
Sorkin after 'West Wing'
Been wondering what writer/producer Aaron Sorkin has been up to since he departed "The West Wing"?
He's been pretty silent since leaving the TV series he created, almost a year ago. Now the Syracuse University drama graduate has popped back into the news.
Sorkin has finished a movie script, although further information is not available. Plus, he wrote an extended foreword and chose the content for the recently released book " 'The West Wing' Seasons 3 and 4: The Shooting Scripts."
Also, he remains in touch with the series and is sent all the scripts, says current executive producer John Wells.
Kansas.com
Posted on Wed, Feb. 18, 2004
SAG Awards: Precursors of Oscars, Emmys, or just redundant?
The 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are Sunday night, and they're going to be pretty much duplications of the Oscars later this month and the Emmys this fall.
In fact, the awards themselves seem a little redundant -- like the Golden Globes and People's Choice Awards -- although everybody in Hollywood prefers to think of them as "precursors."
It's also a second -- or third or fourth -- chance to take home a gleaming statuette for the same performance -- although the downside is you can be also-rans three or four times for the same performance, too.
SAG members are quick to point out that their awards are the only ones selected purely by the actors' peers.
That doesn't guarantee that they'll be any less political or popularity-driven in favor of pure professionalism.
But SAG does one thing nobody else does. It honors acting ensembles so even minor cast members can take something home -- although winners seem to represent the equivalent of best picture or best TV show.
In any case, awards are given in five movie and eight TV categories. Here are this year's nominees and my take on them. See if you agree.
Movies
ACTOR -- Johnny Depp ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" ), Peter Dinklage ("The Station Agent" ), Ben Kingsley ("House of Sand and Fog" ), Bill Murray ("Lost in Translation" ) and Sean Penn ("Mystic River" ).
Depp is a very rare comedy entry, and Murray is an unexpected dramatic surprise. Only the peer actors of SAG can probably appreciate that instead of going with safe choices. Give it to Murray.
ACTRESS -- Patricia Clarkson ("The Station Agent" ), Diane Keaton ("Something's Gotta Give" ), Charlize Theron ("Monster" ), Naomi Watts ("21 Grams" ) and Evan Rachel Wood ("Thirteen" ).
Young Wood gives a remarkably mature performance as a 13-year-old partying herself to death, but the smart money is on a deglamorized Theron as a serial killer headed toward execution.
SUPPORTING ACTOR -- Alec Baldwin ("The Cooler" ), Chris Cooper ("Seabiscuit" ), Benicio Del Toro ("21 Grams" ), Tim Robbins ("Mystic River" ) and Ken Watanabe ("The Last Samurai" ).
Baldwin is a dark horse surprise as a vicious casino boss, but this is probably between Robbins as a repressed victim of child sexual abuse and Del Toro as a hit-and-run driver in deep denial after a fatal accident. Give it to Del Toro.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS -- Maria Bello ("The Cooler" ), Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider" ), Patricia Clarkson ("Pieces of April" ), Holly Hunter ("Thirteen" ) and Renee Zellweger ("Cold Mountain" ).
Young Castle-Hughes could be the spoiler, although she should be in the top actress rather than supporting category. Nevertheless, Zellweger is my pick for singlehandedly jump-starting "Cold Mountain" with her catchy, quirky turn as a farm gal who suffers no fools.
CAST -- "In America," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Mystic River," "Seabiscuit" and "The Station Agent."
You can't get any better than the cast-of-thousands "Lord of the Rings" guys, who meshed so well for three movies in a row.
Television
COMEDY ACTOR -- Peter Boyle, Brad Garrett and Ray Romano ("Everybody Loves Ray" ), Sean Hayes ("Will & Grace" ) and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk" ).
Shalhoub as the obsessive-compulsive detective gives comedy a sublime distinction next to the sitcom antics of the other nominees.
COMEDY ACTRESS -- Patricia Heaton and Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves Raymond), Debra Messing and Megan Mullally ("Will & Grace" ) and Lisa Kudrow ("Friends" ).
Doesn't anybody watch "Gilmore Girls"? Either Lauren Graham or Alexis Bledell would be better than these deja vu, already overly honored choices. By default, I go with Kudrow because everybody is gonna miss "Friends."
DRAMA ACTOR -- Peter Krause ("Six Feet Under" ), Anthony LaPaglia ("Without a Trace" ), Martin Sheen ("The West Wing" ), Kiefer Sutherland ("24" ) and Treat Williams ("Everwood" ).
Sheen has won twice before as the best president we've never elected while Sutherland as an FBI agent battling world-ending threats is the hardest-working, most battered actor on TV. Sutherland deserves it this time.
DRAMA ACTRESS -- Stockard Channing and Allison Janney ("The West Wing" ), Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under" ), Tyne Daly ("Judging Amy" ), Jennifer Garner ("Alias" ) and Mariska Hargitay "(Law & Order: SVU" ).
Garner and Hargitay are out of their league here. Conroy just won a Golden Globe. But I think it comes down to savvy White House spokesman Janney or outspoken social worker Daly. I'm going with Janney one more time (she's won twice before).
MINISERIES ACTOR -- Justin Kirk, Al Pacino and Jeffrey Wright ("Angels in America" ), Paul Newman ("Our Town" ) and Forest Whitaker (" Deacons for Defense" ).
The "Angels in America" guys are right at the top of everyone's list with Pacino, as notorious commie-baiter Roy Cohn on his AIDS deathbed, edging out the other two.
MINISERIES ACTRESS -- Anne Bancroft and Helen Mirren ("Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" ) and Mary-Louise Parker, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson ("Angels in America" ).
Again, the "Angels" cast rises to the top with Streep, in three distinct roles (including under heavy makeup as a Jewish rabbi), edging out her very keen competition.
COMEDY ENSEMBLE -- "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Frasier," "Friends," "Sex and the City" and "Will & Grace."
With three of the five shows ending this year, the nostalgia vote will get underfoot. Nevertheless, I give it to "Frasier" for its unbeatable sophistication and wit.
DRAMA ENSEMBLE -- "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Law & Order," "Six Feet Under," "The West Wing" and "Without a Trace."
"The West Wing" has won the past two years. There's no reason to believe it won't do it again.
IF YOU WATCH
SAG AWARDS
What: 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards honoring best performances in five movie and eight TV categories
Where/when: 7 p.m. Sunday on TNT (cable Channel 30)
Reach Bob Curtright at 268-6394 or bcurtright@wichitaeagle.com
Digital Bulletin 23rd feb
Newcomers vie with old favourites on coolest TV list
Jennifer Whitehead, Brand Republic 09:00 17-02-2004
LONDON - 'Twin Peaks', 'Miami Vice' and 'The Prisoner' are on a list of the coolest shows of all time, according to Radio Times magazine.
The list is bound to spark controversy with the inclusion of newer shows such as 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' and 'The West Wing' alongside iconic programmes including 'The Avengers' and 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E'.
Out of the 14 programmes on the list, none were shot in the 1970s and the pastel-clad crime-fighting duo of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs from 'Miami Vice' are the only representatives from the 1980s. From the 1990s are 'Seinfeld', 'Murder One', and 'Queer as Folk', as well as the ongoing series 'The Sopranos' and 'The West Wing'.
From the Noughties new BBC hits also made their mark with MI5 drama 'Spooks' and last year's hit political drama 'State of Play' making appearances.
Radio Times magazine has drawn up the list ahead of a new BBC One programme called 'Hustle', beginning next week, which stars 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E''s Robert Vaughn. The magazine's television editor Alison Graham explained the criteria for deciding the list.
She said: "At its best, Cool TV makes you want to leap from your armchair and shout: 'Yes! I want to live like that! I want to wear sunglasses to work and walk down corridors in slow motion!'."
The full list (in alphabetical order) is as follows:
The Avengers (1961-69)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2001-)
The Man From Uncle (1965-68)
Miami Vice (1985-90)
Murder One (1996-97)
The Prisoner (1967-68)
Queer as Folk (1999)
The Saint (1962-69)
Seinfeld (1993-2001)
The Sopranos (1999-)
Spooks (2002-)
State of Play (2003-)
Twin Peaks (1990-91)
The West Wing (1999-)
E-Online(February 21st) are reporting that the emmy rules may be tweaked so shows like The West Wing cant win year after year, they think the repititon is causing a loss in ratings..