BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 11/21

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:15:22 PST

Strike news: A huge number of actors will be recording PSAs in support of the writers on the LA Weekly's Deadline Hollywood Daily blog; the New York Times says some showrunners have returned to their non-writing duties; the LA Times says the strike could cost the city $20 million per day; and Variety has the news that directors have reached a deal that will probably keep them off the picket lines.
Billboard says Weezer will release a new album in April, while NME has the tracklist for frontman Rivers Cuomo's solo album.
David Hasselhoff may reprise his Knight Rider role for NBC's remake, Zap2it reports.
Cirque du Soleil will open a show in Hollywood starting in 2010, writes Variety.
TV Guide reports on a survey that says Americans wish Clair Huxtable were cooking their Thanksgiving dinner - and want to keep Peg Bundy away from the stove.
Fox has apologized for a Polish slur in an episode of Back to You, writes the New York Daily News.
Variety reports that advertisements for Shoot 'Em Up have been banned in the UK.

Back to You will be Back for More

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:26:05 PDT

The latest show to get a full-season pickup: Back to You, the Kelsey Grammer/Patricia Heaton comedy on Fox. The show was one of the first to be picked up by any network last spring, so I suppose it only makes sense that Fox would be standing by it now.

The network has ordered 11 more episodes of the show, bringing the total number of episodes to 24 for the season. Its ratings haven't been great - it hovers somewhere between 6.5 and 7 million viewers each week - but it's been consistent. And, as was recently pointed out with the pickup of Gossip Girl, networks are changing their standards for what's considered a hit show in the first place.

In other news:

ABC has ordered six more scripts of Samantha Who? The show is the No. 1 new comedy of the season and did almost as well in the ratings this week as it did in its premiere.
The CW wants three more Reaper scripts, even though this week's ratings were (gulp) a series low.

I'm a little surprised we haven't heard about any of the NBC shows yet. All of the other networks have picked up at least one key series (Back to You for Fox, Gossip Girl for the CW, Pushing Daisies and Private Practice for ABC, The Big Bang Theory for CBS). None of NBC's series has been a huge hit, but I figured at least one of them would have gotten the network's support by now.

TV Tonight: Welcome Back, TV!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:30:47 PDT

Finally! At long last, it's starting to get hard to decide what to watch on TV. While many shows don't start till next week, three networks have new shows premiering tonight, and most of them are worth a look:

Fox has the premiere of its new comedy "Back to You" and Gordan Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares," with a new episode of "'Til Death" sandwiched in bewteen.
CBS has the much-ballyhooed premiere of "Kid Nation"
The CW kicks off the new season of "America's Next Top Model," then follows it up with the first episode of "Gossip Girl."

Throw in a special on ABC about the character of Addison and the live finale of "Last Comic Standing" on NBC, and it's quite the night for the major networks. Me, I'll be checking out "Kid Nation," "ANTM" and "Gossip Girl." You? To watch video clips of each of the four brand-new shows making their debuts tonight,

read more "Gossip Girl": "Kid Nation": "Kitchen Nightmares": "Back to You": Photos courtesy of CBS, The CW and Fox

Pilot Watch: "Back to You"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:30:00 PDT

The networks have announced their fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? Throughout the summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. A lot can change before a show makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: the Fox comedy "Back to You."

What's it about? A disgraced news anchor returns to the smaller market where he once was a superstar and must work again with his former co-anchor, who's not thrilled to have to share the spotlight with him.

Who's in it? Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, Fred Willard

The good: I'm an ex-"Fraiser" fan, and this show reminded me that I really do like Kelsey Grammer. For a traditional sitcom - and, don't get me wrong, it is very traditional - it had more laughs than I was expecting. It feels very professional, by which I mean that you can tell that everyone from the lead actors to the writers to the peripheral cast know what it takes to make a comedy work.

The bad: "Back to You" doesn't break any new ground; I've seen all these jokes and plot lines before. The pilot has a supposedly shocking twist that Fox begged reporters not to reveal, but it's the kind of thing that anyone over the age of 12 could figure out easily.

Will I watch? Doubtful, but not because it's bad, per se - it's just not my style.

To watch a video and see a gallery of photos,

View 18 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of Fox

First Connecticut, Now Pennsylvania?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:30:00 PDT

A while back, I told you that Connecticut was becoming filmmaking's latest hot spot. Now, I'm wondering if Pennsylvania's next. Much to Sienna Miller's likely chagrin, filmmakers and TV producers haven't exactly fled the state ever since her famously nasty comments while filming The Mysteries of Pittsburgh there last year.

Instead, the upcoming Spike TV show "The Kill Point" recently spent more than two months filming in Pittsburgh, and the state legislature is considering implementing tax breaks - like those that have helped push filmmakers to Connecticut - for productions that choose to locate in the state.

But that may not be the only reason producers have The Keystone State on the brain these days. Quite a few current and upcoming TV shows are set throughout the state - even if they're not actively filming there. Consider:

"The Office," which is responsible for putting Scranton on the map, is sending a producer to Scranton to look for local businesses, goods and services to feature on the show, from vending machine snacks to notepads that could appear on a character's desk.
"Back to You," a new Fox show starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton as newscasters, is set in Pittsburgh - and will be paired on the schedule with the Eastern Pennsylvania-set Brad Garrett sitcom "Til Death."

More PA goodies, so

TNT's "Heartland" focuses on transplant surgeons at a fictional Pittsburgh hospital.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - which states its connection to the state right in its title - is set to return to TV in September.

Sheesh. I wonder which underappreciated state will be next? Photo courtesy of Philip R. Cloutier

Get a Sneak Peek of the New Fox Shows!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:30:28 PDT

Thanks to Fox, we now have sneak previews of that network's new fall shows, to add to the clips we've already seen from ABC, NBC, CBS and the CW. I'm eager to hear what you think of these clips, so get watching!

"New Amsterdam" (pictured above)
I still think this story of an immortal detective is the strangest of Fox's shows.

"The Return of Jezebel James"
Somehow, I think this would be much better without the laugh track.

I've got clips from the other Fox shows plus lots of photos, so

read more "Back to You I must admit, I do kind of like Kelsey Grammer. "Canterbury's Law" "Sarah Connor Chronicles" I wonder if you have to be really into the Terminator movies to like this? "K-Ville" "The Rules for Starting Over" I wonder when I'll stop seeing Rashida as Karen from "The Office"? "K-Ville"

View 4 Photos ›

"New Amsterdam"

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"Back to You"

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"Canterbury's Law"

View 5 Photos ›

"The Return of Jezebel James"

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"Sarah Connor Chronicles"

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"The Rules for Starting Over"

View 4 Photos ›

Photos and video courtesy of Fox

Sneak Peek: First Pictures From Game of Thrones Season 2!

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:01:00 PST

We're just a few weeks away from Game of Thrones's April 1 season premiere, and today we've got another look at season two! These new images take us back to Westeros, where Arya is still posing as a boy, Sansa is grieving for her father, and Daenerys is fighting for power. It's not just old faces though, there are quite a few new characters in the mix as well. Take a look at at the sneak peek and be sure to check out the Game of Thrones season two trailer while you're at it.

Photos courtesy of HBO

The Vampire Diaries "Dangerous Liaisons": The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:52:08 PST

The original vampire family hosts a ball on this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries, and the whole town puts on their finest formal wear for the event of the supernatural season. Elena has two dates to the event, but it's her date to meet the original witch that gives us insight into what's in store for Klaus and his siblings.

Speaking of Klaus, we get some developments between him and Caroline that are sweet and promising (even if she's a bit cautious to date him because of his cruelty in the past and general bloodlust). There's also a hot hookup that I didn't see coming, so there's lots to talk about this week. To get to the good, the bad, and the bloody, just keep reading.

The Vow: Channing Tatum Is More Memorable Than the Romance

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

It's no accident that The Vow's release date coincides almost perfectly with Valentine's Day. The film promises the kind of epic love story that many of us, like it or not, are more amenable to getting swept up in at this time of year: a man tries to make his wife fall in love with him again after a horrific accident leaves her with no memory of the last four years, or of him. Channing Tatum is endearing as Leo and though he has chemistry with Rachel McAdams's Paige, it almost goes to waste due to the film's lack of focus and uneven plot.

For starters, having a stranger for a husband is just the beginning of Paige's problems. Sometime in the four years she's lost, she went from being a preppy law student to a free-spirited artist. Naturally, when she wakes up, she wants an explanation for why she doesn't talk to her family anymore, what happened to her pretty boy fiancé (Scott Speedman), and why her hair is so "weird." It's understandable that she's a little different from who she used to be, but a complete life transformation is a bit hard to swallow - both for Paige, and for the audience.

To see why The Vow may not be the love story you're expecting, just

read more. Watching Tatum and McAdams play off each other is what keeps the movie engaging, and Tatum is particularly sympathetic. Though Paige is the one who has suffered the trauma, it's even more difficult to watch Leo quietly suffer as the love of his life continues to slip away in favor of the life she actually remembers. Leo represents a life that the new Paige is enticed by but can't imagine: he's goofy, laid-back, and immensely committed to her. But Paige can't come to terms with a life she doesn't feel part of, and instead reverts back to her former self. The sincerity and sweetness that Tatum brings to Leo are reflected in flashbacks of his life with Paige and in his current attempts to win her back, but the film isn't the epic romance that it's packaged to be. In fact, it's more depressing than it is joyful; not only are most of the characters in pain throughout the film, but with the exception of Leo, most of them are downright irritating. Paige's family and friends couldn't be more stereotypically conservative, which only makes Paige's decision to stay with them all the more frustrating to watch. As the film goes on, the love story starts to take the backseat to her family issues, and the crux of the film rests on a subplot that's both lame and contrived. The Vow is certainly watchable, thanks to the intrigue of the premise, and the mystery of how Leo and Paige will (inevitably, of course) find their way back to each other. But the film tries too hard to manufacture extra drama out of Paige's memory loss, when all the audience really wants to see is a love story to get swept up in.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Fat-Proof Your Life

Health — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:06:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Maridel Reyes

It's true that there are certain times in your life when extra poundage seems to appear out of nowhere . . . and settle on you. In fact, experts have honed in on the exact moments when you're most vulnerable to weight gain.

"Life transitions, having a baby, and going through menopause cause many women to pile on pounds," says Susan Albers, PsyD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The 50 Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them. "But with planning and prep, you can stay thin."

We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep - and even shed pounds - at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.

Getting married

Heavier ever after? It can be the flip side of wedded bliss: "Six out of 10 of my clients come back heavier after the honeymoon," says celebrity fitness and wellness guru David Kirsch.

Health.com: 25 Diet-Busting Foods You Should Never Eat

Young newlyweds pack on an extra six to nine pounds in the five years after getting hitched compared to singletons, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And most of that gain happens in the first year of marriage.

"Couples start to mirror each other's eating habits," explains Albers. "You might be matching him calorie for calorie without realizing it."

Learn how to keep the pounds down postmarriage and in the mommy years, after the break.