BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 12/19

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:30:21 PST

Aretha Franklin is set to sing at Barack Obama's inauguration. - Billboard
Director Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Bedtime Stories) has two more movie projects lined up: Bob the Musical and a new take on the epic adventure Sinbad. - ComingSoon
HBO has picked up three comedies, including Bored to Death starring Jason Schwartzman and Hung starring Thomas Jane. - Zap2It
Barry Sonnenfeld will direct and produce the action-comedy The How-To Guide For Saving the World. - ComingSoon
Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer are both executive-producing new pilots at NBC. - Variety
United Artists will turn Fritz Leiber's 1952 supernatural thriller novel Conjure Wife into a feature film. - Variety
The Shield's Michael Chiklis is developing a series about a bad investment scheme - after becoming a victim of one himself. - The Hollywood Reporter
Frank Miller may direct a Buck Rogers movie. - Zap2It

Pushing Daisies Delightfully Teases Season Two at Comic-Con

BuzzSugar — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:00:00 PDT

Daddy issues, daughter issues, mommy issues, half-brother issues - there's going to be a lot of family drama when Pushing Daisies returns in October, the show's cast and crew revealed over the weekend at Comic-Con. But fans of the whimsical series need not despair: If anything, the Daisies folks promised, the show is overall lighter and even more delightful this year.

Creator Bryan Fuller and executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld also revealed the first footage from season two - after a brief snafu in which the video for the pilot started playing instead, prompting the two to run out to the podium early to apologize - and teased what's going on in the land of Coeur d’Coeurs when we return Oct. 1. To hear about what's coming up (plus some other highlights and a ton of pictures from the panel), just

First, some hints about season two:

There have been a few changes in the living arrangements: Chuck is moving out of Ned's place and into Olive's. Olive, meanwhile, will spend a few episodes at a nunnery for an as-yet-undisclosed reason. (I saw the nunnery set on my Pushing Daisies set tour at TCA, and it's truly spectacular! As soon as Warner Bros. posts its photos, I'll be writing more about that.)
The aunts will be getting out more this season, including a trip to the Pie Hole (which understandably creates a lot of problems for Ned) and to visit Olive nunnery. The season two footage showed some hilarious shots of Aunt Vivian with a new color-coordinated eye patch in the nunnery's official blue.
In case the very thought of Olive at a nunnery raises some Sound of Music thoughts in your mind, you're not alone: Olive does, in fact, sing in the first episode - and from the footage, it looks to be a classic "the hills are alive" moment.
Emerson's quest for his daughter will be a major plot point: Fuller said Emerson wants to publish a pop-up book called Lil' Gumshoe that would essentially deliver the directions for his daughter to find her way back to him.
Among the many new characters we'll be meeting: Emerson's mother, Ned's half-brothers, and Olive's new pet, a potbellied pig named Pigby. The show will also introduce Dwight Dixon, a man who has history with both Chuck's father and Ned's father. While they wouldn't name names, the producers said they're expecting some more stage actors and singers - Broadway friends of Kristin Chenoweth and Ellen Greene - to make an appearance.
Also, we'll get to meet Young Olive and Young Emerson! In general, Fuller said, the second season will really embrace the ensemble nature of the show.
There will be many new contraptions to enable Ned and Chuck to show some affection, including a device that will allow them to spoon! (Aww!)
A special note for Wonderfalls fans: Fuller wants to put some kind of Wonderfalls tie-in in the new season.

And now, some highlights from the panel itself:

First Chi McBride and then Kristin Chenoweth made their entrances by running past the front of the crowd, slapping hands. I was only a few rows back, but I could still just barely see Kristin's blonde head bobbing as she made her run.
I couldn't believe I hadn't heard this story before this weekend, so maybe it'll be new to some of you, too: Bryan Fuller explained that the origins of Pushing Daisies came from an idea he had for Dead Like Me if the show had gotten a third season. That show's main character, George, took people's souls when she touched them, so Fuller thought about introducing a romantic foil for George who could give people their souls back with a touch of his own.
One fan asked Fuller why, after Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me both had cynical main characters, he decided to have Chuck and Ned embody all that's good with the world instead of sarcasm and wisecracks. "We have Emerson Cod for that," Fuller said.
Another fan asked Kristin Chenoweth if she'd indulge the crowd with a little song - and she obliged with a lovely version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," to wild cheers and applause. I'll try to post the audio of her performance later on, but for now, just trust me: It was gorgeous. (Barry Sonnenfeld even pulled his own mini video camera out of his pocket to capture it.)
Speaking of singing, Fuller also said he'd like to do a full musical episode at some point. He said he figured out the musical element to the show only after ending up with a cast full of talented singers and said he didn't purposefully look for actors who could sing - but, lucky for us, he got them anyway.
Sonnenfeld still holds a joking grudge against Anna Friel for convincing one director that it would be fine to have Ned and Chuck playing a hand-slapping game in the background of some Pie Hole scenes. "It's basically Russian Roulette!" Lee Pace said.
Sonnenfeld was also getting a kick out of teasing Chenoweth about her popularity. "You all love Kristin," he said at one point. "She's like a perfect short person."

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TV Tonight: "Pushing Daisies"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:30:00 PDT

Yes, I know this is my second "Pushing Daisies" post of the day - did you read my interview with Lee Pace yet? - but bear with me. After all, it's not every day that my favorite new show of the season makes its debut.

Besides, I've been waiting since July to find out what you guys make of "Pushing Daisies," ABC's "forensic fairytale" about a pie maker who can bring people back to life with a single touch. I adored the show's first episode; I also realize it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. The show is thoroughly precious - I mean, they're calling the pilot episode a "Pie-lette," for heaven's sake - and I found the whimsy, the saturated landscape and the clever dialogue endearing. Others, though, might call those same things over-the-top and annoying. More than any other show this season, its success or failure could come down to a simple matter of taste.

Even if you're not sure "Pushing Daisies" will be for you, I urge you to check out tonight's first episode. It's gorgeous to look at, if nothing else, and Lee Pace and his co-star Anna Friel just might win your heart. To watch a preview,

ABC Pushes Daisies & Lots of Beautiful Women in Some Club that May Include The Simpson Sisters

PopSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:54:40 PDT

Yesterday kicked off the ABC TCAs and although we have to wait until the end of November to check out Cashmere Mafia, the network has plenty of other new shows that are bound to be big hits. Pushing Daisies might be my favorite new show this season (sorry Chuck). The fairy tale-like show is brought to us by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) and Bryan Fuller (Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls). The show is so beautiful to watch I could not take my eyes off the screen. Lee Pace is the adorable main character that can bring people back to life by touching them, but he can kill them just as quickly with a second touch. He resurrects his childhood sweetheart and the two have this untouchable (literally) loving romance. It's so sweet and only was a small part of such an entertaining show. Click here to watch a clip and be mesmerized by the beauty.

The Women's Murder Club based on the popular James Patterson books is another show with a beautiful foursome but this time they're solving crimes in SF. I am not normally into formulaic cop-like shows but this one was very entertaining and everything about Angie Harmon is gorgeous, especially the way she talks about her family. She said:

"My husband is the most brilliant father on the planet... I actually have him more now at home than I did when he was playing....it's just all worked out really, really beautifully. The whole show coming into my life, and I know that my time with my girls is going to be fine and my husband is great, and he's happy with is job and where he is. So my family is in a really good place right now. I'm really thankful to be here."

She spoke really passionately about her new role and her home life so now I am a huge fan. Oh and did I mention Joe Simpson is an executive producer on the show? Well he is and he was asked if his daughters will guest star. Make sure to check out his response so

Joe's response to if his famous daughters will guest star was, "It's not in the plan, but you never know what tomorrow holds. That's not how we ever started this show, with the girls in mind at all so -- but I would never say never because the girls like to be where things are successful. So if we were asked, we will see." It would certainly be an interesting role for Jess or Ashlee.

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Images include Paula Newsome, Aubrey Dollar, Angie Harmon, Sarah Fain, Joe Simpson, Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Bryan Fuller, Bruce Cohen, Kristin Chenoweth, Barry Sonnenfeld, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, and Ellen Greene.

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