BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 4/27

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:30:51 PDT

Chuck, Privileged, Life, Dollhouse, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are the five finalists in E!'s Save One Show competition. - E!
Meet Susan Boyle's latest Britain's Got Talent competition: a 10-year-old girl. - TV.com
After much controversy, The Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize??" will be named the official rock song of Oklahoma this week. - Billboard
Warner Bros. is developing a big-screen version of Odysseus, written by the screenwriter of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. - Variety
Acting couple Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt have formed a production company. - The Hollywood Reporter
Fox is holding a script contest to find new writing talent. - New York Times
Maria Bello and Craig T. Nelson have joined the cast of The Company Men, which also stars Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones. - Variety

Source

Link Time! 4/9

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:30:16 PDT

Save One Show is back - can your fave get saved? - Watch with Kristin
This "trailer" for an Everybody Poops movie spoofing Where the Wild Things Are cracks me up. - Cinematical
Speaking of spoofiness, did you catch "Kanye West" on South Park last night? - Popwatch
Chuck week continues with some fun Chuck polls. - Give Me My Remote
Check out No Doubt covering Adam and the Ants' "Stand & Deliver." - PopSugar
Leonard Nimoy as William Bell on Fringe: highly illogical? - The TV Addict
Speaking of which, someone may have cracked the Fringe symbols code. - TV.com
More on Kal Penn's new White House gig. - CitizenSugar
Ben Silverman's time at NBC, in handy charts and graphs. - Vulture

Save One Show Results: CW Shows Rule

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:24:03 PDT

The results of E! TV writer Kristin Veitch's Save One Show poll are in, and after more than 6 million votes, Kristin's declared not one but two winners: "Gilmore Girls" and "Veronica Mars." Kristin has an interesting account of how the voting went down, including "Gilmore"'s last-second comeback against "Veronica," which had been the clear winner.

I'm not surprised about the love for "Veronica." A lot of you seem to like it, and while I've only seen a few episodes myself, the buzz about the show has always been that it's underappreciated. But "Gilmore Girls" was more of a shock. My impression was that fans have been frustrated since creator Amy Sherman-Palladino left the show, but apparently it still has more devoted viewers than I realized.

The third- and fourth-place finishers, interestingly, are also CW shows: "One Tree Hill" (last year's Save One Show winner) and "Supernatural." They were followed by a trio of NBC shows: "Studio 60," "Crossing Jordan," and "Friday Night Lights." Check out the whole breakdown here.

Are you surprised by the results? Don't forget, you can also vote in my totally tongue-in-cheek Stop One Show poll.

Stop One Show!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 23:29:54 PDT

It's the time of year when the networks start plotting their schedules for next season, checking out new pilots and deciding what shows to bring back. It's always a frustrating time for me, as I wonder why so many terrible shows make it back year after year.

At the end of the week, we'll learn the winner of Kristin Veitch's annual Save One Show campaign, which will help boost the winning show's chances of renewal. Meanwhile, I'm starting a poll of my own: the Stop One Show contest.

If you could pull one show from the air to make room for a quality series, which would it be? Unlike Kristin, I don't have the ear of the networks, so I can't promise that your vote will do anything to get the winner (loser?) kicked off the air. But I do promise to write about the show with all the ire and vitriol it deserves.

I've stocked the poll with some of my least-faves, limiting the candidates to scripted series only; I don't think I could possibly choose just one reality series to cancel. And I'm sticking with the broadcast networks' primetime shows; sorry, but "Pimp My Ride" and "Maury" don't count. Obviously, this is all in good fun, so if I've listed your favorite show among the candidates, please don't take it personally. You can vote here, but first you can check out the candidates if you

"ER": The show is just a shadow of what it was in the Carter/Greene/Ross/Susan years. After 13 seasons, all of the original main characters have moved on; I say the show should follow suit.

"American Dad": I'm pretty tolerant of Fox's Sunday animated lineup, but I really don't understand why you would watch this when you could put on "Family Guy" instead?

"Ghost Whisperer": I'm sorry, but "Jennifer Love Hewitt is hot" is not a good enough explanation.

"War at Home": This show is a thorn in my side. It causes me physical pain every time I hear Michael Rapaport snivel about how men and women are different and kids ruin your life. Make it stop!

"My Name is Earl": Sorry, Jason Lee fans. I know "Earl" has become a staple of NBC's Thursday lineup, but frankly, I think it's the weak link. NBC can definitely do better.

"CSI: Miami": It might be one of the best comedies on TV, except it's meant to be a drama.

"Medium": I like to see my Arquettes succeed, but this show is nowhere near as good as many of the dramas NBC is threatening to cancel.

"George Lopez": It's nothing personal, George. It's just that ABC has put more episodes of this show on the air in place of almost every show they've canceled this year, and I'm over it.

"Law & Order": Yes, it started one of television's biggest franchises, but the rotating cast of female counterparts lost me a while ago. Sam Waterson's eyebrows deserve more!

"Prison Break": This show has its fans. But it should have lasted for one season, and as TV Guide critic Matt Roush recently wrote, there's nowhere good for it to go now.

Help Save One Troubled TV Show

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:50:23 PDT

If you could help one - but only one - TV show get renewed for next season, which one would you pick? E!'s TV columnist Kristin Veitch has launched her sixth Save One Show campaign, encouraging readers to vote for the single show they'd most like to see back next year. She's got a pretty good track record: Five of six winning shows (including last season's "One Tree Hill") have actually made it back on the air.

Here's how it works: Vote in Kristin's poll as many times as you want before April 6, then check back April 13 to see which show won. You can also submit a video plea to save your favorite, with the top three videos appearing on Kristin's gossip show on E! online.

Kristin says "The Class," "Close to Home," "The Nine," "Studio 60," and "Veronica Mars" look the most doomed, but my vote's still gotta to to "Friday Night Lights." What about you? Check out Kristin's breakdown of the shows' chances of renewal, and to see a list of the shows in contention,

"30 Rock"
"Friday Night Lights"
"Scrubs"
"Crossing Jordan"
"Gilmore Girls"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"Jericho"
"Medium"
"One Tree Hill"
"Six Degrees"
"Supernatural"
"What About Brian"
"The Class"
"Close to Home"
"The Nine"
"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"
"Veronica Mars"

Space-Saving Decor Tips For Kids' Rooms From Design Expert Kelly Edwards

Lisa Horten — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:40:01 PDT

We recently caught up with design expert Kelly Edwards, who has been featured on HGTV's Design on a Dime and Style Network's Tacky House for her scrappy style and ability to transform ordinary rooms into incredible spaces, even on a budget. Kelly's decorating and design expertise apply to any room in the house, but we were eager to hear her ideas specifically for lil ones, and she didn't disappoint! Read on for five of Kelly's best tips for making your kids' rooms organized, creative, and playful spaces that can grow along with them.

Kelly Edwards's 5 Pieces of Design Advice That Every Mom Can Put to Use

On Space Saving and Storage: Look for furniture pieces that your kids are going to grow into. Stay away from the typical bins and baskets, and instead opt for some really cool furniture for a more put-together look. Whether it's a midcentury modern credenza that's been in your family for years or a thrift-shop find, not all furniture has to scream "kids!"
On Coordinating With the Rest of Your Home: Your kids' rooms are where you can really have some fun. Visitors will judge your home on your kitchen and your bathroom. They're not the ones spending time in the bedrooms, you and your children are. Turn their rooms into places for creativity, and don't be afraid to try out that fun paint color.
On Trends: Remember, it's just $20 or so for a can of paint, so wall colors are a great place to try out a trend like neon. If that scares you, get a giant canvas, and paint that instead of the wall. Tack their artwork up on it. It'll add a splash of color to the room without your having to worry about repainting.
On Making the Most of Small Spaces: Look for ottomans with removable tops - you can stash everything in there! In a nursery that doubles as a guest room, put a twin bed in there along with your crib, but be sure to buy an upholstered box spring with drawers built in, so that you have extra storage without the boxes and bins showing.
On DIY With Kids: A fun DIY project that your kids can partake in is to find an old TV armoire and paint it with chalkboard paint, which you can either buy at the store or make yourself by mixing a cup of latex paint with two tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. The armoire becomes a great storage piece, and the chalkboard paint turns it into a piece of furniture that they can really have fun with.

What It Takes to Buy a Home

Kiplinger — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:14:47 PDT

Do you have what it takes to buy a home? Consider this exhaustive guide from Kiplinger.

Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home. In many cities, home prices have bottomed, and rents have risen. Mortgage rates are still superlow. In fact, homes haven't been as affordable since 1971. On the downside, in many cities, buyers have fewer homes from which to choose and more competition for the best houses.

In Austin, TX, newlyweds Mark and Ariane Corcoran bought their first home in March. They were renting in a popular downtown neighborhood, where they paid $1,200 a month for a 500-square-foot loft apartment, when they inherited enough money for a down payment. When they began shopping, they expected to buy a classic 1930s Austin bungalow. They found lots of prospects online but drove by most of them. "Agents are really good at taking photos that exclude what they don't want you to see, like the used-car lot out back," says Mark.

They put in an offer on a $225,000, 800-square-foot home. But after the home inspection, they realized that it needed $20,000 to $30,000 in renovations and repairs and that they'd quickly outgrow it. They walked away during the state-mandated rescission period (during which a buyer can back out for any reason and get back any earnest money deposited).

Ariane identified their next prospect within an hour after the listing appeared online. It was a newly built, 1,600-square-foot home with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a yard for the dogs. The builder asked $270,000, the couple offered $260,000, he countered, and they paid $268,000. They put down 20 percent to avoid private mortgage insurance and snagged a 30-year fixed rate of 3.75 percent from a credit union. Their monthly mortgage payment is $1,524.

Before you take the plunge, consider the answers to questions often posed by first-time buyers. Read on for what to ask yourself.

Grey's Anatomy Season Finale Rundown, "Flight"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:18:05 PDT

It's hard for me to even write this recap because I'm so mad at Grey's Anatomy right now. The death of a major character in the season finale has been teased for weeks, but it's not left until the episode's final moments. In fact, it happens in the first 20 minutes, and once it does, it's hard to focus on anything else.

I'll save my spoilers for below the break, but this is definitely one of the most affecting and frustrating episodes Grey's Anatomy has ever seen, and considering there's been a ferry crash, bomb scares, and a Seattle Grace shooter, that's saying a lot. As Cristina astutely observes, "I don't understand how this keeps happening." There's a lot to go over, like the plane crash, the fate of the residents, and what we'll be wondering about all Summer long, so let's get the depressing party started when you

I hope you're ready for a rant, because I couldn't be more upset about Lexie's death. She's one of the few characters that I've continued to root for and sympathize with over the years, and her will-they-or-won't-they with Mark is one of the biggest reasons I still loved the show this season. Yes, she and Mark got a bittersweet farewell in which he finally confesses his feelings for her, but I just sat there wishing she'd miraculously wake up right up until the final scene. I applaud Shonda Rhimes and the rest of the show's writers for taking big risks that will seriously impact the audience, but right now I feel more like I've been punished for sticking with this show for so long.
You'd think with Lexie's quick death, the rest of the doctors in the crash would be in the clear for the rest of the episode, but that's not so. Meredith and Cristina seem to be OK, but Arizona's got a hideous gash in her leg, Mark's teetering on the brink of death, and Derek may very well lose his hand. For a second I thought we were going to lose Mark too in a sort of Romeo and Juliet move from the writers, but we don't even get closure on what will happen to the current survivors. Which brings us to the next question: how will the surgeons get out of this mess? And will everyone besides Lexie survive?
One doctor we won't be seeing more of is Teddy, who gets a job offer to serve her country again. She passes up the opportunity, and when Owen questions her loyalty, she admits that she's staying to watch over Owen since Cristina is on her way out. Owen then pulls out the trump card and fires Teddy so she'll be forced to leave the hospital. Though she's angry at first, it's clear that she's actually relieved to be leaving the hospital where Henry died. I've always liked having Kim Raver on the show, but Teddy's storyline hit its peak with her marriage to Henry, and has been kind of stale ever since his death. That said, I'm glad the door is still open for her to return.
Both Karev and Jackson decide to leave Seattle Grace for Johns Hopkins and Tulane, respectively. Karev leaves Arizona a voicemail explaining that he needs to see what he's made of without his mentor, while Jackson just seems to want to get away from all of the Seattle Grace drama, April included. As for April, she's hating life because she's not a virgin and she didn't pass her boards, and because Jackson is leaving. So that leaves us with Teddy, Jackson, Karev, and April all flying the coop. If all of these characters (plus Lexie) are really gone for good, there had better be an impressive lineup of new cast members coming in for season nine.
There's one silver lining in this dark cloud of an episode, and that's Bailey's happiness with Ben. She's one of the few characters whose problems seem completely trivial this week (what with her life not being in jeopardy and all). Though Ben is moving to LA, she's agreed to marry him and do a long-distance relationship - and she actually seems pretty content. In a way, it almost feels like this is Bailey's redemption for the trauma she experienced in the season six shooter finale. Not only is she completely uninvolved with the plane crash, but she actually gets a happy ending. At least until she finds out that most of her friends have been in yet another horrific accident.

This season finale definitely ranks high on the scale of shocking finales. Are you as bummed as I am about Lexie's death? Which characters do you think will still be around next season?

ABC Pilots: Get the Scoop on the Network's New Shows

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:30:00 PDT

Upfronts are in full swing, and it's time to get acquainted with the new series that'll be hitting the small screen in Fall 2012. ABC has revealed the shows it's ordered after announcing which shows it's canceling, and we've got the info on the pilots right here.

COMEDIES

Malibu Country: Reba McEntire plays a woman who moves with her kids from Nashville to Malibu to live with her mother (Lily Tomlin) after her husband cheats on her.
How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life: Sarah Chalke stars as a recently divorced woman who has to move in with her eccentric parents, played by Brad Garrett and Elizabeth Perkins.
Family Tools: A man (Kyle Bornheimer) puts his life on hold to take over the family handyman business from his father, played by J.K. Simmons.
Neighbors: A family, which includes Jami Gertz, moves into a gated community and discovers that it's full of aliens disguised as humans.

DRAMAS

666 Park Ave.: Dave Annable and Rachael Taylor play a couple who notice supernatural occurrences in the New York City apartment building they've been hired to manage.
Last Resort: The crew of a nuclear submarine (played by the likes of Scott Speedman and Andre Braugher) has to escape to a NATO outpost after they ignore an order to fire nuclear missiles.
Zero Hour: Anthony Edwards stars as a longtime editor of a magazine that disproves conspiracies when he's pulled into one.
Red Widow: The widow (Radha Mitchell) of a murdered criminal has to take over his place to save her family.
Nashville: This family soap follows two country stars, played by Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere, one who's at the top of her career and another whose star is just rising.
Mistresses: Alyssa Milano stars in this drama about the love lives of four women, which also costars Lost's Yunjin Kim.

NBC Pilots: Find Out About the New Shows Joining the Lineup

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:40:00 PDT

The networks will trot out their brand-new TV shows at next week's upfronts, but before we get a look at previews and find out the schedules, we're going to acquaint you with the upcoming series. First up are the shows coming to NBC, so check out the comedies and dramas that the network has picked up for the Fall 2012 season.

COMEDIES

Go On: Matthew Perry stars as a sportscaster who starts attending group therapy sessions after he suffers from a loss and bonds with the members of his group.
Animal Practice: Weeds star Justin Kirk plays a veterinarian who loves his furry subjects but doesn't like their human owners.
The New Normal: A gay couple played by Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells use a surrogate to start their family in this comedy from Glee creator Ryan Murphy.
Guys With Kids: Three dudes (Jesse Bradford, Nick Cregger, and Anthony Anderson) experience the joys of being dads together.
Save Me: Anne Heche plays a woman who thinks she can channel God after she has an accident.
1600 Penn: This White House-set comedy follows a fictional president played by Bill Pullman, his first lady (Jenna Elfman), and his goofy son (Josh Gad).
Next Caller: This workplace comedy takes place in a radio station and stars Dane Cook as a chauvinistic DJ who butts heads with his female colleague.

DRAMAS:

Revolution: This drama, produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Supernatural's creator, depicts a world where all technology has suddenly stopped working and its characters (played by Giancarlo Esposito and Billy Burke) struggle to connect with their loved ones.
Hannibal: This drama explores the relationship of notorious character Dr. Hannibal Lecter as he mentors detective Will Graham, played by Hugh Dancy.
Chicago Fire: The staff of a Chicago firehouse is the focus of this action-packed drama, which stars Taylor Kinney of The Vampire Diaries and House's Jesse Spencer.
Do No Harm: A neurosurgeon struggles with his job and personal life because he also has a Jekyll & Hyde-like alter ego.
Infamous: A female detective (Meagan Good) goes undercover to return to the home of the wealthy family her mother was a maid in and solve a murder.

Photos courtesy of NBC