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TV Tonight: The Philanthropist

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:30:53 PDT

NBC's The Philanthropist, a project with a fairly odd journey to the small screen, premieres tonight. Once envisioned as a breakout series and the anchor of NBC's Monday night lineup, it's now morphed into an eight-hour Summer burn-off with little chance of renewal. But does it still deserve a spot in your viewing lineup? I recently checked out the first episode, and swiping the format from my Pilot Watch series, here are some of the pros and cons.

What's it about? Following personal tragedy and an eye-opening trip, a billionaire decides to do good with his riches.

Who's in it? James Purefoy, Neve Campbell, Jesse L. Martin, Michael K. Williams, Lindy Booth

The good: Teddy Rist (Purefoy) is an interesting character, caught somewhere between do-gooder and devil-may-care playboy, and Purefoy plays him well. Even as he becomes committed to saving the world, he's still slyly trying to pick up a bartender with his wild tales, and the things we learn about his past hint at some potentially interesting conflicts down the line. The show was shot on location, and it's clear the producers know how to use settings to their best advantage - it just looks good.

The bad: The storytelling device of the pilot - Rist explaining his adventures to a skeptical bartender as we see flashbacks - is clunky, and it's tough to get a good read on how future episodes will feel as a result. Part of the behind-the-scenes drama with this show was its tone (the story goes that creator Tom Fontana wanted to make something darker than what NBC wanted), and as a result, the show seems stuck somewhere between "compelling" and "trite." The supporting actors (one of the biggest draws for me) are really not given much to do in the first episode.

Will I watch? I'm interested to see another episode to see how a normal installment of this show feels. But given that it's airing on a night when I'm already booked with So You Think You Can Dance and Top Chef Masters, I'm not sure how long I'll keep making time for it.

To check out a preview for tonight's episode, just

First Look: The Philanthropist

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:30:40 PDT

When NBC first announced The Philanthropist more than a year ago, I was intrigued from the start. Created by Tom Fontana (Homicide, Oz), the drama focuses on a renegade billionaire with cash to burn who will stop at nothing to get his money to the people he feels need it most. The concept sounded promising, and I've liked Fontana's work before.

But then the show - which was originally supposed to air Mondays at 10 p.m. this Spring - never materialized. Fontana left the show over the ol' "creative differences" - and had time to return to it before an episode had aired. And NBC gave Jay Leno a show at 10 p.m. five nights a week - and announced a new schedule - that left little room for new dramas on the network.

All of this to say: My hopes for The Philanthropist becoming a seasons-long hit are pretty much nil at this point. But I'm still curious to see the show, which finally premieres June 24. British actor James Purefoy stars as the billionaire, Teddy Rist, but I'm mostly drawn in by the supporting cast, which includes Michael K. Williams (The Wire's Omar) and Neve Campbell as the wife of Teddy's partner.

Are you interested in checking out The Philanthropist, even if it turns out to be more miniseries than series? To see the first promo, just

Buzz News Roundup, 3/13

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:30:46 PDT

Spider-Man 4 has gotten a release date of May 6, 2011. - Zap2It
Jack White has formed a new group called The Dead Weather with The Kills frontwoman Alison Mosshart, Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence, and Queens of the Stoneage guitarist Dean Fertita. - Billboard
Scrubs's Dr. Turk, Donald Faison, has joined Cedric the Entertainer in ABC's comedy pilot The Law. - The Hollywood Reporter
Mickey Rourke is confirmed to play the Russian villain in Iron Man 2. - Variety
NBC has unveiled a surprising Summer lineup that includes several scripted projects - including the long-awaited scheduling of The Philanthropist, starring James Purefoy and Neve Campbell. - Reuters
New Line is planning a sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth. - ComingSoon
TV production company Granada America is planning a show titled American Storytellers in which country songs are used to make one-hour TV dramas. - Billboard
Director Joe Wright (Atonement, The Soloist) will next take on a film adaptation of the book Indian Summer. - Variety

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Neve Campell Could Return to TV in The Philanthropist

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:30:05 PST

Another Salinger kid could be coming back to TV. Neve Campbell, the former Julia Salinger on Party of Five, is reportedly close to taking a starring role in The Philanthropist, a new NBC drama.

The show stars James Purefoy as a "renegade billionaire" named Teddy Rist, who uses his massive fortune to help others around the world. (Seems appropriate for our current times, no?) Campbell would play the wife of Teddy's business partner, Phillip, played by Jesse Martin. Her character runs the two men's charitable foundation - and it would seem she might have feelings for both of them, as The Hollywood Reporter notes that her character "has strong chemistry with Teddy."

Save for a few episodes of Medium, Campbell hasn't been on TV much since Party of Five ended in 2000, and I think she'd be a welcome presence now. The Philanthropist has had its share of troubles - the original producers left the show in the Spring after NBC found their original vision for the show to be too dark - but I'm curious about this one and glad to see it back on track. What do you think? Would you like to see Campbell on a regular basis again?

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 7/21

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:31:30 PDT

Variety reports that Fergie will, in fact, join the star-studded cast of Rob Marshall's movie musical Nine, which so far includes the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard and Judi Dench, among others.
The fine for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" has been overturned, the New York Times reports.
The AP has the news that Ebert and Roeper are both done with their movie review TV show.
James Purefoy is in negotiations to play the lead in NBC's The Philanthropist, Reuters reports.
Remember "The Bro Code" from How I Met Your Mother? Well, it's going to be a real book in stores this Fall, writes the Chicago Tribune.
Over the weekend, Montreal's Just for Laughs comedy festival honored Judd Apatow with the Comedy Person of the Year trophy, according to Variety.
Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber will star in the UK version of Law & Order, E! reports.
The AP declares the best albums of 2008 so far.

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Happy Birthday, Justin Timberlake! See All the Ladies Who Love Him

Brittney Stephens — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:10:56 PST

Justin Timberlake turns 31 today, and we're celebrating the milestone by looking back at his hotness over the years with his many female admirers. He's been lucky enough to date some of Hollywood's most beautiful women, like Cameron Diaz, Britney Spears, and rumored fiancée Jessica Biel. Actor, musician, dancer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Justin has also worked alongside lovely ladies, Beyoncé Knowles and Alicia Keys among them.

As we celebrate JT's big day, click through to see all the photos of JT living it up with his ladies.

Lauren Bush: How Busy Women Can Find Time to Give Back

Emily Co — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:54:57 PST

Privileged and beautiful, Lauren Bush, the niece of former President George W. Bush, is also a big philanthropist. TrèsSugar recently sat down with Bush for an interview, in which the model spilled the deets about FEED, a project she founded to fight world hunger. Bush gave advice on how busy women can find the time to give back:

"I feel lucky that I've been able to integrate giving back into my job, so it's all one in the same, which is not necessarily the case for most. But most companies do offer opportunities to volunteer or encourage that to some extent, and if they don't, it's a thing to push for. It can be this overwhelming thing to be like, 'I need to find the cause that I'm so passionate about. I need to jump headfirst.' And at some point people might do that, but in the meantime, just dabble and learn and find small things you can do. Like my brother - this isn't small; it's actually quite huge - but he's a Big Brother. And it's changed his life, changed this little kid's life. And it's just the coolest thing. It's a big time commitment to open your life up to a kid, but he loves it. You don't always need to start your own, and nor should most people."

It's always good to start small and to be realistic about your time commitments. You need to pick activities that are doable because giving back should always feel fulfilling and not like something that you feel obligated to do.

Happy 80th Birthday to Design Legend Sir Terence Conran!

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:00:54 PDT

You may not be familiar with the name Sir Terence Conran, but don't let that fool you. This man has left a lasting imprint in the world of interior design.

A pioneer in design work that transformed the look of the British home, Conran kicked off a design studio and later an architecture practice that has had a global impact on the world of interior design. In order to celebrate Sir Conran, a new exhibit, The Way We Live Now, at The Design Museum explores Conran's accomplishments whether it be key themes of his career or looking at where he channeled his inspiration. We wish we could go to London just to check it out!

Since we can no longer hop on the Concorde, we've decide to celebrate in our own way, by sharing some fascinating facts about Sir Terence Conran's legendary career. We could list his astounding accomplishments for days, but here are five things we find oh-so intriguing about Conran's legacy.

He's the brains behind the iconic store Habitat.
There was nothing cooler than London in the 1960s; Conran's spot, Habitat, totally broke down the preconceived notions of furniture stores of the past by blending pop culture, modern design, and an unprecedented retail experience.
He's a philanthropist.
In the '80s, Conran developed the The Conran Foundation, "an educational charity focused on promoting a better understanding of design." Its first big initiative was the Boilerhouse Project, a gallery housed in the basement of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Age doesn't define him.
Well into the late 2000s, Conran continued to open restaurants like Boundary in East London and Lutyens in Fleet Street.
He's a restaurateur.
Conran's background in architecture and designed propelled him into being a key player in the development of the new restaurant culture driven by a passion for simplicity.
He's a real knight!
Terence Conran became Sir Terence Conran in 1983.

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The PopSugar Bio: Brad Pitt

PopSugar — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:44:39 PDT

Brad Pitt is receiving lots of Oscar buzz for his performance in Moneyball, which is out today - check out BuzzSugar's Moneyball review! The A-list actor had a somewhat surprising start to his major Hollywood career and has come a long way since his breakout role in Thelma & Louise. Find out more about his rise to fame and how he became one of the most famous fathers and philanthropists in this PopSugar Bio!

Jennifer Connelly Steps Out For the First Time Since Baby Agnes's Arrival in a Sexy, Sheer Top

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:59:38 PDT

Jennifer Connelly attended last night's Every Woman, Every Child UN Reception in NYC, along with 50 Cent, Deepak Chopra, and several other celebrities and philanthropists. The evening out marked Jennifer's first red-carpet appearance since giving birth to her daughter Agnes in late May. The actress looked chic and sexy in a peek-a-boo top at the party, where she told reporters she had a midwife assist with a homebirth this time around. She even said the experience prompted her to be a part of last night's charitable event and the Every Woman, Every Child initiative, which helps mothers around the world receive better access to health care. Agnes is Jennifer's third child and her second with husband Paul Bettany. She and Paul have a 7-year-old son, Stellan, and Jennifer also has a 13-year-old boy, Kai, with her ex David Dugan.