Author: Esther Zuckerman

Do You Buy Joseph Gordon-Levitt as The Situation?

Yesterday we wrote about Joseph Gordon-Levitt's attempt to promote his directorial debut, which he also wrote, in character on Twitter. His Twitter persona as porn-addicted Jersey guy Jon Martello seemed strained. Now we have the trailer to see if he can pull off the persona on screen. 

By Esther Zuckerman

May 22, 2013

Billy Crystal vs. Robin Williams Is TV's New Battle of the Olds Next Season

One week after CBS gave the world an upfront first look at Williams's TV comeback in The Crazy Ones (doing his manic schtick, with Buffy as his hot young daughter), word comes that FX is bringing Crystal on board for a pilot called The Comedians, wherein he'll play a veteran comedian (himself, with a hot-but-not-in-the-Buffy-way young sketch-show partner). Whose return will be more illustrious?

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 22, 2013

Final 'Man of Steel' Trailer Brings the Sci-Fi

From the big new trailer heading into Memorial Day weekend and the feature stories accompanying it, you can rest assured that this blockbuster is not going to be all emotions and Malick-y visuals after all. No, this is a Superman movie that takes its aliens seriously.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 22, 2013

'The Daily Show' Reveals Canada's Crack Pastime

Jon Stewart last night couldn't resist telling the story of Canada's Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who might have a crack habit based on video viewed by news organizations.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

Try to Spot Spoilers in These 'Arrested Development' Set Photos

Arrested Development Day is fast approaching, and, aside from their structure, we still don't know much about Netflix's 15 new episodes. But a new interview with the show's set decorator — and photos from the scene — published in House Beautiful Tuesday give us some tiny spoilers. Perfect for over-analysis.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

CBS: Not Just for Old People Anymore

The network has officially topped the prized 18-49 demographic for the 2012-2013 broadcast season.. Thing is, CBS is only technically winning:It turns out that ratings in that demographic are down across the board, and Fox's fall is only helping.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Lame New Twitter Account Isn't Selling His Movie

Taking on a fictional persona ;is by no means anything new on Twitter, but it will be interesting to see how this works as a promotional tool. So far? Not that well.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

Jon Stewart Explains the Obama Administration's 'Random Guy' Defense

In the wake of what he is calling "Hurricane Scandy," Jon Stewart last night looked at Obama's defense strategy: sending out a random guy to Sunday morning talk shows.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

NPR Has Watched 'Arrested Development' More Closely Than You

Last week we introduced you "Recurring Developments," a graphic that indicated where you can find instances of Arrested Development's repeated jokes, now NPR has released their take on the show's "running gags." It's called "Previously, on Arrested Development," and it takes fandom to the next level. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

James Franco's 'As I Lay Dying' Reviews Not as Bad as We Were Expecting

We haven't always been kind to James Franco, and his adaptation of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying seemed ripe for ridicule, but new reviews indicate perhaps we should give him the benefit of the doubt. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

Everyone Relax: Seth MacFarlane Isn't Hosting the Oscars Again

Next year's Oscars will be Seth MacFarlane-free, according to Seth MacFarlane. The controversial host of last year's ceremony tweeted this afternoon that he will not in fact be hosting the 2014 ceremony. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

The Coen Brothers Are Having a Grand Time at Cannes

Amid the rain and the burglaries and the lavish parties for blockbusters (we're looking at you Hunger Games), this weekend Cannes regulars the Coen brothers emerged as one of the few elements of the Cannes Film Festival that didn't warrant major complaints. The goodwill they've received for their latest film Inside Llewyn Davis may carry them all the way to awards season in December. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Prepare for John Galliano's Redemption Tour

John Galliano may have apologized for the Anti-Semitic slurs that got him fired from Dior back in 2011, but two years later and he's far from redeemed. Now it seems like he's hoping to change that in a very public fashion.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Amazon's Open Pilot Season Is the Flip Side of Kickstarter

The backlash to the backlash to one of Amazon's comedy pilots is proving how letting fans on the Internet choose what they want to watch can backfire for the creative minds behind projects. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Kanye West's Angry 'SNL' Rant Makes Saturday's Season Finale a Must-Watch

This coming weekend is a big one for Saturday Night Live. It marks the end of Bill Hader's tenure on the show and Ben Affleck's fifth time hosting. But perhaps the most significant reason to tune in is the fact that Kanye West is the musical guest, and he's making it seem like he really really doesn't want to be.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Cannes Festival Hit by $1 Million Jewel Heist

Jewel thieves have stolen $1 million worth of Chopard jewelry from a hotel right off the Croisette, and while the theft being called by Deadline one of the "biggest heists to go down in recent Cannes history," it's not actually that unexpected. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Jon Stewart Literally Loves Chuck Todd's 'Lite Rally'

Jon Stewart mocked the media's eagerness to predict the 2016 presidential race last night, saying that it has the "attention span of a concussed goldfish," and caught one reporter in an embarrassing gaffe.  

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 16, 2013

J.J. Abrams May Have Taken 'Star Wars' Because of William Shatner Merchandise

J.J. Abrams always says he's never been a Trekkie, but, according to a new report, it was Abrams' inability to fully control the Star Trek franchise — and wipe out merchandise connected with the original 1960s series — that may have been an impetus to switch franchises in favor of Star Wars.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 16, 2013

The New 'Pacific Rim' Trailer Has Even More Giant Robots and Giant Monsters

Today we are pleased to show you in great big detail the latest glimpse at Guillermo Del Toro's entry into the summer movie fanfare, Pacific Rim. Do you know what it has? It has robots. It has robots fighting monsters. And maybe some other stuff in front of robots and a monsters.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 16, 2013

The CW Takes You to New Worlds at the Last Big Upfront

We've got romance between humans and aliens, X-Men-like superheroes, and a tale about a young Mary Queen of Scots. Here are all the details from the fifth network's big reveal, with a first glimpse of your newest guilty pleasure and first-look video clips. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 16, 2013

The New 'Arrested Development' Episodes Will Not Alter the Joke-Time Continuum

While much of the marketing of the new Arrested Development episodes has emphasized how many old jokes they will contain, one of the most frequent used talking-point for what's new is that all 15 episodes would be interlinked in such a way that you can could watch them in any order you want. Well, on Wednesday creator Mitch Hurwitz squashed those plans.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 16, 2013

Jon Stewart Is Not Letting Cheney or Rumsfeld Join the Scandal Parade

In continuing to address "Hurricane Scandy," Stewart had to admit that Republicans has something with the IRS and Benghazi dust-ups. He even proposed teaming up with Fox News! But you know who still doesn't get to take a GOP victory lap? Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 15, 2013

Network TV Will Try Every Primetime Trick to Fend Off a Couch Potato Binge

From new "limited-run" event shows (and old ones like 24) to existing but evolving hits like How I Met Your Mother, the dinosaurs of the lower channels are disrupting their own programming models at upfronts this week to fight back against Netflix and Co.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 15, 2013

CBS Defends Its No. 1 Status with 2013 Upfront Reveal

The network-TV king rolled out a new lineup Wednesday afternoon that includes a new Chuck Lorre comedy and a show starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar (yes, both of them). Check out the interactive now-and-then schedule inside, plus details, first-look video clips, and a whole lot of attitude.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 15, 2013

Turner's New Shows Confirm That Basic Cable Is the Auteur's HBO Backup Plan

At upfronts Wednesday, TNT and TBS announced new projects featuring names like Spielberg, Stallone, Bay, Foxx, and Carell attached to them. With a rebranding now firmly built up by Conan and big, bold shows like Dallas, the Turner cable duo appears to have a true Hollywood identity: It's not HBO; it's TV heaven for movie-star pet projects.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 15, 2013

'Recurring Developments' Is the Ultimate Inside-Joke Machine for 'Arrested' Fans

Arrested Development Day — the holiday we made up for Netflix's season four digital dump — is less than two weeks away. Do you have a 53-episode catchup marathon in you? Didn't really think so. So these good people did their homework and built a viral visualization that its creators call "a service for the Arrested Development fan community." Be grateful.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 15, 2013

'New Girl' Is Too Good for Taylor Swift

So the New Girl season finale last night more or less made a Taylor Swift song about love come true, which was kind of trite. But not even a gimmicky (if still kind of adorable) cameo from Swift-y herself could ruin the conclusion of a season that has solidified New Girl as one of the best comedies on TV. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 15, 2013

'The Daily Show' Says Only Prince Harry Can Save Obama from Scandalgate

Jon Stewart brought on Senior White House Correspondent John Oliver to break down just what went wrong for President Obama at his first major press conference since the scorecard of scandals broke out in Washington. Turns out, Obama had the wrong British wingman.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 14, 2013

ABC Banks on Marvel and 'Empowered Women' at Upfronts

ABC isn't in great shape, so it's wildly rebooting its lineup. Click here for all those details, an interactive schedule, plus extended trailers for new shows, pretty good Jimmy Kimmel jokes, and more.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 14, 2013

Watch Sandy's Underwater Roller Coaster Get Torn Apart

On the same day that Prince Harry visited the Jersey Shore, the marooned roller coaster that became a symbol of what Sandy wrought — and made for some of the storm's most iconic images — started its journey back out of the ocean. Meanwhile, its pseudo-replacement will be called "Superstorm." Seriously.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 14, 2013

Why Does PBS Hate 'Downton Abbey' Fans?

PBS has announced that the fourth season of Downton Abbey will premiere in the U.S. on January 5. Yes, that's about four months after it premieres in the U.K. It's not like we didn't expect this news, but it seems particularly harsh. And there's a very simple solution.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 14, 2013

Prince Harry and Chris Christie, Fleece Fashion Buddies

America knows all about Christie's love of fleece zip-ups — they abounded on his love-fest with President Obama while touring the damage of Hurricane Sandy last year. But when Christie bestowed one upon Prince Harry this morning before their photo-op tour of the Sandy recovery, he was actually giving one to a kindred spirit. Harry, too, is a fan of the fleece.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 14, 2013

Bill Hader Is Leaving SNL, but That Might Be the Good News

The period of transition that began with Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig quitting the show last year is now in full swing. And while Hader's Stefon may no longer flirt with the departing Seth Meyers at the "Weekend Update" desk, this shift — like those before it — could be a good thing for a legendary show always in a legendary state of flux.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 14, 2013

Jon Stewart Blames Obama for IRS Scandal Conspiracy Theories

On last night's Daily Show, Stewart took on the legitimate scandal at the IRS, and explained how it gives conspiracy theorists a leg to stand on. After having a good laugh, Stewart went straight to the top.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 13, 2013

Here Comes Fox's 2013 Lineup at Upfronts

Prepare for more on the fate of the Idol udges — and the slate of guy-driven comedies the network has coming up this fall, all the better to round out Fox's New Girl/Mindy Project night. Also: There will be stars! And the bold return of 24! We're on the scene to bring you details, first-look clips, and much more.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 13, 2013

Why Sofia Coppola Couldn't Make 'The Bling Ring' Without Journalism

Nancy Jo Sales' journalism helped shape Sofia Coppola's newest film. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 13, 2013

NBC Reveals Its 2013 Survival Strategy as TV Upfronts Week Kicks Off

After a season of being lambasted for low ratings and flailing shows, NBC is attempting to convince advertisers — and viewers — that the network has the opposite in store. Click here for first-look clips, reactions, and NBC's self-defense from on-hand at the presentation, with interactive schedule.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 13, 2013

ABC Is Bringing Big-Screen Tricks to TV for 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

ABC and Disney jumped out ahead of upfronts by announcing its fall lineup early, and the network has already begun cranking up the promo machine for one of its big hopefuls.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 10, 2013

'Community' Fans Can Finally Stop Whining

Vulture reports that Community, NBC's beloved-by-some comedy, will likely get a fifth season. So rejoice, Community fans, and remember this: you now have no reason to complain about the lack of love your show is getting from its network. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 10, 2013

The Shows We Forgot Were Still on TV

With television upfronts season comes the exciting news of new shows that could potentially be our next must-watches. It also brings news that certain shows will remain on the air—shows we may have forgotten were on the air in the first place.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 10, 2013

Joe Wright May Be the Perfect Director for the 'Fifty Shades' Movie

Perhaps Gus Van Sant is out of luck, reports today indicate that Joe Wright, the director of Pride & PrejudiceAtonement, and Anna Karenina, may be the guy who is going to undertake the film version of mommy-porn phenomenon Fifty Shades of Grey. And he might be perfect.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 10, 2013

The 'Gravity' Trailer Will Terrify Its Way into Oscar Season

It's summer blockbuster time, which means we're starting to see trailers from some of the fall's most intriguing offerings, one of which is definitely Alfonso Cuarón's long awaited Gravity. Sure, Warner Bros. delayed the film almost a year, but this minute-and-a-half of Space Shuttle action might actually take your breath away. And that's before 3D — but with Clooney.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 10, 2013

Jon Stewart Diagnoses Nancy Grace and Her IV of Human Tragedy

Stewart had some interesting ways to describe Grace and the perverse joy she seems to get from tawdry crime stories like the Jodi Arias trial: "That's not rouge on her cheeks," he said. "She draws youth and vitality from human tragedy."

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 9, 2013

J.J. Abrams Is Not the Midas of TV

As exciting as Almost Human and Believe sound right now, we'll have to wait to see his two new shows at NBC and Fox's upfront presentations on Monday. And it's true: not everything Abrams touches, at least on the small screen, turns into automatic gold.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 9, 2013

Disney Animation Is Ready to Charm You Again, This Time with Marvel, Not Pixar

In a weird turn of events, the first animated Marvel film from Disney seems to be not just an obvious cash grab but also — and tellingly — part of a plan to continue evolving the artistry of a legendary studio. And there's something nostalgic about the way Big Hero 6 is being embraced. Take a first look.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 9, 2013

The Stars You Will (and Will Not) Be Watching on TV Next Season

While a number of questions about next fall's primetime lineup still remain, Fox has jumped the gun on next week's upfronts with the shows it is (and isn't) pushing next season, and NBC has already shot down hopes and dreams of eager executive producers, so there's early word on faces taking up your TV screen later in 2013.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 9, 2013

Jon Stewart Rips Apart Fox's Benghazi Obsession by the Ifs, Ands, and Buts

With Fox News continuing its all-out coverage of the ongoing Benghazi hearings in Congress, it was only natural that Stewart go after his least favorite cable-news network on The Daily Show last night.

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By Esther Zuckerman

May 8, 2013

Baz Luhrmann's 'Hamlet' with Leo Would Be So... Baz — in a Waterpark Nightclub

Baz Luhrmann's Jay-Z and Prada-infused The Great Gatsby (in 3D) is here this weekend, for better or for worse, and Luhrmann is already dreaming up his next project. Luhrmann said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he is interested in directing Leonardo DiCaprio in an adaptation of Hamlet

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