During the go-go, greed is good ‘80s, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and host Robin Leach became the symbol of American opulence. It was hard not to aspire for 'champagne wishes and caviar dreams.' Of course these days, there are countless shows featuring the upper crust flaunting their wealth. And like a car wreck, we wretch at the sight of such blatant materialism while secretly keeping our eyes glued to the TV set. So......

In Which we Discover how the Golden Girls helped make stuff we like Have you ever written anything? I don't mean like a letter or a note, but something long, something good. Sure, you think you could. A lot of people do. But unless you're actually writing something, you're not a writer. Writing is really time consuming. It's not just about fun and ideas. It's about forcing yourself to sit down, get off the phone,......

Sherman Oaks has a lot going for it. From movie and TV stars to community activism, from dingy Valley corner strip malls to high-end boutiques, this neighborhood of nearly 52,000 residents is never a bore (come on, Desperate Housewives films a bunch here). It is named after General Moses Hazeltine Sherman, a well known real estate developer who bought a good amount of land in the area and sold it off. The community was......

Writers march at the Desperate Housewives location. more photos after the jump......

I “worked” the morning shift today. Reporting into Gate 2 at Warner Brothers before heading to Gate 7 on Forest Lawn. Yesterday afternoon, Gate 7 was dead, but this morning it’s bustling. Lots of traffic coming in and out of the gate. Again, lots of honking and thumbs ups from the passing cars. Again, I’m marching with a lot of writers who work on the Warner Brothers lot. They have ridiculous energy for this......

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in Venice......

Seattlest watches as a S.L.U.T. is born and Seattle Flickr users go nuts over a local art installation. A restaurant critic demands a Diner's Bill of Rights over a gnat next to her drink, and, in lieu of a Portlandist, Seattlest debates with itself over the identity of the Northwest's crown jewel. Seattlest also joins the guys from Fantagraphics for an ill-fated gun party in the woods. LAist saw national headlines soar this week with......

When I read in Extra, Extra yesterday about the Desperate Housewives marketing onslaught at my local Ralphs parking lot in Valencia, I just had to check it out. I chuckled when I saw the parking stripes -- and I have to admit it was the first advertising that caught my attention in awhile. But I'm still not going to watch the lame show. Nice try, though, ABC. More photos after the jump.......

With the fall TV season just around the corner, a flood of your favorite series hit the stores today. What better way to whet your appetite for what promises to be a long, great Season 4 of The Office, than to check out Season 3 again. I should finally catch up with Sunny in Philadelphia. 30 Rock would be even better without the unfunny Tracey Morgan and the creepy Jack McBrayer. Is Desperate Housewives......

Artist: Bitter:Sweet Album: The Remix Game Label: Quango Release Date: September 4th, 2007 I had only ever really listened to the title track to Bitter:Sweet's The Mating Game before I got my hands on this CD of the remixed album. I definitely thought that was a great track by itself but this collection of tunes ended up amazing me. The Mating Game was put out by LA's own Quango Music Group in Spring of......

Weekend Edition Friday - Today "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" (TCM, 5:00 p.m.) An evening of stop-action animation starts with this one followed by "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Mysterious Island" "NHL Hockey" (5:30 p.m.) Kings @ Stars "NBA Basketball" (KCAL, 6:00 p.m.) Lakers @ Jazz "College Football" (ESPN2, 6:00 p.m.) Fresno State @ Louisiana Tech "College Basketball" (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) Long Beach State @ USC "Ghost Whisperer/Close To Home/NUMB3RS" (CBS, 8-11:00 p.m.) All......

Friday Night "The Odessa File" (TCM, 5:00 p.m.) TCM presents an evening of spy movies starting with "The Odessa File", followed by "The Quiller Memorandum" "NHL Hockey" (PRIME, 7:00 p.m.) Blackhawks @ Ducks "NBA Basketball" (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) Raptors @ Lakers "Ice-T's Rap School" (VH1, 9 p.m.) Season finale. "Real Time with Bill Maher" (HBO, 11 p.m.) Season finale. "Charlie Rose" (PBS, 11:30 p.m.): The Dixie Chicks and others, well, not other chicks,......

Weekend Edition OK, so the TV Junkie completely missed Friday, this was because of a 50 mile backup on the MassPike so that's unlikely to happen in the near future. Now the TV Junkie is quite drunk in San Francisco which doesn't mean he doesn't want to be drunk in LA with you wonderful people. This doesn't mean it won't happen again, we're only somewhat human. College Football (ABC, ESPN and wherever else, at......

by Kevin McCollister It's unlikely you'll hear about it on the evening (network-controlled) news, but an estimated 800 people attended a rally this morning at the Pan Pacific Park to protest low wages and lack of health benefits for the writers of television's lucrative reality shows. Organized by the Writers Guild of America in support of the striking writers of "America's Next Top Model", the rally also fired up the WGA writers, whose contract......

- Handicapable Pacific Palisades Boy Scout is told that in order to go camping he's got to have one of his parents accompany him. Parents say they would rather accompany the lad to court where they will sue the Scouts. - NBC4 - La Cañada woman falls for the old Illegal Immigrant Wins Lotto and Will Split It With You Trick - La Cañada Valley Sun - Ventura dodged the Wal*Mart-Starbucks urban sprawl of......

The Prime Time Emmy Award nominations were announced today and yes, LAist was left out again this year. We keep waiting for the opportunity to use that old yet tried and true saying "its just a pleasure to be nominated" but we never seem to get the chance. Anyway, some surprises and some obvious omissions this time around as the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was going for a "more diverse" group of......

It's a big day for video on everything except your TV: ABC is going to test out ad-supported free video of LOST and Desperate Housewives online; Broadband shows are getting their own Emmy award; and, UCLA wants you to Get Legal. Meanwhile, our own local teeny bopper rockers, the like, should retire. 12 and 14 year olders are the new hotness (and will be in town with The Eels at the end of May).......

Now in its third year, The Other Venice Film Festival celebrates independent film, diversity and music. And, eh, slightly bad attitudes. Take, for example, the film screening opening night: Champion, a documentary about actor Danny Trejo. He's the guy you've seen playing a Latin tough in From Dusk Till Dawn to "Desperate Housewives." Turns out he's a genuine Latin tough who was brought up in Echo Park, spent time in prison, did drugs and......

The Winter Olympics in Turino -- formerly Turin for those English speakers who thought that extra "o" was just too much to pronounce -- have been akin to the proverbial two-week-old, 500-pound elephant in the room for most Angelenos. Ratings have been down, thanks to a myriad of factors (e.g., hyped superstars coming up duds, other networks throwing up new programs, it's too cold in LA to watch cold sports on TV). According to......

The microphones are on in the CBS-2 webcast booth on the edge of the red carpet, and they're complaining about the lack of celebrity juice that's come by. "It's only 4," the hostess Lisa Joyner says. She must have watched the SAG Awards because she's in lavender just like all the Desperate Housewives. She's just spent a few minutes talking to Miss California, who can be picked out by the not-so-subtle "Miss California" banner......

More SAG Awards liveblogging. Watch out, Dakota is coming. 8:40 Outstanding actor in a comedic series: Sean Hayes takes it to Will and Grace, leaving William Shatner, James Spader and Larry David behind. 8:44 Ensemble comedy series: Arrested Development, Boston Legal, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Desperate Housewives, Everybody Loves Raymond, My Name is Earl. Which show has the most pretty ladies? Yep, they win. Four lavender dresses &mdashl but nobody told Nicolette. She's in green.(side note:she......

Years ago there was graffiti downtown LA -- on a building that was razed for the Japanese American Museum -- that read WHEN WILL SHE STOP ACTING? We're assuming, when it comes to the Screen Actors' Guild Awards, which are televised to millions, that nobody stops acting. We expect everyone to be glamorous, exhilarated, appropriately humble, and fabulously ON. Since we're in LA, we know some winners already, even tho the local broadcast is......

We're bouncing back and forth between the NBC and E! red carpet broadcasts. Woah, Dean Cain is carpeteering for NBC and he still looks like Scott Peterson. Dean, it's time to lose the highlights. At the other end of the spectrum, Matt Dillon looks perfect. Really. Just perfect. In the post-Dawson's Creek runoff, Michelle Williams has easily trumped Katie Holmes for best career, best father of her child, best husband. Look how cute she......

We tuned in a little late to the E! pre-red carpet awards. 5:30pm the "Live" bug in the bottom corner is distracting, because the sun is blaring on Ted (ugh) Casablancas, but it's already set in real life. Live is a lie, we're on time delay here in California. In fact, we've already heard, via KPCC, that George Clooney has won Best Supporting Actor for Syriana. And Rachel Weisz has won Best Supporting Actress;......

Transvestites, an inspirational illustrator and a group of snowboarding pioneers round out this unusual list of limited release movies showing in Los Angeles this weekend. 39 Pounds of Love - Documentary starring Ami Ankilewitz. Directed by Dani Menkin. This documentary follows Ami, a 39-pound Israeli illustrator diagnosed with a rare ailment, and his journey to find the doctor who predicted his early death. [trailer | local showtimes] Breakfast on Pluto - Drama starring Cillian......

Cynics of the world will not be surprised to find out that divorce became a whole lot easier thanks to a Los Angeles case. Citizens of this city of exes have a bad rap for treating marriage like, well, a bad wrap – chucking it easily into the nearest trash can. Yet, the legal decision that makes divorce doable evinces nothing but the highest respect for institution of marriage. It’s a case worth revisiting,......

We know we're not supposed to really care about this sort of thing but this is LA and many people here do care about this sort of thing. So, as a public service, in case you didn't know already, the Emmy Award nominations were announced on Thursday. No surprise, HBO led the pack with an industy leading 93 nominations, 11 for the outstanding series "Deadwood". More of a surprise was the re-emergence of the......

LAist loves to watch television and also loves museums, which is perhaps why we love the Museum of Television and Radio so very much. This week the MTR kicks off its William S. Paley Television Festival here in LA, with two weeks worth of boob tube programming on the big screen, with the not-available-at-home bonus of stellar in-person guest appearances and moderated panel discussions. The Festival starts off with a bang with a night of......

You never know when you're going to run into someone whose life is all things Entertainment, so why not use LAist to keep you in the loop on a variety of high-watermark happenings. Opening this weekend, the Sam Raimi (of Spiderman 1 & 2 fame) produced, and Lucy Lawlesss co-starred whack-a-mole horror flick, Boogeyman. Telling the story of a young man traumatized by memories of terrible events he experienced in his childhood bedroom --......

It's that time of year again. The Museum of TV and Radio has announced their lineup for the 2005 William S. Paley Television Festival, with event panels being organized for NYPD Blue, In Living Color, Adult Swim, Law & Order, Desperate Housewives, Jack & Bobby, The L Word, Lost, Veronica Mars, Boston Legal, Deadwood, and An Evening with Michael Palin. LAist highly recommends buying tickets to an evening for one of your favorite shows,......