- Unless you've got some specific sports events you want to watch this weekend, things are pretty slow on the tube - you'd better hope your Netflix came in. Finally: The AP reports that only one song per film can be nominated for an Academy Award. If you're a glutton for abuse and subject yourself to watching the Oscars on TV, you might remember being overwhelmed with songs from Disney's "Enchanted" this year as well......

If you thought Microsoft's foray into television had stopped with their relative failure in MSNBC, you were wrong - Microsoft acquired (for an undisclosed sum) interactive TV network Navic. Navic provides services to Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, and Charter Communications among others - so I guess what we're saying is, get ready for a blue screen of death when you try to watch TV. Other than watching the amazing flop known as the Lakers perform......

Variety is reporting that the upcoming NBC "The Office" spinoff has made its first hire: Aziz Ansari from MTV's "Human Giant" whom LAist interviewed a couple months ago and whom the TV Junkie met at the Ashton Kutcher SNL post-party in April). While the show title, other cast members, and method of launch is unknown to the general public, it is known that the show will debut this winter in the 9:30pm timeslot, right after......

In contrast to the wildly cute meerkates to the right (yes, they're back), some seriously big numbers have been issued by the prestigious Milken Institute has put out an impressive study of the impact of the writer's strike. In summary: - 37,700 jobs lost - $2.1 billion in lost output through the end of 2008 The cascading effects of the strike are what reportedly tipped the state into a recession in early 2008, but......

Hey "Gossip Girl" fans, The CW is pulling the show off of its website because too many of you are choosing to watch it online vs. TV (where its ratings are slumping). So, I get it, restrict the viewing of the content and everything will get better. What do you want to bet that this won't fix the problem? Tonight 7:00pm The Stepford Wives TCM - (1975) The ORIGINAL and much better version, with the......

So can fans really make a difference? Word has it that enough fans got through to NBC for them to keep the high school football-romance-drama "Friday Night Lights" on the air through a partnership with DirecTV. This gives one hope that a group of people can make a difference but then disappointment that truly great shows like "Arrested Development" couldn't make the cut. Speaking of which, Will Arnett is on Jimmy Kimmel tonight - Arnett......

Flavor Flav Roast Highlights on FunnyOrDie.com What could be a better Valentine than telling your loved one that you ordered the Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav for them? I think the purpose of the above highlight reel is to see how many times they can get the word "pussy" into a highlight reel. Hopefully the WGA East and WGA West can help finalize a deal this weekend. Word has it that if they decide......

So I spent my Sunday sick as a dog on the couch watching, of all things, football, literally because I was too wiped to find the clicker and move on. I'd forgotten how obnoxious the graphics were and how pompous and full of itself football has become. Still, gotta watch the Super Bowl for the commercials so I still have some time to devote to that. Am dismayed that the talentless hack Ryan Seacrest is......

I vaguely remember the '80s so the return of American Gladiator to the screen presents me with a nauseating wave of nostalgia that I want to boogie board to the fullest. Then again, I vaguely remember the '70s and the relaunch of the Bionic Woman left a lot to be desired. But hey, we live in America, and with enough boobies and violence, American Gladiator could have the required recipe for success. Friday 8:00pm Flash......

Have a taste for deliciously scary eye candy? Check out Christopher Ulrich's phantasmagorical paintings: Demoneater Series One in Santa Monica! ...

How can it be Christmas with out Rudolph or hotties in underwear strutting through snowflakes? The previews for this week's Nip/Tuck looked hilarious, I hope it delivers; gonna have to Tivo part three of Tin Man which has been pretty good so far despite certain shortcomings that are particular to the SciFi channel. As always, thanks for your comments. 7:15pm Becket TCM - (1964) Do you remember being forced to watch this in high school......

Did anyone else catch SciFi's Tin Man last night? Definitely worth watching into Part Deux (they will repeat Part One at 7:00pm). I wish I could say the same about Comedy Central's Last Laugh '07 - I love Lewis Black, Dave Attell, and D.L. Hughley, but they crammed their acts, a lengthy animated intro, and a Q/A session into one hour. The end result left a lot to be desired. 7:00pm David Copperfield TCM -......

I hope you've got a bunch of stuff Tivo'd because there's nothing on until Sunday. You tell me that there is stuff on tonight? What, you mean Friday Night Lights, NUMB3RS, or Las Vegas? Please. Tomorrow, there's no reason to turn on prime time TV unless it's for Citizen Kane on TCM at 8:30. The Big Story is Sunday, check it: Sunday 8:00pm Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project HBO - Special. Don Rickles is......

We've mentioned our utter distaste for most movie remakes, but here's one that might actually be good. Robert Rodriguez has signed on to remake the classic space nudie Barbarella. The original 1968 Eurotrash film starred Jane Fonda as a super-sexy space vixen sent to the planet Lythion to find the evil Durand Durand (yep, that's where the band gets its name), an evildoer who's fond of killing his victims by forcing them to OD......

1. Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival 2. LA Times Festival of Books 3. 10 Minute Play Festival 4. Nino Ayudando Ninos 5. The Grand Ole Echo 6. Fiesta Broadway 7. LA Comic Book and SciFi Convention 8. Los Angeles Antiques Show 9. Pier Arts Festival 2007 Photo at Santa Clarita Cowoby Festival by Ira Gostin......

So if you don't feel like driving that hour+ to some party in the Valley, or to some party anywhere in Los Angeles, you can always turn on the TV. There's nothing like watching the 3-hour tape-delayed disco ball drop to reaffirm your existence. Tomorrow - Sunday - New Years Eve "Twilight Zone Marathon" (SciFi, ALL DAY) "Seinfeld Marathon" (TBS, ALL DAY) "Marx Brothers Marathon" (TCM, starting at 5:15 p.m.) (other marathons include "Ace......

Today - Wednesday Lakers @ Magic (KCAL, 5:30 p.m.) "Heroes" Marathon (SciFi, 7:00 p.m.) So maybe you heard this was a great series but you never really watched it, here's a chance to catch up and be in the now when it gets going again in the new year. Celtics @ Clippers (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) "Arabesque" (TCM, 8:00 p.m.) Gregory Peck falls for a way hot Sophia Loren in this 1966 thriller "Primetime" (ABC,......

OK so last night's Colbert/Decembrist Green Screen thing wasn't such a great premise but the line-up was incredible. Due to non-existent new programming somebody here suggested that I occupy my time with porn, but this is the TV Junkie spot, not the Porn Junkie spot, I'm not sure that the LAist editorial staff want that to happen yet, and no one has stepped forward to start supplying me with said porn yet either --......

Last Night Summary: So 50 Cent cancelled his appearance on Conan a couple hours before the show because he felt he was coming down with a cold? Stern and Gaffigan were good as usual on Conan. Also: "The Office" was fantastic; I was amazed at how long Colbert allowed his druggie guest to ramble; kid scientists on Letterman were typically cute and funny and I'm hoping for a new set of stupid human tricks......

Wednesday - Tonight Lakers @ Mavericks (ESPN, 6:30 p.m.) Jazz @ Clippers (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) "King of Queens" (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) Double whammy - 2 new episodes. "The Next Top Model: British Invasion" (the CW, 8:00 p.m.) 2 Hour debut(!) "The Biggest Loser" (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) Season finale in mondo 2 hr. episode. "The Lost Room" (SciFi, 9:00 p.m.) Final episode of the miniseries. "One Punk Under God" (Sundance, 9:00 p.m.) If you pay......

Tonight - Friday "NBA Basketball" (PRIME, 5:00 p.m.) Clippers @ Spurs "NBA Basketball" (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) Hawks @ Lakers "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) Yup, the original, with Burl Ives -- come on misfits, tune in! "Primetime" (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) Diane Sawyer visits North Korea "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 9:00 p.m.) New episode! "Charlie Rose" (PBS, 11:30 p.m.): journalist John F. Burns, Stephen Colbert(!!), billionaire Anthony O'Reilly "The Tonight Show With......

Veteran's Day Weekend Edition Today "The O'Reilly Factor/Hannity & Colmes/On the Record With Greta Van Susteren" (FOX, 5:00/6:00/7:00 p.m.) Watch Fox pundits continue to spin Tuesday's election results "NBA Basketball" (ESPN, 5:00 p.m.) Miami Heat @ New Jersey Nets "College Football" (ESPN2, 5:00 p.m.) Watch red-staters pour their anguish and disappointment into the Friday night lights: Texal-El Paso @ Alabama-Birmingham "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" (Nickelodeon, 5:00 p.m.) Toddlers and college stoners rejoice "College Basketball"......

“Dancing With the Stars” (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) Really, is this worth watching anymore without Springer on it? We're hoping for some kind of graphic dance-floor accident, or perhaps a Carrie-at-the-senior-prom reenactment. “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) Liza Minelli makes a cameo appearance in this Halloween-tinged episode. “Veronica Mars” (the CW, 9:00 p.m.) The underground campus casino is robbed in this Halloween-tainted episode. “Frontline/World” (PBS, 9:00 p.m.) The Burmese government conducts a......

Decades later the moviegoing public is finally blessed with a sequel that lives up to the full potential of the Alien franchise. All it took was some lovingly modified action figures, skillful puppeteering and lo-fi effects wizardry. Ridley Scott never had it so good! Please enjoy the first episode of Alien 5, a clever sci-fi parody from the clever folks at Probot Productions.......

"I don't care if Mark Foley had been asking boys to describe their penises because I have some sad news for you: Your kid is so larded out on Cheetos and Yoo-hoo, he can't even see his penis." - Bill Maher, today on Salon.com "You're wankers, but really important wankers. Even you, Robert Joseph at Earthlink, who has sent me consistent hatemail for two years straight. You, sir, have been impressive." - Jessica Coen......

At LAist, we believe in literacy and we believe in the power of the printed word. And, we love books. If you feel the same way and want to meet others who share your feelings, head on over to the West Hollywood Book Fair tomorrow. From the official site: Join more than 300 authors, 100 exhibitors, and 25,000 guests at the 5th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair. This year’s Book Fair will include an......

Writer John Rogers has decided to throw open the doors of the freelance TV writing process. He's an outside writer who's pitched an idea to a new TV show for an episode. He knew the show's writer-producers, and was familiar with the story arc, so he walked in pretty confidently. It looks, from his first post, that there will definitely be more to come. But as he says, "Lord knows if we'll actually shoot......

Did you see Mansquito on the SciFi Network Sunday night? In classic B-movie form, a lab accident while researching a moquito-born virus gives birth to: Mansquito! Part man, part mosquito, it's got a bad attitude and more than a passing resemblance to The Fly. What, you missed it? Well never fear, 6 LA bloggers have watched it and provide a nifty summary on Telecrap, Celebrating the Worst in TV. This is their first hefty......