While it's less likely that Butters is insane and more likely that "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are insane we will still watch tonight to see how it plays out - happily, the new show "Workaholics" is also worth watching right afterwards. --- Sarah Silverman has a development deal that we hope results in a new show. --- Check out the TV Junkie Must-Watch Plan! more ›

In which the everyday folly of saying "I agree" to all those Apple iTunes user agreements without reading the fine print becomes actual folly via "South Park." Your video lunch today might be funnier for Android or BlackBerry uses...unless you are an Apple user with a sense of humor about possibly being tracked down by "Business Casual G-Men." more ›

Shaded from the sun and 90 degree heat, about 300 gathered this afternoon under a sea of rain umbrellas for the "ground breaking" of California Medical Center's Hope Street Family Center. Billed as much-needed recreation space and home for wellness programs in the "underserved" neighborhood of South Park, the proposed project already has community engagement--at least judging by the excitement at the launch. more ›

Following the last wave of crime alerts, and set against a low, 1967-era murder rate for Los Angeles, the Crime L.A. database has posted alerts for six neighborhoods based on data from Dec. 22-Dec. 28, the most recent seven-day-span of available information. more ›

Despite ending the year with a low 1967-era murder rate, crime reports are up significantly in eight L.A. neighborhoods, according to the Crime L.A. database, reports the LA Times. The alerts were based on crime reports analysis from Dec. 22-Dec. 28, the most recent seven-day-span of available data. more ›

Tonight is the premiere of ABC's "No Ordinary Family" - is it over-programmed for success? Also, for all you "South Park" fans. we are giving away a Butters DVD set. more ›

Southern Californians love their mac and cheese. There's a mac and cheese dedicated restaurant in downtown, there's a menu item at one eatery that relates it to drugs, some deep fry it balls and other shapes and we even put it in grilled cheeses. more ›

Before yesterday's arrest of a man suspected of leaving a car bomb in New York City's Times Square on Saturday, Southland police agencies were already taking note. more ›

"Californication" fans should note that in the upcoming season, Rob Lowe will join the cast to play a movie version of Hank Moody and Michael Ealy ("Sleeper Cell", "FlashForward) will also have a several-episode arc. more ›

The TV Junkie Plan: "How to Save the Planet", "Attack of the Show", "Community", "30 Rock", "The Office", "30 Rock", "The Daily Show" (Zoe Saldana), "The Colbert Report" (Gorillaz!!), Ferguson (Busy Philipps) more ›

The TV Junkie Plan: "Attack of the Show" (Stormtrooper Guinness record), "Web Soup", "Modern Family", "That Mitchell and Webb Look", "South Park" (200th episode!), "Ugly Americans" (Treegasm!), "Chelsea Handler", Leno (Tracy Morgan), Fallon (Michael J. Fox) more ›

Remember when that KFC joint in Palms was turned into a medical marijuana dispensary last year? Now it's getting some pop culture, OG Kush love, thanks to the latest episode of South Park. more ›

New Year's Eve has come and gone--with DUI arrests up but fewer fatal accidents along California's freeways compared to last year--but past experiences point toward the whole weekend being a scary one on the roads. That's why police are keeping up their strict and saturated presence on the streets through Sunday evening. more ›

A total of 7 students from A.E. Wright Middle School are now reporting they were victims of attacks last Friday on what was known as "Kick a Ginger Day," LA Now is reporting. Investigations into the first reported incidents indicate "at least four redheaded girls and three boys are believed to have been victims of the so-called ginger attacks at a Calabasas middle school that authorities believe were inspired by a Facebook message." The message is thought to have stemmed from a 2005 episode of South Park. "Detectives have identified eight boys at the school as formal subjects of the investigation," however so far there have been no arrests. more ›

Kids at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas hopped on the bandwagon fueled by a Facebook group posting that declared last Friday "Kick a Ginger Day." more ›

"South Park" returns for a new season tonight and if you've got Xbox, they're launching a "South Park" game today as well. Season 13 will feature a hidden alien in each episode and if you find them all, you can enter to be a "South Park Citizen" and have your animated countenance to appear in a Season 14 episode. more ›

Has the building boom stopped in downtown's South Park neighborhood? The crane at the soon-to-open Ritz Carlton tower on the LA Live campus is currently being dissembled, according to blogdowntown, which notes that "in the summer of 2007, a half dozen of the cranes stood within a few blocks of L.A. Live, with the two on-site at the complex joined by others atop South Group's Evo, Hanover's 717 Olympic, Meruelo's 717 W. 9th and Astani's Concerto." Of course, more cranes could come if planned and approved projects get funded and break ground such as the 43-story tower that was just approved for across from the Convention Center. The two hotels in the Ritz Carlton tower--the other being a J.W. Marriot--are scheduled to open on February 15, 2010. "The structure will hold the 879-room J.W. Marriott (floors four through 21), the 123-room Ritz Carlton hotel (floors 22 through 26) and the 224-unit Residences at the Ritz Carlton (floors 27 through 52)," says blogdowntown. more ›

The TV Junkie Plan: "Better Off Ted", "Lost" (maybe), "MythBusters" (if not "Lost"), "South Park", "Reno 911!", Letterman, Fallon. more ›

The TV Junkie Plan: "Better Off Ted", "Lost", "South Park", "Reno 911!", Leno, Fallon more ›

Late night news: TBS is building a late night show around comedian/actor George Lopez (whom we have loved as Mayor Hernandez on "Reno 911"). The hour-long show will air at 11pm, Monday through Fridays but we're not so sure that it's a good move to go head to head with local news. We'll see what happens when the show launches. TBS has dabbled in late night comedy, with the Frank Caliendo vehicle, "Frank TV", which has not been renewed, and the admirable "10 Items or Less", headed by John Lehr, which is up for renewal now. more ›

Ad spending in the US dropped by 2.6% in 2008, with only cable increasing ad revenue for the year. TV and cable still retained a leadership position as the preferred media, taking more than 60% of all ad dollars. more ›

Tonight NBC is going to attempt to out-Gordon Ramsay FOX with Chef Marco Pierre White's new show, "Chopping Block". Our guess is that White will not have as foul a mouth as Ramsay but will have all his other TV-worthy qualities: intimidation, rage, and viciousness. May the most evil bastard chef win. more ›

Do you remember a lot of car commercials at the last Academy Awards? There's always lots of car commercials, right? But they've been GM commercials for the last 11 years but now Hyundai is taking them over for 2009 (and perhaps beyond). That's $13+ million in ads for the night and supposedly Hyundai has eyes for Super Bowl slots as well. more ›

The Copenhagen Ring: The Complete DVD Set more ›

New York City may be all the way across the country, but if Rupert Murdoch gets his way there you can bet he will cast his gaze upon all other major metropolitan areas: the New York Times reports that Murdoch wants to obtain a permanent FCC waiver to acquire two TV NYC stations in addition to his three newspapers and radio assets. Will this be a last hurrah while the friendly Bush Administration still controls the FCC or will a waiver set a new standard for consolidation (and thus, more limited choice)? While Murdoch's News Corp. is based in NYC, it doesn't mean that he doesn't exert considerable influence in the West. Can you imagine LA as an "all FOX all the time" market? more ›

Before playing William Adama in Battlestar Galactica, Edward James Olmos was mostly known for his portrayal of Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver. Based on real life events, the movie follows Escalante as he enters James Garfield High in Los Angeles and makes a difference on the young tough kids through his teachings of mathematics. Kinda like Dangerous Minds but with no Coolio. more ›

With Lost sent off to Hiatusland for the next month, Thursday's have suddenly deflated to an extraordinarily flaccid state - makes me hunger for the return of Thursday regulars like "My Name Is Earl" (check out NBC's CEO Jeff Zucker season rehash promo). After scouring the listings I can only come up with Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train(1989) on IFC at 8:15pm and then Don Rickles on Jimmy Kimmel for late night watching. In news today Google's YouTube announced that they will provide a tool that will allow anyone with a video on the service to get detailed metrics about who has been watching it - Nielsen for you and me. more ›

The 10:00pm slot is hot again tonight but I'm going to have to go with Lewis Black again, that's a great show, maybe Comedy Central has finally figured out what to do with him. In other items, the Nielsen Company, whom I've occasionally reported on/castigated in this column, is inviting LAist to submit some TV Trivia questions for an "Ultimate Pop Culture Trivia Challenge" contest and I'd to invite YOU, our readers, to submit some questions for this. Please send your questions to me at tomdog@gmail.com (we don't want any sneaks to get these in advance through the comments on the website). Your participation would be much appreciated! more ›

The Guide to March Rock Music Residencies has been updated with a few more listings -- it seems as if residencies are catching on, which is a good thing. Meanwhile, Howlin Rain plays their last LA concert before a tour promoting their new album, Magnificent Fiend, that was released yesterday. more ›

Despite SXSW starting up this week with 100+ Los Angeles based bands heading over there, residencies are growing stronger and more venue-diverse across the line, especially on Monday nights where the volume makes it hard to choose from. Here's to a great month of residencies, rock on. more ›