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TV Junkie: Good News on Renewals / Bad News in the SAG Nominations
[Above: The timely "Merry F#%$ng Christmas" from Denis Leary]
Let's do Good News First:
- Hallelujah! (not the depressing Leonard Cohen version but perhaps one of those stereotypical happy Baptist church versions) FX has renewed "The League" for a 4th season. Look for an interview here on LAist with series star Steve Rannassazi.
- TV By The Numbers (over onZap2It.com) has updated their Renew/Cancel Index and it now shows that NBC's "Community" is likely to be renewed. I don't understand how the index works, I don't want to get into that kind of entrails-reading, but I applaud the very thought that the show will come back.
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The Bad News: The Screen Actors Guild posted the TV nominees for their upcoming awards show and it appears, with a (very) few exceptions, that it has degenerated into the People's Choice Awards. Not a single comedy from FX, Comedy Central, or HBO were represented among the nominees. How have the ensembles for the current versions of "The Office" and "Big Bang Theory" performed any better than "The League," "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Hung," or "Bored To Death"? On the drama side similar disappointment echoes as "Sons of Anarchy" isn't represented, nor is "Homeland," "Justified," or "The Walking Dead."
Of course, one can't even mention "Glee" as it would be considered homophobic but level-headed fans of the show know it hasn't been a good season, that ensemble didn't deserve a nomination - I'm not trying to discount how difficult dance numbers are to master, but to see them nominated year-in, year-out, like "The Office" and "30 Rock" at the expense of other shows makes the proceedings more than boring. It's not that I dislike new cast additions to these shows, for example, I think Zach Woods has been great on "The Office" (see another one of his web vids at the end of this post), it's just unreasonable to think that nobody else has done any better than the same handful of shows.
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As an addendum to the TV Junkie Audio Gift Guide posted yesterday I also wanted to include the following: Please pre-order Patrice O'Neal's upcoming album, Mr. P, the proceeds benefit his mother - we will always miss you Patrice. Joe DeRosa, fantastic opener of Bill Burr's Carnegie Hall show, has a new album, The Depression Auction, which should be in your iTunes library. Rich Vos, who has done "Last Comic Standing" but stands head and shoulders above what that program represents, just released Still Empty Inside and it's a must-have for fans of true comedy. [Tomorrow we will post the TV Junkie Video Gift Guide]
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The TV Junkie Must-Watch Plan: "Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen," "Travelscope: Christmas in Switzerland," "American Horror Story," "Chelsea Lately," "Late Show With David Letterman," "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson"
8:00pm Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen Cooking Channel - Girls' Night In Sweet basil caviar in luscious blood orange mojitos; creamy gorgonzola & portabella mushroom risotto; bacon chocolate.
9:30pm Travelscope: Christmas in Switzerland PBS/KLCS - A Swiss-style Christmas
10:00pm American Horror Story FX - Birth Vivien gives birth; Tate and Violet try to rid the house of some of its ghosts.
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10:00pm Psych USA - Neil Simon's Lover's Retreat Shawn and Juliet's romantic getaway is interrupted by a robbery and the surfacing of a dead body.
10:00pm Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2011 TBS - Humorous commercials from around the world.
11:00pm Chelsea Lately E! - Actress Charlize Theron; comic Ben Gleib; comic Natasha Leggero; TV personality Ross Mathews.
11:00pm Conan TBS - Actor Bob Costas; actor Mike Zohn; actress Evan Michelson.
11:35pm Late Show With David Letterman CBS - Actor Robert Downey Jr.; actress Rooney Mara.
11:35pm The Tonight Show With Jay Leno NBC - Actor Louis C.K.; professional snowmobile racer Levi LaVallee; Common performs.
12:05am Jimmy Kimmel Live ABC - Actress Kathy Griffin; actress Jamie Bell; Young Jeezy performs.
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12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Actor Kenneth Branagh; actor Patton Oswalt.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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