Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Happy Thanksgiving Edition

Hooray – it’s almost Thanksgiving, though honestly I am more excited about the 4 day weekend than the actual holiday. I’ve been running around way too much in the last week and I really just need a few days to relax and get myself back on track. I’m looking forward to just sleeping in and taking it easy and watching a shameful number of movies. I’ll enjoy the turkey dinner and the moment to reflect on all that I’m thankful for (which is a lot), but I’m really ready for some R&R. The last two weeks have kicked my butt.

Before you head off to spend some time with your loved ones and eat some stuffing, get yourself up to speed on the world of pop culture with your biweekly pop culture roundup. It’s on the long side this week, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied over the long weekend. Plus you never know when you’ll have to make small talk with a relative and there is a little bit of something for everyone in this roundup. So pour over this collection of links before the tryptophan kicks in.

• GQ has a great interview with Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad.

• Someone indexed every death in the Game of Thrones books (so far):

• Whew – Paramount will block the proposed It’s a Wonderful Life sequel. There is a God

• NOOOOOO!!!!!!!! They are remaking Road House. It has better include the line “I used to f*ck guys like you in prison” or it will be complete sacrilege.

This week in Ron Burgundy news:

• Great news – Paramount has moved up the release date for the film by two days.

• Will Ferrell will host the 6pm episode of SportsCenter on ESPN December 6^th – in character.

• The Channel 4 gang sang “Afternoon Delight” at the Australian premiere:

 

• 12 fun facts from a visit to the Anchorman 2 edit bay.

• Hot Topic is turning Black Friday into Burgundy Friday.

• I’m actually super bummed that I won’t see this – Burgundy will call a pro curling event in Winnipeg.

• Emerson University renamed their communication school after Burgundy – for one day.

• Burgundy took over Conan last week and sang a campaign song for Toronto Mayor and crack enthusiast Rob Ford:

 

• Ron Burgundy tries to understand Doctor Who.

• There was a live reading of the original Anchorman to raise money for charity.

• Baxter got his own movie poster:

 

• I wrote earlier this week about an unexpected death on Family Guy; fans didn’t take the development well and 40,000 of them have signed a petition demanding the character be brought back.

• The new Britney Spears album is streaming on iTunes.

• This article looks at how Friends decided to pair off Monica and Chandler.

• The Mindy Project is going on hiatus due to low ratings. Other shakeups at FOX – Dads has been removed from the schedule despite receiving a full season order and Brooklyn Nine-Nine is moving to 9:30 (in The Mindy Project’s old slot).

• The Monty Python reunion show sold out in 43 seconds. The gang is now doing 5 shows instead of just one.

• The actor that plays King Joffrey says he’s retiring from acting once he’s done on Game of Thrones.

• Bruce Springsteen is releasing a new album in January 2014. Happy day!

• EW looks at 12 big changes made in the film adaptation of Catching Fire.

• The forthcoming The Walking Dead spinoff may be a prequel.

• Netflix is bringing back The Killing for one more season. This show has nine lives!

• FXX has struck a deal that will allow episodes of The Simpsons from the first 24 seasons to be streamed on-line.

• This isn’t a pairing I would have come up with: Oprah and Diablo Cody are working on a new HBO comedy.

• This one is for my mom: FOX Japan is going to air the first 10 season of NCIS non-stop and in order over 10 days.

• Stevie Nicks is apparently having a good time over on American Horror Story: Coven since she is sticking around for another week.

• Sadly, Jessica Lange will be leaving the series after next season.

• Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will go on hiatus.

• Jeopardy! recently poked some fun at the Houston Astros’ terrible season in one of their answers.

• Chris Hemsworth and his wife are expecting baby number 2.

• Kelly Clarkson is pregnant.

• James Franco and Seth Rogan did a parody of Kanye’s video for “Bound 2”:

Surprisingly, Kim and Kanye (neither known for their killer sense of humor) apparently found it funny.

• The Hollywood Reporter did a lengthy eye-opening feature on the treatment of animals in Hollywood.

• George Takei is now in the fragrance game.

• The Heat may not be getting a sequel, but two minor characters will get a spinoff.

• Sigh…..CBS is going forward with How I Met Your Dad. That horse is dead – stop beating it.

• Winona Ryder indicated Beetlejuice 2 might happen.

• Anjelica Houston wants to be on Downton Abbey.

• Lauren Hill will perform her first show since being released from prison.

• Orphan Black returns in the US on April 19^th.

• FX has picked up The Strain for series.

• Arcade Fire is asking their fans to dress up for their new tour.

• Chris Brown has been sent to rehab.

• Outkast may reunite at Coachella this summer.

• Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are starring in a new special on E!

• Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA taught a class at the University of Toronto.

• Scarlett Johannsson’s voice work in the upcoming Spike Jonze film Her cannot be considered for a Golden Globe.

• An Underground Railroad miniseries is coming to FX.

• In a Q&A with Chef Mario Batali, he revealed that he ordered 200 pairs of orange Crocs when he heard that they were retiring his signature footwear.

• The person behind the Seinfeld 2000 Twitter account made a music video for Arcade Fire’s song “Here Comes the Night Time.”

• AMC has ordered two new drama pilots.

• The Purge 2 will be released June 2014.

• Zach Braff may have pulled off the greatest photobomb of all time:

• A Star Wars burlesque show now exists.

• Sutton Foster and Amy Sherman-Palladino are reuniting for a Broadway show. (R.I.P. Bunheads)

• Once Upon a Time has cast an actor from Covert Affairs for a guest role.

• Watch Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul read the Breaking Bad finale for the first time (spoilers if you aren’t current):

 

• Wilmer Valderrama has joined the cast of the From Dusk Till Dawn TV show.

• Dave Chappelle sat down for a rare interview with a local news station in Minneapolis.

• You can watch the pilots of HBO’s new comedies Ja’mie: Private School Girl and Getting On online.

• A&E has officially renewed Longmire for a third season, which makes me happy.

• You can explore Middle Earth in Google Maps.

• For those of you that can’t get enough of Jennifer Lawrence (and who can?), here’s a photo of her in junior high.

• Mad Max: Fury Road will be released in 2015.

• Adam Brody (The O.C.) and Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) are engaged.

• I wish this is had happened when I was just there – a kid dressed up like Harry Potter and tried to find the Hogwarts Express in Penn Station.

• Wait….George Brett had something to do with Lorde’s hit song “Royals?”

• Batkid is back on the case, this time rescuing Pitbull from the Joker on Good Morning America.

• Tori Amos is releasing a new album and going out on tour in 2014.

• U2 has released a new song for the movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

• Kanye West may have another album by next summer.

• Something to buy your favorite Game of Thrones fan for the holidays: A Dragon Egg Cookie Jar.

• Well here’s a headline you don’t see every day: “Photo of Rick Springfield’s Buttocks Shown to Jury, Which Start Deliberating Today in Injury Lawsuit.”

• I’m not a Doctor Who fan, but the series was honored with a Google Doodle last week in honor of its fiftieth anniversary.

• The Doctor Who 50^th anniversary special drew 10 million viewers in the UK.  The special also had plenty of Easter eggs for the die-hard fans.

• USA network has cancelled Necessary Roughness.

• More Doctor Who: The BBC created an interactive map that allows fans to explore the time travel adventures of all 11 Doctors.

• The surviving members of the Beastie Boys penned an open letter explain their dispute with toymaker GoldieBlox. Their song “Girls” has since been pulled from the commercial.

• Willie Nelson’s tour has been put on hold after a bus accident involving his band.

• James Franco and Chris O’Dowd are on their way to Broadway.

• Wiz Khalifa and Adele are collaborating? Interesting.

• According to this graphic, many Sesame Street character have mental disorders.

• Once Upon a Time co-stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas are expecting a baby.

• Jon Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift and Prince William performed “Livin’ on a Prayer” at a gala.

• Anna Gunn and Jacki Weaver will appear in the U.S. adaptation of Broadchurch.

• You can now watch a short film, Aningaaq, which sheds light on the other side of Sandra Bullock’s call in Gravity.

• I like The Vampire Diaries, but all the relationships can be confusing. TV Guide has a relationship roadmap for the show to help keep everything straight.

• Watch Robert DeNiro’s audition for the role of Sonny in The Godfather:

 

• Empire has a Q&A with George R.R. Martin, who should spend less time giving interviews and more time finishing the damn book series.

• Well….that was short lived – MSNBC fired Alec Baldwin.

• Lifetime has renewed Witches of East End.

• Comedy Central has picked up @midnight for 40 more weeks.

• The Friday the 13^th franchise will release a new film in 2015. True story – though I am a horror fan, I’ve never seen any of these movies.

• Kevin Spacey gave Woody Allen a Netflix subscription.

• Pitbull and Ke$ha co-star in a new music video:

 

• Sadly, Angelina Jolie did not buy Brad Pitt a heart shaped island for his 50^th birthday.

• Tumblrs of the week: Upworthy: Springfield and Histagrams

• The Broadway musical Matilda is headed to the big screen.

• Patton Oswalt’s new comedy special will air in January on Epix.

• Javier Bardem offered Blackbeard role in Peter Pan origin movie.

• This is fantastic – a guy live tweeted a couple breaking up.

• Jennifer Love Hewitt got married and gave birth to a baby girl.

• Journey guitarist Neil Schon and White House crasher Michaele Salahi are getting married on pay-per-view. Don’t be giving Kimye ideas.

• Vulture has a roundup of all of Ruxin’s putdowns on The League.

• Frankie Munitz has suffered a second mini-stroke. The actor is 27 years old.

• Michael Chiklis is developing a TV show based on his comic book Pantheon. Show of hands – who knew Chiklis had a comic book? Me neither.

• I’m not one to tell people how to spend their money, but $27,000 for a Magic: The Gathering card seems like a bad investment.

• A J.R.R. Tolkien biopic is in development.

• Jimmy Fallon will host SNL in December with musical guest Justin Timberlake (shocker!)

• SyFy has bought the horror project The Woods from the co-creator of Chuck.

• Mad Men has a Christmas album, available only at Target.

• Flavorwire interviews Joel Hodgson on 25 years of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

• Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are developing the DC Comic’s Sleeper.

• Baz Luhrmann may direct a Napoleon miniseries for HBO.

• The A.V. Club looks at what it is like to be a contestant on The Biggest Loser.

Trailers:

• Every new trailer for HBO’s True Detective makes me more and more excited for this show:

 

• A teaser for the new Chicago Fire spin-off, Chicago PD:

 

• Sherlock Season 3:

 

• The obviously NSFW trailer has arrived from Lars von Trier’s upcoming film Nymphomaniac

 

• Season 3 trailer for HBO’s Girls:

 

• A trailer for Devil’s Knot – yet another film about the West Memphis Three:

 

• Another trailer for one of the movies I am most looking forward to this winter, American Hustle:

 

• Kellen Lutz stars in Hercules: The Legend Begins:

 

• A new trailer for Muppets Most Wanted:

 

• Wait….we’re getting another A Haunted House movie? Who asked for this?

• Norman Reedus (Daryl, The Walking Dead) will have a supporting role in The Crow reboot.

• ABC Family has released its 25 Days of Christmas schedule.

• An actor from Smash will be making a guest appearance on The Good Wife.

• Rolling Stone has a list of 50 things Millennials have never heard of.

• HBO is developing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon for series.

• Cary Elwes is writing a Princess Bride memoir. I’ll be reserving my copy ASAP.

• Some deleted scenes from one of my all-time favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption:

 

• I always knew It’s Sunny in Philadelphia was ahead of its time. Does this mean kitten mittens are next?

• Whoa – Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle album was released 20 years ago. I am feeling old.

• The Wolverine sequel will be based on an existing comic book plotline.

• Mia Waskiowska and Johnny Depp are both returning for Alice in Wonderland 2.

• Sundance Channel may adapt A Visit From the Goon Squad.

• Aaron Paul has joined the cast of Fathers and Daughters (also starring Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried).

• Kevin Bacon’s daughter is Miss Golden Globes 2014.

• Clint Eastwood’s daughter married Jonah Hill’s brother and immediately wants an annulment.

• Boogie Nights almost went directly to video.

As always, we end with the mashups and supercuts:

• Mad Men without the smoking:

 

• Reaping Ball – a Hunger Games/Miley Cryrus mashup:

 

• The Wolf of Bedford Falls (It’s a Wonderful Life re-cut to look like The Wolf of Wall Street):

 

• A Rob Ford/New Jack City remix:

 

• A Rob Ford/Chris Farley mashup (Farley would have been amazing playing Ford on SNL):

 

• Team Coco put together a supercut of season 3 of Conan:

 

• The Sesame Street gang did a Hunger Games parody:

 

• And finally……a Dawson’s Creek/The Walking Dead mashup, Governor’s Creek:

 

The blog is probably going to take a few days off for the holidays, unless I just can’t help myself. Best wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah!!!!

 

Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Getting Old Edition

It’s my birthday this weekend, which is usually cause for celebration, at least in my eyes. Everyone else just kind of humors me. This year, however, I’m just not feeling it and am kind of dreading having to say that I am a year older. There is not legitimate reason for this apathy – it isn’t a “milestone” birthday or anything – and I know turning a year older beats the alternative, but I’m just not in a celebratory mood at all this year. Perhaps I’ve finally gotten over the excitement for my birthday that everyone else got over when they were a kid. Perhaps it is because this year a lot of people have yet to respond to my unofficial party or can’t come. Perhaps it is because I do so many awesome things throughout the year that I don’t really need this excuse to make a big deal out of one particular day. Whatever the reason, as Saturday approaches, instead of my usual giddiness, it’s being greeted with a shrug. I’m happy to see my friends, but that’s about it.

Pop culture, on the other hand, still makes me excited and I had a lot of fun compiling your biweekly roundup of all the pop culture goodness that you might have missed. I just kept finding all sort of cool things to include. So while I attempt to determine what exactly is bumming me out, kick back and enjoy:

• A spinoff of The Walking Dead is in development. AMC is determined to ride this thing into the ground.

• The final season of Mad Men will be split in half and will air in 2014 and 2015. AMC is officially out of ideas.

• J.K. Rowling is writing a Harry Potter spinoff movie.

• FX is developing an American Psycho sequel series.

• The New Yorker has a long interview with Bryan Cranston.

• Stallone, Statham, Ford, Gibson, Schwarzenegger……Grammer? Fraiser joins the cast of Expendabless 3.

• E! is getting in the obviously scripted business (rather that the pseudo scripted business of reality shows) with The Royals. Elizabeth Hurley is attached to star.

• Adam Levine is launching a menswear line at Kmart.

• A real psychiatrist analyzes the trauma that various Breaking Bad characters experienced in last Sunday’s intense episode.

• A Middle Eastern prince paid $500,000 to hang out with Kristen Stewart. With all due respect, your highness, you grossly overpaid.

•  Congrats to Bob Newhart for winning his first Emmy! The full list of Creative Arts Emmy winners can be found here. The Primetime Emmys will air on September 22. There may be a live blog.

• In other awards show news, Woody Allen will receive the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Globes.

• Scarlett Johansson is engaged.

• Carson Daly has joined The Today Show.

• Leonardo DiCaprio is developing a Woodrow Wilson biopic. He may also star. Dude wants his Oscar.

• George R.R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones books, is a Breaking Bad fan and thinks that “Water White is a bigger monster than anyone in Westeros.” This from the guy who gave us Joffrey.

• Rapper 2Chainz has released a cookbook

• AMC has canceled The Killing……again.

• Props from The Office are going to be auctioned off.

• The West Wing fans – Allison Janney performed “The Jackal” last night on the newly revived The Arsenio Hall Show.

 

• Survivor returns tonight; this season’s twist is pitting family members against one another.

• HBO is taking the Damon Lindelof drama The Leftovers, based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, to series.

• A happy belated birthday to Louis C.K.

• The guy who voiced Jafar in the Disney film Aladdin will play Jafar on Broadway. Makes sense.

• Molly Shannon, Will Forte and Jordan Peele will all voice characters on Bob’s Burgers.

• The BBC’s Sherlock cast are getting their own action figures.

• Everyone that I know that watched the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Canelo Alvarez fight last weekend was disappointed. Snoop Dogg Lion, however, won over a pound of weed on that fight.

• After a lackluster performance at the box office, the planned sequel to The Mortal Instruments has been delayed indefinitely.

• A new season of Key and Peele debuts tonight:

 

• Amazon is unveiling a new Matchbook program that will allow customers to buy discounted e-book version of books that were already purchased in paperback.

• Charlie Sheen has finally graduated from high school.

• Also a recent high school graduate – Mark Wahlberg.

• 20 board games inspired by 70s and 80s TV shows. They need more of these in the Museum of Play!

• The Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden (Andrea) has nabbed the female lead in Dumb and Dumber To.

• Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are having a baby.

• Arnold Schwarzenegger is rumored to be attached to Avatar 2.

• Best. Parents. Ever.

From http://thecaseydonahue.com/post/228349617

• Caroline Manzo might be getting her own spinoff from The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

• Doctor Sleep, Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining, will be released next Tuesday.

• Non-shocking news of the day, part 1: JJ Abrams will not direct the next Star Trek movie, which was all but a foregone conclusion once he took over the Star Wars franchise.

• Non-shocking news of the day, part 2: Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have ended their engagement. Once she unfollowed him on Twitter, you knew that they were doomed.

• People keep making Breaking Bad musicals. Check out Walter White and the Mazing Blue Crystal Meth:

 

• Sons of Anarchy is very loosely based on Hamlet. Uproxx looks to see how the series and the source material line up (and what that could mean for the characters).

• Grant Gustin (Glee) has been cast as the Flash on Arrow. The character may be spun off to his own series.

•  Amy Poehler is headed to The Simpsons.

• This is probably NOT a good sign: Pirates of the Caribbean 5 has been shut down indefinitely for script maintenance. Probably for the best; this movie is wholly unnecessary.

• Mumford & Sons were kicked out of an Atlanta strip club.

• Eddie Murphy did a reggae song with Snoop Lion. I have no idea if this is supposed to be a joke or not:

 

• Paste lists 20 great songs that are less than 60 seconds.

• The cast of Fast & Furious 7 continues to grow; Djimon Hounsou has been added. That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news (at least in my opinion).

• Ben Affleck hasn’t completely quit directing; he’ll direct the pilot for Fox’s The Middle Man.

• Mr. Woodchuck, the puppet from Full House, had an unfortunate run-in with Dave Coulier’s dog. It’s nice that he kept the prop all these years.

• After much rumor and speculation, the full cast has been revealed for Disney’s adaptation of Into the Woods.

• The Kennedy Center Honorees have been announced.

• Katherine Heigl may return to TV in a CIA drama.

• Attention 90210 fans: Jason Preiestly is penning a memoir.

• Vulture has compiled every time Charlie is illiterate on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

• Phil Jackson and the director of Bull Durham have joined forces to bring a basketball drama to Showtime.

• The O.C.’s Sandy Cohen and Ryan Atwood (Peter Gallagher and Ben McKenzie in real life) reunited at Gallagher’s daughter’s concert.

From @petergallagher

• The O.C. is getting a a remake – in Turkey.

• Netflix uses piracy websites to determine which shows to purchase. Sounds like a legit strategy to me.

• Lifetime is making a Gabby Douglas biopic.

• Iggy Pop will appear on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

• Big Brother has been renewed for a 16 season on CBS.

• Check out some cool pop culture creations made out of Play-Doh.

• My Happy Endings pals continue to find work; Eliza Coupe joins House of Lies.

• The CW is developing a drama about a transgender teen.

• I am a fan of both Metallica and bluegrass, so I really enjoyed this cover of “Enter Sandman:”

 

• The first three hosts for SNL have been announced; Tina Fey kicks the season off, followed my Miley Cyrus and Bruce Willis.

• Easy-E and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were brought back in hologram form at Rock the Bells. You people know how I feel about this trend.

• Ha! I love that the son of ODB refers to himself as Young Dirty Bastard.

• Sting’s musical may reach Broadway next year.

• Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” video is greatly improved with the addition of Nicolas Cage:

 

• A Game of Thrones sigil for every NFL Team.

• Demi Lovato has not one, but two books on the way.

• If someone is in need of a last minute birthday gift for me, tickets to the cast of Anchorman doing a live reading of the script are guaranteed to make me happy. I’m not so disinterested that I won’t accept gifts.

• Tumblrs of the week: The Carter Family Portrait Gallery (Jay Z, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy added to famous paintings) and Tales You Lose (pop culture characters painted on currency)

• Better Call Saul, the Breaking Bad prequel spinoff, is moving forward at AMC.

• Fox has renewed So You Think You Can Dance.

• Listen to The Eagles, run the risk of getting stabbed.

• Night at the Museum 3 will start filming early in 2014.

• Watch this guy do 13 Muppet impressions in a minute:

 

• Speaking of Muppets, they did all sorts of great stuff since the last round up. Cookie Monster spoofed some movies:

 

• Elmo (or a reasonable facsimile) hung out with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen:

@SirPatStew

• Grover sang with Dave Matthews:

 

• Cookie Monster also found some time to hang out with Loki:

 

• Life isn’t always golden for our friends of the felt; Mental Floss looks at 9 Muppets that were kicked off Sesame Street.

•  UC Irvine is offering a free online course on The Walking Dead. I’m not a huge fan of the show, but I may have to take this just for kicks. I’m thinking that could really spruce up my resume.

• Elton John will do a Liberace tribute at the Emmys.

• Jason Diamond over at Flavorwire makes an interesting argument: If you liked Seinfeld you should be watching FX’s The League.

• Ha! Watch Todd from Breaking Bad gun down Justin Bieber:

No Biebers were harmed in the creation of this GIF

• See some pages from The Simpsons/Futurama crossover crisis book.

• Morrissey cancels the release of his autobiography days before its scheduled release.

• Dina Lohan, mother to Lindsay, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

• The Entourage movie has been delayed as Adrian Grenier and Jerry Ferrara hold out for more money. Thanks Turtle – you are doing the world a service. No one wants an Entourage movie.

• Jack Black is in talks to star in a Goosebumps movie.

• Cynthia Nixon will appear on Hannibal next season.

• He’s still really good looking, but I’m not digging Joe Manganiello as much without his beard.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/joe-manganiello-shaves-beard_n_3881045.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment&ir=Entertainment

• Fuse has renewed Insane Clown Posse Theater.

• I have a lot of questions after reading this headline: “Bloodhound Gang Under Criminal Investigation in Russia Over Flag Stunt.”

• Sarah Silverman’s dog Duck, who appeared on her television program as Doug, has passed away. 😦 She wrote a touching obituary for the pup.

• Comic Chris Lilley may be resurrecting some of his characters from his HBO series Summer Heights High. Am I the only person who watched this?

• Jason Reitman wants Adam Sandler for his next film. I like serious Sandler, so I’m all for this.

• This makes me very happy – Walton Goggins will appear on Community this season.

• And if that wasn’t awesome enough – John Oliver is also returning to Community.

• Eminem turned up during the Michigan/Notre Dame game. It was awkward, to say the least.

• Another week, another Wizard of Oz series in development. This one is over at the CW.

• Michael Jackson’s Thriller recreated with LEGOs:

 

• Laura Prepon is only scheduled to appear in one episode of Orange is the New Black.

• Cracked makes a strong case that Zack Morris is a sociopath.

• Some Doctor Who fans see something resembling a TARDIS in the newly discovered Van Gogh painting.

• The band Sigur Rios will appear on Game of Thrones.

• Britney Spears is rumored to be earning $15 million per year for her Vegas residency. Seems as good a reason as any to finally plan my first trip to Vegas.

• Her new album is scheduled to drop December 3^rd. I’m not sure how I feel about the new single, “Work Bitch”

 

• This local sports anchor worked 41 Seinfeld references into his segment:

 

He also did a segment full of old school rap references and wrestling references. I think this guy and I could be fast friends.

• This is a little on the nose: a woman named Courtney Cox was arrested for swimming in a fountain.

• Ricky Gervais is going out on tour as David Brent.

• Also announcing tours: Robin Thicke, Jay Z and Kanye (the latter who I am going to see in Madison Square Garden!)

• The upcoming Terminator reboot is getting a July 1, 2015 release date.

• Late Night DVR alert: the cast of Breaking Bad will appear on Conan on Monday.

• A town in Kentucky hosted a Honey Boo Boo look-alike contest.

• One of the models from the “Blurred Lines” video has been added to the cast of Gone Girl.

• Perhaps seeing the disaster that was After Earth, Will Smith has reconsidered his stance against appearing in the Independence Day sequel.

• The Hunger Games sequels have added some new cast members: Lily Rabe (American Horror Story) and Julianne Moore.

• You can stream new albums from Icona Pop, Mazzy Star, Grouplove and CHVRCHES online. Also available: the new collaboration between The Roots and Elvis Costello.

• Cecily Strong is joining the soon departing Seth Myers at the SNL Weekend Update desk. The last few people to sit at the desk (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon) have gone on to some pretty great things.

• You can now watch River Phoenix’s final movie online.

• Ian McKellen will star as a retired Sherlock Holmes in an upcoming film.

• Alexander Skarsgard has joined team USA in a charity race to the South Pole. The Wire’s Dominic West will be on team Commonwealth. This thing sounds like no joke – be safe everyone!

• No matter what you throw at Beyoncé, she just rolls with it. She already weathered a fan smacking her on the rear and her hair getting caught in a fan, but now she has survived a fan pulling her off the stage.

• TLC, home of the show Sister Wives, is doubling down on polygamy with a new show My Five Wives.

• A writer at UPROXX wrote a tribute to one of the greatest episodes of It’s Always Sunny – Chardee MacDennis. I wholeheartedly concur.

• The Ohio University marching band preformed a rendition of Ylvis’ viral sensation The Fox during their game against Marshall.
  

 

Haven’t see the video for The Fox yet? Here it is, in all it’s weirdness. Watch it now, thank me later.

• This week in Aaron Paul is awesome news: the actor held a scavenger hunt in Iowa for free tickets to a Breaking Bad screening. That dude is winning life.

• Billy Joel is publishing his previously cancelled memoir.

• Selma Blair may sue after her firing from Anger Management.

• Artie Lange is releasing a new memoir.

• Breaking Bad fans are the best. Los Pollos Hermanos now has its own Yelp page, full of reviews.

• Richard Roeper will replace Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun-Times.

• In a classic NBC move, the network invited than dis-invited trivia whiz Ken Jennings to appear on Million Second Quiz.

• Fiona Apple covered “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka for a Chipotle ad:

 

• RuPaul is once again a spokesperson for MAC cosmetics.

• This actually sounds like a pretty cool show: ABC is developing a drama that imagines what would have happened if the United States lost The Revolutionary War.

• The Smoking Gun has compiled the FCC complaints about Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance.

• I’m guessing the Obama administration rues the day that they created an online petition platform. Now people want a replica TARDIS on the White House lawn.

Trailers! Get your trailers here:

• Nicole Kidman in Grace of Monaco:

 

• National Geographic’s Killing Kennedy, starring Rob Lowe and Ginnifer Goodwin:

 

• Kill Your Darlings with Daniel Radcliffe and Michael C. Hall (that’s kind of a weird combo):

 

• Will Forte and Bruce Dern star in Nebraska, the latest from director Alexander Payne:

 

• James Franco and Jason Statham are in a movie together. Yes, I’m serious.

 

• Rotten Tomatoes will now start rating TV shows.

•  Uproxx looks at 15 life lessons from Jean-Ralphio from Parks and Recreation.

• This list of defunct NFL franchises was kind of fascinating.

• A photo of Justin Bieber holding a script for the upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie almost broke the Internet.

@justinbieber

No – he isn’t playing Robin.

• Former Man v. Food host Adam Richman has lost 60 lbs.

• Lenny Kravitz designed the set for the new Queen Latifah talk show.

• A Brokeback Mountain opera will debut in Madrid in 2014.

• Alec Baldwin is getting a show on MSNBC.

• Jon Bon Jovi’s son has made the Notre Dame Football team. Go Irish!

• Two actors on Nashville are no longer series regulars.

• An oral history of The Shield.

As always, we end with the supercuts and mashups:

• Who knew that Marty McFly was such a screamer?

 

• A Billy Joel/Kanye mashup sounds way better than you would think:

 

• I’m apparently all about the Kanye mashups this week: listen to Yeezus mashed up with Sara Bareilles.

• Blurred Sanford mashes up Blurred Lines and the Sanford and Son theme song:

 

• This supercut proves Bill Murray is an awkward kisser.

 

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail gets a modern trailer remix:

 

• Les Miserables…..with light sabers:

 

• Good Will Batman (NSFW):

 

• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gets the Cheers opening credit treatment:

 

• And finally……The Dukes of Heisenberg:

 

Have a great Wednesday!

Heather’s 2013 Fall TV Schedule

Last night, the temperature dropped to the 50s in the part of the country and it remained chilly when I left for work this morning. In a nod to the weather, I swapped out my normal open toed shoes for my pair of knee high boots. The first football game of the season was on last night.  As I dodged school buses on my way to Dunkin Donuts for my pumpkin coffee, one thing became very clear to me.

Fall was here.

Now, technically I know that autumn doesn’t really arrive until around September 21^st, but there is no denying that summer is beginning to beat a hasty retreat. Some of the trees are already beginning to change and you can already buy Halloween candy in some stores. I am personally excited about this as fall is my favorite season. Not only does it bring my birthday, but I love the weather, the food and the activities that come along with the season. Most importantly, fall means the beginning of a new TV season.

This is always a slightly stressful time for me as I try to decide which new shows to check out, which shows to drop and how to maneuver all my timeslot showdowns. These are pretty minor problems in the grand scheme of things, but deciding which shows deserve my precious leisure time is not something I enter into lightly. As painful as it is to watch a show that winds up being canceled or turns into a dud, I also hate to be not watching a show that becomes a pop culture phenomenon. I take this stuff seriously.

This season has been a particularly difficult one to navigate as there are just so many new shows to consider. I generally don’t jump on board with new shows during their first season unless there is something that definitely speaks to me or the critical buzz is unanimous; I’ve been burned once too often with shows that I got invested in only to be reminded that middle America and I do not see eye to eye on what makes a great show. The odds of any new show making it are pretty slim, but with many of my old favorites now gone (Adios 30 Rock) I do have more free time to take a chance on a newbie. And that is a dangerous thing for me.

This isn’t finalized, but here is my preliminary TV schedule for the fall of 2013. I’ve indicated the shows that I’m on the fence about – several of my regular series have become boring to me or have dipped in quality – and the new series that I’m willing to gamble on. It’s funny how daunting TV can be when you write it all down.

Monday

Here’s the shocker of the week – I currently have NOTHING on my agenda for Monday nights. I bailed on How I Met Your Mother for good last year and have no regrets and while I enjoy The Voice enough, I know I won’t become a long time regular viewer. I might be convinced to give the new programs Sleepy Hollow, Mom or The Blacklist (I do love me some James Spader) the chance, but as of now none have sold me. I figure I’ll primarily use Monday to catch up on the clusterf*ck that is my Sunday nights. More on that below.

Tuesday

8 pm – Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (ABC) new

8:30 pm – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox) new

10 pm – Sons of Anarchy (FX)

Given my love of The Avengers, taking a shot on a TV show based in that world isn’t much of a stretch. I’m not as confident about Brooklyn Nine-Nine – my comedic sensibilities do not really match up with the live action comedies on Fox – but Andy Samberg, the great Andre Brauer and generally positive buzz are enough to at least temporarily overcome my trepidation. I’ve been in on Sons of Anarchy since the show debuted and while I think that the later seasons have failed to meet the quality of the earlier seasons (especially season 2), I still quite enjoy the ride. Plus there are worse way to spend an hour than looking at Charlie Hunnam.

I had considered watching The Vampire Diaries spin-off, The Originals, but was underwhelmed with the backdoor pilot. I also decided that a woman in her 30s should probably limit herself to watching one show on The CW – and even that might be too much.

Wednesday

9 pm – Modern Family (ABC) tentative

10 pm – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)

10 pm – American Horror Story: Coven (FX)

10 pm – Nashville (ABC ) tentative- watch on demand

10 pm – South Park (Comedy Central ) dvr later showing

10:30 pm – The League (FXX)

I’ve watched Modern Family since it began, but have become increasingly less impressed with it as the show progresses. I like some characters a lot – primarily the kids – but I don’t think I’d really miss it if I dropped it. I may skip a few weeks and see how I feel – it’s not a show that you need to watch every episode. 10 pm has become a surprising logjam; I will definitely watch American Horror Story live, since that show is too bat sh*t crazy to miss. I still have yet to catch up on Nashville from last season – I watched up until Thanksgiving – so that may just be a sign that I’m not all that committed to the show. South Park re-airs later in the evening, so I’ll just DVR the show then.

Thursday

8 pm – The Big Bang Theory (CBS) watch on demand

8 pm – The Vampire Diaries (The CW)

8 pm – Parks and Recreation (NBC)

9:30 pm – The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC) new

10 pm – Parenthood (NBC)

10 pm – Scandal (ABC) tentative

While I like The Big Bang Theory – one of the very few things I watch on CBS – I can easily catch up on it when it is on demand. Parks and Recreation is my primary focus on Thursday nights; no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to quit The Vampire Diaries, so I’ll DVR that to binge watch multiple episodes on the weekend. I’ve loved Michael J. Fox since I was a little girl (my college admissions essay was about him. No joke – I got into a doctoral program writing an essay about the actor), so I’ll absolutely tune in when he makes his return to television. My only concern is that my comedic sensibilities have changed quite a bit since he last graced my TV and that my affection for the actor will not be enough to keep me interested. Parenthood makes the big mood to Thursday nights, which will mean that the Bravemens will simply make me tear up closer to the weekend. I’ve yet to watch any of the previous seasons of Scandal, but people will not shut up about this show so I may catch up and give it a whirl to see what all the sudsy fuss is about.

Friday – TV Wasteland

10 pm – Dracula (NBC) new and VERY tentative

I may DVR Dracula simply because I’m curious to see what NBC is going to do with this familiar story and partially out of some interest in whatever Jonathan Rhys Meyers does. I don’t expect it to be good, but what else am I going to watch on a Friday (assuming I’m even home, which is a big assumption).

Saturday

Various – College Football

If I’m around, a good chunk of my Saturdays are spent watching Notre Dame games. Otherwise I’m out and about and if I am home, this is time to catch up on anything I haven’t cleared off the DVR yet.

Sunday – TV Nirvana

8 pm – Once Upon a Time (ABC) tentative

8:30 pm – Bob’s Burgers (Fox) on demand

9 pm – Boardwalk Empire (HBO) on demand

9 pm – Homeland (Showtime)

9 pm – Revenge (ABC) tentative

10 pm – Eastbound & Down (HBO) on demand

10 pm – Masters of Sex (Showtime) new

10:30 pm – Hello Ladies (HBO) new

I’ve soured quite a bit on the ABC shows; Once Upon a Time, which I initially loved, is beginning to feel a little played out and boring and Revenge kind of went off the rails last season. I’ll give both a few episodes to convince me to stay around. Of the two, Once Upon a Time is the more likely to be dumped, though I’ll tune in to watch Nick Swisher’s wife as The Little Mermaid. I love Bob’s Burgers, but until football season is over the likelihood of games running over and throwing off the delicate ecosystem that is my DVR schedule necessitates me catching the show on demand. I generally like Boardwalk Empire, but I don’t love it, so for now it will get watched at a later time. Same goes for Eastbound & Down. Homeland must be watched live so as to avoid spoilers, though I do have my concerns that a certain character is still on the show. Despite my trepidation about new shows, I will give almost anything on HBO or Showtime a chance. So Masters of Sex and Hello Ladies will get the nod at 10 pm, at least until I make a decision about either show.

I may be missing a show or two and this may evolve as we get into the season, but this is what I predict my TV schedule looks like, plus Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. It is a healthy dose of TV, but thanks to the miracle that is the DVR I can skip through commercials for a lot of these shows and compress my necessary viewing time. Still, there is no denying that I love my TV shows.

What’s on your fall viewing schedule? Any new shows that you are excited about? Any old shows that you are breaking up with? Sound off in the comments below. For a fairly comprehensive list of season premiere dates, click here.