Neil Patrick Harris to Host Emmy Awards

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris

CBS announced that Neil Patrick Harris will be the host of the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20th. This comes as no surprise to those of us who caught his spectacular turn as the host of the Tony Awards last month. The star of the hit CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother is the perfect choice to erase the memory of last year’s five reality show hosts debacle.

Harris won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Series back in 1990 for his starring role in Doogie Howser, M.D., at the ripe old age of 16. Since then he has continued to deliver impressive performances on television, in movies and on stage. Moviegoers have enjoyed him in films like Clara’s Heart, Starship Troopers and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, while Broadway audiences enjoyed his roles in Assassins, Proof and Cabaret.

What’s your favorite of Neil Patrick Harris roles:  TV star, movie star or Broadway star? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll. And be sure to check out the Emmy nominations tomorrow morning.

Post a Comment (0) 10:10 am on July 15, 2009

The 80s are Back at a Gym Near You

Retro Fitness, an ’80s-themed chain of health clubs with over 50 locations in DC, Florida and New Jersey, plans to add 100 new gyms and expand to new markets like Chicago. They’ve secured Martha Quinn — one of the original MTV veejays — as their spokesperson for an ad campaign that launches this fall, and they’ve just acquired the rights to the phone number 867-5309, made famous by Tommy Tutone in 1982.

Having come of age in the DayGlo decade with Martha, Tommy and the rest, I applaud Retro Fitness for taking a page from the go-go ’80s to make the work out experience a fun one.

I was inspired to look back at the People’s Choice Awards archives to find out which Favorite New Song nominees from the early 1980s would make the best retro cardio mix.  I didn’t have to look very hard.

The people anointed Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical,” Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” among their favorites back in the day. Each one has a pulsating beat that would put an extra bounce in your spin class.  Which one is your favorite?  Voice your choice in today’s featued poll.  And feel free to post your comments on other 80s favorites.

Queen, Survivor, and Olivia Newton John

Queen, Survivor, and Olivia Newton John

Post a Comment (0) 10:35 am on July 14, 2009

Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno

I was one of the folks who contributed to Bruno’s $30.4 million box office over the weekend. Have you seen the movie yet? If not, do you plan to do so?

If you do please, don’t make the mistake of bringing your children. A guy in the screening I attended brought his two kids — I’d say around 8 and 10 years old — and had to whisk them away after the first thirty raunchy minutes. I’m not sure what took him so long, as this is an adult film in every sense of the word.

I’m still not sure how I feel about the movie, but I do think that Sacha Baron Cohen is a brave soul. You’ve got to respect him for his commitment to making fun of himself as he makes fun of the rest of us. Is he over the top? Yes. Can he be mean-spirited? Yes. Will some people be terribly offended by Bruno while others laugh their butts off? Yes and yes.

But don’t listen to me. Judge for yourself. Or not.

In the meantime, please voice your choice in today’s featured poll. Who’s your favorite Sacha Baron Cohen character: Ali G, Borat or Bruno?

Post a Comment (1) 9:48 am on July 13, 2009

Fox Grosses $1 Billion in Foreign Box Office

According to Variety, 20th Century Fox has surpassed the $1 billion mark in foreign box office revenue. Thanks to huge hits like Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the studio is dominating the global marketplace. It looks like a slate of sequels with colons in the title is what it takes to sell movie tickets.

Which of these releases is your favorite? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll.

The other Fox films that contributed to their international success in 2009 were released in late 2008:  Valkyrie, Marley and Me and Australia. With his starring roles in Wolverine and Australia, People’s Sexiest Man Alive Hugh Jackman can take credit for helping the studio clear the $1 billion hurdle. The Oscar host sure is having a great year.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Post a Comment (1) 9:56 am on July 10, 2009

Comedy Central Picks Up 30 Rock Reruns

Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Tracy Morgan in 30 Rock

Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Tracy Morgan in 30 Rock

Comedy Central will start airing five seasons of NBC’s 30 Rock reruns beginning in the fall of 2011. I’m thrilled to know that the funniest show on television will be available for years to come. It’s one of the few sitcoms that I watch over and over again; each episode is still laugh-out-loud funny after multiple viewings. I even own the dvd sets for seasons one and two and anxiously await the release of season three in September.

What makes 30 Rock so special? It certainly starts with the writing. Tina Fey and her team crank out hilarious scripts week after week filled with lines and situations that elicit a combination of big laughs and subtle chuckles.

The cast is impeccable, each character perfectly formed. My favorites include Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney and Jack McBrayer as Kenneth Parcell. They brighten up each scene in which they appear.

Of the three main characters — Fey’s Liz Lemon, Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy and Tracy Morgan’s Tracy Jordan — which is your favorite?  Voice your choice in today’s featured poll. And take comfort in knowing that new episodes are coming this fall and old ones will live on on Comedy Central.

Post a Comment (0) 10:05 am on July 9, 2009

Michael Jackson Memorial

20,000 fans filled the Staples Center yesterday for a star-studded tribute to the King of Pop. The ceremony lasted for hours and the world watched while friends and family paid their respects to Michael Jackson and his legacy.

Heartfelt, emotional speeches came from his daughter, Paris, and old friend Brooke Shields. Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson spoke, and Queen Latifah read a poem by Maya Angelou. And there were incredible music performances, including:

Jennifer Hudson:  Will You Be There

Jermaine Jackson: Smile

John Mayer:  Human Nature

Lionel Richie: Jesus is Love

Mariah Carey: I’ll Be There

Stevie Wonder:  Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer

Usher:  Gone Too Soon

Which performance was your favorite? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll.

Michael Jackson's Memorial Service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles

Michael Jackson's Memorial Service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles

Post a Comment (3) 9:33 am on July 8, 2009

My New Favorite Channel: ABC Family

10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You

If you’ve got the network rerun summertime blues, just turn to ABC Family and you’ll find the cure for what what ails you.

Their newest series, 10 Things I Hate About You, debuts tonight at 8/7c. It’s based on the 1999 film that starred Julia Stiles and introduced us to Heath Ledger. That’s reason alone to tune in. Ethan Peck (Gregory Peck’s grandson) takes on the role of Patrick Verona in the TV version, while Lindsay Shaw plays Kat. My Tivo is set and I’m counting down the hours until tonight’s premiere.

I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t watch The Secret Life of the American Teenager last season, but I’m happy to report that I’m hooked on the new episodes. I love seeing ’80s teen queen Molly Ringwald as a parent surrounded by a new generation of young actors. This critically acclaimed series is definitely worth your attention.

But I’ve saved the best for last: I’m completely obsessed with Make It or Break It, the delicious new series set in the world of competitive gymnastics. Ayla Kell, Josie Loren and Cassie Scerbo play Payson, Kaylie and Lauren, respectively. They’re the top three gymnasts in their elite club in Boulder, Colorado, until Emily (Chelsea Hobbs) rocks their world. Trust me, it’s delicious.

Which show will have you tuning into ABC Family? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll. And set those DVRs for seasons passes for all three. My favorite channel just might become your favorite channel.

Post a Comment (1) 9:40 am on July 7, 2009

Spiderman on Broadway

Although the title role has yet to be cast, Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark has its leading lady and its villian. Evan Rachel Wood will play Mary Jane Watson and Alan Cumming will play Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin in the musical, which will begin its Broadway run on February 25, 2010.

The Lion King director Julie Taymor is co-writing the book and will direct the show, while  rumors are flying that Jim Sturgess — star of Taymor’s Beatles’ movie musical Across the Universe — is the first choice to play Spidey himself.

What do you think? Is the comic book-turned-movie franchise ready to take on the Great White Way? Would one of its recently announced stars or its acclaimed director make you more likely to check it out? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll.

Post a Comment (1) 9:00 am on July 6, 2009

New Rules for “Best Song” Academy Award

The Oscars have been announcing all sorts of changes in the past couple of weeks. They’re expanding the Best Picture nominee list from 5 to 10, they’re taking the honorary Oscar presentations out of the telecast, and they’re toughening up the rules for Best Song contenders.

On the Best Song front, the Academy will require that at least one song must achieve a minimum score of 8.25 on a scale of 6 to 10 as voted on by member’s of the academy’s music branch.

Okay, I don’t really get it either, but I applaud them for trying to improve the quality of the nominees.  According to Bruce Boughton, head of the music branch of AMPAS, “There’s been a lot of talk about the songs in films, the lack of memorability compared to songs in the past, the almost forgetability of them… This is an attempt to really make the songs as good as possible.”  Good for them.

I actually find the Best Song winners of late to be far more interesting than when the category was dominated by songs from animated films. Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Prince of Egypt and Tarzan all took home Oscars for Best Song the 1990s. What’s up with that? Recent winners include “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire, “Falling Slowly” from Once and “I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth.

Which of these Oscar winners for Best Song do you think will stand the test of time? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll.

Post a Comment (1) 9:00 am on July 3, 2009

Karl Malden 1912 – 2009

Karl Malden

Karl Malden

We lost Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden yesterday. As sad as we are to say goodbye to yet another Hollywood icon, we can take comfort in the fact that he lived to the ripe old age of 97.

Malden became famous as a character actor in 1950s classics such as On The Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire.  He received Academy Award nominations for both, winning the Supporting Actor trophy for Streetcar.

From 1972 – 1977 he played Detective Mike Stone 0pposite Michael Douglas in The Streets of San Francisco. In the ’80s he was best known for his American Express c0mmercials with the tagline ”Don’t Leave Home Without It.”

How will Karl Malden be best remembered? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll.

Post a Comment (0) 10:51 am on July 2, 2009

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About this blog

Fred Nelson is the President of the People's Choice Awards. Before joining the PCAs two years ago, he spent a decade at Entertainment Weekly, where he was Co-Executive Producer for two seasons of The World Series of Pop Culture, a game show he created with Embassy Row and VH1. He was chosen as a pop culture expert by the producers of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for their "brain trust" lifeline and has made television appearances on ABC, Fox News, Bravo, Access Hollywood, E! and CBS Sunday Morning.

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