Help Ken and Tina land "The Best Job in the World"

Last April, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel on the first leg of The Amazing Race 13.  One of the teams who impressed me most was Ken and Tina Greene, the couple billed as "separated."

As anyone who watched the show's exciting finale undoubtedly remembers, Ken and Tina may have lost out on the $1 million prize by a mere 7 minutes, but they won by rediscovering their relationship along the way.  Ken re-proposed to Tina right there on the finish line, providing one of the show's all-time most emotional moments.

Now, as one of their possible next steps, Ken and Tina are trying to land what is billed as "The Best Job in the World," as the caretakers of Australia's Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef.  You can help them out by watching their video application, below, and then clicking here to cast your vote for team Greene.  And for more information on the couple themselves, visit www.kennyandtina.com.

Save the MPTF Hospital and Long-Term Care

To someone like me, who is currently struggling with the placement and long-term care of an elderly loved one, this message couldn't seem more timely or more personal.

You've undoubtedly heard of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's recent decision to close their hospital and Long Term Care facility on its famed Calabasas campus, a vital health-care institution established way back in 1921 by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.

Below, a video put together by Saving The Lives of Our Own, a group within the MPTF rallying for the patients' rights.  It's really compelling and moving.  To get involved, please visit www.SavingTheLivesOfOurOwn.org.

30 Rock Wins Big at the WGA Awards

On Saturday night in both New York and Los Angeles, the Writers Guild of America simultaneously handed out its annual awards.  The East Coast ceremony boasted such big names as 30 Rock's Tina Fey, Judah Friedlander and Jack McBrayer; Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson, Alana de la Garza, Linus Roache and Sam Waterston; comedy legends Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara; Curb Your Enthusiasm's Susie Essman; Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz; The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi and John Oliver; Gilbert Gottfried; Bill Irwin; Doubt screenwriter John Patrick Shanley; former thirtysomething star Polly Draper with her kids, "Naked Brothers" Matt and Alex Wolff; VH1's Paul F. Thompson; Oz creator Tom Fontana and Mad Men stars John Slattery and Talia Balsam.

As a "celebrity wrangler," my job was to pluck many of the presenters out of the audience and usher them backstage at just the right time.  It was a great excuse to share even a few moments with writers and actors I admire, and in the case of such greats as Stiller & Meara, have admired my whole life.

As far as winners, 30 Rock and Mad Men defeated all comers.  Early on in the night, Anne Meara referenced Tina Fey in the audience, begging for her to employ Jerry Stiller on her show, to get him out of the house.  (Although Meara let the audience know that that was merely banter scripted on her cue cards.)  Later, Tina was there to applaud as two of her writers, John Riggi and Andrew Guest, won the Best Episodic Comedy award for the episode entitled "Succession."  Tina was then up on stage with all her writers when 30 Rock took the trophy for Best Comedy Series - - and then again, accepting on behalf of Saturday Night Live, the Comedy/Variety series winner.  She was only involved on the periphery of SNL this fall, she said, when the show produced 8 live episodes (including those Thursday night specials) in the space of 6 weeks.  "It was great to see those f---ers have to work that hard," Tina had to admit.

And of course the other show which continues to have writers -- and everyone else -- abuzz is AMC's drama Mad Men.  We got to see one of that series' handsome stars, John Slattery, on stager twice on Saturday night:  first, as he and wife Talia Balsam presented the awards for Long Form Adaptation and Long Form Original, but more excitingly a second time, as Slattery again took to the stage on behalf of Mad Men, the winner for Best Drama Series.

In other "wrangling" news from my viewpoint, Ana Ortiz looked spectacularly beautiful, at I think 4 months pregnant, in a vintage gown with just a hint of baby bump under her pink skirt.  Jack McBrayer turned out to be adorably like his character, 30 Rock's NBC page Kenneth:  when I introduced myself to him and told him I'd be coming to get him later, his answer had a very Southern, very friendly and formal "sir" in it.  "Yes sir."  And of course, then there's Susie Essman (who by the way says things are going "very well" in the filming of this newest season of Curb, which started back in December.)

I had brought her backstage a little early, and so Susie was given her cue cards of her category's nominees while John Patrick Shanley was accepting the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for lifetime achievement in writing, with a speech that harkened back all the way to the drama of the ancient Greeks.  At the end, Susie, who had been studying her cards, looked up and asked me, "What the f--- did he say?"  THAT's why I love her!

I saw it in the window and just couldn't resist it!

If you watched PBS' excellent recent multi-part series, Make 'Em Laugh, you saw a clip of one of TV's longest sustained laugh breaks in history, from CBS' classic The Carol Burnett Show (1967-78).

Interestingly, the laugh came not from a punchline, but from an ingenious visual, as, in one of their beloved movie parodies, Carol and company sent up Gone With the Wind in 1976.  In "Went With the Wind," "Starlet," in order to impress "Rat" Butler, frets over what to wear.  Of course, she ends up wearing the drapes -- thanks to a brilliant idea from costume designer Bob Mackie, curtain rod and all.

Now, 33 years later, Mattel has come out with a strikingly lifelike doll of Starlet and her famous green velvet curtain ensemble.  This limited edition collectible from the Barbie Pink Label collection is 11.5 inches tall, with an outfit re-created by Bob Mackie to match his famous original.  Click here for a link to the doll on amazon.com.

I have a few of Mattel's Barbie-as-Lucy dolls, and I hadn't known that the company was even planning on issuing a likeness of another of TV's great comediennes, Carol Burnett.  But, to quote Starlet, "I saw it in the window and just couldn't resist it!"

Enjoy Sabor de Soledad

Now with more bull semen!

On the set of CSI

Last month during the Television Critics' Convention, I had the opportunity to go on the set of CSI and pose among the show's realistic props.  For one thing, TV's version of a city's crime lab is, sadly, often better-funded and has better equipment than real labs in many cities.  And in the photos at right, can you spot which corpse is a real live human, and which is just a mass of latex?  Here's a hint:  when he opened his eyes after the shot was taken, I jumped out of my skin.

In the upcoming issue of CBS' Watch magazine, I interviewed Laurence Fishburne about taking over the reins as the new guy in the CSI crime lab.  And for the current issue on newsstands, I checked in with the show's writers, as they were writing their goodbye to William Petersen's character, to compile a list of the top "deadly dozen" Gil Grissom moments.  Click here for the story.

Long Live the Queen!

This past Saturday night, just as HBO was unspooling her hilarious new comedy special Long Live the Queen, the self-proclaimed "lovable Queen of Mean" Lisa Lampanelli (in truth one of the nicest people in showbiz) was hosting a premiere party of her own, filled with friends and family, at New York's Friars' Club.

Frank and I were so happy to be invited to watch the special live, along with Lisa's mother, father, equally loud and funny sister Nancy, her brother and assorted other Lampanellii and Lampanelliites.

The special -- taped before a live audience in December in Santa Rosa, CA -- airs again on HBO on Feb. 3, 6, 9, 12, 16 and 18.

Click here to check HBO's web site for more info on Lisa and the special, as well as watch an outrageous clip.

The "Bad Road" Not Taken

A few months back, I had the chance to see all six existing episodes of the comedy 12 Miles of Bad Road, which HBO had originally picked up, to much fanfare, and then mysteriously cancelled in mid production.

The series was created by now-legendary Designing Women scribe Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, and had a first-rate cast.  Lily Tomlin.   Mary Kay Place.  Leslie Jordan.  Gary Cole.  And so many other fabulous actors you may not yet know by name, like Katherine LaNasa, Leigh-Allyn Baker (from Will & Grace), Eliza Coupe (now on Scrubs), Kim Dickens, Tara Karsian and Ilana Milicevic.

But more important than its amazing pedigree, 12 Miles of Bad Road was simply just a fun, funny show.  With the timing of its production, it seems to have been at least partially a victim of the writers' strike of 2007-08.  But HBO's cancellation of a series in mid-production is exceedingly rare.  Remember, they even let that turkey John From Cincinnati hit the airwaves.

It's a mystery why the network never let 12 Miles find the fans -- like the Designing Women devotees and Lily Tomlin adorers -- who were waiting for it.  Here's the best I can do:  a trailer for the never-to-be show (unless HBO relinquishes it to another network, I hope, I hope!):

The Office Jumps the Shark?

Back in the old days, networks used to use the Super Bowl as a launching pad for brand new series.

Sometimes, it worked.  (Remember the premiere of The Wonder Years in 1988?)  And sometimes, it didn't.  (Remember Davis Rules in 1991?  Anyone?)

Then later began the super-sized, "special" episode phenomenon.  Following the big game in 1996, Julia Roberts turned up on Friends.  People at the time criticized the episode for being overblown, overwrought.  Me, I still kinda liked it.

But tonight's The Office?  The weakest episode of this normally amazing series I've ever seen.  I had read interviews with some of the show's producers, who claimed that they wanted tonight's one hour installment to be more of a "standalone" episode, so as to draw in fans who don't already know, for example, the saga of Jim and Pam.  But what they ended up getting was a meandering and overblown (not to mention not very credible) storyline, with its non-sequitur elements pressed together with so much adhesive tape.  

It must be hard to write a show like The Office, to find new ways for Jim to torture Dwight, for Dwight and Michael to show their social ineptitude, without going over the top.  The show has approached -- and maybe even crossed -- that line before.  Remember Michael's atrocious behavior at Phyllis' wedding?  At the time, I didn't believe that even someone as socially retarded as Michael would make such a scene.

Now tonight -- and this is my largest problem with the episode as a whole -- I think we have the clearest example of The Office going too far.  Dwight has officially crossed the line from inappropriate to murderous and sociopathic.  Luring Phyllis several miles away from the office and leaving her there, so as to force her to walk back (as Dwight did earlier this season) is one thing.  But setting the building on fire, and jeopardizing his coworkers' lives?

And here's the other thing you learn about corporate America:  it's very hard to get yourself fired for cause.  If you're hard-working and competent, you'll often get screwed, blamed for something, laid off.  But if you're crazy, or if you drink, you're pretty much safe.  UNLESS: you do something like set the office on fire.  If your actions leave the company vulnerable to a lawsuit -- and it's an amazing oversight that Stanley, as he mentions not being able to afford to retire, doesn't even THINK of suing -- you would definitely be fired.  David Wallace would never have given Dwight a second chance.  And DEFINITELY not a third, after he stabbed and disemboweled the CPR dummy with a concealed knife in the workplace.  Another big no-no.

And then suddenly, after all that, tonight's storyline morphed into being just about Michael and his sudden self-knowledge.  For one thing, did anyone not see it coming that Michael would be offended by the roast?  And that would be forgiveable, had the roast been at all funny.  The Office excels in a combination of awkward-funny.  The roast was just plain awkward.

All that said, there were moments I loved -- Dwight's tricking Phyllis into giving her signature, and anything involving Cloris Leachman, of course.  

But what did you all think?  (And by the way:  Hilary Swank:  hot, or not?!)

JJ Abrams talks Fringe, Star Trek

Recently, as Fox held its "2009 Winter All-Star Party" at a Hollywood hotspot called Our House, I cornered JJ Abrams at the end of the night to get some behind-the-scenes insight into his newest hit series Fringe, as well as a sneak peek into his upcoming big screen rendition of Star Trek.

Must Hear TV:  Okay, first of all, on Fringe, what kind of explanation can I wring out of you about all the symbols – the frog, the leaf, the butterfly, etc. 

JJ Abrams:  There is sort of a code to that. 

MHTV:  Planned from the beginning?  You’re not just messing with us with random stuff? 

JJA:  It’s not random.  It’s the images and where the lights are, and it’s a whole thing.

MHTV:  So that’s a clue?  We should go back and freeze frame it?

JJA:  I wouldn’t ask anyone to spend their time doing that, but some people might…  It’s the kind of thing that I for some reason get excited about, which is either strange or odd or pathetic.  I don’t know.  But I love those kind of things.

MHTV:  For example, there was the episode where the guy was killed by hallucinating butterflies -- are those the same butterflies as in the code?  Do some of these symbols then turn up in episodes?

JJA:  There are some things that are definitely connected to some of the imagery.  And there are other things, too, that will happen.  But that code thing is sort of a separate thing.  And there are clues in every episode about the next episode.

MHTV:  Well that certainly clears it up.  How closely should we be watching each episode for hidden clues?

JJA:  What I love about what started to happen is that we started to find the rhythm and voice of the show.  The episodes that started airing this month [January 2009] really are the beginning of those episodes.  They are what Fringe is.  What’s fun is that there are a lot of loose ends that get wrapped up and separate pieces that may have felt standalone actually have reason and purpose.

MHTV:  Your shows are known for their complex plotlines.  Do you plan the whole mystery and story arc before writing episode 1, or are you doing a little as you go along?

JJA:  It’s always a leap of faith.  You do things that you think, “This is cool and I have an idea where this could go.”  We’ll have an idea where we need to go, and then put [plot points] on the board or have cards or whatever.  But a lot of times as you’re working on it, you say, “Wait a minute, I know we talked about this being that.  But what if this is why this happened?”   You could figure out right now what you want to wear ever day for the next 5 years.  But I promise you 3 ½ years from now, you’re going to wake up and there will be a combination you could never have anticipated.  So you don’t try to figure out literally every episode.  There’s no time when you’re working on a pilot to say, ”In episode 106…”  But you can say,  “Okay, I think I know why Walter was put away.”  And the leap of faith is you’ll either land on those ideas or a better one.

MHTV:  In another example, you planted the clue “Little Hill” – the phrase that Peter is able to construct from just a series of vertical lines.  Then, a few episodes later, we learn that it’s a crucial location.  How many episodes do you have to be writing at a time in order to do that?

JJA:  We knew what “Little Hill” what it was going to be, but not exactly how that was going to play out.  For example, if we had had a better idea by the time Jones was broken out, we would have used that.

MHTV:  So Little Hill would have been something else other than a field?

JJA:  Well it certainly could have been.  There are sometimes when an idea will come up, and it’ll work to pay off something, but it’s also clearly a setup for something else.  And all that matters in that episode is that the payoff works.  And then you go, “Ooh, now I have this other thing!”  The best analogy I can think of is Tarzan swinging through vines.  All you need to know is that the vine you’re on is going to sustain, and you’re going to swing along.  And you pray to God there’s another vine when that vine has to swing backwards.  So you work it out the best you can, but you’ve got to trust that there’s something that will come that’s either as good as or hopefully better than where you think this is going to take you.

MHTV:  How much do you worry about the plausibility of all this technology? How much suspension of disbelief are you expecting?

JJA:  What’s very funny to me, like in the pilot, no one said to me, "Wait a minute, so she’s able to go into his consciousness—"

MHTV:  --in her supermodel bra and panties, by the way –

JJA:  --Yeah, you’re welcome.  But what we did hear was, “Wait a minute.  There’s a lab they’re not using -- at Harvard?!”  The stuff that people have problems with are the things that they can relate to.  If someone’s floating, they don’t have a problem with it.  But if Olivia is floating and her hair is perfect, they’ll say, “Oh yeah, like her hair is going to be like that!”  And I’m like, “They’re f-ing floating!  How about that?!”

MHTV:  Where do Fringe’s ideas, like for example the floating, come from?

JJA:  From just sitting around and thinking, “Okay, this is weird, but—“  Most everything is just something I’d like to see.  [In the case of the flotation tank], that was absolutely a complete homage – or if you don’t want the French, rip off – of Altered States.  It is one of my favorite movies.  I have one of the makeup heads from it.  I love that movie.

MHTV:  Speaking of movies, with Star Trek, what was your biggest filmmaking challenge?

JJA:  It was a very ambitious shoot.  So there are a lot of sequences that were challenging.  But it was the most fun I’ve ever had.  It was as hard as everything I’ve ever worked on, rolled into just a quarter of that movie.  It was a huge production.  It was so tricky.  For one thing, having never done a movie, or a show, that took place in space before, it screws with your perception of scale.  It’s like being in Las Vegas.  “Oh, there’s that hotel.  I’m going to walk over there.”  And a half an hour later you’re still walking, thinking, “What the f- is going on?”  An establishing shot in Star Trek can’t be a house or a building or a city – it’s a planet.  It changes everything about how you look at scale.

MHTV:  How daunting are the expectations of the movie?  Does it make you nervous to live up to the Trekkies?  And are you one?

JJA:  Yeah, a little bit.  I want to do them proud and make sure that they’re happy.  And me, I’m a new Trekkie.  I’m a Trekkie now, but I never was.  I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t I love Star Trek now.  Not just loving what I did, but loving the world of it, the optimism, the characters.  I get it in a way that I never did before.

MHTV:  Sci-fi fans can be so exacting, and mean when they don’t like something…

JJA:  But I’m also beholden to them.  Those are the people who watch Fringe.  Those fans are the people I’m making the movie for, so I hope they’re happy with it.