Archive: July 2011 (79-91 of 285)

Jul 23 2011 04:42 PM ET

Amy Winehouse at 2008 Grammys: CBS exec reflects on a moment to remember

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Categories: Grammys, In Memoriam
amy-winehouse-grammys-2008

Image Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for NARAS

One of the breakout moments of the 2008 Grammy telecast on CBS was a stellar live performance by Amy Winehouse. The dynamic singer, who passed away today at the age of 27, was a multiple nominee that night, so her appearance on the show was a must. Making it happen, however, was not as easy as it looked.

Flashback to 2008: Winehouse was undergoing treatment for drug addiction, which made it difficult for her to obtain a work visa to appear on the show, so CBS and the Grammy brass set up a contingency plan so she could perform live from a London soundstage. At the 11th hour, Winehouse secured that elusive visa, but it was too late for the show, so CBS stayed with Plan B. “We knew we could pull it off,” said Jack Sussman, CBS’ head of special programming. “Regardless of whether you are a rock star, a soul singer, a folk singer or a country artist, everybody wants to be part of the Grammys, so we knew she wanted to participate.” READ FULL STORY »

Jul 23 2011 04:16 PM ET

Comic-Con 2011: 'The Big Bang Theory' cast talks Emmy nominations, that shocking finale

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Categories: Comic-Con, Television, The Big Bang Theory

It was a season finale a genius like Sheldon Cooper couldn’t even comprehend: The Big Bang Theory‘s Penny and Raj — that’s right, Raj — did the deed. So when the cast gathered in EW’s VIP studio, I couldn’t resist asking them if they could tease the resolution executive producer Bill Prady discussed during the CBS series’ Comic-Con panel. Unfortunately, even the cast is clueless as to what lies ahead: “We’d love to know what that means,” Kaley Cuoco said about Prady’s words. Oh well. To tide you over until the season 5 premiere, click the jump to watch Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik, and Melissa Rauch talk about the shocking finale, coming home to Comic-Con, and whether we can expect a rivalry between Emmy nominees Galecki and Parsons. (“It hasn’t gotten hot and heavy yet,” Parsons said. “We’ll be back at work before the actual Emmys, so maybe once we’re seeing each other every day, then it will get really ugly.”) READ FULL STORY »

Jul 23 2011 03:16 PM ET

'Terra Nova' producer: 'You will see cool dino-on-man action'

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Categories: Comic-Con, Television, Terra Nova

Fans who packed Ballroom 20 at Comic-Con Saturday got to see the full pilot for Terra Nova, a high-concept time-traveling drama that’ll bow Sept. 26 on Fox. After several reshoots to provide more exposition for any confused folks at home, the pilot more than adequately explained how the Shannon family of five — helmed by Jason O’Mara (Life on Mars) — travels back in a time through a high-tech portal to a prehistoric era with dinosaurs. And, yep, there will be a lot of them.  “It’s dinosaur show. You will see dinosaurs,” says Executive Producer Jose Molina. “We are expensive show. You will see the money on the screen. It’s going to look badass.” READ FULL STORY »

Jul 23 2011 01:19 PM ET

Mark Hamill to guest star as 'Chuck' villain

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Categories: Comic-Con, Television
comic-con-chuck-panel

Image Credit: Wendy Redfern/Redferns

Hello geek stunt casting: Chuck producer Chris Fedak just announced at Comic-Con that none other than Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, will play a villain in the show’s final season. Hamill will appear at the start of the season, and will be one of a couple villain characters being added for season 5. Fedak says he’d also like to have Linda Hamilton back at some point in the season.

Then, Fedak hinted [potential spoiler alert] that “someone might not survive this season. And it’s going to be big.”

Could Chuck continue beyond in the final season in another form? Could we expect a spin-off? READ FULL STORY »

Jul 23 2011 09:57 AM ET

'Chuck' producer talks final season plans

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Categories: Chuck, Comic-Con, Television
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Image Credit: NBC

It was the ultimate good news/bad news situation: Producers for NBC’s favorite underdog Chuck learned last May the show was renewed — for a final season. “We were picked up and cancelled in same phone call,” recalls writer-producer Chris Fedak. Still, it presents producers with a rare opportunity. Despite all the press surrounding the conclusion of Lost, broadcast TV producers very rarely get the luxury of planning an entire final season in advance. Readying for an appearance at Comic-Con today (the Chuck panel is always a high-energy highlight of the conference), Fedak talks about his plans for his hero’s last adventure.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your reaction when you learned about the final season order?
CHRIS FEDAK: We were very excited to be able to do one more season of the show. It’s really amazing to be able to plan a great finish for your story and it doesn’t always happen in TV. We look at it as an amazing opportunity to close the Chuck story in one epic final chapter. We have a big story pitched and we have a final moment for the series that we’ll have been working up to for five seasons.

Some fans worried about too much of a focus on Morgan next season. How are your going to balance Morgan’s new super-powered story and still keep it a show about Chuck? READ FULL STORY »

Jul 23 2011 12:23 AM ET

Comic-Con 2011: Doc and Dan get totally 'Lost' with Damon and Carlton

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Categories: Comic-Con, Lost, Television

Lost might have ended one year ago, but not all’s, well, lost. Not only did EW team-up with Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof for Comic-Con’s Lost: One Year Later panel, but the duo stopped by EW’s VIP lounge to talk about the dearly departed series and the “deleted” scene they premiered during the panel. As for their Twitter feud? Says Lindelof, “We do loathe each other, but the Twitter feud was a joke.” Click the jump to hear Lindelof and Cuse talk with EW’s Dan Snierson and Doc Jensen about their Comic-Con experience, whether they’ll be back from more Lost-centered panels in the future, and what we can expect from a Lost: Turn Off the Island musical. READ FULL STORY »

Jul 22 2011 11:44 PM ET

Holy reunion, Batman! Adam West and Burt Ward together again at EW's Comic-Con lounge

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Categories: Comic-Con

Adam West and Burt Ward, the caped crusaders of the classic 1960s Batman TV series, reunited at EW’s Comic-Con lounge ahead of their appearance (along with co-star Julie Newmar) at the Hub’s SDCC panel on Friday evening. The dynamic duo spoke with EW’s Darren Franich about the difference between their television show — celebrating it’s 45th anniversary this year — and the tentpole Batman movies, and revealed some of their favorite villains from the series. Watch the interview below. READ FULL STORY »

Jul 22 2011 11:06 PM ET

Conan O'Brien crashes Comic-Con -- VIDEO

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Categories:

Image Credit: Warner Bros.

As if you needed another reason to love Conan O’Brien: The late night comedian made an unexpected appearance today during the panel for Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern: The Animated Series. He also unveiled the trailer to The Flaming C, an “all-new, sure-to-be-blockbuster animated motion picture starring O’Brien’s superhero alter ego of the same name.”  

The characters were created from a collaboration between O’Brien’s Team Coco, Warner Bros. Animation and animator Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), who designed the superhero during an impromptu 15-minute meeting with Conan in late 2010. Here’s a “trailer” from Conan’s animated extravaganza: READ FULL STORY »

Jul 22 2011 10:24 PM ET

Comic-Con 2011: 'True Blood' cast on wild fans, wild season, geeky interests

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Categories: Comic-Con, Television, True Blood

So far, the cast of True Blood has been having a bloody good time at Comic-Con. So when they stopped by EW’s VIP lounge, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Alexander Skarsgard, Alan Ball, Kevin Alejandro, and Nelsan Ellis talked about the weirdest things they’ve done for fans, and what geeky interests they have bitten into at the convention. (One cast member is obsessed with The Vampire Diaries. You may be surprised to learn which one!) And those True Blood fans might want to bite into the second part of EW’s two-part interview, during which the second half of the cast — Ryan Kwanten, Stephen Moyer, Deborah Ann Woll, Anna Paquin, and Rutina Wesley — discuss whether Bill and Sookie will ever happen, cage-fighting, and male nudity. Click the jump!

READ FULL STORY »

Jul 22 2011 10:15 PM ET

See a 'deleted' 'Lost' scene that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse revealed at EW's 'Totally Lost' Comic-Con panel!!

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Categories: Lost

A funny thing happened on the way to Room 5AB at Comic-Con this afternoon. Or rather, in Room 5AB. During EW’s Totally Lost: One Year Later panel, Lost exec producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse crashed the festivities in fitting Comic-Con style. (Cuse dressed as a stormtrooper; Lindelof was clad in a Dharma jumpsuit and Boba Fett helmet). Not only did they field all sorts of questions from fans, they unveiled a scene from the season 1 finale that supposedly never aired. Yes, the very one hinted at during their cryptic Twitter “feud,” which was resolved at the panel. READ FULL STORY »

Jul 22 2011 09:09 PM ET

'True Blood': See the Comic-Con teaser here!

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Categories: Comic-Con, True Blood

And here are the highlights from the True Blood panel at Comic-Con (moderated by EW’s own Tim Stack):

  • Alexander Skarsgard got a massive, Beatles-like reception from the crowd in Ballroom 20, even though the panel featured other hotties like Stephen Moyer, Kevin Alejandro, Nelsan Ellis and Ryan Kwanten (where’s the love, gals?). But where was Alcide and Sam? Joe Manganiello was off rehearsing a movie in Atlanta while Sam Trammel was in a hospital somewhere because he’s about to become a father.
  • Wondering how Eric made Pam? We’ll finally see how it all happened in season 5. READ FULL STORY »
Jul 22 2011 08:56 PM ET

'Spartacus' season 2 'Vengeance' trailer is here!

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Categories: Comic-Con, Spartacus
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Image Credit: Matt Klitscher/Starz

Gratitude for choosing this blog post to find out about the Spartacus panel at Comic-Con, moderated by EW’s Adam B. Vary. We heard from the show’s cast, producers and even got to see a trailer (below).

– Okay, they start the panel by showing the Vengeance trailer. Honestly? It gives The Walking Dead trailer posted earlier today a run for its money. The show looks bigger and more… (I’m trying to avoid the word “epic” since EW readers have started hating the media’s overuse of that word but…) …more epic than ever before. (Riding horses? In a show shot entirely indoors on green screen? Impressive!)

– “It’s a great privily, a great honor, it’s a great responsibility,” says Liam McIntyre, about taking over the title role of Spartacus after Andy Whitfield dropped out to resume treatment for cancer. “I was a fan. I would have been sitting down there [in the audience]. All of a sudden, I find myself sitting up here. Everyone can agree Andy was amazing. The best thing I can do is bust my ass and honor that legacy trying to make season 2 as amazingly as exciting as season 1. And that’s all I can do.”

– Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight on Andy’s health: “He’s doing very well. He’s very private about his health. We have joked with each other about working together again — and then he says [he wants to do] something where he doesn’t take his clothes off.” READ FULL STORY »

Jul 22 2011 06:43 PM ET

'Big Bang Theory' at Comic-Con: You'll be happy with finale cliffhanger resolution

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Categories: Comic-Con, The Big Bang Theory
big-bang-panel

Image Credit: Wendy Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images

How will CBS’ The Big Bang Theory resolve season 4′s big cliffhanger?

Producers and cast at the show’s Comic-Con panel had a prepared line for the obvious question ready: “There will be a resolution,” says executive producer Bill Prady. “And we think whichever way you came down on how it happened, you will be happy with how it works out.” READ FULL STORY »

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