Logo

Open Mic

‘Nurse Jackie’: Quiet. Mean. Awesome.

You never know what Edie Falco’s Nurse Jackie is going to pull out of one of her scrubs pockets next. Her wedding band? A packet of sweetener actually filled with carefully crushed Vicodin? Maybe the separate cell phone she keeps…

Jun 12, 2009

Kudos to Colbert!

Nation, I’m not necessarily a big fan of Stephen Colbert’s blowhard-y right wing persona on “The Colbert Report,” (Jon Stewart is my late-night deity) but his on-location shows this week in Baghdad are something to watch—and congratulations are in order…

Jun 10, 2009

Meet Your Next Food Network Stars!

Two nights ago, the Food Network launched its fifth season of Next Food Network Star, a cooking show that is often and unjustly viewed as Top Chef’s ugly little brother. While the series isn’t as slick or upmarket as what…

Jun 9, 2009

Why Content’s Kingdom is Slipping Away

Content and technology are locked in a struggle whose outcome may determine the future of the entertainment industry. The problem is this: Content is becoming a commodity. In contrast, although distribution used to be the exclusive province of Hollywood —…

Jun 9, 2009

Tonys 2009: A Legendary Night

Guilty confession: I’m a theatre junkie. Whenever I can get to New York City, I make a beeline for the theatre district and for the TKTS booth to see what’s on sale. So it’s a given that I love The…

Jun 8, 2009

The Tonys? More Like the Really Awards

Everyone’s buzzing about the number of “West Wing” women on Sunday night’s Tony Awards (Allison Janney, Stockard Channing, Kristin Chenoweth), but I was impressed with the number of reality vets at the theater world’s annual kudofest. First and foremost, VH1 poster…

Jun 8, 2009

Going Too Gently Into That Good Night: Saying Farewell To Analog TV

Recently, I lost a loyal and faithful friend. It was on a nondescript April night, just after midnight. It wasn’t unexpected; it was clear this was going to happen, and I figured I could be a witness to the final…

Jun 8, 2009

‘Nurse Jackie’: It’s Nearly Perfect

I think I’m in love. Back in early May, I had reviewed the first two episodes of Showtime’s addictive dark comedy series “Nurse Jackie,” starring Edie Falco, and waxed ecstatic about the brilliance and humanity of the series’ opening installments….

Jun 7, 2009

Memo to Reality Producers: It’s Time to Call Jenny Craig

As Jerry Seinfeld might say, “What’s the deal with all the the really long reality shows?” I speak, of course, of the two-and three-hour syndrome that is taking over network reality at an alarming rate! Just look at NBC’s two-hour…

Jun 7, 2009

The Surf Report Visits ‘The Tonight Show’

With all the chatter about the changeover from Leno to Conan, I needed to venture out to Universal and see the newest incarnation of “The Tonight Show” with my own two eyes. My friend and fellow media vulture Claire had…

Jun 5, 2009