Jeff Pfeiffer, Author at StayTuned Magazine

BET News special to examine the Trayvon Martin case

March 23, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

The shooting and killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida last month by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman as the unarmed Martin was walking in Zimmerman’s gated community has exploded into national discussion and outrage as more of the potential implications of the case have come to light — from apparent police mishandling of the case from the outset; to questions about Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law (and similar laws in several other states) that seems to offer a loose interpretation of “self-defense” (Zimmerman is free, claiming he killed the young man in self-defense); to concerns about Zimmerman’s mindset during […]

TV specials and movies commemorate 100th anniversary of Titanic disaster

March 23, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

April 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the fateful and infamous maiden voyage of Titanic, which hit an iceberg late in the evening of April 14, 1912, and eventually sank into the icy depths of the North Atlantic early the next morning. In the weeks leading up to the exact anniversary date, various TV networks will remember the tragedy with premiere and encore specials and movies. Many of the documentaries offer promises of “the final word” or “mystery solved” regarding exactly what happened to the great ship. Whether they actually will or not may be beside the point. It might […]

Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores race, culture and identity in new “Finding Your Roots” series

March 22, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

In recent years, genealogy has enjoyed a renaissance as a trend on reality shows like NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, and that can be attributed in large part to Harvard scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. (pictured), whose PBS specials African American Lives, African American Lives 2 and Faces of America helped shed a light on the fascinating ethnic backgrounds of many different people. This passion that Gates has to, as he says, “get into the DNA of American culture” now continues on a larger scale in the new 10-part PBS series Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis […]

“Frozen Planet” preview: “Summer” (video)

March 22, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

Here are some preview clips of “Summer,” the next episode of Discovery Channel’s Frozen Planet, premiering this Sunday, March 25, at 8pm ET/PT. In the first one, an epic clash between two massive male seals over a female threatens to crush a little seal pup standing near the fray. In the second one, caribou also fight for ladies, with an older caribou showing who’s boss by fending off a series of younger bulls who dare to try and cramp his style with a certain female. RELATED: “PLANET EARTH” FILMMAKERS IMPRESS AGAIN WITH “FROZEN PLANET”

Presenters for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2012 Induction Ceremony announced

March 20, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the presenters who will induct the 2012 honorees. The 27th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place April 14 in Cleveland, and will debut on television May 5 at 9pm ET/PT on HBO. Honorees and presenters for this year’s show are: Beastie Boys will be inducted by Chuck D. Donovan will be inducted by John Mellencamp. Small Faces/The Faces will be inducted by Stevie Van Zandt. Red Hot Chili Peppers will be inducted by Chris Rock. Laura Nyro will be inducted by Bette Midler. Freddie King […]

“Leprechaun’s Revenge” highlights St. Patrick’s Day on Syfy

March 16, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

Faith and begorrah! What a perfect weekend to be a fan of murderous leprechauns. As St. Patrick’s Day nears, not only do we get the news that the Leprechaun franchise is going to be rebooted on the big screen (no word on if the little guy will be back in the ‘hood again), but we also get to tune in to Syfy’s March 17 “Lepre-carnage” marathon, beginning at 9am ET/PT, which airs the original 1993 film Leprechaun, as well as Leprechaun 2 and Leprechaun 3. The wearin’ of the green and the runnin’ of the red continues as the films […]

Discovery adds underwater view to its hit “Penguin Cam”

March 15, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

Since its launch about two weeks ago, Discovery Channel’s Penguin Cam — created as a promotion for the network’s upcoming series Frozen Planet, which premieres this Sunday — has become an online hit. The Cam is set up at SeaWorld in San Diego, where it captures the action of a lovable array of more than 300 penguins representing five species (king, emperor, Adélie, gentoo and macaroni) hopping, running, eating, scratching and sometimes coming right up to gaze into the camera and stare into your very soul (or maybe not). The site has garnered over 30 million page views (including myself […]

HBO’s statement on the cancellation of “Luck”

March 15, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

Although its horse-racing drama series Luck had been renewed for a second season, HBO yesterday reversed course and canceled the series following the death of a third horse during production. Here is their statement on the decision: “It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series Luck. “Safety is always of paramount concern. We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally […]

Former “American Idol” Kelly Clarkson among headliners of new music competition series “Duets”

March 8, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

Today, ABC announced that this summer it, too, will be entering the apparently lucrative music competition series game with its new series Duets, which will star Jennifer Nettles, Lionel Richie, Robin Thicke and Kelly Clarkson (pictured). Clarkson, of course, became famous as the winner of the first season (2002) of the hugely popular music competition series American Idol (though ABC’s release for Duets is careful not to utter the dreaded name of its FOX rival, stating only that Clarkson has been a success “since bursting onto the music scene 10 years ago …”). In Duets, Clarkson, Nettles, Richie and Thicke […]

“Planet Earth” filmmakers impress again with Discovery Channel’s “Frozen Planet”

February 28, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

As I post this article from my office in Wisconsin, it’s a cloudy, late February day, with temperatures in the low 30s and a chance for a cold rain later today. Certainly not the most pleasant of conditions, but also hardly worth complaining about after seeing what the Arctic and Antarctic creatures chronicled in Discovery Channel’s new series Frozen Planet endure on a daily basis. The seven-part Frozen Planet, premiering March 18 and narrated by Alec Baldwin, is another coproduction with the BBC, from the same filmmakers who brought us the astounding Planet Earth a few years back. This time, […]