Jeff Pfeiffer, Author at StayTuned Magazine

Favorite moments from Day 1 of TCA Winter Press Tour

January 5, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

PBS kicked off the 2012 Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour with a nice mix of information and entertainment. Here are my favorite moments from Day 1: 1. The B-52’s concert — Even as they celebrate their 35th anniversary as a band this year, the Athens, Ga., band is looking and sounding as great as ever (Kate Pierson especially has still got it going on). Performing for the critics in support of their March PBS special The B-52’s With the Wild Crowd!, the group rocked about an hour’s worth of old and new hits (even compelling several critics to […]

TCA Winter Press Tour 2012, Day 1: PBS

January 5, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

Day 1 of the 2012 Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour marked the first time that I personally have covered the PBS portion of the tour, and like the network itself, the day was an eclectic mix of entertainment and information, featuring everything from a cabaret performance by Michael Feinstein to cupcakes with The Cat in the Hat to a concert by The B-52’s. During the morning executive session, Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, announced a few upcoming specials and series. Of note (or possible concern, depending upon your outlook, given the slippery slope that such series […]

“Channel Guide” at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour

January 3, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

Starting tomorrow, Jan. 4, through Jan. 15, you can follow daily, hourly and by-the-minute reports from our writers covering the scene in Pasadena, Calif., where the broadcast and cable television networks are presenting their upcoming slates of programming for the midseason and beyond to the Television Critics Association (TCA) during the 2012 Winter Press Tour. For the fastest news, you can follow us on Twitter. Whether it’s a breaking announcement from a showrunner, something shocking said by an actor or producer at a session, gossip from one of the evening parties, or just our thoughts on how a new project […]

VOD Spotlight: “Contagion” effectively plays on real-world fears of massive pandemic

January 3, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

As anyone who has been stuffed into those overcrowded sausage-like casings called airplanes can relate, someone coughing on a plane can be more than a bit disturbing, particularly to those heading off on vacation. But what if the infection being circulated was more than just the sniffles or light case of the flu? This is the idea behind the absorbing medical thriller Contagion. The travel required for the filming of director Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant! sparked the idea for this pandemic-themed film, also directed by Soderbergh. During a flight, Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns noted the vulnerability of airplane […]

VOD Spotlight: The lasting impact of “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” on Guillermo del Toro

January 3, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

In 1973, the made-for-TV film Don’t be Afraid of the Dark terrified filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. “For my generation it was the scariest TV movie we ever saw,” del Toro says of the film. “It creeped out my whole family and it stayed on my mind.” The future filmmaker and his siblings used to terrify each other by whispering lines from the movie. Memories of this childhood enthusiasm stayed with him, and one of the first things del Toro did when he arrived in America was to try to get rights to the film, a process that took four years […]

SOAPnet says goodbye to “One Life to Live” with New Year’s Day marathon

December 27, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

The legendary daytime drama One Life to Live will soon disappear into television history when it ends its 43-year run Jan. 13 on ABC. To send the soap off, ABC’s sister network, SOAPnet, will be airing 14 classic episodes of the show in a daylong marathon Jan. 1, from 10am-midnight ET/PT. The marathon will include memorable episodes, such as Tina going over the waterfall, the Buchanans in the Old West, an episode from the 2002 week of live episodes and more. Old faces will also be seen, as alums Judith Light, Marcia Cross and Nathan Fillion feature in some of […]

Episode guide to Syfy’s “Twilight Zone” New Year’s Marathon

December 27, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Submitted for your approval — a look at the episodes of The Twilight Zone that Syfy will be airing during the network’s annual New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day marathon showing of the classic science-fiction/fantasy anthology series. Episodes shaded in red are my personal favorites. All times are ET. DECEMBER 31 9am: “Escape Clause” 9:30am: “In Praise of Pip” 10am: “Ring-a-Ding Girl” 10:30am: “And When the Sky Was Opened” 11am: “The Silence” 11:30am: “The Hunt” 12pm: “I Am The Night — Color Me Black” 12:30pm: “The Rip Van Winkle Caper” 1pm: “Queen of the Nile” 1:30pm: “Caesar and Me” 2pm: “Probe […]

VOD Spotlight: “Final Destination 5” ramps up the tension and special effects in the franchise

December 27, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Can you cheat Death? This is the question asked and answered in the Final Destination franchise, but the fifth installment offers a new answer and a delicious twist for fans: “Maybe.” In Final Destination 5, a man on the way to a corporate retreat has a premonition that the bridge their bus is crossing is going to collapse. At the first sign of danger, he gets everyone off the bus and to safety, not realizing that none of them are really safe. Producer Craig Perry, who has worked on the franchise since the first film, says of this latest offering, […]

Original TV Yule Log still burning after 45 years

December 24, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

The other day, we told you about the Yule Log that has been produced by iN DEMAND for VOD cable viewers in the last decade or so. But the famous televised Yule Log that started it all on WPIX in New York in 1966 is also still burning strong on many broadcast networks after 45 years. The ambient holiday classic — a simple, calming film loop of a log burning in a hearth, accompanied by songs of the holiday season — has inspired numerous other Logs and parodies, and has become a part of pop culture (Log merchandise available for […]

“American Idol” holiday e-cards available

December 23, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

So there are only two days until Christmas, and you haven’t sent any cards out. Hey, this the Digital Age, and there’s always time to shoot off a quick holiday note to someone — at least in the form of an e-card. And if that someone happens to also be a fan of FOX’s hit series American Idol (which is returning for Season 11 on Jan. 18), you’re really in luck, because the network has made available a set of American Idol holiday e-cards that can be personalized for everyone on your list. Just go to www.idolholidaycard.com and pick your […]