Jeff Pfeiffer, Author at StayTuned Magazine

Robin Roberts returns to Gulf Coast to examine region 10 years after Katrina

August 19, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

ABC anchor and Mississippi Gulf Coast native Robin Roberts will return to the region to explore Hurricane Katrina’s legacy 10 years after the devastating disaster, in a new special called Katrina: 10 Years After the Storm, airing Aug. 23 on ABC. Roberts will examine the remarkable recovery, see where it has fallen short, and celebrate the indomitable spirit that runs through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Roberts’ coverage of Hurricane Katrina began during the darkest hours of the storm, when there were uncertainties for many, including Roberts’ own family, who were impacted by the hurricane in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Now, viewers […]

TCA: NBC says Donald Trump “absolutely not” returning to Celebrity Apprentice

August 14, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

“I want to open it up and see who has the first question about Donald Trump,” quipped NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt at this morning’s NBC executive session panel at the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour. Greenblatt had already, in his opening remarks prior to taking questions from assembled journalists, addressed the situation regarding NBC’s relationship, or lack thereof, with Donald Trump in terms of The Celebrity Apprentice, but he knew there would be follow-ups. Greenblatt had this to say about The Celebrity Apprentice in his opening remarks: “Due to circumstances that everyone here is aware of regarding our host [laughter […]

CNN doc chronicles “trash TV” pioneer Morton Downey Jr.

August 13, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

Nowadays, you almost can’t get away from talking (and screaming) heads on cable television, especially on programs focusing on politics, sports and popular culture. But in the late 1980s, it was relatively novel to see Morton Downey Jr. berating guests on his self-titled talk show, which started locally in New York and soon became a syndicated hit nationwide. He preceded the likes of Jerry Springer, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, and likely set the stage for their “I’m pissed off and won’t take it anyway” brand of media (thanks, Morton?). Honestly, he still carries a presence today, as we look back on those […]

TCA: CW brings Matt Ryan’s John Constantine to “Arrow”

August 11, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

At The CW’s executive session at the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour today, the network announced that Matt Ryan, late of NBC’s Constantine, will be reprising his role of John Constantine in a one-shot episode of Arrow (the fifth episode of the hit show’s upcoming fourth season, called “Haunted”). Both Constantine and Green Arrow are DC properties (Constantine from the book Hellblazer), and this crossover should give some amount of satisfaction to the fans who were dismayed when NBC pulled the plug on Constantine. Also of note, The CW is developing a series based on the hit romantic film The Notebook, with the input of […]

TCA: Will CBS’ Supergirl crossover with CW’s Flash and Arrow?

August 10, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

At CBS’ panel for the new series Supergirl at this morning’s Television Critics Association (TCA) panel, executive producer Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Arrow) said that he grew up worshipping the Superman films directed by Richard Donner. That is clear upon watching the pilot of his new series, which maintains the same type of fun and epic style as those earlier blockbusters (and will even include one of the memorable villains seen in Donner’s Superman II). With Berlanti’s other DC Comics TV hits on The CW sharing the same corporate parent as CBS’ Supergirl, a logical question, and probably one in the minds of many comics fans, came […]

Frank Grillo thinks “Captain America Civil War” may be better than “Winter Soldier”

August 10, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

We talked a little bit with actor Frank Grillo following his Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour panel for the second season of DirecTV’s Kingdom, and he had some thoughts on next spring’s eagerly awaited entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America Civil War. The 50-year-old actor has finished his work on the feature, in which he plays the villainous Brock Rumlow (aka Crossbones, introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and which he thinks audiences will love. “I think it will be as good, if not better than, the second one,” Grillo said of Civil War, which hits theaters May 6. “It was a quick […]

TCA: 2015 TCA Awards winners announced

August 9, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

Last night at the Beverly Hilton, the Television Critics Association (TCA) announced the winners of the 2015 TCA Awards in a ceremony hosted by James Corden (The Late Late Show), and including starpower like Jon Hamm. The results were determined from votes cast by the TCA’s membership, comprised of more than 220 professional TV critics and journalists from the United States and Canada, including those of us here at Channel Guide. “It’s the fuckin’ big one!” Corden joked about the awards during his opening remarks, most of which took shots at the awards and the ceremony themselves. Amy Schumer continued her […]

Candidate lineup announced for Fox News presidential debate

August 5, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

The lineup for the Aug. 6 Fox News presidential debate among the Republican candidates has been set. The 10 qualifying candidates were, according to Fox News, determined based on an average of the five most recent national polls, and will gather on the primetime, 9pm ET stage. The seven candidates who did not make the Top 10 will be invited to a separate 5pm ET debate on Aug. 6. FNC says the five polls included in the average that determined the lineup were conducted by Bloomberg, CBS News, Fox News, Monmouth University and Quinnipiac University. The Top 10 candidates who […]

Animal Planet’s World Lion Day programming dedicated to Cecil the Lion

August 5, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

Just as Nat Geo Wild is doing, Animal Planet will also be airing a marathon of lion-related programming on Monday, Aug. 10, in celebration of World Lion Day, and dedicated to Cecil the Lion — the beloved, humanized Zimbabwean lion that was killed by an American hunter last month, causing international outrage. From Animal Planet: “Animal Planet’s roaring about World Lion Day to honor the majestic lion –one of the most revered species on the planet –whose numbers are in decline. Animal Planet’s campaign AnimalsAreNotTrophies.com is a resource for those who want to take action against trophy hunting and poaching. In addition, Animal Planet is dedicating its World Lion Day marathon […]

Composers Reinhold Heil and Charlie Clouser on scoring TV shows

August 3, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

SundanceTV’s series Deutschland 83 ends its run Aug. 5 at 11pm ET, so this is a good time to get into the mind of the man who composed the musical score for the series, Reinhold Heil. In a twist, Heil and another composer, Charlie Clouser — who most recently scored Wayward Pines — both interviewed each other recently about their art and business, exclusively for Channel Guide. They chatted about everything from finding the right tone for a series to what happens when the series they have invested their creative energy in is canceled, and here are some of the highlights. Reinhold Heil: Nina Hagen, I […]