Articles by Ryan Berenz

About Ryan Berenz

Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.

Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People is not canceled. Why?

October 23, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Bill Simmons’ “The Grantland Basketball Hour” debuts on ESPN

October 22, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Grantland editor in chief Bill Simmons, who should be well rested and reenergized after his three-week suspension, hosts The Grantland Basketball Hour on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7pm ET on ESPN. NBA analyst Jalen Rose joins Simmons for this new talk show covering a variety of NBA topics and featuring a rotating panel of guests and commentators. The premiere includes special guests Michelle Beadle, Jeff Van Gundy, Zach Lowe and Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. TGBH was originally announced to premiere Oct. 21, but MLB’s decision to move Game 1 of the World Series up a day likely made ESPN […]

BTN’s “The Journey: Big Ten Football 2014” premieres Oct. 22

October 22, 2014 Ryan Berenz

BTN’s The Journey series returns for the 2014 football season with profiles of some of the Big Ten’s top players. The new season premieres Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7pm ET with a look at Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, Michigan State wide receiver Tony Lippett and Indiana wide receiver Shane Wynn. Viewers will get to see the personal side of the players as student-athletes and learn about their backgrounds and lives off the field. “The best part of The Journey is that each year, new characters emerge on the scene,” says BTN Originals coordinating producer Bill Friedman. “Our talented and […]

Boo-urns!: Simpsons World reviewed

October 21, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Everything’s coming up Milhouse. The Simpsons World immersive experience launched Oct. 21 on SimpsonsWorld.com and the FXNOW mobile app. Highlights of Simpsons World include: – Every Simpsons episode from Seasons 1-25, plus new Season 26 episodes available the day after they air on FOX. Sorry, episodes have commercials. – Episode and clips playlists created around a central theme (“Eat My Shorts” Shorts, Simpsons Predict the Future) – A section with the most popular episodes and clips, sorted by today, this month or this year – Rareties, including behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast and producer interviews, and more – Links to Simpsons stuff […]

Notre Dame at Florida State highlights college football Week 8

October 17, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Notre Dame at Florida State highlights college football Week 8 with a primetime matchup on Saturday, Oct. 18, on ABC. This weekend in college football features a big matchup in primetime on ABC at 8pm ET as the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the No. 2 Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Two dynamic quarterbacks, Notre Dame’s Everett Golson and FSU’s Jameis Winston, will be on display in a game that could impact the teams’ hunt for a berth in the new playoffs. Both teams have had their share of off-the-field complications, with the […]

2014 World Series begins Oct. 21 on FOX

October 17, 2014 Ryan Berenz

The MLB League Championship Series are over, and despite the lopsided look on paper (the Kansas City Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles and the San Francisco Giants knocked off the St. Louis Cardinals in five games), the games themselves were competitive, close and wildly entertaining. What does the Fall Classic have in store? The Giants are looking for their third World Series title in five years after winning in 2010 and 2012. The Royals haven’t won a World Series since 1985. The 2014 World Series begins Tuesday, Oct. 21, on FOX with the Giants at Kauffman Stadium to face the […]

#TBT TV: James Franco finds his cause as James Dean (2001)

October 16, 2014 Ryan Berenz

This week’s TV Throwback Thursday takes us to August 2001. Back then, James Franco was coming off playing high-school burnout Daniel Desario on the brilliant-but-canceled Freaks and Geeks, was still taking uncredited roles as Apartment Guy 3 and was still about a year away from becoming a household name as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man film franchise. Sept. 11 was still just another day next month. And Lori Acken still went by the delightfully alliterative name Lori Lundquist. Lori got to interview burgeoning star Franco back in the day (he still had two arms), when he starred in the TNT […]

2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup CONCACAF Qualifying TV schedule

October 15, 2014 Ryan Berenz

FOX Sports all 16 matches of the 2015 Women’s World Cup CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament live on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FOX Soccer 2Go or FOX Sports GO from Oct. 15-26. Action begins Wednesday, Oct. 15, with Guatemala vs. Haiti and the USWNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago, both on FS2. The top three finishers in the tournament earn automatic entry into the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada. 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup CONCACAF Qualifying TV schedule: Group Stage and Playoffs (All times ET) Time/Match/Announcers/Network Wednesday, October 15 6:00 PM — Guatemala vs. Haiti: JP Dellacamera/Angela Hucles, FOX […]

7 Questions With Anthony Anderson of ABC’s “black-ish”

October 14, 2014 Ryan Berenz

ABC’s new comedy black-ish (Wednesdays) is about a wealthy black family in Los Angeles dealing with cultural and racial identities in America. Anthony Anderson stars as Dre, an advertising executive and father trying to keep it real without knowing what real is anymore. Anderson took a few moments to anwer our “7 Questions.” 1) What has been your strangest fan encounter? You! Right now! 2) Who said I was a fan? [Laughs] You’d better be! 3) Tell us about a time when you were starstruck. I was at [PR entrepreneur] Ron Berkowitz’s house for a birthday party for [film producer […]

NBC’s Marry Me: Will anyone put a ring on it?

October 14, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Marry Me NBC Premieres: Oct. 14 Airs: Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT Who’s In It? Casey Wilson, Ken Marino, Sarah Wright, John Gemberling, Tim Meadows What’s It All About? Jake (Marino) and Annie (Wilson) have been dating for six years. Annie’s 32 and really, REALLY wants to get married. But when Jake finally pops the question, Annie’s excitable nature ruins the moment and alienates all their friends and family in the process. Jake, with help from his wisecracking bearded best friend Gil (Gemberling), has to come up with a do-over proposal. “It’s just sort of about a couple and their friends […]