Interview Archives - Page 107 of 109

Conan O’Brien Talks About His Crazy Year

November 15, 2010 StayTuned Staff

You can gauge the major upheavals in Conan O’Brien’s career by his facial hair. A couple of years ago, when a writers strike brought production of Late Night to a standstill, the famously boyish-looking host emerged with a beard — the first of his life — that he said he grew out of solidarity with his staff. Then, in January, when his brief run on The Tonight Show ended after a notorious spat with NBC, during which he elected to leave the show rather than agreeing to move its time slot to make way for the return of Jay Leno, […]

“Modern Family” has ushered in a new age of the feel-good sitcom

August 19, 2010 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Lori Acken When ABC began promoting its new sitcom Modern Family this time last year, critics and viewers alike weren’t sure quite what to make of it. On paper it seemed awfully gutsy — or maybe even lazy — replete with that guy who played Al Bundy (in a red velour tracksuit!) as its biggest star and what, in any but the deftest of hands, would be a barrelful of touchy stereotypes and TV clichés. Rich older gent with hotsy-ditzy trophy wife. Bumbling suburban dad and know-it-all mom. Homosexual couple with adopted Asian baby. And here’s the kicker — […]

A classier “Housewives” for Bravo?

August 5, 2010 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Emily Mitchell “D.C. has a certain expectation of how you behave and treat people and argue. I think you are going to see a more refined edge to these women. It’s probably going to be a little classier,” says Mary Schmidt Amons, one of the stars of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of D.C. In other words, the nation’s capital will be no place for wig-pulling and girl fights. With a dynamic cast, the network’s fifth Housewives series — which joins Orange County, New York, Atlanta and New Jersey — promises to add another facet of drama in its portrayal […]

The cast of “Mad Men” talks Season 4

July 22, 2010 StayTuned Staff

by Karl J. Paloucek Arguably the most neatly scripted series on television returns to TV this month. And if there’s anything you can say about Season 4 of Mad Men, it’s that anything could happen. That was the takeaway from Season 3’s end and it’s what we hear loud and clear from series costars John Slattery (who plays Roger Sterling), Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell) and Jared Harris (Lane Pryce). Last season’s finale was effectively a tabula rasa: Rather than become drones for McCann Erickson, Don, Roger and Bert conspire with Lane to start a new agency — stealing away with […]

Bert Kreischer’s Amazing Free Fall

June 17, 2010 StayTuned Staff

I’ve never spoken to anyone suffering from a near-death experience before. But when I talked with Bert Kreischer, he was in Las Vegas recovering from the most harrowing event he’d filmed for his Travel Channel series Bert the Conqueror — a 108-story free fall off the top of the Stratosphere Hotel. The feat was the most daunting in a series that has the comedian visiting towns across the country, tackling some of the local extreme rides and sports and reporting on them. It is, Kreischer says, a way of revealing adventures that any family can do on a weekend. Though, […]

Louis C.K. Brings His Foulmouthed, Heartfelt Act To FX

June 14, 2010 StayTuned Staff

Anyone familiar with Louis C.K.’s comedy won’t be surprised by his new show’s potty mouth. But there’s also the heart behind it that resonates with audiences and has made him one of the hottest comics around. As writer, director and editor for Louie — airing Tuesday beginning June on FX — C.K. is pouring all his talents into the series, which shows a fictionalized version of his life as a standup comic and newly single dad in New York. It’s not too far off-base to think of it as a much edgier Seinfeld, with standup bits intermingled into the offstage […]

How will England fare at the World Cup? We asked actor Ian McShane

June 10, 2010 Ryan Berenz

While interviewing actor Ian McShane for the upcoming Starz miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, Channel Guide Magazine‘s Karl Paloucek had a chance to pick McShane’s brain about the World Cup, particularly his native England’s chances of winning (or choking away) this tournament. McShane knows a little about football — his father, Harry McShane, played for Manchester United from 1951-54. Here’s what McShane had to say about the Three Lions’ hopes in South Africa: I’m surprised they haven’t come out with another song again, about, “Football’s coming home!” or one of those pathetic songs they bring out every four years, […]

Jane Treacy Tells Us About 24 Years On QVC

May 30, 2010 Lori Acken

She’s been a vital part of QVC almost from day one, after her mother convinced the then 24-year-old TV production grad that she could sell a plain old pencil to everyone from a school kid to an architect — and, as it turned out, the gentlemen who was hiring show hosts for the new little shopping network focused on three customer-focused principles: Quality, Value, and Convenience. Nearly a quarter-century later, Jane Treacy is one of the most beloved and trusted personalities on the now $7 billion dollar home-shopping giant that has turned her into an international girl-next-door star. Even warmer […]

Back to the “Futurama” — Billy West interview

May 26, 2010 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Never underestimate the ability of fans to influence the decisions of entertainment powers-that-be in this age of the Internet and DVD sales. They were effective enough to get new episodes of Family Guy made, and now they have scored another coup by being a major force behind the return of Matt Groening’s Futurama, which begins its sixth season June 24 on Comedy Central, after unceremoniously disappearing from FOX seven years ago (but continuing in an unofficial “season” via a series of successful direct-to-DVD movies over the years). “[The fans] never let up,” says star Billy West, who […]

Saturday night’s all right for Syfy Original Movies!

May 20, 2010 Jeff Pfeiffer

Network’s Original Movies Are Cult And Ratings Hits “I’m gonna watch these movies till my eyes pop right out of my head Saturday night, Saturday night, Saturday night on Syfy …” — “Saturday Night on Syfy” by Sci-Fried “To have a song written about these movies truly shows that [they] are now part of pop culture,” says Thomas Vitale, proudly, referring to the song quoted above. Vitale is executive vice president of programming and original movies at Syfy, and he’s right – his network’s Saturday original movies, long a target of mockery for their low budgets, sensational titles, cheesy […]