-
white house vistors
Dear Mr. President: Please Stop Palling Around With This Man
Barack Obama's bizarre alliance with NBC continued last week when the White House invited network chief/seasoned clubrat Ben Silverman over for a highly publicized meeting just in time for the launch of Silverman's shitty new show, The Philanthropist. More » -
heroes
William Shatner Mimes Masturbation, Flicks Off Conan on Tonight Show
William Shatner, looking bloated, red-faced, sweating, and acting as though he was either high or drunk or both, was a guest for the ages on Conan's Tonight Show tonight. God bless him. More » -
television
David Letterman's Time Has Finally Come
David Letterman, who has been quietly doing his second-place late night joker show over on CBS like forever, is all of a sudden beating the Tonight Show in the ratings. Calling Sarah Palin a slut really pays off! More » -
Trapezoid Of Lies
Heidi Pratt's 'Hospitalization' Is One Giant Reality TV Mess
Heidi Pratt was rushed to a hospital in Costa Rica last night for some kind of stomach infection while filming/quitting I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Our source calls the entire thing out. More » -
area peacock shot
Heidi and Spencer's War on Reality Continues from Jungle Hideout
So we got duped. Twice! Heidi and Spencer, the prats from The Hills who supposedly quit the horrid reality trash barge I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Outta Here!, haven't, in fact, been gotten outta there. More » -
hollywood
How Jay Leno Screwed Conan O'Brien
The New York Times has a massive piece in this week's Sunday Magazine by Lynn Hirschberg on Conan O'Brien and the changes taking place at NBC as O'Brien prepares to take over as host of the Tonight Show on June 1, while Leno moves into the nightly 10pm slot.
More » -
product placement
NBC's Chuck Exists Only to Sell Subway Sandwiches
Last month NBC's Chuck had that Subway sandwich product placement that was so laughably flagrant we thought, "This will surely hurt the credibility of NBC's 'Chuck!'" How young and naive we were. Turns out that that Subway deal is literally the only reason that Chuck still exists: More » -
bad news
How Dare NBC Make Us Wait Seven Months for New 30 Rock?
NBC has announced its fall TV schedule, and dropped in an immensely disappointing piece of news: the 30 Rock season premiere date is TBA. They say maybe winter; it's currently May. More »
-
-
trade roundup
George Clooney to Star as Martin Luther King in Lars von Trier's New Biopic
Just kidding. Today we have more news from the TV upfronts, plus movie word from sunny, splashy, ridiculous Cannes. More » -
product placement
Desperate Chuck Fans in Futile Sandwich Frenzy
NBC went and sold the most blatant product placement in TV history in its show Chuck, and what do you know, it worked! Not for Chuck; that shit is getting canceled. But for Subway, yes! More » -
scares
Jay Leno Hospitalized, Giving NBC a Heart Attack
The Tonight Show is a no-show tonight. Host Jay Leno has checked himself into the hospital, and NBC is airing a rerun instead of the planned lineup featuring actor Ryan Reynolds.
More » -
failures
Most-Watched Super Bowl Ever Is a Disaster for NBC Universal
Jeff Zucker's division made about half as much money last quarter as it did the year before. So to judge by the upward-failure arc of his career, he'll be running GE in about three weeks. More » -
product placement
NBC Sells Its Nonexistent Soul For a $5 Subway Sandwich
NBC has shockingly ruined the integrity of its dramatic show Chuck by allowing Subway what is perhaps the most blatant (and therefore laughable!) product placement in network TV history. Mmm, smell that chicken teriyaki. More » -
how things work
NBC's Embarrassing Gold Mine
For all the talk about NBC Universal's flagship network or about its urbane Bravo cable network, it turns out the entertainment company makes its real money on the channel with professional wrestling and re-runs. More » -
starting out
In Which We Try to Convince Ourselves That Parks & Recreation Will Be Good
At long last, the Greg Daniels/Amy Poehler sitcom premieres tonight. It's been a long time coming for Parks & Recreation, so how will the mockumentary series fare? Pretty well, we hope. More » -
sad things
Kings Is Dead, Long Live Kings!
Well, exit the Kings. NBC has moved its lush, sweeping, and increasingly good dramatic experiment from its valuable Sunday night slot to Saturdays, where it will play out its remaining eight episodes, then die. Sad. More » -
relief
Glory Be: People Are Finally Watching 30 Rock
Good news is rare in these worrisome times, but here among the rubble is a little ray of sunshine (mixed metaphors!) Critically-beloved 30 Rock is finally performing healthily in the ratings. More » -
awkward
Jay Leno Show Rejected By Boston Affiliate
NBC's affiliate in Boston said it won't carry Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. show, which the station claims might ruin the station's business by driving away viewers. Making the feud especially embarrassing? More » -
peace
VPR Day: Project Runway Armistice Declared
NBC Universal has released a statement declaring an end to the bloody Project Runway Wars. The statement, sent by NBC, claims Harvey Weinstein has congratulated Jeff Zucker. So, it could be an April Fools' prank:
More » -
trade roundup
Spoiler Alert: The Winner in Monsters vs. Aliens is...Dreamworks!
Chopping Block gets chopped, J.J. Abrams gets extended, and Ricky Gervais' next film will be unlike anything he's ever done before except for The Office. More » -
cambios
NBC Falls Behind Univision In Key Ratings Demo
Someone alert Lou Dobbs! Those terrible Spanish-speakers are taking over our airwaves. Or, NBC is just in the toilet. They averaged a paltry six million viewers last week, bested in 18-34's by the Spanish-language net. More » -
television
NBC's New Amy Poehler Show Doesn't Suck Any Worse Than Other NBC Shows
According to a leaked focus-group report, NBC's new Amy Poehler sitcom Parks and Recreation is a flop. But NBC's boy-genius Ben Silverman says it's cool, because whatever—focus groups always hate on stuff, man.
More » -
premieres
Kings: Beautiful and Bold, with a Little Gay Problem
If you felt a rush of orange light, pretty boys and butterflies last night, it wasn't spring knocking at your door. It was NBC's Kings, which despite its turgid premiere is a show worth saving. More » -
debuts
Best of Jimmy Fallon's First Late Night
Sure, Jimmy Fallon was awkward on his Late Night debut, as first-time hosts tend to be. But expectations are so low the comedian just needed to show a little promise. That he did. More » -
conan obrien
Hey, L.A.: Sign Conan's Welcome Card!
Tonight is Conan O'Brien's last Late Night. Yes, it's a bittersweet changing of the guard—but he's all ours now! Make him feel at home by signing this Defamer Welcomes Conan to L.A. card. -
celebrity apprentice
Can of Dennis Rodman-Brand Whoop-Ass Opened on Tiny Country Singer
With Celebrity Apprentice 2: The Combforwarding over a week away, we bring you this preview footage of a shocking confrontation between cross-dressing NBA power forward Dennis Rodman and adorable miniature cowboyFrench StewartClint Black. More » -
jimmy fallon
In Honor of Robert De Niro Popping Jimmy Fallon's Cherry: 5 Memorable First Guests
Robert De Niro will be Jimmy Fallon's first guest—an unusually intimidating choice to ease first-night jitters, no matter how well their "Are you a pothead Fallon? Could you milk me?"-patter goes in rehearsal. More » -
marketing
30 Rock's 'McFlurry' Episode: More Protestations of Purity
Last week we totally harshed on NBC's 30 Rock for writing McDonald's McFlurry into its script in such a sellout-y way. But it was all natural, no ad money, just for fun, allegedly! More » -
jimmy fallon
Jeff Zucker Locking 'Fallon' House Band The Roots Inside 30 Rock Broom Closet Until They Come Up With 1000 New Songs
In 12 days, a ready-as-he'll-ever-be Jimmy Fallon will take Conan O'Brien's slot, backed by Philadelphia hip-hop outfit The Roots. Drummer ?uestlove spoke to Rolling Stone about their miserly new bosses, NBC. More » -
30 rock
Tina Fey Denies McFlurry Payola, Disowns Twitter Account
Last night's McFlurry-obsessed episode of 30 Rock? Totally not a McDonald's product placement, avers Tina Fey, the show's writer and star, and we must believe her, as she is everything right and good about America. More » -
jay leno
WGA Still Weighing Their Jay Leno Scab-Flogging Options
A number of notable talk show hosts made the controversial choice to cross picket lines and not grow out a strike beard during last year's WGA strike, Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres among them. More » -
labor disputes
Jay Leno Faces Surprise Suspension Threat
It's one thing for Jay Leno to be mocked endlessly by rival David Letterman for moving to an earlier timeslot. Far more insulting: Being branded a scab by his own union . More » -
trade roundup
Switch-Hitter Anne Heche Goes To Bat for 'Hung'
· Anne Heche will play the ex-wife of Ray, the anatomically superendowed protagonist of Hung. She replaces Kristin Bauer, last seen being escorted away in a wheelchair, dead-eyed and repeating, "The diameter...the diameter..." [THR] More » -
ratings
NBC Now Claiming Pretty Much Anyone With A TV Watched The Super Bowl
We know things have been rough for NBC of late, and that it deserves every bit of hard-fought glory it can grab. Stiil, that's no excuse to claim 151 million people watched Super Bowl XLIII. More » -
trade roundup
'Idol' Won't Fear The 'Reaper'
· Reaper Season Two will begin earlier than expected: It airs Tuesdays at 8, where it will fend off the Idol dragon, while princess 90210 is shuffled off to the safety of 9 p.m. [THR] More » -
nbc
New Depression Won't Keep 2009 Upfronts From Old, Ostentatious Glory
Networks are starting to unveil key plans for Upfronts Week '09, that lavish rite of spring apparently unaffected by all this pesky talk of global economic collapse. Unless, of course, you work at NBC. More » -
30 rock
Jon Hamm Smothered In Frosting For '30 Rock' Appearance
Via Videogum, we bring you a sneak preview of Jon Hamm's "multi-episode arc" on 30 Rock, playing Liz Lemon's ice-cream-making, frosting-smeared pediatrician neighbor and crush object. (He debuts the episode after next.)
More » -
as seen on tv
Own A Hot Piece Of 'Lipstick Jungle'
With the fate of NBC's uncanceled Lipstick Jungle a primetime uncertainty, one staffer took no chances with his fallback plans: He swiped $30,000 in fashions from the show and put them on eBay. More » -
hollywood privacywatch
PrivacyWatch: Courtney Love And Ben Silverman Drunk On Red Wine And Each Other Edition!
1/21 — Apocalypse now - COURTNEY LOVE and BEN SILVERMAN (TOGETHER), stumbling out of Giorgio Baldi on Wednesday night. Someone needs to explain this right now. More »









































