George R.R. Martin on “Game of Thrones” shocker: “I didn”t want it to be unrelentingly bleak”
“I”ve been pretty outspoken in my desire to write a story where decisions have consequences and no one is safe,” says Martin of the events of last night”s episode. “But I didn”t want it to be unrelentingly bleak-I don”t think everyone would read the books if everything was just darkness and despair and people being horribly tortured and mutilated and dying. Every once in a while you have to give the good guys a victory – where the guys who are perhaps a lighter shade of grey have a victory over the guys who are a darker shade of grey. The Red Wedding and this – fans call this the Purple Wedding – occur in the same book. In the TV show, it”s separate seasons.” PLUS: That wedding was stunning, subtle, horrific – even before the final scene, “GoT” showrunners talk about the Purple Wedding — and almost casting somebody else as King Joffrey, says last night”s director: “I basically was just ripping off Robert Altman,” Sophie Turner found that final day of shooting devastating, he looked like a cross between Caligula and an evil Bratz doll, what if the media reported last night”s shocking event?, the cast found filming to be traumatic, this was a truly sad event, introducing the “GoT” sex chart, Purple Wedding made Stephen King happy, why you shouldn”t celebrate this twist, and it”s true – he”s retiring!
Jon Hamm said “Woah” when watching Don Draper's “Mad Men” premiere scene with that 90s TV star
“It was remarkably affecting,” he said of that scene. Why? “Because we shot it a million years ago and I”d forgotten about it. But it”s a beautiful moment, and she”s so good in it. It”s nice to see her again on screen. It”s this weirdly tender moment that kind of comes out of left field. I was pleasantly surprised by it.” PLUS: Hamm sought advice from Bryan Cranston and Tina Fey on how to say goodbye to Don, how that 90s TV star got the part, why Matthew Weiner casts famous guest-stars, this episode had one of the best elongated moments “Mad Men” has ever used, “Freddy Rumsen” on playing Don's voice, what's up with Freddy?, what a boring season premiere, this felt redundant, it was like the beginning of “The Godfather,” was that an homage to “The Graduate”?, and this was an excellent stating point for a jam-packed season premiere.
How Conan O”Brien filmed 50 celebrity cameos in 3 weeks for his MTV Movie Awards opening
“We had this lean, mean SEAL Team Six machine,” says Troy Miller, who directed and produced the segment. “We'd come in, get it from six different angles and people would be out in six minutes.” PLUS: Mark Wahlberg drops many F-bombs during his acceptance speech.
Turner Classic Movies launched 20 years ago today
TCM will celebrate today”s anniversary with tonight”s retrospective, “TCM: Twenty Classic Moments.”
“Wheel of Fortune” contestant doesn”t regret mispronouncing “Achilles” to lose out on $1 million
“It was a dream,” said Indiana University freshman Julian Batts. “It was one of the greatest experiences I”ve accomplished so far.”
Why Yahoo! will likely fail in its effort to spend lots of money on prestigious TV shows
As FX boss John Landgraf explains, “It is the pure arrogance of the newly rich and the newly powerful to think content is easy. Breaking through in a cluttered marketplace requires expertise in all of the elements of storytelling. There are so many ways it can go wrong.”
Watch Jimmy Fallon let loose in a bar
“The Tonight Show” host seems to be spending a lot of time in bars in recent days.