Sexually unapologetic women are all over TV these days: From “Outlander” to “Orphan Black”
The Starz series, with its “revolutionary” wedding episode, joins a several recent shows “that treat the sexual activities of their leading ladies with refreshing matter-of-factness and genuine interest,” says Maureen Ryan. She adds: “But almost lost amid this welcome expansion of protagonists is a really important fact: In these narratives, sexual women are not shamed by the shows themselves for their desires. The women own their sexuality and the narratives are interested in exploring their desires — and in judging their mistakes, carnal and otherwise, without stealthily blaming them for being sexual in the first place.”
Study: Tweeting while watching TV can leave you with fewer brain cells
University of Sussex researchers found that “people who used a higher number of media devices concurrently also had smaller grey matter density in the part of the brain known as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the region notably responsible for cognitive and emotional control functions.”
Report: Rosie O”Donnell and Whoopi Goldberg got into a shouting match in front of “The View” audience
Rosie apparently wasn”t happy when Whoopi interrupted her to go to a commercial break on last Thursday”s show.
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Republicans advertise on “The Big Bang Theory,” Democrats buy ads on “Scandal” and “Big Brother”
Research on this year”s candidate ad buys also reveals that Dr. Phil has the most Republican ads, while Ellen and Steve Harvey have the most liberal.
Jerry Seinfeld spotted in Portland, Oregon with Fred Armisen
The pair spent Saturday filming “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” in Portland – where, it turns out, Jerry Seinfeld learned “Seinfeld” was getting picked up in 1989.
2 of Anthony Bourdain”s “Parts Unknown” guides are being detained in Iran
Bourdain says his Iran episode will be Season 4″s most controversial. It was filmed with Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and his wife Yeganeh Salehi before they were taken into custody for unspecified damages. “It will be a very provocative, deeply confusing show,” says Bourdain, who adds that some of the issues won”t translate through TV.
“Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter: “I'm a smartass with a big mouth and without filters”
Rolling Stone visits Sutter, and tries to get a handle on the TV boss famous “for his sensational temper and for flying off the handle to an almost operatic, cuckoo degree.” Says Sutter: “I've definitely calmed down. I'm not as easily triggered as I was the first couple of seasons of the show. I'm not quite so insecure. But, I mean, FX's PR guy has sort of given up.”
BET cancels “Let”s Stay Together”
The romcom companion to “The Game” is done after four seasons and 65 episodes.
“Castle” Season 7 is about what makes Castle, Castle
The accident last season will be the perfect opportunity to finally explore more of Castle”s history, says exec producer David Amann. PLUS: Nathan Fillion on Season 7.
Pete Davidson is the 4th-youngest cast member in “SNL” history
Davidson, who turns 21 in November, is behind 17-year-old Anthony Michael Hall, 19-year-old Eddie Murphy and 20-year-old Robert Downey Jr. Also of note: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, at 21, was the 6th-youngest “SNL” cast member, while next week”s host Sarah Silverman was the 7th-youngest at age 22.
Darrell Hammond”s 1st time as “SNL”s” new announcer was a disappointment
There was no drama or power to his voice, says Verne Gay, who notes that Hammond might have been suffering from a cold. “We got the smooth Hammond,” he says, 'the vanilla Hammond — his voice without that quavering urgency (born perhaps of advanced years) that (Don) Pardo brought to the task. It didn't have any impact, any oomph. It was like the guy calling out your name at Olive Garden to tell you your table was ready.”
Netflix is paying people to travel the country to Instagram famous TV locations
The “Grammasters” will be paid $2,000 a week for two weeks to travel and snap photos of famous film and TV locations.
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” returned with a “swagger that belied its age”
“Like a savvy veteran,” says Andy Greenwald, “the show now knows how to play to its strengths and, perhaps more crucially, how to turn its weaknesses into positives.” PLUS: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” critiques bad policing as if it was responding to Ferguson, Andre Braugher describes the show”s “fun runs,” and does Nick Offerman say “Fremulon” at the end of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”?
“Gossip Girl” would be a digital-video series if it premiered today, says former CW boss
Dawn Ostroff, who picked up “Gossip Girl” to series, says the show would exist these days as more like a video game, giving users more control.
Neil Patrick Harris calls Letterman a “generous lover”
Watch Harris read excerpts from his choose your own adventure autobiography.
ABC”s awful titles, ranked
From “Selfie” to “How to Get Away with Murder” to “GCB.”
“Modern Family”s” Jesse Tyler Ferguson came out as a teen thanks to stolen gay porn
“Well, I was caught stealing gay porn when I was 14,” Ferguson tells Aisha Tyler, noting that his dad had to come and get him.
John Oliver insists “Last Week Tonight” is not journalism, but he's wrong
It”s understandable that Oliver wouldn”t want to commit himself to the “journalism” label, says Asawin Suebsaeng. “But 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,”” he adds, “is clearly, at least in part, a journalistic enterprise. Oliver and his staff should own up to it. Even if they don”t want to, they”ve earned praise from one of the country”s most visible media reporters.”
“The Simpsons”-“Family Guy” crossover was a Seth MacFarlane love-letter AND a cross-promotion for FXX”s “Simpsons” package
Despite the “flagrant, impudent, unashamed, wanton” crossover episode, says Verne Gay, “'The Simpsons Guy' actually worked on a number of levels – homage, animation craftsmanship (very high) and as even a glimpse into the mind of MacFarlane. Sure, the chicken fight was endless, out of character for 'The Simpsons,' and more tedious than clever. But from the get-go, this was MacFarlane's love letter to the great American institution…” PLUS: What worked and didn”t work, 9 ways the crossover was a blight on humanity, and “South Park” already did it.
Bravo hit with unfair labor charges over “Shahs of Sunset”
Editors, who were on strike, were dismissed last week by Ryan Seacrest Productions and Bravo Media.
Could “Transparent” become the 1st half-hour Emmy nominee for best drama series?
Or will the Amazon transgender identity series compete as a comedy? PLUS: A “Transparent” writer had her own struggles with gender identity.
“Veronica Mars” creator bringing Ryan Hansen to “iZombie”
Hansen will guest as a golden boy on Rob Thomas” new CW series.
“Sleepy Hollow”s” Lt. Abbie Mills deserves more of the limelight
Nicole Beharie”s character is in no way a sidekick to Ichabod Crane. PLUS: John Noble on his “Sleepy Hollow” role: “Delicious. Delicious. I loved every moment of it.”
Hank Azaria loves playing a creep on “Ray Donovan”
“Hopefully people are loving hating him,” he says.
“The Good Wife”s” drug lord speaks
What”s it like to play Lemond Bishop?
“Gotham”s” “anti-Nolan” cityscape is more impressive than its characters
“This series is more hardboiled city-centric cop show than Hollywood star vehicle: The lavish, colorful, and textural sets completely-perhaps intentionally-outperform the main characters,” says Katie Kilkenny in praising the show”s set design. PLUS: Carol Kane talks playing Penguin”s mom, and watch a trailer previewing the whole season.
Watch “Getting On”s” 2nd season trailer
The HBO series returns Nov. 9.