It’s curtains for “General Hospital.” ABC announced today that Katie Couric would get the soap’s 3pm time slot in September 2012. That means that the soap, which started airing in 1963, will join “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” on the scrap heap. Of course, “General Hospital” might get a mild reprieve if ABC’s other soap substitutes at 1 and 2 pm don’t pan out. But in the end, the destruction of ABC daytime dramas is now complete and sealed. It’s a mistake, of course, to have jettisoned decades of loyal viewership for the unknown, and all at the same time. But the party’s over. ABC made their Couric announcement at 1pm eastern, even though it was no surprise. There’s a lot of carping about former NBC chief Jeff Zucker as Katie’s exec producer, but frankly, this is what he does best. The show’s going to be a hit, even if it means “General Hospital” is sent to the morgue.
Billy Preston: Estate Still Not Settled of “The Fifth Beatle”
The great Billy Preston died five years ago today at the age of 59. Believe it or not, Preston’s estate has never been settled. “The Fifth Beatle” has had his legacy held up in court by a confluence of unfortunate events: sisters to whom Preston was not close have tried to complicate the situation even though Billy didn’t want them to be part of it. Then there’s the matter of whether or not Preston authorized a filing for bankruptcy right before he went into a coma in November 2005.
The bankruptcy case–going on in Los Angeles–has had its own set of odd circumstances that surround Judge Theodore Albert. A motion was made by the Moore team, but denied, to have Albert recuse himself from the case. The reason? Prior to his appointment to the bench, attorney Albert had been sued for malpractice. The firm that represented him — Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith– is the same one he awarded the Preston case to. The Daily (Los Angeles law) Journal noted the conflict of interest. “From March to October 2006, as Albert was still a Lewis Brisbois client in the malpractice suit, the judge awarded the firm $127,000 in fees and expenses in the bankruptcy matter.” Since then, Judge Albert’s first legal clerk has gone on to work for the same firm.
Fighting the bankruptcy is Preston’s loyal last manager, Joyce Moore, wife of R&B legend Sam Moore. In the last few years, Preston– who had an intermittent substance abuse problem compounded by a replaced, non working kidney–relied on the Moores for friendship, advice, and bi-weekly trips for dialysis. The potential of a bankruptcy ruling has nearly bankrupted the Moores, whose own finances were tied up with Preston’s.
“Will It Go Round in Circles?” as Preston once sang. Will all that’s left be “Nothing from Nothing”? Quite possibly. And PS: in case you were wondering, Preston has never royalty from The Beatles, even though he was the only artist in history featured with them on a hit record–“Get Back,” from 1970, which was by “The Beatles with Billy Preston.”
Full disclosure: As I’ve written before, I knew Billy Preston quite well in the last few years of his life. The Moores are friends of mine. I can’t imagine that Preston would have wanted the Moores to go through this much grief while protecting his interests.
And there’s more: the bankruptcy trustee in the case, R. Todd Neilson, is a controversial participant. He’s become the sole bankruptcy trustee in Hollywood with varying results. Earlier this year, very quietly, his own firm–LECG– collapsed under financial pressure and was splintered off. Almost no mention has been made in the financial press about this, that the bankruptcy trustee’s own firm essentially went bankrupt–they were $27 million in debt according to reports. But very quietly Neilson took his group away from LECG and moved upstairs in the same building to reunite with an old colleague–David Teece, who’d been fired from LECG in 2009.
TV Critics Pick Nominees for First Awards Show: Modern Family, Mad Men, Boardwalk
Here are the nominees for the first Critics Choice Awards for television. The awards will be given out on June 20th. The show will air June 22nd on the Reelz Channel. This is the same group that brings us the Critics Choice in January for movies. That show has evolved over the last few years into a big deal on VH-1. All the stars come, and the voters are legitimate critics. CBS would do well to adopt the Critics Choice Awards as its answer to the Golden Globes–they’d get the jump on all the other awards shows.
BEST DRAMA
Boardwalk Empire – HBO
Dexter – Showtime
Friday Night Lights – DirecTV
Fringe – FOX
Game of Thrones – HBO
The Good Wife – CBS
Justified – FX
The Killing – AMC
Mad Men – AMC
The Walking Dead – AMC
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire – HBO
Kyle Chandler – Friday Night Lights – DirecTV
Michael C. Hall – Dexter – Showtime
Jon Hamm – Mad Men – AMC
William H. Macy – Shameless – Showtime
Timothy Olyphant – Justified – FX
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton – Friday Night Lights – DirecTV
Mireille Enos – The Killing – AMC
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife – CBS
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men – AMC
Katey Sagal – Sons of Anarchy – FX
Anna Torv – Fringe – FOX
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Cumming – The Good Wife – CBS
Walton Goggins – Justified – FX
Shawn Hatosy – Southland – TNT
John Noble – Fringe – FOX
Michael Pitt – Boardwalk Empire – HBO
John Slattery – Mad Men – AMC
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Michelle Forbes – The Killing – AMC
Christina Hendricks – Mad Men – AMC
Margo Martindale – Justified – FX
Kelly Macdonald – Boardwalk Empire – HBO
Archie Panjabi – The Good Wife – CBS
Chloë Sevigny – Big Love – HBO
Best Reality Series
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – ABC
Hoarders – A&E
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – Bravo
Sister Wives – TLC
Undercover Boss – CBS
Best Reality Series – Competition
The Amazing Race – CBS
American Idol – FOX
Dancing with the Stars – ABC
Project Runway – Lifetime
RuPaul’s Drag Race – Logo
Top Chef – Bravo
Best Reality Show Host
Tom Bergeron – Dancing with the Stars – ABC
Cat Deeley – So You Think You Can Dance – FOX
Ty Pennington – Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – ABC
Mike Rowe – Dirty Jobs – Discovery
Ryan Seacrest – American Idol – FOX
Best Talk Show
Chelsea Lately – E!
The Daily Show – Comedy Central
The Ellen DeGeneres Show – Warner Bros.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! – ABC
The Oprah Winfrey Show – Harpo
Best Comedy Series
Archer – FX
The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Community – NBC
Glee – FOX
Louie – FX
The Middle – ABC
Modern Family – ABC
The Office – NBC
Parks and Recreation – NBC
30 Rock – NBC
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock – NBC
Steve Carell – The Office – NBC
Louis C.K. – Louie – FX
Charlie Day – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – FX
Joel McHale – Community – NBC
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Courteney Cox – Cougar Town – ABC
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie – Showtime
Tina Fey – 30 Rock – NBC
Patricia Heaton – The Middle – ABC
Martha Plimpton – Raising Hope – FOX
Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation – NBC
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell – Modern Family – ABC
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother – CBS
Nick Offerman – Parks and Recreation – NBC
Ed O’Neill – Modern Family – ABC
Danny Pudi – Community – NBC
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family – ABC
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen – Modern Family – ABC
Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock – NBC
Jane Lynch – Glee – FOX
Busy Philipps – Cougar Town – ABC
Eden Sher – The Middle – ABC
SofÃa Vergara – Modern Family – ABC
Melanie Griffith’s Daughter Dakota: “Cherry 2000” Redux?
Can it be? Next year is the 25th anniversary of one my favorite bad movies, “Cherry 2000.” This post-apocalyptic thriller starred a pre-“Working Girl” Melanie Griffith as a bounty hunter. She helps Sam, played by David Andrews, journey into a forbidden zone where model Cherry 2000 android wives are stored. Sam’s own model has died, or given out, and he wants the same one again. This is sort of like me trying to find another Motorola v9 Razr2 phone instead of getting a smart phone.
Anyway, producer Ed Pressman–one of the good guys in the movie business–is talking remake. And Melanie Griffith has suggested her daughter, Dakota Johnson, whose dad is Don Johnson, play her role. Dakota recently appeared in “The Social Network” as the girl who realizes she’s just slept with Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake). It’s not such a far fetched idea. Pressman is considering it, I’m told, and putting together some ideas for the remake including a director. Who directed the original? A guy named Steve De Jarnatt who went on to direct a lot of episodic TV but has no credits on the imdb since 2006. He published a short story in 2009 in “The Best American Short Stories.”
Katie Couric Announcement Coming Mid Day Today
Starting today, or thereabouts, ABC News is going to be overflowing with female news stars. Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer are going to be welcoming Katie Couric to their fold around mid day today.
Is there room for all these ladies in one news division? Because until Couric’s afternoon talk show starts in September 2012, she’s going to be bunking with Walters and Sawyer. Right now, Walters relies on her role as executive producer and co-owner of “The View.” That show is pretty much all that’s left of ABC Daytime now that the soaps and Oprah are history. Sawyer, of course, has the evening news.
So where will Katie fit in? “Good Morning America”? It’s doubtful that Couric wants to get up at the crack of dawn to sit in for Robin Roberts on her days off. There’s always “This Week” with Christiane Amanpour, where Couric could appear as the presidential race starts to heat up. There’s “Nightline,” although Cynthia McFadden and crew seem to have that well in hand. “20/20” is a possibility, although Couric is not going to replace Elizabeth Vargas. So it will be interesting to see where Katie fits in during the 15 month ramp up to her own show. Details of her deal should break midday Monday at the latest since her CBS contract expired on Friday.
“X Men” is First Class, But Last in Series at Box Office
Who knows why? “X Men: First Class” got terrific reviews and buzz. It has a cast of young, hot up and coming actors including Michael Fassbender and James McEvoy. The director, Matthew Vaughn, has turned into first class director after producing Guy Ritchie’s movies. But “First Class” is a bit of a disappointment this weekend at the box office. Even with a $21 million take so far, the Marvel comics adventure is projected to make around $51 million total this weekend. This is half of what the last “X Men” film made in 2006. Brett Ratner’s “Last Stand” broke records with a shocking $102.7 million in three days. The funny thing is, fanboys and girls didn’t much like the movie. But maybe because it was considered the end of a trilogy, “Last Stand” boomed. Obviously, most audiences liked it a lot. It was one of the few sequels to outrun its predecessor. “X2” had done $85 million on its opening weekend. “First Class” is supposed to be a set up for two more new installments. But if it lacks “legs” in the next couple of weeks, this class may never get the chance to graduate. Is Hugh Jackman the “x factor” after all in these movies? Time will tell.
John Edwards Indicted For Siphoning Election Money to Girlfriend/BabyMama
If John Edwards hadn’t already been ruined by his affair with Rielle Hunter, this is it: today he was indicted by a federal grand jury for siphoning funds from his campaign to help keep Hunter, who was pregnant with his baby, a secret.There are six counts against him, including conspiracy, making false statements, and four counts of illegal campaign contributions. Unless Edwards takes a settlement, prosecutors should have no trouble making their case.
Edwards started his affair with Hunter (aka Lisa Druck) in 2006, pretended to break it off, and then she became pregnant. The story broke first in the National Enquirer, was brushed aside, and then returned in the fall of 2007 as Hunter grew with child. In January 2008, when it was really too late, Edwards–who’d known for months that he would have to pull out of the 2008 presidential campaign– finally acquiesced. The baby, Frances Quinn, was born at the end of February.
But it turned out that two of his majors donors were solicited for large amounts of money to help him keep this all quiet–the late Fred Baron and the nearly 100 year old socialist Bunny Mellon. The money was used to keep Edwards aide Andrew Young able to hide Hunter from the public. Young also lied about being the baby’s father. When the money ran out, Young and Hunter were cut loose. Young wrote a bestselling book telling the whole story. Hunter, who lived with her baby daughter for months with her friend Mimi Hockman, eventually cut a deal with Edwards and moved into a home near his in South Carolina. And now, with Edwards’ estranged wife, Elizabeth, dead from cancer, the former Senator has been indicted. Instant karma indeed.
Kristen Wiig Will Parlay “Bridesmaids” Success into Drama
“Saturday Night Live” star Kristen Wiig is finally coming into her own. After appearing in many movies, and of course the late night TV show, Wiig has finally hit it big with “Bridesmaids.” The unassuming actress was almost astonished when I mentioned to her last night–over dinner at the St. Regis Hotel for the Museum of the Moving Image–that she’s a movie star. “That’s what you say,” Wiig laughed. But now that “Bridesmaids” has put her at the top of the box office, Wiig isn’t resting on her laurels. She’s producing a dramedy called “Imogene,” in which she’ll star. She told me financing is just coming together for the film, which will be directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (“American Splendor”). The couple specializes in off beat characters–witness “American Splendor” and their recent “Cinema Verite” for HBO. The plan is to shoot the film this summer, while “SNL” is on hiatus. Then, with any luck, we’ll see her back on the comedy show this fall.
Jon Stewart Roasts NBC’s Brian Williams, Skewers Anthony Weiner
There’s nothing better than Jon Stewart away from “Comedy Central,” doing standup. To get the crowd of media types at last night’s dinner for the Museum of the Moving Image in the mood, Stewart referred to the ornately draped and chandeliered rooftop ballroom at the St. Regis Hotel as being “inside Marie Antoinette’s vagina.” Then he went on the attack against Congressman Anthony Weiner. “He has to investigate if the picture is him,” Stewart said of Weiner’s now infamous crotch Twitter picture. “I don’t know if he thinks his penis robbed the Bellagio. I don’t know.” He added, shaking his head in disbelief: “There are few things I’m certain about. That The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie, that OJ killed those two people, and what my [penis] looks like.”
Stewart was hilarious. about Weiner, but then he went after NBC News anchor Brian Williams, one of the night’s two honorees. “You’re so funny…A lot of people don’t know this, he started out in news. Obviously, he’s transitioned very nicely… you killed Bin Laden…no, I’m kidding. Brian does amazing work. He’d be the first one to say he does…The Nightly News, they just go through the obituaries to see how many viewers they have left.”
Williams, who brought his wife and daughter, Allison (soon to be seen in HBO’s “Girls”), didn’t mind hitting back at Stewart. Thinking the comic had left the room, Williams free-styled his own bits about Stewart’s lack of height. He joked they often went for rides with Stewart sitting on his lap to reach the pedals of his car. Stewart was actually not gone, but just outside of earshot in the vestibule, making a call. He likely heard much of Williams’s good natured rant. The NBC anchor said Stewart was “lovely but parasitic. Remember, there’s no him without us.”
Stewart also had fun with Donald Trump‘s pizza date with Sarah Palin. “Donald Trump took Sarah Palin to La Famiglia, a chain pizza restaurant on 50th and Broadway. Why don’t you take a sh– in Fiorella LaGuardia’s hat and feed it to the crying ghost of Joe DiMaggio? You sonofabitch,” Stewart added.
All of this took place, by the way, in front of an austere crowd that included museum leader Herb Schlosser, Steve Burke, the new head of NBC, Steve Capus, NBC News chief, Discover Network chief David Zaslav (who’s Oprah’s new boss), “Saturday Night Live” star Kristen Wiig and newer cast member Vanessa Bayer, Showtime chief Matt Blank, and the evening’s other honoree, the very impressive and good natured Kenneth Lowe, head of Scripps Interactive, the man responsible for HGTV and the Food Network. ESPN Chairman Emeritus Herb Granath was there, too, with his wife, former soap actress Ann Flood (she played Nancy Karr on “The Edge of Night” for eons and looks terrific.) Universal Pictures chief Ron Meyer stopped by earlier, but missed all this frivolity because he was due at an event honoring Revlon chief Ronald Perelman across town.
PS Great evening put on by Gary Springer and Ellen Delsener.
“Spider Man” on Broadway: New Version a Lot Like Old, Just Rearranged
“Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” finally opens–yes, opens– on June 14th after a wild winter and spring of previews, the sidelining of creator Julie Taymor, and a three week shutdown to retool the show’s story. Now, as the $70 million-plus musical– infamous for its performers getting hurt –prepares to reveal itself, it turns out that the new “Spider Man” is a lot like the old one, just polished up to make better sense.
I ran into producer Michael Cohl having dinner last night at the very hot as a pistol (and loud!) Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village, where he was taking a few minutes off. Cohl told me the show is being “locked” in a couple of days, meaning all the changes will be final. And guess what? Julie Taymor’s going to get a surprise. There’s just as much of her work in the show as there was to start with, only it’s been rearranged. Taymor’s amazing set piece of Arachne, the Spider-woman, weaving her web in mid air now opens the show. Arachne, who was Taymor’s creation and vision, now serves as a guiding light for Spidey/Peter Parker as the show progresses. Gone, of course, is the “geek chorus” of four graffiti spraying teenagers who tried to explain the show. The way Cohl and company have worked, no explanations are needed.
Bono and The Edge have added just one song, Cohl says, called “A Freak Like Me.” And, just as I suggested in this space several times over the last few months, there are now snippets of U2 hits woven into the show. “Spider Man,” which is playing at 94% capacity in its third week back, and should do even better once it’s opened and families are flocking in for summer vacation.
One more thing: Cohl told me that once the show is settled in, the plan is not to go to Las Vegas first, as many had thought. We’ll have to see which city is picked as their first stop.