Soap fans are exulting this afternoon because ABC has licensed “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” to Jeff Kwatinetz’s Prospect Park. The newish company says it will produce the shows for the web in some kind of Hulu configuration. I tried Kwatinetz today and was referred to a PR company. But just a little background: in some circles, Kwatinetz (who’s partnered with former Disney exec Rich Frank) is a bit of a soap character himself. The short back story: a brief engagement to the now deceased Brittany Murphy, a short and fiery run with a no longer in business agency called The Firm, and a shorter, even worse management advisory of Kelly Clarkson, who escaped with barely her career intact. He also managed Britney Spears for a month. In particular, The Firm — which managed rock musicians–burned brightly for a short time and then went out in a blaze of defections and chaos. Kwatinetz, who’s Harvard educated, has had more press than actual achievements over the last decade. How exactly he’ll handle the soaps is still a mystery since the shows–particularly “AMC”–are being written now for ABC finales. Some major actors–most pointedly Robin Strasser of “One Life to Live”–are already gone from their shows. And as much as fans hate ABC Daytime, at least they had experience dealing with the major, major egos of the soap production people. If Kwatinetz thought rock stars were difficult, he ain’t seen nothin’ yet. As for the soap actors, I wouldn’t start popping Champagne corks any time soon.
Comics Smoke A Joint on New Showtime Talk Show
Here’s a first: a bunch of comedians smoke a joint on stage during a new episode of the don’t miss talk show on Showtime. The show is “The Green Room with Paul Provenza,” a tremendously funny and philosophical half hour series of conversations Provenza has with different panels. This is the show’s second season. And in the second episode of this season, someone from the audience– “The Green Room” almost looks like it’s shot in the round — hands a quite a sizable joint up onto the stage. Partaking immediately and passing it around are Provenza, guests Greg Proops, Dana Gould and Franklyn Ajaye. Kathy Griffin, also on the freewheeling panel, stays above the fray.
Provenza tells me that Showtime considered taking the scene out of the show, but in the end concurred that there was nothing illegal going on. “We’re really going for authenticity,” Provenza says. “And spontaneity. That would happen in a real green room. It’s about freedom and personal dignity. Our laws are not reflecting the will of the people.”
The joint smoking is likely a first for any talk show. Zach Galifinakis seemed to smoke one on Bill Maher‘s HBO talk show last year, then recanted by saying it wasn’t pot.
Meantime, there’s more to that second episode including Franklyn Ajaye’s very astute observation that “Snooki and Sarah Palin are the same person.”
And in the premiere episode Provenza is almost overwhelmed by an all star line up of Ray Romano, Judd Apatow, Marc Maron, and a surprisingly insightful Garry Shandling.
Murdochs Close News of the World Over Phone Hacking Scandal
James Murdoch has just announced the closing of News Corp.’s sensationalist British tabloid, News of the World. as of this Sunday. News of the World is at the center of a phone hacking scandal in the UK that threatens to destroy News Corp. and ruin Rupert Murdoch’s plans for future domination of the media in Great Britain. Here is James Murdoch’s statement:
The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed when it came to itself.
In 2006, the police focused their investigations on two men. Both went to jail. But the News of the World and News International failed to get to the bottom of repeated wrongdoing that occurred without conscience or legitimate purpose.
Wrongdoers turned a good newsroom bad and this was not fully understood or adequately pursued.
As a result, the News of the World and News International wrongly maintained that these issues were confined to one reporter. We now have voluntarily given evidence to the police that I believe will prove that this was untrue and those who acted wrongly will have to face the consequences.
This was not the only fault.
The paper made statements to Parliament without being in the full possession of the facts. This was wrong. The Company paid out-of-court settlements approved by me. I now know that I did not have a complete picture when I did so. This was wrong and is a matter of serious regret.
Currently, there are two major and ongoing police investigations. We are cooperating fully and actively with both. You know that it was News International who voluntarily brought evidence that led to opening Operation Weeting and Operation Elveden. This full cooperation will continue until the Police’s work is done.
We have also admitted liability in civil cases. Already, we have settled a number of prominent cases and set up a Compensation Scheme, with cases to be adjudicated by former High Court judge Sir Charles Gray. Apologising and making amends is the right thing to do.
Inside the Company, we set up a Management and Standards Committee that is working on these issues and that has hired Olswang to examine past failings and recommend systems and practices that over time should become standards for the industry. We have committed to publishing Olswang’s terms of reference and eventual recommendations in a way that is open and transparent.
We have welcomed broad public inquiries into press standards and police practices and will cooperate with them fully.
So, just as I acknowledge we have made mistakes, I hope you and everyone inside and outside the Company will acknowledge that we are doing our utmost to fix them, atone for them, and make sure they never happen again.
Having consulted senior colleagues, I have decided that we must take further decisive action with respect to the paper.
This Sunday will be the last issue of the News of the World. Colin Myler will edit the final edition of the paper.
In addition, I have decided that all of the News of the World’s revenue this weekend will go to good causes.
While we may never be able to make up for distress that has been caused, the right thing to do is for every penny of the circulation revenue we receive this weekend to go to organisations – many of whom are long-term friends and partners – that improve life in Britain and are devoted to treating others with dignity.
We will run no commercial advertisements this weekend. Any advertising space in this last edition will be donated to causes and charities that wish to expose their good works to our millions of readers.
These are strong measures. They are made humbly and out of respect. I am convinced they are the right thing to do.
Many of you, if not the vast majority of you, are either new to the Company or have had no connection to the News of the World during the years when egregious behaviour occurred.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” Returns: the Red Sox’s Bill Buckner Triumphs
A lot of celebs and yours truly got a sneak peek at the eighth season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” last night and this much I can tell you: Larry David has imperiled Jewish-Arab relations, satirized the entire mosque-near-Ground Zero saga, and rehabilitates the reputation of retired Boston Red Sox player Bill Buckner. Basically, “Curb” returns on Sunday night kicking ass, with writing so sublime and over the edge that once you’ve seen it, most network comedies (with the exception of “30 Rock,” “The Office,” and “Modern Family”) just not matter.
In the audience at the Time Warner Center were not only Larry David and Jeff Garlin, but Cheryl Hines (out and about with boyfriend Robert Kennedy Jr.), director (and great comedian) David Steinberg, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, future guest stars Aida Turturro, Ana Gasteyer and Amy Landecker, actor Richard Kind (star of HBO’s upcoming “Luck”), Regis and Joy Philbin, Rachel Evan Wood, radio personality Mark Simone, and about four dozen media types including NewYork Times editor in chief Jill Abramson and Bloomberg editorial chief Norm Pearlstine, CBS’s Harry Smith, and so on. Absent: actor Fred Melamed, a Woody Allen regular who starred in the Coen brothers’ “A Serious Man.” He plays Larry’s shrink in the new season.
We did not see the premiere episode, which airs this Sunday on HBO. That would spoil everything. We did see what I think were episodes 3 and 9. The first, “Palestinian Chicken,” may incite an international incident. It’s an incredibly deft send up of the story about the mosque and Ground Zero in which a branch of Palestinian chicken, a popular new hangout, opens across the street from a Jewish deli. This also involves Larry seducing a Palestinian woman who screams anti-Semitic epithets at him during sex. It’s an outrageous episode, one that deserves awards, but is so over the top that it’s better coming in the third week of the new season.
Episode 9 takes place in New York, where all the “Curb” characters somehow wind up halfway through the season. Everyone is sworn to secrecy about how this happens, so we’ll have to wait and see. But in this episode Larry’s childhood fear of the Mr. Softie ice cream truck is revealed, and the reputation of Red Sox veteran Bill Buckner is explored and rehabilitated. Buckner, of course, is infamous for letting a ball roll through his legs during the 1986 World Series vs. the Mets. Larry David is a Yankee fan, but he told me last night: “I always felt sorry for him [Buckner] from the moment that happened.” The result is a series of plot turns that culminates in Buckner’s salvation. It’s brilliant.
By the way, neither of the episodes we saw last night featured Cheryl Hines. And none of the credits for the 8th season currently listed on the imdb.com are correct. Landecker, for example, will play a girlfriend of Larry’s who leaves him for Rosie O’Donnell.
PS David and his writers coin two new baseball terms in these episodes also: to be “Bucknered” and to be “Koufaxed.” The latter refers to legendary Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax, who was Jewish and skipped throwing the opening game of the 1965 World Series when it fell on Yom Kippur.
Daniel Radcliffe Gets His Broadway Cast Two Days Off this Week
If you were hoping to see Daniel Radcliffe perform this week on Broadway, better adjust your schedules. Thanks to Radcliffe, the musical revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” is dark tomorrow–Thursday–and Friday. That’s because Daniel–who recently admitted to having had a drinking problem in an interview with GQ–is off to London. He’s got two days of international press and the UK premiere of “Harry Potter 7.2” or “and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2.” Warner Bros. had to buy out two nights of shows so Radcliffe could join in the London festivities.
Today–Wednesday–he’s doing two shows before getting on the Warner jet. Next Monday, July 11th, “How to Succeed” is dark anyway, so Daniel can be at the New York premiere for “Deathly Hallows.” The next day he goes right back to work with an eight performance a week schedule. What happens at the end of “Deathly Hallows”? I don’t want to spoil it if you haven’t read the book, but Harry is eaten by a giant spider, Hermione opens a tranny club in Lithuania, and Rupert Grint stars as Richie in the musical version of “Happy Days.” Or the Weasley family does a reality show on MTV.
Sunny Ralfini: Goodbye to a Friend
The worst thing you have to do as a journalist is write of a friend’s passing. I just learned this evening that my friend, the great Sunny Ralfini, has died from cancer. Sunny (she’s on the far left in the picture) was married for 30 years to Ian Ralfini (standing next to her), one of the terrific music men still in the record biz; he’s been running Manhattan and Blue Note Records at EMI for the last several years. Sunny was well known in the music business. She ran the Nordoff Robbins charity for years and years, was popular, loved, and well respected. She was also my neighbor. We had long talks on the front stoop, gossiped about everyone.
Here is the text that I’ve reprinted from her obit in the New York Times. What a glorious person, and how sad that we won’t be able to chew the fat anymore. Sunny, you will be missed. Condolences to Ian Ralfini, but that doesn’t seem enough.
Sunny Schnier, passed away on July 3rd after a courageous battle with cancer. Sunny was the beloved wife of Ian Ralfini for over 30 years. She was the devoted daughter of Noma and Henry Schnier, loving sister of Stan Schnier, caring stepmother of Nina Ralfini and caring aunt to Michael Schnier and Jem Schofield. Sunny was born in Carbondale and grew up in Scranton Village, PA. After graduation from Penn State, Sunny had a successful career in television production, public relations, music management and fund raising. She produced “In Concert”, a series on ABC for which she won an Emmy. She was instrumental in the successful careers of Grammy award winning recording artists and raised money for the care and treatment of autistic children through her work with the Nordorf-Robbins Foundation. Sunny was a kind, loving, intelligent woman with impeccable style and taste, who charmed her friends and family. She kept us laughing with her keen sense of humor and lived up to her name by lighting up our lives with her bright smile. She will be missed by those who knew and loved her. The funeral will be private.
Sting Smartly Skips Kazakh Concert Staged by Unpopular Ruler
Rock stars rarely cancel appearances based on political situations. But Sting, an avid supporter of Amnesty International, bowed out of a concert in Astana, Kazakhstan this weekend when he learned that employees of a state owned oil company were on strike. The situation was even worse than that. It turns out that the annual Astana Day–sort of Kazakh Independence Day–was moved to line up with the birthday of the country’s president, Nursultan Nazarbaev.
A promoter had booked in Sting’s “Symphonicities” classical pop concert–currently on tour in Russia–without realizing that Nazarbaev would use Sting’s appearance as an endorsement for himself. Luckily, the former leader of the Police figured it out in time and pulled the plug. At issue now is the situation with the oil workers, repression of their union, and other accusations made by Amnesty.
“Hunger strikes, imprisoned workers and tens of thousands on strike represents a virtual picket line which I have no intention of crossing,” Sting commented. “The Kazakh gas and oil workers and their families need our support and the spotlight of the international media on their situation in the hope of bringing about positive change.”
But that’s not all–it turns out that Kazakhstan, so brilliantly lampooned by Sacha Baron Cohen in “Borat,” is rife with issues. In 2008, Nazarbaev’s former son-in-law, a high government official, published a book about the president called “The Godfather in Law.” Since then, Rakhat Aliev has been on the run for his life–hiding in Austria and Malta. He’s been tried for murders he probably didn’t commit and convicted in absentia.
And a funny thing about Astana Day itself–Aliev wrote in his book that Nazarbaev had moved the capital to Astana to protect himself. Read this 2008 story from Radio Free Europe. Sting was smart to cancel Kazakhstan. Other rockers should do the same. http://www.rferl.org/content/Nazarbaev_Celebrates_Day_Of_Astana/1181848.html
also www.sting.com
Beyonce New CD is Number 1, But Not Like Last Time
Beyonce‘s “4” album debuts at Number 1 this week with around 300,000 copies sold. It’s a good but not great debut for “4” considering its predecessor sold 480,000 copies in 2008. The lower number is surely an indication of how the record biz has dwindled over the same period of time. It’s also about Beyonce not having a great single from this album. On the last one, “I Am…Sasha Fierce,” she had a breakout hit with “Single Ladies.” Even the video was parodied. “4” doesn’t have that single so far, although does have a few misses. I have to think that Beyonce’s forceful appearance on “Good Morning America” last Friday helped her a lot. She sang live, looked like a million bucks, and really went for it. All current performers should take notes. When Beyonce is on, she is worth her weight in gold bullion. It’s instructive to note that at same time Beyonce was roaring across the “GMA” set in Central Park, rapper Pitbull was featured on the “Today” show. He wasn’t very good, and his sales actuall went down. He’s dropped from number 7 to 15. This was a rare “Today” misstep. This Friday, country singer Blake Shelton comes to “Today,” which should be a hit. The following Friday is Chris Brown--yikes, what are they thinking? Meanwhile, Adele gets kicked to Number 2 this week; she’s still rolling deep in green. Lady Gaga drifts out of the top 10 and into oblivion.
Anthony Herrera, Great Soap Villain, Passes Away
I didn’t want to let the death of Anthony Herrera go unmentioned in the regular entertainment press. (Soap actors get little love even though they are a guilty pleasure.) The terrific actor, 67, was best known for playing the consummate elegant villain, James Stenbeck on “As the World Turns.” He was with the show from the early 80s on and off until the soap’s finale last September. Stenbeck terrorized the citizens of Oakdale but mostly his ex wife Barbara (Colleen Zenk) and their son Paul with delicious infamy. Nothing could kill James–not even when he was shot dead or dropped from a helicopter did he actually die. “As the World Turns” fans loved it when James would turn up suddenly and surprise his ex with a nasty “Hello, Barbara” that rivaled Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter. Herrera had as many lives as James Stenbeck. He was diagnosed with Mantle Cell lymhoma in 1997. He was treated, went into remission, and the fatal cancer reoccurred. He underwent a stem cell transplant that saved him, and wound up testifying in front of Congress about his experience. There were a few really memorable soap villains who propelled the Procter & Gamble soaps–Larry Bryggmann and the late Michael Zaslow were the other very good ones–but Anthony Herrera was probably the best. The tragedy is, this time he won’t be coming back. Rest in peace.
Rooney Mara: The Girl with the 2 Year Old Movie That’s Finally Opening
Rooney Mara must have wondered what happened to “Tanner Hall.” I know I did. I saw this film, made by Tatiana von Furstenberg and Francesca Gregorini, at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival in a special screening. Since then, Mara has starred in “The Social Network” as Jesse Eisenberg‘s girlfriend (in that wonderfully written opening scene) and is set to appear as “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”
Now, at long last, “Tanner Hall” has been set for release. The date is September 9th–two years after the Toronto screening. That screening was quite the event since Gregorini’s mother is Barbara Bach, the wife of Ringo Starr. George Harrison‘s wife, Olivia, even came in for that showing, along with Bach’s sister Marjorie who is married to Eagle guitarist Joe Walsh. Tatiana, of course, is the charming daughter of designer Diane von Furstenberg. Her husband, media mogul Barry Diller, also came to Toronto. This film was made so long ago that it played the Gen Art Film Festival in April 2010 and Rooney won the Stargazer Award.
Anchor Bay is doing the releasing; let’s hope they do a good job and don’t give up too soon. “Tanner Hall” has a lot of potential with young girls–it’s set in a girls’ school and is a little gem. September 9th seems like a month too late to release it, though, as kids will be focused on getting back to their ABC’s. But heck, at least it’s coming to theaters. I wonder if the young girls it’s targeted for will track down the racy European ad campaign for “Tattoo.” But we have to cut Rooney some slack–when “Tanner Hall” was first shown, her tattoos were still iron-on decals.
PS Tom Everett Scott has a nice turn in this film. And Imitation of Christ designer Tara Subkoff is featured as well!