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Awards Show Ratings Disaster as Indie Spirit Special on IFC Fails to Make Top 150 Cable Shows of Thursday

Roger Friedman
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Awards Show Ratings Disaster as Indie Spirit Special on IFC Fails to Make Top 150 Cable Shows of Thursday

Is it possible? I actually had a feeling this would happen.

With little promotion or attention, the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards shown live last night at 10pm on the IFC Channel were a spectacular failure.

The two hour special didn’t make the list of top 150 cable shows for Thursday.

Total viewers came to 73,000. And that was being generous. The numbers are tracked by Showbuzz Daily.

In recent years, the Spirit Awards show was able to find around 100,000 viewers. A couple of years ago they were down to 65,000. But those shows were Saturday at 2pm, the day before the Oscars. Why they went with Thursday at 10pm Eastern is beyond me.

The lowest rated show that was monitored on cable at 10pm last night was something on Fox Deportes, with 63,000 viewers.

This is really the season of bad karma. Scott Rudin is gone, there’s upheaval everywhere, and now Film Independent, a group with no good will, has seen broadcast disaster.

In case you don’t know, “Nomadland” won Best Picture. But in a year full of Black actors, none won. The best actors were Carey Mulligan, Riz Ahmed, Youn Yuh-Jung, and Paul Raci.

We Dodged a Bullet: Report that ABC Won’t Go Ahead with Kelsey Grammer-Alec Baldwin Sitcom

Roger Friedman
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We Dodged a Bullet: Report that ABC Won’t Go Ahead with Kelsey Grammer-Alec Baldwin Sitcom

Did you hear that ABC ordered a series starring Kelsey Grammer and Alec Baldwin? It was not going to be called “Kings of Bombast,” but it could have been.

Now Deadline reports that we viewers dodged a bullet. ABC is not going forward with it. Thank god is all I can see. Much as it would have been fun to write about, “Bombast”– my title– would have been an excruciating half hour.

The premise was Alex and Kelsey, more or less the same age, as old college buddies who reunite “to live the lives they always wanted.” I don’t know what that means. Is it La Cage aux Folles? Are they gay? And there was a third roommate, named Alec Mapa, who I think is a real life gay comedian. Can you imagine what this would have been? And the great James Burrows was going to direct and produce.

Whew! Deadline says this might have been a “companion show” to “The Conners,” even though ABC has done everything to kill that show. It needs to move back to 8pm on Tuesdays before it’s dead for good.

A little Kelsey or Alec solo goes a long way. The idea of the two of them in the same space…this was the universe speaking. No. Please. No.

“Queen’s Gambit,” “Bridgerton,” “Mrs. Maisel” Among Winners for 1st Ever Aspire Home & Decor Awards: Designer Derek McLane and Star Chazz Palminteri Among Judges

Roger Friedman
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“Queen’s Gambit,” “Bridgerton,” “Mrs. Maisel” Among Winners for 1st Ever Aspire Home & Decor Awards: Designer Derek McLane and Star Chazz Palminteri Among Judges

Netflix’s original series “The Queen’s Gambit” was the big winner of aspire design and home magazine’s 2021 “Best Dressed Rooms in TV and Film Awards” winning for categories including Best Use of Lighting, Best Use of Small Space, Best Hotel Rooms, Coolest Design Detail for Plot Enhancement and Best Living Room.

Judges included Oscar-nominated actor Chazz Palminteri, Tony and Emmy award winning Derek McLane, who designed “Moulin Rouge” as well as the Oscars from 2013-2018, interior designers Kit Kemp, Gail Davis and Katie Ridder, set decorators Melinda Ritz (“Will and Grace”), Beth Kushnick (“The Good Wife”), and Lydia Marks (“Sex and the City”), applauded how “The Queen’s Gambit” set decorator Sabine Schaaf cleverly transformed the living room in chess prodigy Beth Harmon’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) Kentucky home.

“Because we are spending so much time indoors, we’ve all been talking about what TV shows to watch and ways to redecorate, which inspired this idea,” says creator Jill Brooke, a former CNN entertainment reporter and aspire design and home magazine’s floral editor. “People are appreciating and focusing on design more than ever so it’s a perfect marriage and perfect timing. Plus, we get to show some editorial love to the set decorators and floral designers who rarely get the credit they deserve.

“A well-executed, well-dressed set is tantamount to a starring role. Its richness and
authenticity is integral to creating a mood, a place in time that communicates the ensemble,” says Amy Sneider, Founding Editor-In-Chief of aspire design and home magazine.

“We look forward to this being an annual celebration of design,” adds Steven Mandel, President of Hudson One Media, which owns national magazines aspire design and home and Galerie in addition to a stable of regional and custom publications.

Best Contemporary Design
Winner: The Undoing

Best Costumes to Enhance Decor
Winner: Bridgerton

Best Lighting Ambiance
Winner: The Queen’s Gambit

Best Rooms to Evoke Nostalgia
Winner: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Best Use of Public Space
Winner: The Crown

Best Floral Design
Winner: Bridgerton

Best Living Room Design
Winner: The Queen’s Gambit

Best Artwork Display
Winner: The Undoing

Best “Cheap Chic” Design
Winner: Schitt’s Creek

Best Design Detail for Plot Enhancement
Winner: The Queen’s Gambit

Best Dining Scenes
Winner: The Crown

Best Hotel Rooms
Winner: The Queen’s Gambit

Best Bedroom Design
Winner: The Great

Best Period Design
Winner: The Crown

Best Use of Small Space
Winner: The Queen’s Gambit

50 Years Later: The Rolling Stones’ Best Album, “Sticky Fingers” Was the Clarion Call that Beatles Were Gone But Rock Lived

Roger Friedman
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50 Years Later: The Rolling Stones’ Best Album, “Sticky Fingers” Was the Clarion Call that Beatles Were Gone But Rock Lived

When the Rolling Stones released “Sticky Fingers” 50 years ago today, it had been two years since their last studio album, “Let it Bleed,” in 1969. In between came one of the greatest live albums of all time, “Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out.” Also, there was Altamont, and the death of Brian Jones.

So when “Brown Sugar” preceded “Sticky Fingers” by a couple of weeks, those opening guitar notes from Keith Richards was a clarion call. I was just about to turn 14 and I knew what they meant. The greatest rock and roll band in the world was back. The news was equally important because the Beatles were finished. The Stones’ return to center stage was vital to our existence.

We didn’t know right away that “Sticky Fingers” would kick off the Stones’ best decade of music. “Exile on Main Street” came the next year and down the line, in 1978, “Some Girls.” In between there were bigger hits than even the ones from the 60s, and the 70s proved to be the Stones’ highpoint ending with “Start Me Up.” And 50 years later, they’re still out there, which is extraordinary.

“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” was the album track that real Stones fans migrated to when the album came out. The hits, “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses,” were actually top 40 staples. But “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” was the track you heard in people’s basements, pot smoke rising off of ping pong tables. “Sister Morphine” was runner up because, well, it had a drug in the title.

“Bitch,” “Sway,” “Moonlight Mile” kicked the group into a blues-pop much different than anything else you heard in 1971. And it was a bumper crop year for great albums, the whole summer was a joy, between “Who’s Next” and “Abraxas” and “Ram,” not to mention all the R&B instant classics on the radio, and the whole James-Carly-Carole-Joni world. It was the summer of “Mr. Big Stuff” and “Hot Pants.” What else could you want?

Joe Hagan wrote a great piece this week about the “Sticky Fingers” cover and how it was invented by Andy Warhol and a bunch of smart, creative people who executed his and Mick Jagger’s vision. All I remember is everyone worrying about pulling the zipper in either direction in case you broke it. Best to leave it alone.

One thing hasn’t changed: when I hear the opening of “Brown Sugar” it’s like “Satisfaction,” maybe the only thing equal to it. I’m like Pavlov’s dog. It’s better than the tea cup in “Get Out.” Bomp bomp, bomp-bomp-bomp-bomp. I’m up, I’m moving, my foot is tapping, I’m waiting to make a hundred mistakes on the lyrics but I can hear “tent show queen” and “sweet sixteen” and when you were 14, that’s all you needed to know.

Happy anniversary.

 

 

 

Thursday Ratings: Meredith’s Awake But “Grey’s Anatomy” Stays Low, “Law & Order SVU” Has Emmy Worthy Episode

Roger Friedman
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Thursday Ratings: Meredith’s Awake But “Grey’s Anatomy” Stays Low, “Law & Order SVU” Has Emmy Worthy Episode

Meredith Grey is revived, her show isn’t. Dr. Grey finally opened her eyes last night after a season of COVID and hanging around on the beach with old friends.

Still, overnight ratings were 300,000 viewers lower than last week with a total of 4.6 million fans putting away their pales and shovels. Patrick Dempsey, I hope, picked up good guest star money for the season as he sent Meredith back to their kids. Ellen Pompeo must have cut a deal for next season.

“Grey’s” narrowly beat “Law & Order SVU,” which should reap some Emmy nominations for last night’s episode. The show scored 4.3 million viewers, too, with canny promotion of a Demi Lovato song being included on the soundtrack.

Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson spent much of the episode talking down a New York restaurateur who’d reached the breaking point. She was forced to close her business. In the process, there was a tremendous strain on her marriage and with her son.

“In the Year We All Fell Down” should earn Sarita Choudhury a guest star Emmy nomination in drama as Vanessa. She was powerful and disarming in her scenes with Hargitay, who has to be included this year in Best Actress. Emmy voters have turned into snobs, ignoring network shows. This is a mistake. Julie Martin, Warren Leight, and Kathy Dobie deserve a Best Writing nomination as well.

“Law & Order Organized Crime” is hanging in there with 4.2 million. Not gangbusters but okay. Having the same story week after week isn’t helping. Who thought of this plan? It’s not working.

Spirit Awards? We’ll know tomorrow if movie writers were the only people watching.

Oscars: Netflix Faces Another Year of Many Nominations, No Wins, and Millions of Dollars Spent in the Process

Roger Friedman
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Oscars: Netflix Faces Another Year of Many Nominations, No Wins, and Millions of Dollars Spent in the Process

How will Netflix fare on Sunday at the Oscars?

Right now, it’s not looking too good.

Though the streaming platform came with quality movies poised for many wins, they may yet again leave empty handed.

This year, Netflix has 37 Oscar nominations. That’s up from 24 last year and 14 the previous year.

But last year, with campaigns designed to win presidencies, they came away with just one winner, Laura Dern as Best Supporting Actress in “Marriage Story.”

The streamer had pinned hopes this year to David Fincher’s “Mank,” but that plan collapsed early. Even Amanda Seyfried’s bid for Best Supporting Actress has fizzled with the rise of Yuh-Jung Youn  in “Minari.” At this point, Netflix would be thrilled for Glenn Close to take a sentimental win in “Hillbilly Elegy.” “Mank” may still pick up Best Production Design.

Their strongest chances are in the lead actor and actress categories. Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman each won Screen Actors Guild Awards for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” As SAG voters comprise a huge chunk of Academy members, the odds are good that one or both actors, Boseman posthumously, could take home Oscars.

For a while it seemed like Boseman, who died tragically young and had a moving story, was a cinch. But Riz Ahmed won last night’s Spirit Award, Anthony Hopkins took BAFTA. So Boseman’s chances are a little iffier.

Davis now seems more likely to grab the gold. But front runner Frances McDormand is attached to “Nomadland,” the presumed Best Picture and could be swept in despite her lack of interest. And Carey Mulligan — who has a strong silent following —  won the Spirit Award for “Promising Young Woman.” So even Davis is a little vulnerable going into Sunday’s show.

If they both win, it will be the first time lead actors win from a movie not nominated for Best Picture.

But for Netflix, it’s Best Picture that remains out of reach. They’re going to lose on Sunday to “Nomadland” despite a valiant effort and many excellent films. Their front runner became “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which won Best Ensemble at SAG but only because “Nomadland” wasn’t really a picture with a group of actors. And “Chicago 7” suffered from not having a lead actor (all the actors went supporting).

In past years, Netflix has aimed high with movies like Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” — great movies, in my opinion, ones we will watch again and again — but no luck. They came thisclose each time. And not for lack of trying. Massively expensive campaigns with clever ideas followed each film. But the Oscar Gods went against them.

On Monday, Netflix starts all over again. Will they surprise us in 2022? As the expression goes, every dog has its day. Netflix’s will come sooner or later.

 

 

Independent Spirit Awards LIST of Winners: “Nomadland” Wins Best Feature, Director, As Black Actors Strike Out

Roger Friedman
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Independent Spirit Awards LIST of Winners: “Nomadland” Wins Best Feature, Director, As Black Actors Strike Out

The Independent Spirit Awards managed to avoid all the Black actors tonight. Not one of them won. In a big upset, the late Chadwick Boseman lost to Riz Ahmed for Best Actor. (And they didn’t even nominate Viola Davis or Andra Day.)

Melissa Villasenor did  great celebrity impressions on the Spirit Awards. The winners obviously pre-taped their acceptance speeches, which makes staying up from 10pm til midnight enervating.

At least I’m not sitting in that tent on Santa Monica Beach picking at cold, mysterious food, looking for a better seat. (The press is put all the way in the back, about a mile from the stage.)

Pretty funny: in the last half hour they just gave up and handed out the winners, no presenters or jib jab. LOL.

Carey Mulligan gave a lovely speech and acknowledged death of Helen McCrory.

Wanna feel old? Noah Hutton was nominated for an award. He’s 33! The son of Debra Winger and Timothy Hutton, grandson of the Jim Hutton. Time flies.

Best Feature
“First Cow”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Minari”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Nomadland”

Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
Eliza Hittman, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Kelly Reichardt, “First Cow”
Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland”

Best First Feature
“I Carry You With Me”
“The 40 Year Old Version”
“The Sound of Metal”
“Miss Juneteenth”
“Nine Days”

Best Female Lead
Nicole Beharie, “Miss Juneteenth”
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Julia Garner, “The Assistant”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”

Best Male Lead
Riz Ahmed, “The Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Rob Morgan, “Bull”
Steven Yeun, “Minari”
Adarsh Gourav, “The White Tiger”

Best Supporting Female
Alexis Chikaeze, “Miss Juneteenth”
Yeri Han, “Minari”
Valerie Mahaffey, French Exit”
Talia Ryder, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Yuh-jung Youn, “Minari”

Best Supporting Male
Colman Domingo, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Orion Lee, “First Cow”
Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”
Glynn Turmann, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Benedict Wong, “Nine Days”

Best Screenplay
“Bad Education”
“Minari”
“The Half of It”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Promising Young Woman”

Best First Screenplay
Kitty Green, “The Assistant”
Noah Hutton, “Lapsis”
Channing Godfrey Peoples, “Miss Juneteenth”
Andy Siara, “Palm Springs”
James Sweeney, “Straight Up”

Best Cinematography
Jay Keitel, “She Dies Tomorrow”
Shabier Kirchner, “Bull”
Michael Latham, “The Assistant”
Hélène Louvart, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland”

Best Editing
“I Carry You With Me”
“The Invisible Man”
“Residue”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Nomadland”

Robert Altman Award
“One Night in Miami”

Best Documentary
“Collective”
“Crip Camp”
“Dick Johnson Is Dead”
“Time”
“The Mole Agent”

Best International Film
“Bacurau”
“The Disciple”
“Night of the Kings”
“Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time”
“Quo Vadis, Aida?”

Piaget Producers Award
Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim

Someone to Watch Award
David Midell, “The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain”
Ekwa Msangi, “Farewell Amor”
Annie Silverstein, “Bull”

Truer Than Fiction Award
Cecilia Aldarondo, “Landfall”
Elegance Bratton, “Pier Kids”
Elizabeth Lo, “Stray”

John Cassavetes Awards
“The Killing of Two Lovers”
“La Leyenda Negra”
“Lingua Franca”
“Residue”
“Saint Frances”

Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
“Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children”
“City So Real”
“Immigration Nation”
“Love Fraud”
“We’re Here”

Best Scripted Series
“I May Destroy You”
“Little America”
“Small Axe”
“A Teacher”
“Unorthodox”

Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series
Elle Fanning, “The Great”
Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”
Abby McEnany, “Work in Progress
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, “Never Have I Ever”
Jordan Kristine Seamón, “We Are Who We Are”

Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series
Conphidance, “Little America”
Adam Ali, “Little America”
Nicco Annan, “P-Valley”
Amit Rahav, “Unorthodox”
Harold Torres, “Zero, Zero, Zero”

Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
“I May Destroy You”
Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia
Stephen Wight

Exclusive: Frances McDormand, Oscar Nominee for “Nomadland,” WILL Be on Sunday’s Academy Awards

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Frances McDormand, Oscar Nominee for “Nomadland,” WILL Be on Sunday’s Academy Awards

Guess who’s coming to the Oscars?

Why, it’s Frances McDormand, nominated for Best Actress in “Nomadland.” Sources tell me she WILL appear on Sunday night’s Academy Awards. There’s a strong chance she will win.

McDormand has bypassed all the other awards shows this season like the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild. She’s appeared on the cover of Vogue and in the New York Times, but McDormand has mostly not done publicity for “Nomadland.” She’s left that to director Chloe Zhao, to author Jessica Bruder, and even to the real people who played themselves in the movie.

Otherwise, McDormand has been MIA.

Frances already has two Oscars, for “Fargo” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” There’s a chance she’ll be up for another one next year for her work as Lady MacBeth. She’s ‘over it,’ as they say.

But at least she’ll deign to be there on Sunday. That leaves just Anthony Hopkins as the nominee most likely not to be there.

Who will McDormand’s companion be? My guess is she’ll bring her son, Pedro Coen, if not husband Joel Coen. If Frances wins, she’ll undoubtedly give a memorable speech. Even if she loses, she should be allowed to give the speech.

 

Ryan Reynolds Taps LeVar Burton as New Spokesman for Aviation Gin as Part of “Jeopardy!” Campaign

Roger Friedman
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Ryan Reynolds Taps LeVar Burton as New Spokesman for Aviation Gin as Part of “Jeopardy!” Campaign

Clever Ryan Reynolds, always promoting his Aviation Gin. He just announced that LeVar Burton is his new spokesman.

Burton is campaigning to become the new host of “Jeopardy!” Good move.

FRIDAY UPDATE Sunday’s Oscar “Movie” Adds THREE Nominees: Steven Yeun, Viola Davis and Riz Ahmed Join Unusual Broadcast

Roger Friedman
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FRIDAY UPDATE Sunday’s Oscar “Movie” Adds THREE Nominees: Steven Yeun, Viola Davis and Riz Ahmed Join Unusual Broadcast

FRIDAY UPDATE 3:15PM “Minari” star and nominee Steven Yeun has been added to the show.

EARLIER As you may have heard, it’s going to be a different kind of Academy Awards show on Sunday.

The producers say it will be more like a move than awards show, with a “cast” instead of presenters.

They’ve just added two nominees to the cast. Viola Davis and Riz Ahmed have joined the group that already includes Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Bong Joon Ho, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, Laura Dern, Harrison Ford, Regina King, Marlee Matlin, Rita Moreno, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Renée Zellweger and Zendaya.

I don’t know about you, but I want to see this movie.

The Oscars begin at 8pm on Sunday night on ABC. But at 6:30pm they’re going to have a 90 minute special with all the nominated Best Songs performed.

Simultaneously, at 7pm, for an hour, Elton John is having a virtual special to raise money for his AIDS Foundation. Dua Lipa is performing and a lot of celebs like Neil Patrick Harris and Lady Gaga will be involved. It costs a mere 20 bucks. You can buy the tickets here.

 

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