THIERRY ATTARD'S DOUBLE FEATURE

THE SMAÏN AND ROZON SHOW

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:50:00 +0000

[11.50 - French Time] First live semi-final of La France a un incroyable talent (LFAIT), the French version of Simon Cowell's Got Talent franchise, yesterday evening on French private channel M6.

12 semi-finalists divided in two groups of 6. First group: Les Echos-Liés (Dance group), Michaël (Speed painting), Isabelle (Dance), Christèle and her dog, Agnieszka (Singer) and Batuc'Ados (Dance group). The candidate who receives the highest votes from viewers is automatically qualified, and the jury must choose the other between the second and the third chosen by viewers. A candidate is "saved" by the judges at the end of the episode.

Second group: So United Crew (Dance Group), Mohamed Cheddadi (Michael Jackson impersonator and magician), Mélodie et Marjolaine (Dancer and singer), Simon (Motorcycle acrobat), Franky Filing (Ventriloquist) and Léa (Singer/composer).

In a GT all the fun is in the audition process. No candidate really tried to set the bar higher than during the audtion process except Mohamed Cheddadi (why the ventriloquist didn't confirm his audition is a mystery) and no surprise in this first semi-final: Isabelle got three buzzes, and the finalists are two dance groups - Les Echos-Liés and So United Crew (at least Les Echos-Liés distinguish themselves with humor) - and two singers, Agnieszka and Léa. No Actors Studio too when the jury had to choose between Agnieszka and Christèle: « What a Cornelian choice » said Valérie Stroh. Idem for the choice between Simon and Léa (« It's a very difficult choice » regrets Gilbert Rozon!) Yeah, right...

« The show is not here [within the jury], The show is there [on stage] » said the humorist, partly aknowledging what we already knew: the true stars of a Cowell show are the judges and this year Gilbert Rozon and Smaïn brilliantly steal the show ( « You always agree with me but you can't admit it » says Rozon). When told that The X Factor (another entry from Simon Cowell) 2009 edition had been all centered around her, judge Dannii Minogue answered: « What a shock to hear you say that! I always wish it was about the contestants, but I guess The X Factor is as much a soap opera about the judges as well » (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/xfactor/news/a191679/minogue-simon-blew-real-competition.html).

Mohamed is the contestant saved by the jury.

Verdict: 5/10

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/12/24.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/12/inside-actors-studio.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/12/land-of-smiles.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/boyle-identity.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/get-ready-for-susanne-boule.html

24

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:31:00 +0000

[11.31 - French Time] Episode 4 of La France a un incroyable talent (LFAIT), the French version of Simon Cowell's Got Talent franchise. Fourth day of auditions and 24 candidates to chose for the live semi-final of Wednesday 16.

Previously titled Incroyable Talent ("Incredible Talent"), the French GT is now La France a un incroyable talent ("France's got an incredible talent"). Production company FremantleMedia France and private channel M6 now clearly relate the French version to its British counterpart because of the extraordinary global impact of Susan Boyle. So there's this new title, a new logo similar to Britain's Got Talent, a new intro sequence... actually the theme and the visuals of BGT but with French landmarks, and even a new jury.

Only « direct and intransigent » producer from Quebec Gilbert Rozon (founder and president of the Just for Laughs festival) remains from previous seasons. Actress/director Valérie Stroh and comedian and humorist Smaïn are the new recruits. The unlikely duo Smaïn/Rozon ranks among the great tandems of the Cowell factory like Simon Cowell/Piers Morgan in BGT or Simon Cowell/Louis Walsh in The X Factor. In the GT franchise the part of the female judge is always ungrateful, ask Amanda Holden, and only Sharon Osbourne in America's Got Talent has the suitable personality to match with her male colleagues (Piers Morgan and David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff).

Submitted for the approval of the judges: a flame spewer stripper, a senior Ray Charles/Prince crossover (huh?), Mélodie and Marjolaine (dancer and singer), an autodidact juggler, a pig (a true pig, I mean...), a mental coach who can bend a metal spear with his throat (do not try this at home, children...), Hugo - a talented sopranist, or an oriental male dancer.

One of the main issues of Got Talent is editing. Thank goodness, LFAIT do not suffer of the Quantum of Solace type of editing of AGT but sometimes a sequence is "cut" to the point of frustration of the viewer like with dance group Afrokan (three Yesses) or magicians Zack et Brice (too quickly ejected). Talking about magic, Tao gave us a great number. The guy has talent and a fantastic sense of humour. Impressive also, a contortionist from Montreal named Sabrina - there's no GT in Quebec (« So sophisticated, so Quebecer » says Rozon).

To be perfectly honest, we were all expecting FremantleMedia to try shamelessly a local Susan Boyle but actually no one among the contenders can truly be dubbed "the French SuBo". However, thanks to Diversity (winner of BGT 2009) there is an overdose of dance groups this year. Another trend of this season is the tributes to Michael Jackson: Secret of Moonwalk, a dance group, mixes both trends. « That's why this show exists » says Gilbert Rozon and Simon Cowell should give £10 to a charity each time a judge of one of his shows says that.

At least Undercover could seriously begin to approach Diversity with its nice dance number with music from video games. But on the social relevance side we can bet that Othentik59 could be a proper French Diversity winner. Other heavy trend of LFAIT season 4: the French Shaheen Jafargholi - remember this 12-year old singer who appeared in BGT and sung for the Michael Jackson Memorial Service. Last week we had Gwendal, in this episode Joffrey. The 13-year old boy offered Gilbert Rozon an opportunity for a Simon Cowell impersonation and after the "suspense" of the commercial break his dilemma came to an end with a "Yes".

55 Yesses in 4 episodes, 31 down after the "debriefing", 24 survivors: Isabelle (Dancer), Les Echo-Liés (Dance Group), Agnieszka (Singer), Simon (Motorcycle acrobat), Rachid (Flame Spewer), Batuc'ados (Samba Group), Mohamed (Michael Jackson impersonator/magician!), Christèle and her dog, Michaël (Speed painting), Mélodie and Marjolaine, Othentik59, Florian (Magician), Secret of Moonwalk, Léa (Singer/Composer), Franky Filing (Ventriloquist extraordinary), So United Crew (Dance Group), Lola (Singer), Skorpion (Dancer), Tao, Céline (Singer), Fanny and Noémie (Dancers), Compagnie A Balles et Bulles (Jugglers), Gwendal (Singer) and Sabrina.

Brilliant episode, great lines from Smaïn (« You take the money »), Rozon and co-presenter Alex Goude (« Little pussy is dead »). All you can wait from GT even a surreal moment of enthusiasm of the jury for an "Instrument impersonator" who impersonates a baby cry (sorry?) with Valérie Stroh finding that "Super Original". And Marcel Azna, the Aznavour "lookalike", was sympathetic and moving.

Full disclosure: Written between coughs and sneezes by your humble servant, who will watch the semi-final this evening in an altered state.

Verdict: 9/10

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/12/inside-actors-studio.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/12/land-of-smiles.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/boyle-identity.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/get-ready-for-susanne-boule.html

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Last May, after the final episode of Britain's Got Talent 2009 on ITV1, your humble servant (who guessed the name of the winner) joked that music and television mogul Simon Cowell should consider launching his own TV channel.

In June it was reported that Cowell was working with businessman Sir Philip Green in order to create a £1 billion new entertainment company - which would incorporate his ITV talent shows The X Factor (whose season finale aired last evening) and BGT, as well as other projects.

Now Simon Cowell rules out rumours that he could bid for ITV with Philip Green (http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/cowell-rules-out-itv-bid/5009069.article). « We’ve been approached by various people in the past who wanted to have a look at ITV and asked us if we’d be interested, but it’s so much work to do » he said in an interview to be shown on BBC2 Newsnight tonight.

Could ITV, which owes Cowell a lot this year (http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/dec/13/x-factor-itv-simon-cowell), become the jewel of the crown of his empire? The future of Simon Cowell, now the highest paid man of the US television industry and saviour of ITV, goes definitely beyond American Idol (where he's a judge), The X Factor or the Got Talent franchise - whose French edition currently airs its fourth season on private channel M6.

See also:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a161891/cowell-green-plan-gbp1-billion-media-firm.html
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a191274/joe-mcelderrys-x-factor-win-draws-191m.html
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6955142.ece

HALLYDAY ROAD

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:30:00 +0000

Right in the middle of a political debate about France's Identité nationale (National Identity - i.e. What makes a French), the main topic of French media outlets these days is not the upcoming regional elections, the recession, or climate change but the health of Johnny Hallyday.

Rocker and actor Johnny Hallyday (born Jean-Philippe Smet), 66 years old, is the French equivalent in notoriety of Elvis Presley or even Michael Jackson. He has sold million of records and performed in front of million of fans in stadiums since the sixties. Hallyday is a true Pop culture icon in France: he has a puppet in the always popular Guignols de l'Info (the satirical show aired by Canal Plus) and his weddings or his fiscal localization choices are the talk of main street and among favorite stories of French newspapers or tabloids.

Johnny Hallyday is at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles since a few days. He has been placed into a medically induced coma to assist his recovery from back surgery in L.A., after complications from a previous operation in France to relieve a herniated disc. Family and friends are now around the rock legend in California and last friday, the French doctor who practiced the original surgery in Paris was attacked by two masked men.

Whether you like the character or not (your humble servant is personally indifferent to the singer or to the public figure) his enduring career as a rock star can only inspire respect. Johnny Hallyday is probably the only remaining superstar of France's music industry since the death of singer Claude François in 1978.

On the opposite, his acting career leaves the impression of a missed opportunity. After some minor films made to cash on the singer and an Eurowestern in the sixties, Hallyday had to wait the eighties when Jean-Luc Godard and Costa-Gavras transcended the singer to make him a true actor, respectively in Détective (1985) and Conseil de famille (1986, remade in the US as Family Business).

In 1989 Americanophile Johnny Hallyday became maverick cop David Lansky in a namesake TV series for French public television service. Ahead of its time with its attempt to match US production, this rather enjoyable show lasted only one season. Unfortunately the rest of Hallyday's filmography is of no cinephilic interest except the wonderful Jean-Philippe (2006), a "Twilight Zonesque" surreal comedy where he played his own self in an alternate reality where the rock star Hallyday doesn't exist.

Johnny Hallyday was meant to go on his farewell tour in January 2010 but French newspapers are asking if his health will allow him to do so, with all the consequences that an interruption could have regarding the business and contractual aspects of this tour. The health status of the artist is not ignored in the anglo-saxon world, even famous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton - who keeps an eye on France (he's the N°1 supporter of French singer Sliimy) - has written a piece about "the French Elvis".

See:

http://perezhilton.com/2009-12-13-french-elvis-johnny-hallyday-in-drug-induced-coma
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/arts/music/14arts-FRENCHROCKER_BRF.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6804066/Johnny-Hallyday-surgeon-attacked-by-fans-in-Paris.html
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/frech-rock-star-reportedly-hospitalized-in-los-angeles.html

TA2 ADVISORY: MIASMA BLUES

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:13:00 +0000

My sinuses, my nose and my throat are going through times so tough that they're threatening me to unionize. This is not swine flu... I'm not a swine! (laughs)

I thank you loyal and numerous readers for your patience, your interest, your trust and your regular visits.

INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:03:00 +0000

[7.00 - French Time] Episode 3 of La France a un incroyable talent (LFAIT), the French version of Simon Cowell's Got Talent franchise, aired yesterday evening on private channel M6. This episode was build with a lot of dramatization around the publicized clash of the two male members of the jury - announced right at the start of the show. Keep in mind that in GT the true stars are the judges.

Now in its season 4, LFAIT (formerly Incroyable Talent) has a brand new jury: only « direct and intransigent » producer from Quebec Gilbert Rozon remains from previous seasons. Actress/director Valérie Stroh and comedian and humorist Smaïn are the new recruits. This year FremantleMedia France, the production company, and M6 seem to get the right formula for the jury and Smaïn is actually the good surprise of the show.

We already knew the man is a classy ad-libber that he's fun on stage. We were less convinced by his incursions in television fiction and in movies. After all, he played in the notorious terrible remake of a French movie classic (whose poster curiously vanished from his presentation this week). But his unlikely duo with Gilbert Rozon is as interesting as the tandem Simon Cowell/Piers Morgan in Britain's Got Talent or Simon Cowell/Louis Walsh in The X Factor.

Submitted for the approval of the LFAIT judges: So United Crew, another dance group - Diversity won BGT 2009 and it shows, a woman and her dog, a Country music dance family (who inspired to Gilbert Rozon a first snark to Smaïn), a "recordman", an electronic string quartet a la Escala, an impersonator who earned a Yes from Smaïn... and Smaïn got a « Will you stop to want to please everyone? » from his "direct and intransigent" Canadian colleague.

Make no mistake, the pair stole this third episode. The kid singing Show must go on, the 61-year old "intuitive dancer", or the dance troup "not pretending to be professional" (« And you're damn right » answers a cowellian Rozon) were there to pave the way for THE clash of the titans. Kevin & Blaise, a duo of "Fire charmers", lit the fuse (...) when Smaïn - who liked the number - revendicates his difference vs the [I quote] « American way » of Gilbert Rozon.

When the comedian and then the producer left the stage they broke the momentum of the episode. Puh-lease, guys! At least we were spared Simon Cowell doing a Charlie Townsend impersonation through an intercom like in America's Got Talent or BGT judge Amanda Holden dressed as a circus ringmistress (but Cowell is innocent for that one). C'mon, don't ever do that again.

All the magic of the show lies in the display of pleasant numbers and sometimes true talents hidden inside the nightmarish compendium which is usually GT. Breizh acrobatique, a group of seven amateur acrobatic gymnasts, gave us some poetry. Circus artist Correo was so "clouseauesque" that he was sympathetic with his big white balloon which recalls Rover in The Prisoner except that Correo has more charisma than Jim Caviezel.

The Compagnie A Balles et Bulles offered us an impressive jugglery number with skittle pins looking like a clockwork mechanism. The real Doctor Dolitle exists, his name is Benjamin and what he did with his dog and some ducks was extroardinary - not well handled the thing could have turned ridiculous. « Thanks to Smaïn for not buzzing » said co-presenter Alex Goude but Valérie Stroh and Gilbert Rozon did. « Gilbert can't dream anymore » added Goude.

The true revelation of this third week of LFAIT is Florian, 18 years, a magician who won three yesses manipulating CDs. It was original, the young man has style, the choice of the music for the tricks was elegant (a remix of The Hunt for Red October) and if he confirms in semi-final he would certainly fit into the price of the show this season: a worldwide tour with transformist Arturo Brachetti (and 100.000 euro).

A dancer named Skorpion was the climax of the episode.

Verdict: 5/10

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/12/land-of-smiles.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/boyle-identity.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/get-ready-for-susanne-boule.html

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:36:00 +0000

[18.36 -French Time] There was no "performance art" in this one. CBS cancels another soap opera, three months after Guiding Light.

This time it's As the world turns, created in 1956, and its final episode will be aired in september 2010. As Dan J. Kroll of Soap Central aptly remarks, the end of As the World Turns will mark the exit of Procter & Gamble from the world of soap operas, « the very industry it helped to create ».

NBC's Days of our lives is the only soap with more viewers than last year. Stefano DiMera, the resident archivillain of Salem, played so exquisitely by Joseph Mascolo, is really a very powerful man.

http://www.soapcentral.com/atwt/news/2009/1208-canceled.php

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/12/performance.html

RISING SUN... CANADIAN STYLE

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:54:00 +0000

La Gazette du doublage, the most important website about French-speaking dubbing, has an interesting and most intriguing story this sunday about the recent rerun of Rising Sun (1993) on French cable channel Paris Premiere (a subsidiary of national private channel M6).

On november 30th, Paris Premiere aired the movie adaptation of the excellent Michael Crichton best-seller, starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes. What is intriguing with what is after all another rerun of this enjoyable film is that Paris Premiere aired a French-speaking dubbing done in Quebec and not the usual French dubbing made in Paris.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this dubbing from Quebec. Sean Connery is dubbed by Ronald France and Wesley Snipes by Jean-Luc Montminy - the voice of Bruce Willis in Quebec (http://www.doublage.qc.ca/showMovie.php?id=1551). Most important, the dubbing artistic director and author of the French dialogues for this version is Vincent Davy, one of the most respected dubbing director, dubbing author and artist of the Province. He's the voice of Jack Nicholson, Anthony Hopkins or Martin Landau and his impressive resume has the length of the Great Wall of China.

In fact, French-speaking dubbing from Quebec is quite familiar for French viewers since the 70s-80s. Mainly because such shows like the original Star Trek, Space: 1999 or The Six million dollar man (except for some episodes dubbed in France) have been dubbed there. But for legal reasons movies shown in French theaters are dubbed in France or sometimes in Belgium and Montreal is excluded, so of course 99% of the movies later seen on TV are dubbed in Paris.

There is a "Parisian" dubbing for Rising Sun, with the voice of Jean-Claude Michel for Sean Connery. Jean-Claude Michel is a legend for dubbing aficionados, he was the voice of Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery or Peter Graves. François Justamand, chief editor of La Gazette du doublage, points out that some years ago private channel TF1 aired this dubbing from Quebec just once and asks the following questions: why does the TV distributor of Rising Sun proposes this version to French channels? Is it an issue about rights or only a mistake of this distributor?

Oddly enough, the last time TF1 aired the movie it was with the dubbing from France but the promos were with the dubbing from Quebec.

http://www.objectif-cinema.com/blog-doublage/index.php/2009/12/06/214-nouvelles-en-vrac (In French)

PERFORMANCE

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:51:00 +0000

When ABC announced in october that Golden Globe winner James Franco, yes the same James Franco who played in three Spider-Man movies, Pinneaple Express and Milk, would play on a short-term basis in the venerable soap opera General Hospital, many commentators expressed their perplexity.

James Franco gives us his explanations in a Wall Street Journal article titled A Star, a Soap and the Meaning of Art, and subtitled Why an appearance on 'General Hospital' qualifies as performance art: his guest-starring role in 20 episodes of GH as « the bad-boy artist "Franco, just Franco" » is... performance art(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107104574570313372878136.html#printMode).

According to Tate Online, performance art is an art "in which the medium is the artist's own body and the artwork takes the form of actions performed by the artist" (http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/glossary/definition.jsp?entryId=218). The actor explains his artistic step in his WSJ piece: « I disrupted the audience's suspension of disbelief, because no matter how far I got into the character, I was going to be perceived as something that doesn't belong to the incredibly stylized world of soap operas. Everyone watching would see an actor they recognized, a real person in a made-up world ».

The daytime drama genre is living tough times since a couple of years: ratings decline, budgets and casts shrink. Some soaps died this year (Guiding Light) and some may die next year or in a two-year time. Soap opera actors are among the hardest working people in the industry and the talent of many of them has been rewarded by an enduring loyalty from their fans that some A-Listers would not dare to hope in their wildest dreams.

Most soap opera actors are consumed professionals. With character actors and the rare actors who truly deserve to be called "stars" they are the nobility of those who practice their art on screen: the art of acting. When respected veteran actor Eric Braeden (known for his role of Victor Newman in Y&R) appeared in James Cameron's Titanic (1997) he was not doing "performance art". He was doing his job.

Nuff said.

SCREAM TOO

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:28:00 +0000

[19.28 - French Time] After HBO's True Blood, the Twilight franchise - adapted from the books by Stephenie Meyer, and The CW's Vampire diaries, Hollywoodland is looking for the next good nightly twist which could attract viewers and cash on the trend of the year. After all, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a global box office record breaker.

So we learn from Entertainment Weekly that Fox has ordered to Dreamworks Television a show called Howl, about families of werewolves in a small Alaskan town (http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/12/04/fox-to-develop-werewolf-series-howl/). Fortysomething readers may remember that one of the first shows of the network was actually the excellent but short-lived Werewolf (1987).

In this series created by Frank Lupo, college student Eric Cord (John J. York) becomes a werewolf because of his best friend and roommate. He must search Janos Skorzeny (Chuck Connors), the creator of his "bloodline", across the country and he tries to escape to bounty hunter Alamo Joe Rogan (Lance Le Gault). Near the end of the sole season of Werewolf, Eric discovers that the true originator of the bloodline is not Skorzeny but Nicholas Remy (Brian Thompson), a 2000 year-old werewolf who is a respected university professor with connections in the political sphere.

We can expect an attempt to resurrect (sic) Werewolf sooner or later, as we can bet that there will be a new try to bring back Dark Shadows on the small screen. Atypical in the History of American television, Dark Shadows was a gothic soap opera - imagine Y&R with vampires, werewolves or ghosts - created by Dan Curtis (who also produced) and aired by ABC between 1966 and 1971. The most popular character was vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid, and the soap jumped to the big screen with two MGM movies: House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971).

Yes, there's a movie revival currently in development which must be directed by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp (who else?) as Barnabas Collins, but being a big fan of the original your humble servant cannot imagine Depp as Barnabas. In 1991, NBC and Dan Curtis tried to revive Dark Shadows with the talented and wrongfully underestimated Ben Cross as Collins but the primetime show didn't last more than 12 episodes.

In 2004, the then-WB network ordered a pilot for a new and younger Dark Shadows to catch the audience of Smallville but the show was never picked up. Now, regarding the success of The Twilight Saga, some suits will certainly consider a "reinvention" and they may well play with the idea of bringing back a show called Kindred: The Embraced, a sort of vampiric Melrose Place (eh, it was from Spelling Television) aired on Fox in 1996 and starring British actor Mark Frankel - who left this world too soon.

Be prepared for more bloodsucking.

See also:

http://www.werewolftv.com/main.html
http://www.collinwood.net/

LET'S MAKE A DEAL

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:56:00 +0000

The awaited deal between Comcast and NBC Universal (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/10/en-attendant-godot.html) is now a reality.

Complete coverage by She Who Must Be Read, aka Nikki Finke, in Deadline.com:

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/video-roberts-immelt-talk-to-cnbc/
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/welcome-to-mr-zuckers-new-neighborhood/
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/comcastgenbcu-transaction-details/
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/official-comcastgenbcu-announcement-jeff-zucker-named-ceo-of-new-entertainment-behemoth/
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/first-casualty-of-comcastgenbcu-deal/

See also:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i6328aaffeb014c1300c755de16a99b69

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:03:00 +0000

Big Top is an attempt by BBC One to launch a new family sitcom starring actress Amanda Holden (one of the judges of Britain's Got Talent) as the ringmistress of a small circus.

Invited by talk show host Paul O'Grady before the premiere of the show, she anticipated that Big Top would get a harsh reaction from critics: « They'll slate it. They'll slate me. They'll say, 'Why is she a talent judge? - She's in this show and she's not talented in it'. But it's fine » (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a189622/amanda-holden-big-top-will-get-slated.html). This wish of Ms Holden to spare so many journalists and bloggers time and efforts is very kind, but what is actually intriguing is why the BBC commissioned Big Top in the first place.

« In this current climate who wants to watch a desperate family in their living room? » said Amanda Holden, talking to Hot TV. Well, er... that's not nice for Emmerdale and its fans: a double-length episode of the ITV1 soap opera (ITV1 is the home of BGT, by the way) peaked at 8.2 million viewers vs 3.3 million viewers for the first episode of Big Top (http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2009/12/03/10110/big_top_is_a_big_flop).

Imagine what could Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson (The Impressions Show) could do with material like Big Top or Paradox...

See also:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a189396/holden-my-show-is-credit-crunch-comedy.html

STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY AND GLEE (MOVIEHOLE)

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:38:00 +0000

Interview of US actor Stephen Tobolowsky on Moviehole. He talks to Clint Morris about his role in Glee, the Fox Hit series.

And each week listen to The Tobolowsky files, the podcast series from /Film.

http://www.moviehole.net/200921844-stephen-tobolowsky
http://www.slashfilm.com/category/features/slashfilmcast/the-tobolowsky-files/

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/10/tobolowsky-files-film.html

THE LAND OF SMILES

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:57:00 +0000

[7.08] Aired yesterday evening on private channel M6, episode 2 of La France a un incroyable talent (LFAIT) - the French version of Simon Cowell's Got Talent franchise - was an improvement from episode 1 and delivered what you expect from a GT show: supremely pathetic, extraordinary, ludicrous, impressive and, sometimes... real talent.

Previously titled Incroyable Talent ("Incredible Talent"), the French GT is now La France a un incroyable talent ("France's got an incredible talent"). Production company FremantleMedia and M6 want to relate the French version to Britain's Got Talent because of the SuBo Factor, of course. So there's this new title, a new logo similar to its British counterpart, a new intro sequence with the theme and the visuals of BGT but with French landmarks, and a new jury for this season 4.

The true stars of the GT franchise all over the world are the judges. Of the previous seasons of the French GT, only producer from Quebec Gilbert Rozon remains in the jury. Actress/director Valérie Stroh and comedian Smaïn enter. Of the trio, Rozon is the closest French-speaking version of Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan (judges of BGT) reunited. « He'll be direct and intransigent » says the presentation, and he can indulge himself to be: he's the founder and president of the Just for Laughs Festival and produces most of the francophone stage superstars of comedy.

Submitted for the approval of the LFAIT jury on Day 2 of the auditions were a Michael Jackson impersonator doubling as a magician (!), a man who does the cry of the pig, a teenage fire jugler boy, a human cannonball woman, a 80-year old corsican singer, female twins practicing rythmic gymnastics, a puppeteer, a club of laughers (huh?) or a guy who was... er, what was he doing, anyway?

The jury clearly finds its marks. Your humble servant was sceptical about comedian Smaïn as a judge - after all he played in the notorious terrible remake of a French movie classic. Outdoor for the spectacular and successful human cannonball number (a premiere in the history of the show), Smaïn has a funny discussion with a woman who lives near. He's a classy ad-libber and knows how to capture the sympathy of the audience.

Valérie Stroh and Gilbert Rozon have a more technical if not clinical insight. But even a natural personality like Smaïn cannot make forget we are tasting a Simon Cowell formula: "We're doing this job to discover true talents", "That's why this show exists" or "That's why we make this show" should be banned once and for all. I'm sure someone at FremantleMedia France must have seen Britain’s Got The Pop Factor... - Peter Kay's parody of Cowell's programmes.

Sometimes among the depressive and nightmarish compendium that can be GT emerges a true talent, like young singer/composer Léa, from Madagascar. Or Céline, the wonderful Opera singer (a female Paul Potts) in the climax of this episode 2 - there's always a climax in a GT show. But the suits behind the Got Talent franchise should beware of the analogy with The X Factor (even if X Factor 2009 owes a lot to BGT!)

My favourite numbers of this episode: Les Drôles de mecs, another group of humoristic breakdance (Diversity won BGT 2009, remember) and ventriloquist genius Franky Filing. « The production has lent me brand new material » says Franky and his "material" is actually the two presenters, Alex Goude and Sandrine Corman - chosen at the last second by the artist.

But what would be an operetta without a royal couple, hey? Les Romanesques (http://www.myspace.com/lesromanesques) is a curious Japanese pop performance duo with kitsch costumes, songs and choreography. Their song Zoon-Doco Bushi reminds of Neal Hefti and Anime theme songs. Odd but amusing, Gwen Stefani should love them.

Next week on LFAIT: Gilbert Rozon and Smaïn clash. Oh, c'mon! Seriously, folks...

Verdict: 8/10

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/boyle-identity.html

BONEKICKER

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Interesting video interview of Adrian Hodges, co-creator of Primeval, on the excellent Digital Spy website.

Hodges talks about the future of the franchise: the next two seasons, the movie, etc.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s48/primeval/tubetalk/a188743/primeval-creator-talks-new-series-movie.html

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/09/walk-dinosaur.html

WHO IS NUMBER ONE?

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:09:00 +0000

Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band: The Official BBC Children In Need Medley is number one in the UK singles chart.

Comedian Peter Kay, who entered in both music and television History in 2005 for Comic Relief with his cult video cover of Tony Christie's Is this the way to Amarillo, shows his magic again (he should be given a Knighthood) with the most beautiful music video ever done.

In Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band, a star-studded cast of animated characters performs a medley including Pussycat Dolls' Jai Ho and The Beatles' Hey Jude: Thomas the Tank Engine, Fifi (from Fifi and the Flowertots), Postman Pat, Lady Penelope, Paddington Bear, Scooby Doo, Pingu, Peppa Pig, Bob the Builder, The Wombles, etc (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2740124/Children-In-Need-charity-single.html).

Two years of preparation for this video shot in the studios of Chapman Entertainment (Fifi and the Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car) with the original voices of the 100 characters - Peter Kay is the voice of Big Chris in Roary and Jane Horrocks is the voice of Fifi (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/news/news201109.shtml).

While we're in a rare incursion into the music biz, the debut album of Susan Boyle - revealed by Britain's Got Talent, is number one in the UK albums chart.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a189070/peter-kays-charity-single-reaches-no-1.html
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a189068/susan-boyles-debut-album-soars-to-no-1.html

WORKING CLASS HERO

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Christopher Eccleston will be John Lennon in a 90-minute one-off drama for BBC Four. Lennon Naked will cover the 1967-1971 period of Lennon's life.

Naoko Mori (Absolutely Fabulous, Torchwood) will play Yoko Ono in this biopic directed by Edmund Coulthard and written by Robert Jones (co-creator of Party Animals with Ben Richards)

This announcement comes as a form of solace, in the premiere week of the laughable Paradox, the five-episode series shown on BBC One and starring Tamzin Outhwaite (The Fixer). A show which is a good candidate to rejoin Bonekickers, Spooks: Code 9 or Demons in the cemetary of the British "high-concept" (sic) fiction experiences.

Lennon Naked is scheduled to air in 2010. The choice of Eccleston to play John Lennon is simply... fantastic.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/27/christopher-eccleston-john-lennon-bbc4
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a188883/eccleston-to-play-lennon-in-bbc-drama.html

THE BOYLE IDENTITY

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:02:00 +0000

[7.02 - French Time] The French edition of Simon Cowell's Got Talent franchise, whose fourth season started on private channel M6 yesterday evening, is revamped to ressemble to Britain's Got Talent, thanks to the global impact of Susan Boyle.

Previously titled Incroyable Talent ("Incredible Talent"), the French GT becomes La France a un incroyable talent ("France's got an incredible talent"). Production company FremantleMedia now clearly relates the French version to its British counterpart. So there's this new title, a new logo similar to Britain's Got Talent, a new intro sequence... actually the theme and the visuals of BGT but with French landmarks, and even a new jury.

The new title seems to reveal a dilemma: La France a un incroyable talent is a mix between the Got Talent brand and the old Incroyable Talent title. The concept is now known here since almost four years, FremantleMedia and M6 certainly don't want to lose the benefit of this implantation so they keep the Incroyable Talent but "La France a un incroyable talent" is too long. Maybe something like "La France a du talent" ("France's Got Talent") would have been much better.

Music and television mogul Simon Cowell knows how to pack an entertaining evening (helped by a great sense of dramatization) but the true stars of his shows, and of every talent show in general, are the judges. Of the previous seasons of the French GT, only producer from Quebec Gilbert Rozon (founder and president of the Just for Laughs Festival) remains in the jury. Actress/director Valérie Stroh and comedian Smaïn enter.

« This is the great return of the show which offers to everyone an exceptional chance to show their talents and change their lives. Remember, when in England Susan Boyle... » begins Alex Goude, who co-presents the show with Sandrine Corman (both for the first time). The Susan "SuBo" Boyle effect is indeed the key of the makeover and the rest is routine for a GT: variety, music, dance, eccentricity, pathetic, spectacular... With the same lines that made the salt of Britain’s Got The Pop Factor and Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Superstar Strictly On Ice - Peter Kay's parody: "That's the reason why we make this show" or "This show exists for people like you".

The auditions from the premiere gave us a Claude François fan (Claude François is in notoriety the French equivalent of Elvis Presley), a "speed painting" artist, a French cancan troup, a guy who sings the title song of Japanese anime series Saint Seya, a Brazilian carnival orchestra, etc. There was also a 15 year singer girl who held the public and the jury with her rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (a song you can hear in every modern US TV series in its Jeff Buckley version). « I must confess that when you arrived...» said Gilbert Rozon. Sounds familiar?

Some of the numbers were really depressing regarding the state of the nation but it's a feeling shared by every viewer of the world at a point of each episode of a GT. However Les Echos- Liés, a funny group of humoristic breakdance (remember Diversity won the 2009 BGT edition) and Rachid, an impressive flame spewer, already win my sympathy.

This season La France a un incroyable talent has a companion show called La France a un incroyable talent, ça continue (mentioned as "Incroyable talent, ça continue" in the M6 bumper!) and presented by Jérôme Anthony and comic Anthony Joubert (finalist of last season). No doubt that this duo has been inspired by Ant & Dec, presenters of BGT, but they would be better as presenters of the main show.

At least LFAIT (let's call it so) didn't try too much the SuBo/Kevin Skinner (1) stunt for the first episode, even if - in some respects - we were close with the lady who performed Calling you at the end. The real question is: will Susan Boyle bless French viewers with an appearance in the show? Maybe in the finale?

Verdict: 5/10.

http://www.m6.fr/emission-la_france_a_un_incroyable_talent/

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/11/get-ready-for-susanne-boule.html

(1) Singer, winner of the season 4 of America's Got Talent.

NO SECOND CHANCE (AT ALL)

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:36:00 +0000

[16.36 - French Time ] Seconde chance, French channel TF1's 28 million euro ill-fated feuilleton quotidien (daily Soap Opera), didn't win the International Emmy Award 2009 of the Best Telenovela.

The winner is Caminho das Índias/India - A Love Story, the rather original brazilian novela from TV Globo. Shot during 10 weeks in several cities around India, in 13.000 m² of back lots and 7.000 m² of studios with a budget of more than US$ 50 million, India - A Love Story is a creation of Glória Peres, author of O Clone/The Clone (2001-2002) - sold to 90 countries.

The costly Seconde Chance is actually one of the numerous failed attempts to duplicate the success of public channel France 3 with Plus belle la vie (a kind of French Eastenders). The other recent spectacular flop of the genre in France is M6's 17 million euro Paris 16ème.

Note that the winner of the International Emmy Award 2009 of the Best Drama Series is Denmark's Livvagterne/The Protectors. Shown since 2008, produced by DR and distributed by ZDF Enterprises, The Protectors is the Danish answer to Spooks, the British hit from Kudos (among the contenders this year).

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/03/seconde-chance-road-to-eldorado.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/03/is-paris-burning-about-paris-16eme.html

See also:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a188317/international-emmy-awards-2009-the-winners.html
http://www.iemmys.tv/awards_nominees.aspx
http://www.globotvinternational.com/prodDet.asp?catId=1&prodId=115

GET READY FOR SUSANNE BOULE

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:49:00 +0000

[6.49 - French Time] Shown since 2006, Incroyable Talent ("Incredible talent") is the French adaptation of Simon Cowell's Got Talent franchise. Tomorrow night on private channel M6 starts the revamped version of the show, now titled La France a un incroyable talent ("France's got an incredible talent").

In spite of the fact that your humble servant is still searching what can be France's "incroyable talent" there is absolutely now doubt that the changes on this new season (the fourth) are the result of the amazing global impact of Susan Boyle in Britain's Got Talent and of the wish of production company FremantleMedia to relate the French version to its British counterpart. So there's a new title, a new logo closer to BGT - we can suppose there's a new theme intro too - and there's even a new jury.

On season 1, the judges were Sophie Edelstein (artistic director of the prestigious Pinder Circus), Jean-Pierre Domboy (artistic agent), and producer from Quebec Gilbert Rozon (founder and president of the Just for Laughs Festival). For season 2 ballet dancer Patrick Dupond replaced Jean-Pierre Domboy and the trio remained for season 3. But this year only Gilbert Rozon comes back. Edelstein and Dupond are replaced by actress/director Valérie Stroh and comedian Smaïn.

Presenter of seasons 1 to 3, Alessandra Sublet - gone to television public service - is replaced by Sandrine Corman and Alex Goude. Interestingly La France a un incroyable talent will have a companion show called La France a un incroyable talent, ça continue and presented by Jérôme Anthony and comic Anthony Joubert. The ideal would have been to put the duo as presenters of the main show, like Ant & Dec in the Brit edition, but the idea comes probably from BGT anyway.

We'll see if this makeover will match the American and British versions without mimic them and if there's a SuBo Effect a la Française. World, get ready for Susanne Boule!

http://www.m6.fr/emission-la_france_a_un_incroyable_talent/

YOU WANT THIS CHAIR? HAVE A SEAT...

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Your humble servant, like Master Chiun, is a big fan of "Beautiful dramas" and Entertainment Weekly published yesterday an excellent interview of Peter Bergman, who will soon celebrate his 20th year playing Jack Abbott on CBS's The Young and the Restless.

Peter Bergman tells many interesting things, about replacing Terry Lester, the evolution of Jack, the future of the Soap Opera genre, or about when the legendary Eric Braeden (Victor "Mr. Mustache" Newman) recently almost left Y&R.

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/11/20/young-restless-peter-bergman-eric-braeden/

CHILDREN IN NEED 2009 (BBC ONE)

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:35:00 +0000

Each year since 1980 Children in Need, the British Charity appeal, offers great moments of television for a great cause. Presented by Sir Terry Wogan with Alesha Dixon (singer, Strictly Come Dancing former winner and now judge) and Tess Daly, the CIN 2009 show on BBC One lived up to expectations.

Comedian Peter Kay, who entered in both music and television History in 2005 for Comic Relief with his wonderful video cover of Tony Christie's Is this the way to Amarillo, shown his magic touch again with what will simply remain as the most beautiful music video ever done. In Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band, a star-studded cast of animated characters performs a medley: Thomas the Tank Engine, Fifi (from Fifi and the Flowertots), Postman Pat, Lady Penelope, Paddington Bear, Pingu, The Teletubbies, Bob the Builder, The Wombles, etc (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2740124/Children-In-Need-charity-single.html).

Two years of preparation for this video shot in the studios of Chapman Entertainment (Fifi and the Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car) with the original voices of the 100 characters - Peter Kay is the voice of Big Chris in Roary and the charming and talented Jane Horrocks is the voice of Fifi. The official charity single is now available to purchase (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/news/news201109.shtml) and your humble servant thinks that Kay should be given a Knighthood.

The Merlin skit was absolutely hilarious, John Barrowman's nod to Risky Business was fantastic and the teaser of the Doctor Who special seems to confirm the return of the good days of the show after a globally satisfaying The Waters of Mars. "Sir Terry of Television center" had a guest spot in Lark Rise to Candleford and the team of Casualty received a very special patient in a very peculiar ward.

Peter Andre, Daniel Radcliffe, David Tennant, the "Dragons" of Dragon's Den, David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, Taylor Swift, Wallace & Gromit, Diversity, Robbie Williams, Westlife, Cheryl Cole, Justin Lee Collins and many, many others, participated with the great British public for this important cause and the actions of Children in Need.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants/map.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/aboutus/whoyouvehelped.shtml
http://www.noahsarkhospice.org.uk/index.htm
http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/4743820.Southgate_youngster_stars_in_BBC_s_Children_in_Need/

CHILDREN IN NEED 2009

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:09:00 +0000

Since 1980 Children in Need, the British Charity appeal, offers each year great moments of television for a great cause.

Tomorrow night on BBC One, it will be the occasion to have a look to a preview of the Tenth Doctor's dramatic finale in the Doctor Who two-parter special which will be shown on the 2009-2010 Christmas season.

BBC One/BBC Two Friday 20 November (Starting on BBC One 7pm - British Time)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/10_october/23/cin.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/features/bulletins/bulletin_091117_01

THE BOAT THAT ROCKED

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:44:00 +0000

Former Conservative Member of Parliament and former chief executive of British supermarket chain Asda (a subsidiary of US giant Wal-Mart) Archie Norman will become new chairman of ITV in january 2010 after a problematic search for a successor to Michael Grade.

This comes a day after the announcement of an important restructuring for ITV Studios. And we can expect more major news about ITV in the next months.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/18/archie-norman-itv-chairman1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/ITV
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a187344/itv-studios-announces-restructure.html

THE DEVIL'S ALTERNATIVE

thierryattard@yahoo.fr (THIERRY ATTARD) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:51:00 +0000

Yesterday evening, French digital television channel NRJ12 shown the first two episodes of Torchwood: Children of Earth, the event miniseries (and series three of Torchwood) aired last summer on BBC One in the UK.

NRJ12 keeps the event aspect with two special evenings (Tuesdays, November 17 and 24), an important promotion - the ident voice of NRJ for radio and television is Richard Darbois, revered dubbing artist and the equivalent of Don LaFontaine in France - and special commercial bumpers. Such a treatment means something in a country where series four of Doctor Who will not be released on DVD.

The Torchwood team survivors (after the casualties of series two) are back to "business as usual" when children mysteriously stop everywhere in the same time to deliver a rendition of Village of the Damned. This provokes a panic in the circles of power and John Frobisher, a high ranking official who has a precise idea of what is happening, refers to Number 10.

But the PM won't hear about it and elects Frobisher as his lamb to the slaughter. While Captain Jack Harkness and the team offer their assistance to the Home Office, Frobisher choses to order the eradication of the members of Torchwood and send a ruthless operative woman to eliminate every person implied. "We are coming" chant the children of Earth.

Spooks: Children of Earth? Not some ghostly creatures Torchwood Cardiff is familar with but Spooks, the Kudos television series. Torchwood: Children of Earth is a clever cross between Michael Crichton and Frederick Forsyth with shades of vintage science fiction movies. Nods to the spy genre and to the section D of Thames House are everywhere in the miniseries from the government assassin woman (a less thoughtful Ros Myers) to the cynical technician who shares with Frobisher a lot of information about the situation and looks like a darker version of Q in the Bond movies.

Russell T. Davies, John Fay and James Moran (the writers) take bold risks of the kind British television can take at its very best, with spectacular shocking twists. This is the end of Torchwood as we knew it and they go on the exploration of the personal lives of their characters, going further into their emotions and their dilemmas to the point of tragedy.

John Barrowman (Jack), Eve Myles (Gwen), Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto), Kai Owen (Rhys) and Tom Price (PC Andy) return. The supporting cast is fabulous: Peter Capaldi - who keeps the suit of The Thick of It's Malcolm Tucker for the role of Frobisher, Nicholas Farrell (recently seen in Collision), Lucy Cohu, etc. The magnificent score is by Ben Foster and Euros Lyn directs.

Torchwood: Children of Earth is brilliant television without concessions. A sci-fi thriller novel for TV, a masterpiece and future classic. And an original creation, which is rare in this age of unnecessary remakes.

Not a number. Don't blink.