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Joey Magidson’s Initial Predictions for the 86th Academy Awards in 2014
1 March 2013 11:12 AM, PST
By Joey Magidson
Film Contributor
***
Being an Oscar prognosticator for over a half decade now, I’ve developed some odd habits. One of the things that I do that I know makes people question my sanity is posting my Oscar predictions for the another season as soon as the previous one has ended. I like getting a jump on things and actually started organizing contenders for the 2014 show a few months ago, but unless you’re as hardcore a film junkie as me, that’s crazy-talk.
My super-early predictions are hit and miss, though last year I’m proud to say that I was one of the first to predict Argo and also had three other eventual Best Picture nominees in my initial predix (Django Unchained, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty, in case you were wondering). That being said, I also had The Dark Knight Rises, and that wound up being shut out. »
- Joey Magidson
How Can The Oscars Telecast Be Improved?
28 February 2013 10:21 AM, PST
By Joey Magidson
Film Contributor
***
It’s no secret that I love the Oscars and just about everything that comes with it, but if there’s one element of the season that I’m rather indifferent about, it’s the show itself. The Oscar telecast can often leave something to be desired, even if the producers’ hearts are in the right place. The ceremony itself can invoke mockery more than admiration among the masses, and even if I don’t share that, I do recognize that there are improvements that can be made.
I want to help the Academy have the best awards show possible, one that appeals to both die-hards like myself and the casual viewer who watches as much as anything in order to be knowledgeable around the water cooler the next day. It might be a task that can’t be feasibly done, but what’s the harm in trying? »
- Joey Magidson
The Best Broadcast Pilot Orders of the 2013-2014 Season: ABC and Fox
26 February 2013 12:15 PM, PST
By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist
***
It’s pilot season, which means your favorite out-of-work TV actors, actresses, creators and writers are getting a chance to return to the small screen once more.
Although we have yet to know what new series we’ll see next year, the networks have been busy selecting projects to consider for their schedules. So far, almost 100 scripts have been chosen, and audiences will only get to see a handful actually come to fruition.
Several are duds, but there are a few promising prospects that I hope network executives will keep around for the 2013-2014 season — even if it means they have to cancel old favorites to make room (just keep Parks and Recreation, Ok, NBC?).
Check out my choices for the best prospective ABC and Fox pilots, and read my selections for NBC and CBS if you missed them yesterday:
ABC
Drama
1. S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Premise: »
- Rachel Bennett
What Really Happened at the Oscars (Analysis)
26 February 2013 8:41 AM, PST
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
***
For prognosticators like me, the 85th Annual Academy Awards was a scary affair. The outcomes of so many of the major categories were up in the air. I was literally on the edge of my seat — on the far right side of the first mezzanine at the Dolby Theatre – as each category was announced.
Read the rest of this entry… »
- Melissa Buckman
The CW’s ‘Carrie Diaries’ Struggling In The Ratings: Why Aren’t Viewers Tuning In?
26 February 2013 8:29 AM, PST
By Carson Blackwelder
Television Contributor
***
Last Monday, The CW’s The Carrie Diaries slipped to 1.08 million viewers and a 0.4 adults rating, a new low for the freshman series.
Since its Jan. 14 debut, The Carrie Diaries has struggled in the ratings, bowing to 1.6 million viewers and not topping it since. The teen drama peaked at a 0.7 rating in the key demo with the Feb. 4 episode, compared to the 0.6 rating from the premiere.
These small victories are miniscule for the bigger broadcast networks, but for The CW, they’re enough to have the series considered a “toss up” for renewal after just two episodes.
The Carrie Diaries seemed to have a lot of steam behind it when it premiered, especially since the Sex and the City (HBO) prequel was riding the coattails of its predecessor as well as the popular Gossip Girl, which ended Dec. 17. The theory was that The Carrie Diaries »
- Carson Blackwelder
Keep Your Eye On … ABC’s ‘Nashville’
25 February 2013 7:47 PM, PST
By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist
***
Every Monday, Rachel will pick a TV show you need to watch out for that week and/or in the near future.
* * *
When ABC’s Nashville premiered in the fall, critics were immedidiately smitten with the new drama, with several calling it the best pilot of the season.
The story of country star Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) and her young competitor Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) is a simple one, but at the same time, it’s not so simple. Backstabbing, cheating, undermining and more abound in this series, proving that it’s not easy to reach the top — and it’s even harder to stay there.
Its initial strength aside, though, the stories stalled as the show crawled toward its winter finale, with love triangles seemingly going nowhere and time spent on characters about whom viewers could care less (As much as Eric Close tries, »
- Rachel Bennett
Which Festivals And Precursor Awards Mattered Most In The Oscars’ Outcome?
25 February 2013 7:15 PM, PST
By Joey Magidson
Film Contributor
***
It’s all over, folks. After almost a year of preparation (and yes, I’ve already started working on early predictions for next year), the Oscar ceremony is now in our rear view mirror. Argo has been crowned Best Picture, Daniel Day-Lewis has his record-setting third Best Actor statue, host Seth MacFarlane managed to wed his trademark humor with the more buttoned down tastes of the Academy, and nearly every film nominated took home something. Hell, we even got a surprise video recording from First Lady Michelle Obama and our first tie in any category since 1968! It was a good evening for just about everyone.
The Academy really spread the love around this year. No film won more than four statues (that was Life of Pi), and Argo wound up with only three Oscars overall. We’ll forever argue over if Ben Affleck would have »
- Joey Magidson
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