Paul Giamatti is set to join Stephen Colbert for an evening of conversation as part of the second annual North to Shore Festival in New Jersey this June.
The event, set for June 29 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, will raise money for Montclair Film, the New Jersey based arts organization with which Colbert has long been involved, which runs the Montclair Film Festival.
Onstage, the Late Show host and Holdovers star will discuss Giamatti’s long-running screen career. In addition to his recent, Oscar-nominated role in the Alexander Payne-directed film, Giamatti’s film credits include Sideways, his Oscar-nominated role in Cinderella Man and performances in such movies as American Splendor, Barney’s Version, 12 Years a Slave, Straight Outta Compton, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, San Andreas, Planet of the Apes and Saving Private Ryan.
On the small screen, Giamatti spent seven seasons starring in Billions and previously...
The event, set for June 29 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, will raise money for Montclair Film, the New Jersey based arts organization with which Colbert has long been involved, which runs the Montclair Film Festival.
Onstage, the Late Show host and Holdovers star will discuss Giamatti’s long-running screen career. In addition to his recent, Oscar-nominated role in the Alexander Payne-directed film, Giamatti’s film credits include Sideways, his Oscar-nominated role in Cinderella Man and performances in such movies as American Splendor, Barney’s Version, 12 Years a Slave, Straight Outta Compton, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, San Andreas, Planet of the Apes and Saving Private Ryan.
On the small screen, Giamatti spent seven seasons starring in Billions and previously...
- 4/15/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who was an influential partner to her husband, Jimmy Carter, in his unlikely rise to the Georgia governor’s mansion, then to the White House and later in his impactful post-presidency, died today at the age of 96, the Carter Center announced.
Carter, who suffered from dementia, entered hospice care on Friday. She died at 2:10 p.m. Et at her and her husband’s home in Plains, Ga, the center said.
Jimmy Carter said in a statement, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The Carters were married for 77 years, the longest of any presidential couple. The former president, now 99, entered hospice care earlier this year.
As first lady from 1977 to 1981, Carter used her platform...
Carter, who suffered from dementia, entered hospice care on Friday. She died at 2:10 p.m. Et at her and her husband’s home in Plains, Ga, the center said.
Jimmy Carter said in a statement, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The Carters were married for 77 years, the longest of any presidential couple. The former president, now 99, entered hospice care earlier this year.
As first lady from 1977 to 1981, Carter used her platform...
- 11/19/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Christian Bale is addressing his pay and on-set conduct in two of his more notable films: American Psycho and American Hustle.
The Amsterdam and Thor: Love and Thunder actor spoke to GQ for the magazine’s November cover story, where he discussed a decade-long philanthropic effort, his tenuous social relationship to Hollywood, his American Psycho paycheck, and defending co-star Amy Adams from director David O. Russell on the set of American Hustle.
While discussing the American Hustle set experience, accounts of which emerged amid the 2014 Sony email hack and in a March 2016 British GQ interview with Adams, Bale confirms he stepped in between Adams and Russell, calling himself a “mediator” during those interactions and saying he “did what I felt was appropriate, in very Irv style,” referencing his character in the film.
“If I can have some sense of understanding of where it’s coming from,...
Christian Bale is addressing his pay and on-set conduct in two of his more notable films: American Psycho and American Hustle.
The Amsterdam and Thor: Love and Thunder actor spoke to GQ for the magazine’s November cover story, where he discussed a decade-long philanthropic effort, his tenuous social relationship to Hollywood, his American Psycho paycheck, and defending co-star Amy Adams from director David O. Russell on the set of American Hustle.
While discussing the American Hustle set experience, accounts of which emerged amid the 2014 Sony email hack and in a March 2016 British GQ interview with Adams, Bale confirms he stepped in between Adams and Russell, calling himself a “mediator” during those interactions and saying he “did what I felt was appropriate, in very Irv style,” referencing his character in the film.
“If I can have some sense of understanding of where it’s coming from,...
- 10/5/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“People always ask why,” Michael Metelits admits at the start of this meticulously composed, emotionally haunting documentary about his mother, Marion Stokes.
“Why did she do it?”
The “it” is simple: over the course of 30 years, Stokes recorded TV news around the clock on multiple channels, in multiple rooms, until she amassed an archive of 70,000 VHS tapes. But the “why”? That’s not so easy. There will be as many opinions as there were people who observed her life — and now, with “Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project,” that includes us.
Also Read: How Tegna Is Finding a Second Life for Old News Coverage With Podcasts Like 'Bomber'
In fact, it was mutability itself that first inspired Stokes. As a fiercely private black woman in politics in the mid-20th century, she brought perspectives that were rarely shared by anyone she met, let alone the white men with whom she most often worked.
“Why did she do it?”
The “it” is simple: over the course of 30 years, Stokes recorded TV news around the clock on multiple channels, in multiple rooms, until she amassed an archive of 70,000 VHS tapes. But the “why”? That’s not so easy. There will be as many opinions as there were people who observed her life — and now, with “Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project,” that includes us.
Also Read: How Tegna Is Finding a Second Life for Old News Coverage With Podcasts Like 'Bomber'
In fact, it was mutability itself that first inspired Stokes. As a fiercely private black woman in politics in the mid-20th century, she brought perspectives that were rarely shared by anyone she met, let alone the white men with whom she most often worked.
- 11/14/2019
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
Beyonce’s “Homecoming” has landed three nominations to lead all films in the first round of noms for the Cinema Eye Honors, a New York-based awards ceremony established in 2007 to honor all aspects of nonfiction filmmaking.
In an announcement made at a luncheon in downtown Los Angeles, Cinema Eye Honors organizers unveiled nominations in seven categories, including new categories for broadcast editing and cinematography. “Homecoming” received nominations in both those new categories, as well as for the outstanding broadcast film of the year.
It faces off in that last category against “Apollo: Mission to the Moon,” “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal,” “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” “Leaving Neverland” and “The Sentence.”
Also Read: 'Homecoming' Film Review: Beyoncé's Powerful Documentary Captures Her Once-in-a-Lifetime Coachella Triumph
Other shows with multiple nominations were the broadcast series “Salt Fat Acid Heat” and “Tricky Dick,” which received two each.
In an announcement made at a luncheon in downtown Los Angeles, Cinema Eye Honors organizers unveiled nominations in seven categories, including new categories for broadcast editing and cinematography. “Homecoming” received nominations in both those new categories, as well as for the outstanding broadcast film of the year.
It faces off in that last category against “Apollo: Mission to the Moon,” “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal,” “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” “Leaving Neverland” and “The Sentence.”
Also Read: 'Homecoming' Film Review: Beyoncé's Powerful Documentary Captures Her Once-in-a-Lifetime Coachella Triumph
Other shows with multiple nominations were the broadcast series “Salt Fat Acid Heat” and “Tricky Dick,” which received two each.
- 10/24/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Blue Card, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding Holocaust survivors, will host its 83rd benefit gala on Monday, April 8, 2019, at Center415..
The event will be hosted by Andy Cohen, the Emmy Award-winning television producer and author best known as the host and executive producer of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.”
The evening will include the presentation of awards to individuals and groups dedicated to supporting the needs of Holocaust survivors and advancing human rights worldwide. The honorees include: Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States; Stanley Bergman and Dr. Marion Bergman of Henry Schein, Inc. and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation; David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and former UK Foreign Secretary; New York Foundation for Eldercare; and past participants in The Blue Card’s Bnei Mitzvah Project, a program where Bar and Bat Mitzvah students engage with...
The event will be hosted by Andy Cohen, the Emmy Award-winning television producer and author best known as the host and executive producer of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.”
The evening will include the presentation of awards to individuals and groups dedicated to supporting the needs of Holocaust survivors and advancing human rights worldwide. The honorees include: Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States; Stanley Bergman and Dr. Marion Bergman of Henry Schein, Inc. and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation; David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and former UK Foreign Secretary; New York Foundation for Eldercare; and past participants in The Blue Card’s Bnei Mitzvah Project, a program where Bar and Bat Mitzvah students engage with...
- 3/20/2019
- Look to the Stars
It’s been quite a week for the fourth estate, or the enemy of the people, depending on your viewpoint. Most notably, BuzzFeed has had a bipolar ride and NBC’s Savannah Guthrie took heat for being either too tough or too soft on the Kentucky high school student accused of harassing a Native American man. So consider it a momentary balm that three classic 20th century journalists — about whom few questioned their honesty and craft — are back in the news.
Speaking about Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill in the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” new Oscar nominee Spike Lee says, “These guys were superstars.” Breslin and Hamill were as colorful as any characters they covered in their long New York City newspaper careers. They — and the film — were even mentioned in the New York Times obit for Russell Baker, another award-winning New York-based columnist, who passed away...
Speaking about Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill in the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” new Oscar nominee Spike Lee says, “These guys were superstars.” Breslin and Hamill were as colorful as any characters they covered in their long New York City newspaper careers. They — and the film — were even mentioned in the New York Times obit for Russell Baker, another award-winning New York-based columnist, who passed away...
- 1/25/2019
- by Mary Murphy and Michele Willens
- The Wrap
“Revolutionary,” “superstars,” “the voice of true New Yorkers” — that’s how Spike Lee and other influential figures describe journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill in the trailer released for HBO’s “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists” documentary.
The film, which premieres Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, follows the two newspaper columnists whose dedication and wit spoke for everyday people and transformed reporting about New York City and the country.
The doc also aims to take viewers back to the charm of the old New York, while delving into issues of race, class, and the practice of journalism that resonate powerfully in our own time. It will also touch on classic stories like the Bernhard Goetz, Son of Sam, Central Park Five, and Crown Heights cases, as well as many of the major events of the last half century, including the Kennedy assassinations, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, Watergate, and...
The film, which premieres Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, follows the two newspaper columnists whose dedication and wit spoke for everyday people and transformed reporting about New York City and the country.
The doc also aims to take viewers back to the charm of the old New York, while delving into issues of race, class, and the practice of journalism that resonate powerfully in our own time. It will also touch on classic stories like the Bernhard Goetz, Son of Sam, Central Park Five, and Crown Heights cases, as well as many of the major events of the last half century, including the Kennedy assassinations, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, Watergate, and...
- 1/17/2019
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
Even Murphy Brown has Trump fatigue. In last week’s episode, she threw down her remote and said, “I’m not watching anymore!” Ironic, of course, since millions of viewers stopped, or didn’t start, watching the new edition of CBS’ “Murphy Brown.” Conservatives figured, correctly, that she’d be trashing their leader weekly, and it seems liberals would rather watch Rachel Maddow.
Creative folks are learning they need to tread carefully doing anything dealing with politics these days, even if only tangentially winking at the chaos in the current White House. Despite possible resonance with the Stormy Daniels brouhaha, “The Front Runner,” a movie about the sex scandal that brought down Sen. Gary Hart, was a quick bust at the box office. Despite constant Nixon-Trump comparisons, Charles Ferguson’s documentary “Watergate” made little noise. “The Parisian Woman,” a Broadway show from the man who gave us Netflix’s “House of Cards,...
Creative folks are learning they need to tread carefully doing anything dealing with politics these days, even if only tangentially winking at the chaos in the current White House. Despite possible resonance with the Stormy Daniels brouhaha, “The Front Runner,” a movie about the sex scandal that brought down Sen. Gary Hart, was a quick bust at the box office. Despite constant Nixon-Trump comparisons, Charles Ferguson’s documentary “Watergate” made little noise. “The Parisian Woman,” a Broadway show from the man who gave us Netflix’s “House of Cards,...
- 12/7/2018
- by Mary Murphy and Michele Willens
- The Wrap
Doc NYC, the documentary film festival set to run Nov. 8-15 in New York City, will open with the New York premiere of John Chester’s The Biggest Little Farm, which recounts efforts to establish a biodynamic farm, and will close with the world premiere of Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, a portrait of journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill directed by Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy. Its centerpiece presentation will be the world premiere of Original Cast Album: Co-op, an episode of IFC’s Documentary Now! series that parodies D.A. Pennebaker’s classic doc Original Cast Album: Company, followed by a ...
- 10/11/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Doc NYC, the documentary film festival set to run Nov. 8-15 in New York City, will open with the New York premiere of John Chester’s The Biggest Little Farm, which recounts efforts to establish a biodynamic farm, and will close with the world premiere of Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, a portrait of journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill directed by Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy. Its centerpiece presentation will be the world premiere of Original Cast Album: Co-op, an episode of IFC’s Documentary Now! series that parodies D.A. Pennebaker’s classic doc Original Cast Album: Company, followed by a ...
- 10/11/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Stephen Colbert will be joined by Meryl Streep for this year's edition of his annual Montclair Film benefit set for Dec. 1.
The Late Show star will host an evening with the three-time Oscar winner onstage at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in downtown Newark.
All proceeds from the evening will benefit Montclair Film, the nonprofit that presents the annual Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey, which Colbert has long supported.
Past editions of the annual Montclair Film benefit have featured Colbert in conversation with Jonathan Alter, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Steve Carell, J.J. Abrams, John Oliver and ...
The Late Show star will host an evening with the three-time Oscar winner onstage at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in downtown Newark.
All proceeds from the evening will benefit Montclair Film, the nonprofit that presents the annual Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey, which Colbert has long supported.
Past editions of the annual Montclair Film benefit have featured Colbert in conversation with Jonathan Alter, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Steve Carell, J.J. Abrams, John Oliver and ...
- 9/24/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Stephen Colbert will be joined by Meryl Streep for this year's edition of his annual Montclair Film benefit set for Dec. 1.
The Late Show star will host an evening with the three-time Oscar winner onstage at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in downtown Newark.
All proceeds from the evening will benefit Montclair Film, the nonprofit that presents the annual Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey, which Colbert has long supported.
Past editions of the annual Montclair Film benefit have featured Colbert in conversation with Jonathan Alter, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Steve Carell, J.J. Abrams, John Oliver and ...
The Late Show star will host an evening with the three-time Oscar winner onstage at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in downtown Newark.
All proceeds from the evening will benefit Montclair Film, the nonprofit that presents the annual Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey, which Colbert has long supported.
Past editions of the annual Montclair Film benefit have featured Colbert in conversation with Jonathan Alter, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Steve Carell, J.J. Abrams, John Oliver and ...
- 9/24/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
No one could have predicted that the big story coming out of the first day of the Republican National Convention would revolve around speech plagiarism.
Earlier on Monday, the top news coming out of Cleveland was the group of anti-Donald Trump delegates attempting to force a roll call vote. When that was denied, the Colorado delegation left the arena floor.
Read More: Trump Vs. Clinton: Why the 2016 Presidential Race is the Summer’s Best Blockbuster
But then came Melania Trump’s primetime speech. Blatantly obvious similarities between her speech and one Michelle Obama gave at the 2008 Democratic convention quickly became the top story coming out of the Rnc as Monday turned into Tuesday. (Yes, that means Scott Baio’s and Antonio Sabato Jr.’s quick speeches became quick afterthoughts.)
Read More: Stephen Colbert Crashes Republican Convention to Deliver Anti-Trump ‘Hunger Games’ Parody Speech
Tuesday at the Rnc has been...
Earlier on Monday, the top news coming out of Cleveland was the group of anti-Donald Trump delegates attempting to force a roll call vote. When that was denied, the Colorado delegation left the arena floor.
Read More: Trump Vs. Clinton: Why the 2016 Presidential Race is the Summer’s Best Blockbuster
But then came Melania Trump’s primetime speech. Blatantly obvious similarities between her speech and one Michelle Obama gave at the 2008 Democratic convention quickly became the top story coming out of the Rnc as Monday turned into Tuesday. (Yes, that means Scott Baio’s and Antonio Sabato Jr.’s quick speeches became quick afterthoughts.)
Read More: Stephen Colbert Crashes Republican Convention to Deliver Anti-Trump ‘Hunger Games’ Parody Speech
Tuesday at the Rnc has been...
- 7/19/2016
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
After a full day of absorbing media coverage of Benjamin Netanyahu's victory yesterday, there's only one conclusion to draw: On every issue, the first instinct of reporters/hosts/pundits is to take a side. Right media celebrated and crowed. On the left, the Bibi win is being met with scorn, ridicule and unintentional comedy. The latter comes courtesy of a once-reputable column who has morphed into the Perez Hilton of political commentary, otherwise known as Jonathan Alter. Here's his take in a Daily Beast headline "Bibi Wins, Israel Loses":...
- 3/19/2015
- by Joe Concha
- Mediaite - TV
On the brink of the midterm elections, as the mudslinging gets muddier and the tensions get frothier, John Goodman and his fellow senators on Alpha House have been offering a respite for audiences from both Red States and Blue, as the show’s popularity surges in the run-up to the election tomorrow.
Set in the present, where Obama is president and three of the senators are facing midterm elections, the show features several real-life politicians from both sides of the aisle playing themselves.
How did the producers get elected officials to step into a political satire in the midst of a heated campaign season?
It helps that the series portrays likeable characters from both the left and the right, and shines a light on some of the real-life challenges elected officials must face right now. And where other political shows tend to feature characters who can be “cynical and unlikable,...
Set in the present, where Obama is president and three of the senators are facing midterm elections, the show features several real-life politicians from both sides of the aisle playing themselves.
How did the producers get elected officials to step into a political satire in the midst of a heated campaign season?
It helps that the series portrays likeable characters from both the left and the right, and shines a light on some of the real-life challenges elected officials must face right now. And where other political shows tend to feature characters who can be “cynical and unlikable,...
- 11/3/2014
- Hollywonk
Just in time for the actual midterm elections, the four Senators of Alpha House are back for another season today, doing whatever they can to hang on to their dignity and their jobs – fending off political opponents, magicians, reality show cameras, and comedy roasters. Start the binging right now.
Unlike other shows set in D.C., Alpha House is set against the backdrop of the current election season, where Obama is president and actual political stars, like Senator John McCain, David Axelrod, Grover Norquist and George Stephanopoulos, make appearances.
The real-life element is key to making the understated comedy work, according to executive producer Jonathan Alter, who is also a real-life NBC News contributor and veteran political journalist.
Enlisting members of both parties – in guest appearances and story lines – also helps drive the series. “It may be one of the only political endeavors getting bipartisan support,” says Alter.
But several...
Unlike other shows set in D.C., Alpha House is set against the backdrop of the current election season, where Obama is president and actual political stars, like Senator John McCain, David Axelrod, Grover Norquist and George Stephanopoulos, make appearances.
The real-life element is key to making the understated comedy work, according to executive producer Jonathan Alter, who is also a real-life NBC News contributor and veteran political journalist.
Enlisting members of both parties – in guest appearances and story lines – also helps drive the series. “It may be one of the only political endeavors getting bipartisan support,” says Alter.
But several...
- 10/24/2014
- Hollywonk
After Friday’s debut of Transparent, we’re excited to announce that more comedy is coming your way. The second season of Alpha House, one of Amazon’s first Original Series, returns Friday, October 24th – with all 10 episodes to be released at once.
This season the Senators of Alpha House are bracing for the midterm elections, and much like many of their real-life counterparts, their political futures are uncertain. Senator Biggs (John Goodman), Bettencourt (Clark Johnson) and Laffer (Matt Malloy) might have survived bruising primaries, but now they’re facing strong Democratic challengers and have to pull out all the stops to woo voters over to their side. Meanwhile, Senator Guzman (Mark Consuelos) is preparing for a 2016 bid for the presidency, a pursuit that might bring him into competition with one of his roommates.
Several familiar guest stars will also be returning this season, including Bill Murray, Amy Sedaris, Yara Martinez and Haley Joel Osment.
This season the Senators of Alpha House are bracing for the midterm elections, and much like many of their real-life counterparts, their political futures are uncertain. Senator Biggs (John Goodman), Bettencourt (Clark Johnson) and Laffer (Matt Malloy) might have survived bruising primaries, but now they’re facing strong Democratic challengers and have to pull out all the stops to woo voters over to their side. Meanwhile, Senator Guzman (Mark Consuelos) is preparing for a 2016 bid for the presidency, a pursuit that might bring him into competition with one of his roommates.
Several familiar guest stars will also be returning this season, including Bill Murray, Amy Sedaris, Yara Martinez and Haley Joel Osment.
- 9/29/2014
- Hollywonk
Amazon today announced it will premiere all 10 episodes of the second season of Garry Trudeau's political comedy series "Alpha House" on Friday, October 24 exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video in the Us, UK and Germany. John Goodman, Mark Consuelos, Clark Johnson and Matt Malloy will reprise their roles as Republican Senators living under one roof in Washington, D.C. dealing with the outrageous--and sometimes all-too-real--foibles of Beltway life. The series is produced by Trudeau, Elliot Webb and Jonathan Alter.
- 9/29/2014
- Comingsoon.net
If politics is theater, then it may be best characterized as a never-ending comedy, with Washington D.C. providing the world’s largest stage. Few people know that better than Jonathan Alter who, along with Elliot Webb and Pulitzer Prize-winner Garry Trudeau, serve as the executive producers of Amazon Studios’ first original series “Alpha House,” making its debut on Amazon Instant … Read more →...
- 11/15/2013
- by Melanie McFarland
- IMDb Television Blog
Amazon is officially entering the original content ring this month, with its first two series landing November premiere dates. "Alpha House," starring John Goodman, Cynthia Nixon, Amy Sedaris and Wanda Sykes, among others, premieres November 15; "Betas," starring Joe Dinicol, Karan Soni, Jon Daly, Charlie Saxton and Maya Erskine, premieres November 22.The first three episodes of each show will be available for free via Amazon Instant Video. After that, one episode of each show will become available weekly, exclusively on Prime Instant Video. So what are these two similarly titled series about? Both comedies, "Alpha House" centers on four senators-turned-roommates, while "Betas" follows young tech industry entrepreneurs as they attempt to hit the big time with a social networking app. Official synopses below.Alpha House, which was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau and produced by Trudeau, Elliot Webb and Jonathan Alter,...
- 11/4/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
The four senators-turned-unlikely-roommates of Alpha House and the endearing, young tech industry entrepreneurs of Betas come back to Amazon Prime Instant Video in 11-episode series. Alpha House debuts November 15 and Betas will follow on November 22.
Alpha House, which was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Garry Trudeau and produced by Trudeau, Elliot Webb and Jonathan Alter, is a comedy about four misfit senators (John Goodman, Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy and Mark Consuelos) who rent a house together in Washington D.C. The roomies are joined by Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy), Wanda Sykes (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Julie White (Go On), who share in the outrageous—and sometimes all-too-real—follies of Washington politics.
"The first season is about the fight for survival among incumbent Republican senators first elected in the pre-Tea Party era. Even though they’re all solidly conservative, three of...
Alpha House, which was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Garry Trudeau and produced by Trudeau, Elliot Webb and Jonathan Alter, is a comedy about four misfit senators (John Goodman, Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy and Mark Consuelos) who rent a house together in Washington D.C. The roomies are joined by Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy), Wanda Sykes (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Julie White (Go On), who share in the outrageous—and sometimes all-too-real—follies of Washington politics.
"The first season is about the fight for survival among incumbent Republican senators first elected in the pre-Tea Party era. Even though they’re all solidly conservative, three of...
- 11/4/2013
- Hollywonk
Cause, effect. President Barack Obama addresses a crowd of cheering Egyptians in Cairo in 2009, the Egyptian people rise up against their Islamism government after a year of oppression. This, according to MSNBC contributor Jonathan Alter, is the approximate chronology of events leading up to what appears to be the military-led overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. He saw the potential for a political and moral victory for the president in the nascent military coup in Egypt.
- 7/3/2013
- by Noah Rothman
- Mediaite - TV
A new political comedy starring John Goodman as a Republican senator living in a "man cave" near Capital Hill will not be offered to Amazon viewers all at once as a 10-episode, online binge experience, according to its executive producer. Jonathan Alter, the former Newsweek columnist and author who is executive producer of the new Amazon show with "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau, told TheWrap that "Alpha House" would have a different streaming model than Netflix. Asked if Amazon would put the whole season up at once, Alter told TheWrap: "No. It hasn't...
- 6/18/2013
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
Jonathan Alter, a former Newsweek columnist and senior editor, said that magazine owner Barry Diller needs to "make good" on preserving Newsweek's archives and making them available to the public. "I can't get an article I wrote in Newsweek in 1985. There's something wrong with that," he said in an interview with TheWrap to mark the publication of his new book "The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies." Alter said that Newsweek had sold the archive, but its ownership was currently unclear. Also read: Barry Diller Regrets Newsweek Buy, Has Low Expectations for...
- 6/17/2013
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
On TV this Friday: Nora Zehetner makes Maron an offer he can’t refuse, Magic City rolls the dice on a new season, Xiii gets Shanghai’d and Vice documents dribbling diplomacy. Here are nine programs to keep on your radar.
8 pm Dateline NBC (NBC) | A young sister and brother are torn apart when their mother disappears. (Just in time to start your weekend on a happy note.).
8 pm Crossing the Ice (NatGeo) | This special follows a pair of Australian explorers who walked from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back without assistance.
8 pm Nikita (The CW...
8 pm Dateline NBC (NBC) | A young sister and brother are torn apart when their mother disappears. (Just in time to start your weekend on a happy note.).
8 pm Crossing the Ice (NatGeo) | This special follows a pair of Australian explorers who walked from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back without assistance.
8 pm Nikita (The CW...
- 6/14/2013
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Friday night with HBO means one thing...okay two, including Vice, our favorite news show: Real Time with Bill Maher continues its 11th season Friday, June 14 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live Et/tape-delayed Pt). This format allows Maher to moderate a diverse panel on contemporary issues. The show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with in-studio and satellite guests. The season finale of .Vice. debuts at 11:00 p.m., followed by a replay at 11:30 p.m. This week: Patrick Kennedy, co-founder, One Mind for Research, is the top-of-show interview guest. Documentary filmmaker Josh Fox (HBO.s .Gasland Part II.) is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are journalist Jonathan Alter, political strategist Kellyanne Conway and historian Niall Ferguson. From HBO...
- 6/11/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
Four senators with the same address, four friends with the same Silicon Valley dream. A kid scientist with robot helpers, an alien artist taking colorful journeys, and a whimsical fox searching for adventure. Comedy pilots Alpha House and Betas, along with kids’ pilots Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf, have been given the greenlight to begin production on a full series of episodes that will air exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014.
Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers gave feedback that Amazon Studios used to decide which comedy and kids pilots should be made into Amazon’s first original series.
“We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It’s exciting to see the process in motion,...
Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers gave feedback that Amazon Studios used to decide which comedy and kids pilots should be made into Amazon’s first original series.
“We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It’s exciting to see the process in motion,...
- 5/29/2013
- Hollywonk
As Republicans predict that Wednesday's hearing of the House Oversight Committee on the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya will be President Obama's undoing, MSNBC contributor Jonathan Alter expressed skepticism about that notion. On Tuesday afternoon's Martin Bashir program, Alter responded to the upcoming hearing by calling it "kind of disgusting," and asked host Martin Bashir, rhetorically, "How can you cover up nothing?"...
- 5/7/2013
- by Tommy Christopher
- Mediaite - TV
Geraldo Rivera maintains that Fox News has always let him speak his mind. "Contrary to published accounts no one at Fox News ever either cut my mic or told me what to say But I do advocate cutting Eric Bolling's mic," the Geraldo at Large host tweeted yesterday in response to a claim in a new book that the plug was purposely pulled on him during a November 2012 discussion on Fox & Friends about the fatal attack on U.S. officials in Benghazi, Libya. "Specifically to Jonathan Alter," he added, referring to the author of the book in question, The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, "I like you mate, but you never spoke with me about Benghazi and you never asked if Roger...
- 5/7/2013
- E! Online
As the old saying goes, there are three sides to every story: Your side. My side. And the truth. So when you read Brian Stelter's column in the New York Times highlighting a chapter in Jonathan Alter’s new book, and learn of the author's claim that Fox News President Roger Ailes -- one of the most powerful men in media -- made a direct order to a control room producer to have one of his own anchor’s microphones shut off, that obviously deserves some more digging.
- 5/6/2013
- by Joe Concha
- Mediaite - TV
Best-selling author and journalist Jonathan Alter (The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, The Defining Moment: Fdr’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope) explains what it has been like to go Hollywood and produce a pilot for Amazon – Alpha House, created by Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury). Alter explains the real-life roots of the show and what it was like to work with Trudeau, as well as with an amazing cast led by John Goodman. And those cameos! (Might there be more Stephen Colbert? Read on.)
For most of my life I’ve been a political animal. My mother was a politician in Chicago, I was an intern in the Senate and the White House in the 1970s, and for the last two decades I’ve written a column about politics (first for Newsweek, now for Bloomberg View), authored books about presidents and gabbed about the events of the day on NBC News and MSNBC.
For most of my life I’ve been a political animal. My mother was a politician in Chicago, I was an intern in the Senate and the White House in the 1970s, and for the last two decades I’ve written a column about politics (first for Newsweek, now for Bloomberg View), authored books about presidents and gabbed about the events of the day on NBC News and MSNBC.
- 4/24/2013
- Hollywonk
On Thursday night's The Ed Show, MSNBC political analyst and Bloomberg View columnist Jonathan Alter distilled what people on the left and the right have been saying about the real issues raised by the controversial SuperPAC ad that focuses on the death of former steelworker Joe Soptic's wife. "What the press should be focused on is what are the consequences of repeal of Obamacare," Alter said, "and the consequences, as Mike just indicated, are death. Repeal equals death."...
- 8/10/2012
- by Tommy Christopher
- Mediaite - TV
Lawrence O'Donnell castigated Bill Clinton for what he called a "weird" and "embarrassing" encounter with Lady Gaga at a concert for his foundation on Saturday.
Gaga's rather suggestive performance at the concert (she said she wanted to get "caught up in a Bill romance," announced that she was having a "Marilyn moment," and told Clinton she was "on the edge" with him) seemed to leave O'Donnell flabbergasted on his Monday show.
Calling Clinton "attention-starved," he wondered how Clinton could not see any potential awkwardness in having Gaga sing about a "bad romance" while he was seated next to Hillary Clinton, the woman most profoundly affected by his own, very bad romance.
O'Donnell then brought on columnist Jonathan Alter. "It just doesn't get any weirder than that," he said. Alter was not so worked up about the whole thing. He said Gaga was just referencing the aforementioned "Marilyn moment," when Marilyn Monroe...
Gaga's rather suggestive performance at the concert (she said she wanted to get "caught up in a Bill romance," announced that she was having a "Marilyn moment," and told Clinton she was "on the edge" with him) seemed to leave O'Donnell flabbergasted on his Monday show.
Calling Clinton "attention-starved," he wondered how Clinton could not see any potential awkwardness in having Gaga sing about a "bad romance" while he was seated next to Hillary Clinton, the woman most profoundly affected by his own, very bad romance.
O'Donnell then brought on columnist Jonathan Alter. "It just doesn't get any weirder than that," he said. Alter was not so worked up about the whole thing. He said Gaga was just referencing the aforementioned "Marilyn moment," when Marilyn Monroe...
- 10/18/2011
- by Jack Mirkinson
- Huffington Post
Now that it appears the media is finally over the hill on New Jersey Governor Chris Christie 2012 speculation, the focus on the governor has shifted to what would happen if he actually ran, and naturally the "is Chris Christie too fat?" question emerges front and center. On last night's Last Word, Lawrence O'Donnell asked his panel-- campaign strategist Ed Rollins and columnist Jonathan Alter-- what the odds were of Christie making a presidential bid with his figure intact. The consensus? Expect a diet if a campaign was on the horizon.
- 10/1/2011
- by Frances Martel
- Mediaite - TV
Sidney Harman (pictured above with wife Jane), owner of Newsweek and website The Daily Beast, has died at the age of 92, his family says in a statement. The causes are named as complications from acute myeloid leukemia.
He died in Washington D.C. surrounded by family. Various memorials will be held in both Washington and in Los Angeles, though the funeral will be private. Harman had just purchased Newsweek in August 2010, after years of working in another field. He began selling FM radios in the 1950s and built that into audio equipment company Harman International Industries, which he served as CEO for until he was 88 years old.
Daily Beast columnist Jonathan Alter recently writes of Harman:
Sidney Harman wasn't a journalist but he believed in the mission of good journalism--to shed light on a variety of stories that help us understand the world and to have some fun doing it.
He died in Washington D.C. surrounded by family. Various memorials will be held in both Washington and in Los Angeles, though the funeral will be private. Harman had just purchased Newsweek in August 2010, after years of working in another field. He began selling FM radios in the 1950s and built that into audio equipment company Harman International Industries, which he served as CEO for until he was 88 years old.
Daily Beast columnist Jonathan Alter recently writes of Harman:
Sidney Harman wasn't a journalist but he believed in the mission of good journalism--to shed light on a variety of stories that help us understand the world and to have some fun doing it.
- 4/13/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Sidney Harman has died. The 93-year-old entrepreneur, who kept Newsweek afloat by buying the faltering magazine from the Washington Post Co for $1 and then merging it with Iac and Tina Brown's website The Daily Beast, died Tuesday evening. He passed away from complications from acute myeloid leukemia, according to a statement the family gave the website. Harman's family disclosed he discovered he was ill just one month ago. He died in Washington, D.C. How Harman's death will impact the future of the magazine/website remains to be seen. Funeral arrangements are private, but memorials are in the works. A tribute to Harman was penned on the website by Jonathan Alter, who just announced his exit from the magazine after 28 years there.
- 4/13/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Rep. Peter King's hearings today on homegrown Muslim terrorists may not make him a McCarthy or a bigot, but the anxiety he's creating within the Muslim-American community will reduce future cooperation with law enforcement-and could help al Qaeda's recruitment.
Rep. Peter King's Homeland Security Committee will open hearings Thursday amid overheated charges that King is a modern-day Joe McCarthy. King and his allies reply that political correctness is blinding the country to the significant new threat posed by homegrown Muslim terrorists.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Al Qaeda's Deadly New Nest
Both sides are wrong. King has said some stupid things but he isn't a bigot; he has reason to be concerned about an uptick in arrests of American-born Muslim extremists. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder are also worried about them.
But King would still be better off making this a one-day...
Rep. Peter King's Homeland Security Committee will open hearings Thursday amid overheated charges that King is a modern-day Joe McCarthy. King and his allies reply that political correctness is blinding the country to the significant new threat posed by homegrown Muslim terrorists.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Al Qaeda's Deadly New Nest
Both sides are wrong. King has said some stupid things but he isn't a bigot; he has reason to be concerned about an uptick in arrests of American-born Muslim extremists. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder are also worried about them.
But King would still be better off making this a one-day...
- 3/10/2011
- by Jonathan Alter
- The Daily Beast
Rahm Emanuel swept Chicago off its feet. Scott Walker and Chris Christie have shaken up Wisconsin and New Jersey. Larger-than-life characters are fun to watch-but can they govern? Plus, Jonathan Alter on Rahm as Chicago's new king.
Rahm Emanuel, who just cruised to victory in Chicago, has one overwhelming asset: his image as a foul-mouthed ass-kicker.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Palin Kills It in Gun Country
All the tales of Rahm dropping F-bombs and berating people and sending a pollster a dead fish apparently persuaded a majority of voters Tuesday that a mayor with such qualities could get the job done. But there is a larger message as well, one that applies to Chris Christie and Scott Walker and Michele Bachmann and even Sarah Palin:
They are earthy, larger-than-life characters. In an age when people are sick to death of cautious, blow-dried, poll-tested politicians-when the profession has...
Rahm Emanuel, who just cruised to victory in Chicago, has one overwhelming asset: his image as a foul-mouthed ass-kicker.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Palin Kills It in Gun Country
All the tales of Rahm dropping F-bombs and berating people and sending a pollster a dead fish apparently persuaded a majority of voters Tuesday that a mayor with such qualities could get the job done. But there is a larger message as well, one that applies to Chris Christie and Scott Walker and Michele Bachmann and even Sarah Palin:
They are earthy, larger-than-life characters. In an age when people are sick to death of cautious, blow-dried, poll-tested politicians-when the profession has...
- 2/23/2011
- by Howard Kurtz
- The Daily Beast
By crushing the competition, Rahm Emanuel is not just mayor-he may be mayor for life. Jonathan Alter reports from the victory party, from the jokes about Rahm's residency flap to the challenges he faces. Plus, Howard Kurtz on the rise of anti-politicians.
Batten down the hatches, Chicago. He's Da Mare. The *!#&! mayor.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Nice Rhetoric, but Need Real Results
When a Chicago lawyer named John Levi last fall introduced Rahm Emanuel to the partners at Sidley Austin (the Chicago firm where a young Barack Obama met Michelle Robinson in the late 1980s), Levi reminded his audience that for Chicagoans, there are only two truly important political jobs in the world-president of the United States and mayor of the city of Chicago.
"And not necessarily in that order!" Rahm exclaimed.
After crushing the competition with 55 percent of the vote and avoiding a runoff, Emanuel is not...
Batten down the hatches, Chicago. He's Da Mare. The *!#&! mayor.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Nice Rhetoric, but Need Real Results
When a Chicago lawyer named John Levi last fall introduced Rahm Emanuel to the partners at Sidley Austin (the Chicago firm where a young Barack Obama met Michelle Robinson in the late 1980s), Levi reminded his audience that for Chicagoans, there are only two truly important political jobs in the world-president of the United States and mayor of the city of Chicago.
"And not necessarily in that order!" Rahm exclaimed.
After crushing the competition with 55 percent of the vote and avoiding a runoff, Emanuel is not...
- 2/23/2011
- by Jonathan Alter
- The Daily Beast
Chris Matthews was curious why so many Republicans talk of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as being the best candidate to run against President Obama in 2012, when Matthews wasn't even sure if he's doing a good job as Governor. Newsweek's Jonathan Alter and Republican strategist John Feehery surprisingly agreed with another and attempted to convince Matthews that Christie is doing a good job and his authentic persona would be a real challenge to Obama.
- 2/17/2011
- by Matt Schneider
- Mediaite - TV
This is around the time of year that living in Miami starts to have a serious impact on my perception of the world. While we're having the occasional chilly evening, we're past the time of year that requires anything heavier than a sweatshirt. I have to keep reminding myself that it's winter in other parts of the world as opposed to the season we're having here, which I fondly refer to as "Not Hurricane Season." Mostly, this makes any of my friends and family who live north of Orlando begin to hate me with a burning passion, so I'm going to apologize in advance for the gloating I will definitely be doing over our mild weather and sunny days. Of course, I also have to go bathing suit shopping a clear four months before most of you. Here's your Wednesday night TV:
8:00pm: "American Idol" on Fox. Two hour episode.
8:00pm: "American Idol" on Fox. Two hour episode.
- 1/27/2011
- by Intern Rusty
Not content with cliché year-end wrap pieces, the voracious political media machine has resorted to reanimating the rotting corpses of memes past. Now, not only do we now have to avoid the stumbling, vacant groans of "Brains!" from Birther queen Orly Taitz, MSNBC's The Dylan Ratigan Show has also thrust open the cemetery gates for "Death Panels." Using a report from Newsmax (Newsmax!) as its impetus, a panel that includes Jonathan Alter, Jane Hamsher, and Matt Lewis kicks the Death Panels around for awhile, but fails to deliver the requisite double-tap.
- 12/28/2010
- by Tommy Christopher
- Mediaite - TV
The towering figure of U.S. foreign policy died yesterday at the age of 69. Jonathan Alter, Peter Beinart, and Sir Harold Evans remember the top diplomat's brilliant drive and contributions all over the world.
An American in FullBy Jonathan Alter
Related story on The Daily Beast: Egypt's Church Bombing: Was Al Qaeda Responsible?
Richard Holbrooke was a larger-than-life figure on the U.S. political landscape who shaped his times as much as any secretary of state. Jonathan Alter reflects on his impact on Bosnia, Afghanistan and Foggy Bottom.
More >>
A Dominant Diplomatic ForceBy Peter Beinart
Richard Holbrooke pushed harder and cared more than other American foreign policy players. Peter Beinart on Holbrooke's special blend of superpower swagger and moral passion.
More >>
Richard Holbrooke's Brilliant DriveBy Harold Evans
The gifted diplomat dedicated his life to making the world a more just and peaceful place-typical of the dedicated diplomats now vilified by the anarchists at WikiLeaks,...
An American in FullBy Jonathan Alter
Related story on The Daily Beast: Egypt's Church Bombing: Was Al Qaeda Responsible?
Richard Holbrooke was a larger-than-life figure on the U.S. political landscape who shaped his times as much as any secretary of state. Jonathan Alter reflects on his impact on Bosnia, Afghanistan and Foggy Bottom.
More >>
A Dominant Diplomatic ForceBy Peter Beinart
Richard Holbrooke pushed harder and cared more than other American foreign policy players. Peter Beinart on Holbrooke's special blend of superpower swagger and moral passion.
More >>
Richard Holbrooke's Brilliant DriveBy Harold Evans
The gifted diplomat dedicated his life to making the world a more just and peaceful place-typical of the dedicated diplomats now vilified by the anarchists at WikiLeaks,...
- 12/14/2010
- by The Daily Beast
- The Daily Beast
Richard Holbrooke was a larger-than-life figure on the U.S. political landscape who shaped his times. Jonathan Alter reflects on his impact on Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Foggy Bottom.
The tributes to Richard Holbrooke now pouring in are out of proportion to the various positions he held over the years as an assistant secretary and ambassador. They are more befitting a head of state than a "special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan," arguably the most grueling and thankless job in the whole government.
And yet Holbrooke belongs to a tiny group of diplomats-men like George Kennan and Chip Bohlen-who shaped their times as much as any secretary of state.
With the WikiLeaks revelations casting a harsh light on the work of diplomats, Holbrooke's career is a useful reminder that we depend on indefatigable men and women working killer hours with killer travel to keep us all from getting killed by war or terrorism.
The tributes to Richard Holbrooke now pouring in are out of proportion to the various positions he held over the years as an assistant secretary and ambassador. They are more befitting a head of state than a "special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan," arguably the most grueling and thankless job in the whole government.
And yet Holbrooke belongs to a tiny group of diplomats-men like George Kennan and Chip Bohlen-who shaped their times as much as any secretary of state.
With the WikiLeaks revelations casting a harsh light on the work of diplomats, Holbrooke's career is a useful reminder that we depend on indefatigable men and women working killer hours with killer travel to keep us all from getting killed by war or terrorism.
- 12/14/2010
- by Jonathan Alter
- The Daily Beast
Richard Holbrooke pushed harder and cared more than other American foreign-policy players. Peter Beinart on Holbrooke's special blend of superpower swagger and moral passion.
There will probably never be another American diplomat like Richard Holbrooke. The reason is partly personal. Most diplomats are careful, reserved, discreet... diplomatic. Holbrooke was the opposite. He didn't merely court reporters; he stalked them. And when they didn't write enough about him, he wrote about himself. He did not do subtle. When he bore down on people, he had about as much respect for personal space as Lyndon Johnson in a men's room. As Democratic doyenne Pamela Harriman once put it, "he's not entirely housebroken."
Related story on The Daily Beast: An American in Full
In all these ways, Holbrooke was part of the sociology of 20th-century American Jewry. He entered the Foreign Service in the 1960s, when it was still something of a Wasp club.
There will probably never be another American diplomat like Richard Holbrooke. The reason is partly personal. Most diplomats are careful, reserved, discreet... diplomatic. Holbrooke was the opposite. He didn't merely court reporters; he stalked them. And when they didn't write enough about him, he wrote about himself. He did not do subtle. When he bore down on people, he had about as much respect for personal space as Lyndon Johnson in a men's room. As Democratic doyenne Pamela Harriman once put it, "he's not entirely housebroken."
Related story on The Daily Beast: An American in Full
In all these ways, Holbrooke was part of the sociology of 20th-century American Jewry. He entered the Foreign Service in the 1960s, when it was still something of a Wasp club.
- 12/14/2010
- by Peter Beinart
- The Daily Beast
The former presidential candidate's wife passed away Tuesday afternoon at the age of 61. Jonathan Alter on how she lived-and the conversation he had with her about the cancer that eventually claimed her.
On Monday, a friend of the Edwards family called me from their home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She said that Elizabeth Edwards wanted me to know that the doctors had stopped treatment and the end was very near. Elizabeth, whose condition began deteriorating rapidly in October, was in hospice and her family (including daughter Cate and estranged husband John) had been summoned home. I wasn't a close friend. I hadn't favored John Edwards for president in 2008. But I am a cancer survivor and in 2007 Elizabeth and I had bonded, as so many survivors do.
Cancer is a foreign country, a mere place on a scary map to those who haven't lived there. I was lucky enough to return home.
On Monday, a friend of the Edwards family called me from their home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She said that Elizabeth Edwards wanted me to know that the doctors had stopped treatment and the end was very near. Elizabeth, whose condition began deteriorating rapidly in October, was in hospice and her family (including daughter Cate and estranged husband John) had been summoned home. I wasn't a close friend. I hadn't favored John Edwards for president in 2008. But I am a cancer survivor and in 2007 Elizabeth and I had bonded, as so many survivors do.
Cancer is a foreign country, a mere place on a scary map to those who haven't lived there. I was lucky enough to return home.
- 12/7/2010
- by Jonathan Alter
- The Daily Beast
I got a higher than average number of propositions last night both in real life and on Pajiba. I know why I did in real life, I was walking around dressed as Leeloo from "The Fifth Element" which is a costume that could most appropriately be referred to as "nerd bait" (Not that that's a bad thing) but I am a little bewildered as to why I all of a sudden got them over here. Any explanation would be appreciated, and that's the extent of my intro because I'm still waiting for the Advil to kick in. Here's your Monday night TV:
7:30pm: "World Series Game #5" on Fox
8:00pm: "90210" on The CW
"Chuck" on NBC
"Dancing With the Stars" on ABC. It's the 200th episode of this show. I'm just going to let you all think about that for a couple minutes.
"How I Met Your Mother" on CBS
"Little People,...
7:30pm: "World Series Game #5" on Fox
8:00pm: "90210" on The CW
"Chuck" on NBC
"Dancing With the Stars" on ABC. It's the 200th episode of this show. I'm just going to let you all think about that for a couple minutes.
"How I Met Your Mother" on CBS
"Little People,...
- 11/1/2010
- by Intern Rusty
Lawrence O’Donnell has spent enough time in Hollywood — exec producing West Wing and acting on Big Love — to know the importance of a big opening. And that’s exactly what he’s given his new MSNBC show, The Last Word, airing at 10 p.m., after The Rachel Maddow Show. For his debut episode on Monday, O’Donnell scored no less a get than Vice President Joe Biden (sadly, it was a rare gaffe-free interview). Then, on Tuesday, O’Donnell went even larger. He talked to the possible future mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Levi Johnston, asking him exactly the same...
- 9/29/2010
- by Benjamin Svetkey
- EW.com - PopWatch
Obama has Christmastime fun or does he? Photo by Pete Souza.This week’s news cycle has been filled with chatter about the religious affiliations of our president, Barack Obama. Just yesterday, ABC News reported that a “Pew poll completed Aug. 5 found 18 percent of Americans saying Obama’s a Muslim, up from 11 percent in March 2009.” The Pew Research Center’s analysis of the findings suggests that suspicion about the president’s faith is tied to disapproval of his policies. Or, as ABC News’s polling pundit Gary Langer writes, “[s]ome people who strongly oppose a person or proposition will take virtually any opportunity to express that antipathy.” In fact, Newsweek’s current cover story includes an investigation of the motivations of those who are convinced of the president’s Islamic beliefs. Author Jonathan Alter, like Langer, cites a conflation of dislike of Obama and dislike of Muslims as the cause of the ongoing rumors.
- 9/1/2010
- Vanity Fair
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