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Stephen Colbert Monologue Debut: How Do You Rate Him? (video!)

Keith Girard
Stephen Colbert kicked off his new “Late Show” gig with a standard late night opening monologue. He certainly had more energy that David Letterman, but will his frenetic, madman style really be enough to set him apart from the crowd? Johnny Carson, and for that matter, his predecessor Jack Paar, set the tone and style for late night interview shows. Their humor was low-key, cool and ironic. ...
TELEVISION

Madonna Kills as Standup on Fallon: No, Really, She Murdered It (see!)

Keith Girard
Madonna got a chance that most comedians would kill for; she debuted as a “comedian” on the “Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” last night (Apr. 10) and by all accounts she was terrible. But you have to give her some kudos for trying. Over the years, the “Tonight Show” has been a major stepping stone for comedians from Jerry Seinfeld to Joan Rivers. The dean of late-night television, Johnny Carson, was famous for introducing new comedians and it was a regular segment on his show. To win his praise was like the gold seal of approval for your Schick....
COMEDY

Joan Rivers Wanted Funeral With All the Glitter of a Hollywood Premiere

Keith Girard
Joan Rivers was very aware of her mortality despite her energetic lifestyle and often battled depression. But one thing she was sure about was her funeral. She wanted it to be like a Hollywood movie premiere. Rivers’ funeral will be held Sunday (Sept. 7) at a synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where she lived for many years. No further details of the funeral have been made public, but Rivers said in her July 2014 memoir, “Diary of a Mad Diva,” that she hoped her funeral would be like a Hollywood film premiere....
CELEBRITIES

Joan Rivers’ Passing Ends One of the Greatest Celebrity Feuds of All Time

Keith Girard
Joan Rivers was a comedy pioneer breaking down barriers for women in show business, but her ambition, brashness and acerbic wit ignited one of the biggest celebrity feuds in Hollywood history. It only now ends with her death. The feud, of course, involved the king of late night television Johnny Carson. Like most bitter feuds, theirs started out with a strong friendship and ended in bitterness and recrimination. For Rivers, it was also career damaging and nearly career ending. ...
TELEVISION

Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard Go Deep in ‘Lovelace’

Winchester
One thing’s certainly evident by the end of “Lovelace.” the movie’s stars, Amanda Seyfried and Peter Skarsgaard, deliver the very best cinematic performances of the year. Hollywood was reluctant to make this movie, but it is, without question, an example of Tinseltown at its best. I am of the age that I can recall when the whole “Deep Throat” cause-celeb was very much in vogue. Talk-show king Johnny Carson and Bob Hope joked about it. Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner, played by James Franco, applauded it. But in the end, her life took a tragic turn. ...
REVIEW
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Seth MacFarlane Nixes Oscar Return; Why It's a Thankless Job

Keith Girard
Seth MacFarlane got one thing right about hosting the Oscars; it’s a thankless job. No wonder he doesn’t want any part of it again. That’s because like all award shows, the Oscars is inherently dull, yet on television dull equals death. Bob Hope set the gold standard for Oscar shows, hosting a record 18 times....
TELEVISION