The Radio Television Digital News Foundation has announced that 60 Minutes Correspondent Bill Whitaker is this year’s winner of the Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award – given annually to a radio or television journalist or news executive who has made a major contribution to the protection of First Amendment freedoms.
Continue reading Bill Whitaker Wins Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award!
Dolly Parton has announced the creation of the My People fund – a fund to assist those who have lost their homes in the fires that have ravaged the Great Smoky Mountain /Sevier County region of Tennessee. Each family who lost their homes will receive $1,000 each month.
The fund is the result of a partnership between The Dollywood Company and The Dollywood Foundation.
Details follow the jump.
Continue reading Dolly Parton Starts My People Fund for Victims of Tennessee Fires!
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have announced that Jerry Lewis will be given the NAB Distinguished Service Award during this year’s NAB Show.
The multi-hyphenate (actor, singer, comedian, inventor, philanthropist, writer) will receive the award at the opening keynote session on April 13th. For further details, follow the jump.
Continue reading National Association of Broadcasters Honors Jerry Lewis!
Group 1200 Media – owners of FUNimation Entertainment, Giant Ape Media and Group 1200 Consumer Products – has opened a theatrical division to be based in New York City.
Spurred by the success of the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods theatrical event, the company is actively looking at more of such opportunities. Spearheading the new division is David Wengrod, Vice President of Theatrical Events and Distribution – formerly Vice President of Alternative Entertainment Programming at Screenvision (with whom Group 1200 partnered on the Dragon Ball Z event.
For more, follow the jump.
This week on GeekScholars Movie News, presented by Eclipse Magazine, the crew debuts a new segment called the Casting Competition Challenge where the GeekScholars must attempt to recast classic films in the modern era. On this episode, listen to our picks for who we think should play Brody, Hooper, and Quint if a remake of Jaws were to happen today! Do you agree? Disagree?
And since it’s a brand new month, the GeekScholars take a look at all of the upcoming releases for April, highlighting which ones they are super excited about, and which ones they’ll be collectively skipping.
We then wrap things up with a look at the new trailer for The Rise of the Guardians as well a review of Mirror, Mirror (which wasn’t horrible as expected!)
Listen to the podcast in all its glory here:
We would love to hear from you, so please submit comments or questions to us by writing to: mail@geekscholars.com. Mail is awesome!
Thanks, as always, to the 440 Alliance for allowing us to use their music!
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Battle Royale and Battle Royale II are among the most brutally poetic films ever made. Often copied [you can see Battle Royale echoed in the story of The Hunger Games, for example], but never equaled, the films have been banned in many markets, but fans keep finding ways to get them. On March 20, 2012, Anchor Bay Entertainment will release both films – along with a hoard of bonus features – on DVD and Blu-ray, across North America.
Follow the jump for details.
Like it says above…
FOX’s mid-season schedule is out and Fringe fans everywhere will be relieved – as will fans of the once-canceled Breaking In. Both shows are present on the new schedule – which included some big names in new dramas, too.
J.J. Abrams’ Alcatraz will have its two-hour premiere on January 16th and will then move to its regular timeslot following House. Tim Kring’s Touch will take over the post-House slot March 19th. Bones spinoff The Finder debuts on January 12th, following an encore episode of of its parent series.
Animated series Napoleon Dynamite joins FOX’s Sunday Animation Domination on January 15th.
For the complete press release – and FOX mid-season schedule – follow the jump.
In two short seasons, Justified [FX, Tuesdays] has become one of the best shows on television – garnering an Emmy for Margo Martindale for her season two antagonist Mags Bennett. Like The Sopranos and Deadwood before it, Justified mixes folksy and sophisticated in ways that are practically Shakespearean.
FX has released four clips in support of the show’s third season – which premieres on Tuesday, January 17th. Check out the remaining three following the jump.
Continue reading Justified Returns In January – We Have Clips!
ABC announced the eight shows that will comprise the additions to its mid-season schedule – including one sitcom [Work It, four reality shows [Celebrity Wife Swap, Wipeout, Shark Tank and the next round of Dancing With the Stars] and three hour-long shows [The River, GCB and Missing].
Network descriptions for the new shows and premiere dates – all Eastern Time – follow the jump.
Things begin to get interesting in January as NBC premieres its mid-season schedule. Included in its four new series are: the highly regarded [and for good reason – the pilot is delightful] Smash [pictured above]; The Firm – sequel series to the Tom Cruise movie adaptation of John Grisham’s novel of the same name; Are You There, Chelsea? – the sitcom based on the memoir by Chelsea Handler, and Fashion Star – a reality series set [surprise!] in the world of fashion.
The schedule also sees new timeslots for Whitney, Up All Night, Rock Center with Brian Williams and Harry’s Laws. Other returning series include: The Voice, 30 Rock, The Celebrity Apprentice and Who Do You Think You Are?
There’s no mention of the parallel worlds/procedural/family drama Awake, which has one of the best pilots of the 2011-2012 season. Color me very disappointed.
Follow the jump for night by night details.