Personal Hero #3

In Memoriam

So Sad

Death leaves a family and a team in pieces
By Bernie Miklasz
POST-DISPATCH SPORTS COLUMNIST
04/29/2007

Sports Columnist Bernie Miklasz
[More columns]

It seems so strange now. The timing, the coincidence, and the rapid heart beat caused by fear of the unimaginable, the unspeakable.

Cardinals relief pitcher Josh Hancock was late arriving to Busch Stadium in advance of Thursday’s noon game against the Reds, and teammates kept looking at the clock, especially the closer, Jason Isringhausen. Izzy felt the anxiety rush through his veins, taking him back to that horrible day in Chicago, when Cardinal red turned to funeral black.
It was June 22, 2002, and pitcher Darryl Kile never showed up for a scheduled day game at Wrigley Field. Kile had died in his sleep, and the Cardinals would never see him again.

So now when a teammate is running behind schedule, the dread sets in. Isringhausen watches the clock, starts making calls, and prays it isn’t Kile all over again. So when the jovial, laid-back Hancock finally appeared in the clubhouse Thursday, Isringhausen exhaled.

"His phone is a piece of junk, that’s the problem," Isringhausen said Thursday. "His phone always shuts off. Everybody was trying to reach him. That’s why it’s so different here, because of what happened with Darryl. So everybody worries. We finally got a hold of Hancock and he said he was on his way. We were all a little nervous. We don’t care if you’re late. We just want to know that you’re OK."


It would be a stretch to call the episode a premonition, or a forewarning, but it is haunting just the same. Because April 29, 2007 and June 22, 2002 are the same day now, at least in Cardinals history: game postponed due to death.

It’s happened again. A Cardinal dying too young, too soon, in a shocking tragedy that reopened old emotional wounds that never healed completely.

Hancock was only 29 early Sunday morning when his Ford Explorer slammed into the back of a tow truck, and many hours later the Cardinals were trying to cope, trying to get ready to leave for Monday night’s game in Milwaukee.

General manager Walt Jocketty was on the verge of tears Sunday afternoon when he briefly addressed the media. Manager Tony La Russa spoke next and had the shaken look of a man who knew this pain before. He had conquered it before, but now it was invading his soul again.

"This is brutal to go through if it happens in your family," La Russa said. "If it happens where you still have to perform … what this team is going to have to go through, whatever you can do, I ask for your help."


La Russa was the one who called Josh Hancock’s father to deliver the worst possible news. Dean Hancock lives in Tupelo, Miss., the birthplace of Elvis Presley. In early September 2002, he’d received a much happier call. Josh was being called up from the minors by the Boston Red Sox, and soon would make his major-league debut.

"Somebody back home made reference to the fact that this is the biggest news to hit Tupelo, since Elvis," Josh Hancock joked to reporters in Boston after joining the Red Sox.

In 2006, Dean Hancock, a Cardinals fan, was probably more thrilled than anyone when his boy dressed in the birds on the bat uniform and helped the franchise win its 10th World Series. Later this week, all of the Cardinals will make the pilgrimage to Tupelo to help Dean Hancock bury his son.

It’s just a sad story all the away around, especially for the Hancocks. For the Cardinals to be rocked by death twice in five years is cruel and unusual, and you wonder if they can summon the strength and focus to band together as brothers. The response to adversity in 2002 was incredible. A team that lost its leader in Kile had to use 14 different starting pitchers, and somehow won 97 games.

In terms of pure leadership, it was La Russa’s finest hour as a manager. But this is a different team, with a younger pitching staff, and as a matter of fairness, the Cardinals shouldn’t be judged based on what the 2002 group did. Only three current Cardinals were on the team when Kile died: Isringhausen, Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols. At least the 2007 Cardinals have a touchstone in La Russa.

"This will really be a challenge for Tony, but he will help them," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt said. "You couldn’t ask for anybody better to do it. Tony is a great leader, and he has such strong character. He understands human emotions. And sadly, he has experience in dealing with this.

"But this is a challenge that will test the best of men."


By late Sunday morning, La Russa had already shifted into the role of grief counselor, calling a team meeting, and encouraging Hancock’s teammates to share their stories, and some laughter, over their departed buddy.

And that was Hancock: everyone’s pal. He was a fun-loving, overgrown kid with an easy smile and a common-man touch. He was a son of the South, a NASCAR fan, a prankster, and damned proud to be a Cardinal.

Hancock made friends wherever he went and truly enjoyed hanging out with fans. There was nothing spoiled or pretentious about him. He never big-timed anyone; he just rolled with the crowd. Hancock was single, and didn’t have family here, so he became an adopted son of Cardinal Nation. Hancock lived in St. Louis year-round and was known to pop up just about anywhere.

After bouncing around several organizations, this free bird finally found a team and a home to call his own. It was the best time of Hancock’s life, and it’s all gone. A wreck on the highway left a team and a family in pieces.

David Fury Interview

Mr. Media: Fridays with Mr. Media: The David Fury/"24" Interview

LOL

High School Basketball Star Announces He Will Skip College, Go Straight To Embittered Alcoholism

CHICAGO-Continuing a recent trend among high school basketball stars, Farragut High School All-American point guard Jerrod Washburn announced he will skip college and go directly to embittered alcoholism, wallowing in the memory of his...

Sorry, Nothing Tonight...

I'm a little behind on some stuff, but, I'll be back tomorrow. Promise.

My Big-Ass Comic Blog

The above is the cover to DC Showcase Presents:The Atom. Covers like this make my pulse race. You ask "Why". I sarted reading comics at around the age of 5 years old or before I started grade school (I had no kindergarten). My grandfather, then my folks bought comics for me to read, usually the ones at the local drugstore with no covers or only partial covers for 5 cants each or 3 for a dime. Didn't matter much to me about no covers as long as I had those characters in my hands. It pretty much started with Superman, then the secondary characters found a place in my heart. There was an occasional detour to Casper or Hot Stuff, but the DC heroes were my pantheon.

It all changed about the time I turned 11, when my Grandpa brought me Spider-Man #2, with a partial cover, of course. From that time on, it was Marvel all the way and DC, eat my dust. And it stayed that way for another 20 years or so, until it became too hard to keep up with all the Mutants and Spider-Man titles. With hat in hand, I came back to Dc about the time of the trial of the Flash, The original Crisis. John Byrne's retcon of Superman, etc. I stayed with them for about 5 years, then got married. Much like Puff, the Magic Dragon, the comics were discarded and faded into fond memory(sniff). There was an occasional Mini-series to buy, but nothing on a regular basis.

Until last year, when Dc brought out their Showcase Presents seies. Talk about comic book heaven. The books as I remembered them (although in black and white, no problem there). The price was right for me at www.amazon.com for around 500 pages of great memories. The price is usually between $11-13-a bargain for the content. Last year, I bought Superman Vol 1 and 2, JLA 1 and 2, Green Lantern and Challengers of the Unknown. This year is even better with Flash, Atom, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Green Lantern 2, Hawkman, Legion of Super-Heroes, War That Time Forgot, Adam Strange, Superman 3 and Who's Who. I'll probably go back and get Green Arrow and Haunted Tank for last year too. Talk about a boatload of memories. I just hope DC will forgive me and take me back.

Not Much Tonight

Not sure if anyone is reading these, but, if you are, maybe you can help me. I'm having a problem creating links to other sites. I'm also having trouble getting my Amazon.com ads here and at my MySpace page. If you can help, I'd much appreciate it, that is if anyone's reading this

I Heart My DVR

It's true. Ever since my DVR came into my life about 4 months ago, it's become almost as invaluable machine as my computer, TV or beer cooler. It's changed my life in so many ways. I thought the old VCR was a life saver at times (and it was, at times), but this the difference between the light bulb and light-speed. Even my Grandkids and wife can run it and that's saying something.

It's not a Tivo. It's the VCR that comes from Dish Network, which makes no difference to me. It's actually cheaper. The coolest part is that I can schedule my life around it or I can schedule it around me. This is the dual version, meaning that the first choice of recordings happens in the other room if it conflicts with what I'm watching in the living room. For example, tonight, at 7pm, my wife doesn't want to watch Drive. So, we watch Antiques Roadshow instead, while Drive tapes in the other room (and add to the rest of the Drive episodes I have on the hard drive that I can watch at my convenience later. At 8pm, we watch 24 while recording Heroes, then watch Heroes at 9pm. Doesn't get much more convenient than that.

My only real complaint that I have with my DVR is that some stations,such as Comedy Central, USA, Sci-Fi, ESPN and Fox Sports Net, show some shows 2-3 times a day or 5-6 times through the week, just because I program it to record (or autostart) only new episodes, it seems to think that they all need played. So, I have to go in and manually reprogram or skip episodes. Sigh.

But, if that's my only complaint, that's not bad. If you don't have one, check them out. I'm not sorry I did.

P.S. Tonight's TV:24....8 Jacks out of 10
Heroes.....9.5 Hiros out of 10

Heroes Is Back Monday!

Here's an article from USA Today about the rest of the season...with some spoilers.

LOS ANGELES — As NBC's Heroes shoots climactic scenes from its season finale on a downtown office plaza, the blood tie between characters is literal. It's on their shirts, pants and shoes.
Saving the world is a dangerous task, one that has taken hold of the heroes of TV's top new series.


CATCH UP: Find out where the heroes left off

When Heroes returns tonight (9 ET/PT) after a seven-week break, the season's final five episodes will focus on whether they can stop — or will be part of — the nuclear destruction of New York.

On a windy, chilly L.A. night, Arco Plaza has been remade as New York's Kirby Plaza (a tribute to comic-book legend Jack Kirby), complete with a police car, subway entrance and parking meters. An unusually large number of Heroes actors, often working in smaller groups on parallel story lines, have converged for scenes that feature gunshots, confrontations and an impressive display of superpowers.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: NBC | Jack | Peter | Hayden Panettiere | Kring | Greg Grunberg | Masi Oka | Milo Ventimiglia | Adrian Pasdar
Along with those scenes, fans are getting creator Tim Kring's promise that Heroes' main story, the nuclear holocaust, will be resolved this season. "In this pod" — as Kring calls the groupings of episodes, first 11, then seven and now five — "these characters will come together. This is the culmination, the payoff."

"Questions get answered" might as well be a Heroes mantra, along with "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World," "Are You on the List?" and, for the final episodes, "It's Time to Save the World."

The producers know that viewers have become reluctant to commit to serialized shows, worried that they will be canceled or that they will be slow to provide answers. The latter is a complaint that has been leveled at a hit Heroes is often compared to: Lost.

"We've certainly learned from Lost," Kring says. "But we're a very different show. They started with a central mystery. We didn't." He hopes to include short story arcs next season, "so you don't have to wait 23 episodes for the answer."

When we last left the heroes, geneticist Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) was hanging from the ceiling, suspended by killer Sylar, who also has empathic Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) in his grasp. "I come down off the ceiling in a fairly spectacular manner," Ramamurthy says. "It's a real turning point for the character."

Family ties

At the same time, Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) is confronting the shadowy Linderman (Malcolm McDowell); Hiro (Masi Oka) is applying his newly recovered time-travel skills; and fugitive cheerleader Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is learning more about her relation to her biological father, Nathan, who is also Peter's brother.

Blood ties of a biological sort run through Heroes, with Claire's mother possessing a special power and Niki (Ali Larter) and D.L. (Leonard Roberts) the parents of a third hero, Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey).

In next week's episode, Hiro sees an alternate reality five years into the future, with New York devastated and a government that hunts down people with extraordinary abilities. The question: Can they go back and prevent this dark future? Then the final three lead up to the heroes' conclave in the finale: "How to Stop an Exploding Man."

Then there's the blood. "We have a little body count here toward the end," Kring says.

Along with the big resolution, the finale will include smaller cliffhangers regarding the characters' fates.

"People are really going to freak out," says Greg Grunberg, whose Matt Parkman has the unenviable ability to hear others' thoughts. In the finale, "there's a moment of dialogue that's one of the creepiest moments of the series, and there's something revealed that sets the stage for the entire second season."

It wouldn't take Parkman's mind-reading skill to hear the internal sighs of relief at fourth-place NBC, which desperately needed a new hit. For the season, Heroes is tied for 17th in viewers (14.8 million) and seventh in young adults (8.6 million), the most important group to advertisers. It held up after the winter break and beat Fox's 24 head-to-head in both categories.

Kring says the pods have been great for storytelling, focusing the series into acts and providing opportunity for cliffhangers. But seven weeks is a long hiatus, and Heroes comes back facing ABC's hit Dancing With the Stars. "We're all on pins and needles to see how the audience reacts," Kring says.

For Parkman and his fellow heroes, comic-book powers can be a gift and a curse, giving them the ability to save the world even as they are poked and prodded by a mysterious organization and killed and consumed by "anti"-hero Sylar. "It is, 'Be careful what you wish for,' " says Grunberg.

For the actors, Heroes' success is an unqualified joy, perhaps a bit surprising because of its offbeat theme, expensive production and arrival at a time of serialized glut.

"As a guy who watches television, I know we're making good TV. But I had no expectations it was going to be this wide-reaching success," Ventimiglia says.

Drama beats heroics

As the heroes have adjusted to their powers in fits and starts, some have struggled over what to use them for, as evidenced by reluctant flyboy Nathan and mirror twins Niki/Jessica, a battle of light and darkness in the same person.

Ventimiglia describes Peter going from "a guy who hasn't fully harnessed his abilities" to a man who attains the confidence to try to save the world. It also puts him in a better position to take on Sylar, a character with similar powers.

"It's not just running around doing good things. People stumble with their powers. They don't always do the right thing. Life is in the gray," Larter says.

Jack Coleman — whose Horn-Rimmed Glasses, aka H.R.G., went from a guest appearance to a fan favorite — says that focus on the characters, described as "everyday people with extraordinary abilities," has helped lift Heroes from comic-book cult status to mainstream hit. "One of the real accomplishments with this show is that it's very easy to forget you're dealing with people with superhuman abilities and really get into the human drama of the characters."

The heightened state of Heroes can nevertheless resonate in the real world, Quinto says. "Even though the context of the themes is comic book-esque, themes of people awakening to their own power and using it to save the world for good instead of evil are relevant in the world we live in today," he says.

The powers have behind-the-scenes stories, too. Ventimiglia says Kring nailed down Peter's empathic powers, making him "potentially the most powerful of the heroes," months after the pilot was shot. Grunberg is amused by a person with wireless and downloading powers, a hero for these times.

Roberts loves the intersection of the characters, as in a scene where D.L. and Hiro meet as they save a crash victim. "Everybody was thinking, 'What other combinations can we come up with?' "

The actors see the possibility for many heroic stories, with new characters, combinations and even origin stories. "This is the end of the first chapter," Ramamurthy says. "It's limitless."

Buffy Season 8, #3

Awesome cover, doncha think? I recently got lucky enough to find Buffy 1 and 2 here in my hometown. Lucky because the last time our little town (pop. 13,500) had a Direct Sales Comic Shop was around 5 yrs ago. If you wanted comics between now and then, there was a grocery store and a convenience store, each with a spinner rack and we know how reliable those can be. Anyway, last week, our local D&D/Heroclix shop added Direct Sales. Woohoo. Now I have a (small) pull list again. In the next week or so, I'll try to tell you my history of my comic buying and reading over the last 45-50 years.

Taking a Breather Tonight

Be back Saturday night with more world-class blogging. Leave the light on.

Lost Review from TVGuide.com

April 18, 2007: She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain
Or not. Poor Desmond. He looks so weary. Weary of doing the same things over and over, of hearing the same conversations, of wishing to get off that darn island, of saving Charlie's life.... It's as if he's still in the hatch pushing that button, only saving Charlie's life takes a bit more effort, and not saving his life takes even more.

On the whole, this was a pretty good episode — good balance of characters, interesting plot development — but did it have to be so heavy-handed with the metaphors and allusions? I felt like I was in high-school English class. There were all of Desmond's (super-meaningful-listen-closely-don't-you-dare-miss-them) conversations with the other monk about being put through a test and about Isaac's sacrifice on Mount Moriah. And then a girl dropped out of the sky carrying her copy of Catch-22 (I believe in Portuguese). And that, my friends, is what Desmond found himself in when trying to decide if he could save Charlie's life, even though he knew Charlie's death was part of what brought him to the place where Not-Penny fell from the sky. Or perhaps it was all God asking him to sacrifice Charlie in order to achieve salvation for the rest of the survivors. Those flashes have a convenient way of leaving out helpful details, don't they? Why couldn't he just remember where he went the first time and then leave Charlie at home?

So back to the backstory: I'm with Desmond's ex-fiancée, Ruth, on the ridiculousness of Desmond's "calling." It was just because a monk helped him up on the street? "Good thing it wasn't a shepherd who helped you up!" (Huh, like a Jack Shephard? Never mind.) Aside from the burlap-sack clothing, those monks didn't seem to have it so bad. At least they didn't have to teach school, like nuns. But running a vineyard without being able to down a bottle or two once in a while sounds like a supreme test of will to me. Though it's clear that Desmond wasn't just fired for that. Thanks to the Lost Easter Eggs site, I see that Fionnula Flanagan (the creepy lady from the antique store who knew all about his flashes) was in a picture with the monk, so maybe this was all part of a big plan. Maybe Penny's in on the plan, too. I did enjoy seeing Penny and Desmond's supercharged first meeting. That Penny's not a shy one. I bet she and Kate would get along.

That's my semismooth segue into what I'm sure was the favorite part of the evening for many a 'shipper in the audience: Sawyer asking for a booty call. "Do I need to make you a mixed tape?" I was really rooting for him tonight, even thought Kate's longing for Jack is beyond transparent. Her half-hearted attempt at flirting with Jack over oatmeal made me sad. Give up, Kate. Or get in some kind of trouble that Jack needs to save you from, 'cause we all know that's the only way to his heart. By the end of the episode, I think everyone felt a little more heartbroken and ready to put up their protective walls. Just as well, I suppose. It doesn't seem like there are many options for contraception on the island these days, so they might as well remain emotionally stunted and sexually frustrated.

Now before I leave you guys to ponder the identity and purpose of Not-Penny, I just want to point out the funny stuff:
— Hurley trying to convince Charlie that the Flash and Superman might compete in a foot race for charity.
— Hurley to Desmond: "This is future crap, isn't it?"
— Sawyer to Jack and Juliet: "You two arguing over who's your favorite Other?"
— Sawyer to Jack about ping-pong: "We don't play every 108 minutes, the island's gonna explode."
— Sawyer's reaction when Kate told him about the Others' working cameras: "Perverts."

TV Tonight

Remember that all the "good" shows start their new shows heading for the season finales tonight, starting with Smallville. Then Sunday, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. Monday, Heroes returns, unfortunately opposite 24. And don't forget to support Drive on Monday. Tuesday is House. Wed, Jericho and Lost. Grey's
Anatomy on Thursday too. Those are the ones I'll be tracking.I know there are others like the Stargates and others on Sci-Fi. Can't wait for the ride.

#2 on My List of Personal Heroes

Jack Bauer Has Turned Rogue

Wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard that. Plus I notice we haven't seen the last of VEEP Jim Jones.


I'll review Drive here in a couple of nights after I've seen the 1st 3 hours








My blog at MySpace is www.blog.myspace.com/alan0825

Kudos and..............

a big thumbs up to Sci-Fi Channel magazine. This is their latest issue and it's a doozy. I've seen the mags on newsstands before and flipped through them, but never bought one. I received this one in the mail last week (I signed up for a free issue some time ago and forgot all about it). Anyway, I was very impressed and decided to let everyone know what it's like. It has terrific articles and interviews regarding all the bockbuster genre movies being released this Summer. It also has recaps and spoilers for all the various TV shows from Nets and Sci-Fi Channel too. To give you an idea how much I liked this magazine, I'm seriously considering subscribing and that's something I don't usually do.

For a slightly related subject, join me at www,blog.MySpace.com/alan0825 for more World Class blogging

A Quick (I hope) Recap

First, I want to thank Jon Knudsen for giving this blog his ok. I appreciate the boost.

If you don't want to go back to my 1st post here, here's the long story short version of what I'm up to here. I'm a big Pop Culture fan and you can expect to see my views and other people's reviews on TV, Movies, Comics, Books, Websites, Sports and whatever pops into my head. I'll try to post something every night when possible.
Not much personal stuff (yet). A little bit of Politics now and then. It'll be a work
in progress for a while. Please be patient and bear with me.

BTW, the abovementioned Jon's weblog is at www.waffyjon.blogspot.com.

And I have a fairly new MySpace page at www.myspce.com/alan0825.

Thanks in advance for joining me for this ride.

FYI Times 3

A few things to let you get to know me a little better. The above is #1 in a series of my heroes. Not in any particular order.


Secondly, the title of this blog is an homage of sorts to an old time radio comedy show. Here are the details from Wikipedia:
Fred Allen's first taste of radio came while he and Portland Hoffa waited for a promised slot in a new Arthur Hammerstein musical. In the interim, they appeared on a Chicago station's program, WLS Showboat, into which, Allen recalled, "Portland and I were presented... to inject a little class into it." Their success in these appearances helped their theater reception; live audiences in the Midwest liked to see their radio favorites in person, even if Allen and Hoffa would be replaced by Bob Hope when the radio show moved to New York several months afterward.

The couple eventually got their Hammerstein show, Polly, which opened in Delaware and made the usual tour before hitting Broadway. Also in that cast was a young Englishman named Archie Leach, who received as many good notices for his romantic appeal as Allen got for his comic work. Hammerstein retooled the show before bringing it to New York, replacing everyone but two women and Allen. Leach decided to buy an old car and drive to Hollywood. "What Archie Leach didn't tell me," Allen remembered, "was that he was going to change his name to Cary Grant."

Polly never succeeded in spite of several retoolings, but Allen did go on to successful shows like The Little Show (1929-30) and Three's a Crowd (1930-31), which eventually led to his full-time entry to radio in 1932.


[edit] "It's Town Hall Tonight!"
Allen first hosted The Linit Bath Club Revue on CBS, moving the show to NBC and becoming The Salad Bowl Revue (in a nod to new sponsor Hellmann's Mayonnaise) later in the year. The show became The Sal Hepatica Revue (1933-34), The Hour of Smiles (1934–35), and finally Town Hall Tonight (1935–40). Allen's perfectionism (odd to some, considering his deft ad-libs) caused him to leap from sponsor to sponsor until Town Hall Tonight allowed him to set his chosen milieu (either an urbane small town or a small neighborhood in the big city, depending on your interpretation) and finally established Allen as a bona fide radio star.

The hour-long show featured segments that would influence radio and, much later, television. Such news satires as Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In's "Laugh-In Looks at the News" and Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" owed their genesis to Town Hall Tonight's "The News Reel," later renamed "Town Hall News".

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson's Mighty Carson Art Players routines owed much, including its name, to Allen's Mighty Allen Art Players. Allen and company also satirized popular musical comedies and films of the day, including and especially Oklahoma!. Allen also did semi-satirical interpretations of well-known lives — including his own.


[edit] From Town Hall to Allen's Alley
The show that became Town Hall Tonight was the longest-running hour-long comedy-based show in classic radio history. In 1940, Allen moved back to CBS with a new sponsor and show name, Texaco Star Theater. By 1942, he shortened the show to half an hour — under network and sponsor edict, not his own. He also chafed under being forced to give up a Town Hall Tonight signature, using barely-known and amateur guests effectively, in favor of booking more recognizable guests, though he liked many of those.

He took over a year off due to hypertension and returned in 1944 with The Fred Allen Show on NBC. Blue Bonnet Margarine, Tenderleaf Tea and Ford Motor Company were the sponsors for the rest of the show's life. Texaco revived Texaco Star Theater in 1948 on radio, and more successfully on television, making an American icon out of star Milton Berle).

Allen again made a few changes. One was adding the singing DeMarco Sisters, to whom he'd been tipped by arranger-composer Gordon Jenkins. "We did four years with Mr. Allen and got one thousand dollars a week," Gloria DeMarco remembered. "Sunday night was the best night on radio." Sunday night with Fred Allen seemed incomplete on any night listeners didn't hear the DeMarco Sisters — whose breezy, harmonious style became as familiar as their cheerfully sung "Mr. Al-len, Mr. Alll-llennnn" in the show's opening theme. During the theme's brief pause, Allen would say something like, "It isn't the mayor of Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga, kiddies." That device became a signature for three of the four years.

The other change, born in the Texaco days and evolved from his earlier news spoofs, proved his most enduring, premiering December 13, 1942. "Allen's Alley" followed a brief Allen monologue and comic segment with Portland Hoffa ("Misssss-ter Allll-llennnn!"), usually involving gags about her family which she instigated. Then, a brief music interlude would symbolize the two making their way to the fictitious alley, always launched by a quick exchange that began with Hoffa asking Allen what he would ask the Alley denizens that week. After she implored him "Shall we go?", Allen would reply with cracks like "As the two drumsticks said when they spotted the tympani, 'let's beat it!'"; or, "As one strapless gown said to the other strapless gown, 'What's holding us up?'"

A small host of stereotypical characters greeted Allen and Hoffa down the Alley, discussing Allen's question of the week, usually drawing on news items or popular happenings around town, whether gas rationing, traffic congestion, the Pulitzer Prizes, postwar holiday travel, or the annual Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus visit.

The Alley went through a few changes in the first installments. Early denizens included sarcastic John Doe (John Brown), self-possessed Senator Bloat (Jack Smart), dimwit Socrates Mulligan (Charlie Cantor), and pompous poet Falstaff Openshaw (Alan Reed). But soon the Alley's four best-remembered regulars moved in and rarely disappeared: announcer Kenny Delmar as bellowing ("Some— Ah say, somebody's knockin' at mah doah!") Senator Beauregard Claghorn (the model for cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn), Parker Fennelly as stoic New England farmer, Titus Moody, Minerva Pious as the Jewish housewife, Pansy Nussbaum, and Peter Donald as fast-talking Irishman, Ajax Cassidy.


[edit] Swing of the rapier

"He has eyes like Venetian blinds and a tongue like an adder" — radio/TV critic John Crosby on Fred Allen, portrayed here by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.Highly literate and often absurdist, Allen's topical humor is thought an acquired taste for audiences curious about his generation of radio stars. But others find many parallels to today's world and absurdities. The "Allen's Alley" stereotypes make some cringe, but others find them lancing more than lauding stereotypes, letting listeners make up their own minds about how foolish they could be. "Interestingly enough," wrote Frank Buxton and Bill Owen, in The Big Broadcast 1920-1950, "[Claghorn, Nussbaum, Moody, and Cassidy] were never criticized as being anti-Southern, anti-Semitic, anti-New England or anti-Irish. The warmth and good humor with which they were presented made them acceptable even to the most sensitive listeners."

Allen was probably his own best writer; he employed a staff (including the future author of The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk), but they served as his sounding boards and early draft consultants as much as actual writers. Allen himself worked as long as 12 hours a day on ideas and sketches. And his ad-libbing was so skilled that many a surviving show fades away behind the ending network identification, because Allen often ate up air time. It was not as unusual for him as for others to sign off with, "We're a little late, so good night, folks." Buxton and Owen believed the Allen show needed it more than anyone else of their era.


[edit] Closing the Alley
Then, in 1948, Fred Allen's radio fortunes changed almost overnight. In 1946-47, he had the top-ranked radio show. Thanks in large part to NBC's anxiety to keep more of its stars from joining Jack Benny in a wholesale defection to CBS (the CBS talent raids broke up NBC's hit Sunday night, and Benny also convinced George Burns and Gracie Allen and Bing Crosby to join his move), Allen also had a lucrative new contract, as did singing husband-and-wife situation comedy team Phil Harris and Alice Faye.

Allen was knocked off his NBC perch a year later, not by a CBS talent raid but by a show on a third rival network, ABC (the former NBC Blue network). Their quiz show, Stop the Music, hosted by Bert Parks, became a big enough hit to break into Allen's grip on that Sunday night time slot. At first, Allen fought fire with his own kind of fire: he offered $5,000 to any listener getting a call from Stop the Music or any similar game show while listening to The Fred Allen Show. He never had to pay up, nor was he shy about lampooning the game show phenomenon (especially a riotous parody of another quiz Parks hosted, lancing Break the Bank in a routine called "Break the Contestant", in which players didn't receive a thing but were compelled to give up possessions when they blew a question.)

Unfortunately, Allen fell to number 38 in the ratings, as television began its rise as well. By this time, he had changed the show again somewhat, changing the famed "Allen's Alley" skits to take place on "Main Street," and rotating a new character or two in and out of the lineup. He stepped down from radio again in 1949, at the end of his show's regular season. When NBC declined his contract renewal, his doctor again advised him to take a break for his health, and he decided to take a year off. But this time the year layoff did everything for his health and almost nothing for his radio career. After the 26 June 1949 show, Fred Allen never hosted another radio show full-time again.


Fially, I've just started a MySpace page. It is for sure a work in progress right now, but I should have it where I want it in a couple of weeks. Visit and join if you like. The URL is MySpace.com/alan0825

I Totally Agree

From TV Guide.com:

Roush Dispatch
by Matt Roush Juliet: Lost's First Lady of Mystery
But, soft! What light on yonder island breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.

Apologies to Shakespeare. OK, apologies to everyone. But how can anyone who's watching Lost these days not have fallen under the spell of Juliet Burke? So alluring, so enigmatic, strangely both warm and chilly beneath that elusive Mona Lisa smile, forever challenging our assumptions about her ultimate motives. Is she good? Is she bad? Probably both, right? Is she, as Jack declares (and which provided the title of Wednesday's excellent, twisty episode), "one of us"? Oh, Jack, you deluded, trusting, overprotective fool.

Whatever she is, Juliet's one for the ages. Even in last fall's much-derided "pod" of episodes that introduced us to her and the Village of the Others, Juliet stood out, an object of fascination as she asserted control over her captives, while betraying an underlying sense of desperation. Elizabeth Mitchell nailed it from the start, but she really came into her own as a full-fledged Lost-ie this week. I agree with Michael Ausiello. She deserves serious Emmy attention.

Juliet is both manipulator and one of the manipulated, and even when she's calculating you can see in her eyes that she's trapped. That's some powerful acting. The one thing Jack said that is ultimately correct about her: "You want to get off this island more than anything else in the world." She is one of them, except when she isn't. (The fact that her infiltration was planned, and the Claire health crisis was rigged, propels the show into loony sci-fi land again, but still, an effective emotional reversal.)

The episode also delivered plenty of answers, or at least provocative new theories, about what's happening on Mystery Island and certainly about what brought Juliet there: to research and hopefully fix whatever it is that's killing all the pregnant women. (What an arbitrary island: It cures cancer, heals the lame, but somehow disallows new life, until Claire arrived, to emerge?) What does this mean for Sun? Now there's a great story to take to the end of the season.

I also loved the flashbacks more than usual, especially as they pertained to life on the island that was happening while we were looking elsewhere. Once again, as in the season opener, I was floored by the sequence in which the Village of the Others watched in amazement as Oceanic Flight 815 broke apart in the sky above. How unnerving to see Ben jump immediately into action, ordering immediate infiltration into the camp of the survivors and for lists to be made, then zipping over to Mikhail's amazing comm center to start compiling info on the passenger manifest. That led to the wrenching moment in which Juliet was shown via satellite remote that her sister Rachel and nephew Julian were still alive (as of September 22, 2004, the historic day of Lost's premiere). In Juliet's hysteria, Elizabeth Mitchell didn't just rise to the occasion. She was an occasion.

We all know what happens when Lost introduces new characters that feel out of place or distracting from our primary focus and enjoyment. (R.I.P., Nikki and Paulo.) Juliet Burke is not one of those characters. She really is "one of them," or better yet, "one of those." In other words, a keeper. Whatever Ben has in store for our beloved beachcombers in the "week" to come, Juliet's actions and reactions will be something to watch, to ponder, to enjoy. To me, she's no longer just an Other. She's other-worldly.

Drive Review from USA Today

Intrigue, speed and humor fuel a cryptic 'Drive'



Enlarge Fox

Let's burn rubber: Corinna (Kristin Lehman) and Alex (Nathan Fillion) partner up for a secret road race.



ABOUT THE SHOW

Drive
* * * (out of four)
Fox, Sunday, 8 ET/PT





By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY
No one is going to accuse Drive of standing still.
Part Amazing Race, part Alias, part The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, this new Fox entry is constructed for that part of the NASCAR nation that is prone to embrace conspiracies. Apparently, as long as there have been cars, there has been a secret, illegal, incredibly well-organized cross-country race. Many of the racers are in it for the $32 million prize, but others have been forced to compete by illegal means for reasons yet to be revealed.

Created by relative TV newcomer Ben Queen and the well-established Tim Minear (Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Wonderfalls), Sunday's two-hour premiere does a solid job of introducing an intriguing, if not exactly convincing, story and some appealing actors. At the top of that list is Nathan Fillion, who imbues his racer with that same mix of studly heroism, outright stubbornness and dry wit that endeared him to Firefly fans.

Fillion is Alex Tully, the most reluctant of racers, who has been told the contest is the key to finding his missing wife (Angel's Amy Acker). Following orders from a secret cellphone, he heads off to meet the race "liaison," Mr. Bright (Charles Martin Smith).

Alex also meets a predictably mixed bag of fellow speedsters: Wendy (Melanie Lynskey) is a mother racing to save her newborn baby; John (Dylan Baker) is a scientist using the race to bond with his teenage daughter (Emma Stone). And Corinna (Kristin Lehman) is, well, we're not sure who she is, other than Alex's new partner. That list, of course, leaves out some of the most important cast members: dozens of cars, speeding in and out of traffic, on and off the road, via digital effects that no doubt will look more impressive on air than on the incomplete preview tape.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: NASCAR | Fox | Race | Drive | Bright | Nathan Fillion
The larger problem for Drive may be that in a TV landscape studded with cloudy conspiracies, this is the cloudiest. It's hard to imagine what the all-knowing race organizers could be after that would possibly justify such an elaborate scheme.

What Drive has going for it, aside from the cast, is the writers' willingness to lighten the conspiracy load with humor. When Alex, who arrives late for the orientation, expresses doubts over the race's existence, Mr. Bright balefully responds, "Without the PowerPoint presentation, it does seem a little far-fetched."

Well, yeah, and eventually the show is going to have to parcel out some answers along with its jokes and jolts. But we'll cross that bridge when we drive to it.

For now, I'm willing to ride.

Good Article

From St Louis Post-Dispatch:

Duke injustice fails to provoke anger Imus did
By Bernie Miklasz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/12/2007

Sports Columnist Bernie Miklasz
[More columns]

Any discussion of race in America invariably leads to frustration and a profound feeling of futility. It's virtually impossible to have a meaningful dialogue on the subject.

While not exactly defending Don Imus' unprovoked, racist and sexist insults directed at the women's basketball team at Rutgers, some of my white friends have attempted to rationalize the comments by redirecting the conversation in the most predictable of diversions: changing the topic.

Instead of dealing specifically with Imus, they'll cite race-based insults hurled by black comedians and athletes. In other words, if Chris Rock makes fun of whites (or blacks) in a stand-up comedy routine, or if Charles Barkley says something silly on TNT, somehow this means Imus gets a free pass.

Hardly. Wrong is wrong, but context is important. When a comedian speaks in humorous generalities about the differences between races, that's considerably different from Imus spontaneously slurring a specific group of people such as the Rutgers players, who have names, faces, identities and families.
The anger directed at Imus is on target. Sure, the piling on from discredited figures such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson is absurd, but that doesn't excuse what Imus did.

MORE BERNIE
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We're quick to leap and uphold the honor of the Rutgers women by beating up on Imus. But I'm just wondering: Where is the outrage over the blatant injustice endured by three members of Duke's men's lacrosse team?

The three players were formally accused of rape and other trumped-up charges that finally got tossed away on Wednesday by the North Carolina attorney general, Roy Cooper, who held nothing back in criticizing this as a shoddy, shameless and baseless prosecution.

But these Duke players will always be stained by the mud of these false allegations. Before any of the facts came in, these players were essentially deemed guilty by the Duke administration, the local Durham, N.C., community, and the national media. So how do they get their good names back?

I want to know why the angry forces, white and black, that mobilized to take Imus down aren't heading to Durham, N.C. to condemn the despicable wrongdoing that threatened the very freedom of the Duke players. Is this because they're white males who come from affluent backgrounds? It shouldn't matter; they are still victims.

Early on in this process, the New Black Panthers, a black hate group from Atlanta, traveled to Durham and made threats against the three lacrosse players. And the woman who filed the false charges against the Duke players is black. So how come Sharpton and Jackson aren't in North Carolina, speaking out against blacks who harmed the reputation of three white athletes? Must be a selective conscience. And the double standards are detestable.

I'm not playing down what happened to the Rutgers women. But they were victims of name-calling from a worn-out shock jock. And I believe that some good is coming out of this for Rutgers; because of the publicity, we've gotten an opportunity to learn a lot more about the players. And they're an impressive lineup that includes an aspiring doctor, a future veterinarian, an accomplished musician, an actual Girl Scout, and strong academic backgrounds. Coach Vivian Stringer, a member of the basketball Hall of Fame, was widowed 15 years ago and raised three kids on her own — including a wheelchair-bound daughter born with spinal bifida.

Just about anyone who saw the Rutgers coach and players speak at length Tuesday would come away thinking that this would be a great team to be a part of. By calling them a bad name, Imus gave the world a chance to discover just how wonderful these players truly are.

And the three Duke players? Well, they'll get on with their lives, except that the word "rapist" will follow them forever. And I ask again: Where is the outrage?

Lost tonight

Excellent show tonight. A lot to think about.

I'll Be Your Friend

From The Absobascon:

The Friendless Wonder
Wonder Woman doesn't really have any friends, does she?

I don't mean supporting cast member type friends, though Zeus knows, she doesn't really have any of those either. Poor Diana is a victim (along with other notable figures like the post-Crisis Flashes and Aquaman) of a phenomenon I call "supporting castastrophe", the complete turnover of her entire supporting cast whenever she gets a new writer. Hippolyta, Etta Candy, Steve Trevor, Julia Kapatelis, Mindi Mayer, Ed that Detective Guy from Boston, the Gang from Taco Whiz, whoever the heck was in the Byrne run, Ferdinand the Minotaur and Rucka's Embassy Gang -- the Legion of Substituted Zeroes has an enormous battalion of Wonder Woman's castmembers.

But I'm not talking them; I'm talking about, well, "superfriends", for lack of a better term.

Batman and Superman are friends. Shovel all you want your Milleresque hooey about their being "naturally at odds with each" and "they could never be friends". Whether they're chummily selling war bonds together or bickering like an old married couple, the fact remains that they are socially paired.

Green Lantern and Flash, the Silver Age Duo, were also socially paired. Of course, in the Bronze Age, there was more of a Green Lantern / Green Arrow thing, but one thing was sure: none of the three hung out with Wonder Woman, sharing a six pack of ambrosia.

The JLA's Weirdo-in-Residence, the Martian Manhunter, has usually been associated with the other odd man out, Aquaman; they were "the Backup Boys". After the classical era of the JLA, their social pairing was reinforced by their work together in the Detroit League, and J'onn's repeated appearances in Arthur's (many many) titles.

Wonder Woman? The only woman in the original JLA was, de facto, a loner. Now, there have been so mighty efforts in the last few years to shore up her role in "DC's Trinity", and great strides have been made in making her a distinct personality with definite relationships with Batman and Superman.

But friends? Despite Brad Meltzer's insistence that the JLAers are all really really REALLY chummy, most other people I know think of them primarily as colleagues of hers. Batman and Superman are, historically and conceptually, paired with each other. "Batman & Wonder Woman" or "Wonder Woman & Superman" is never going to sound as natural as "Superman & Batman".

JLU, the animated series, made some steps in the right direction by pairing Wonder Woman with Hawkgirl. It was rather contentious, so I'm not certain it was a friendship, exactly, but it was certainly a social pairing, regardless of what their attitudes were toward each other at any particular point in the series.

Now that Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl are both in the JLA, will this pairing be reiterated? Perhaps it would be better if Wonder Woman were strongly paired with Black Canary, who like Wonder Woman is a hero with a strong Golden Age pedigree. It might help in the never-ending battle to have Black Canary taken seriously (because that'll have another serious setback when they have marry that loser, Green Arrow, whom she should have dumped permanently about 10,000 times ago).

Of course, since someone at DC seems insistent to marry Canary and Arrow, those two are, unavoidably, going to be a social pairing; so, maybe Wonder Woman should be best friends with Hawkgirl. Hawkgirl could certainly use the boost after DC fumbled her own title.

Regardless, Wonder Woman, of ALL female characters in the DCU, should have at least one female superfriend!

And, NO, it can't be Vixen. Ick.

IMUS

From Peter David:

Am I the only one who thinks the firestorm over Don Imus referring to a group of young black female basketball players as "nappy headed ho's" is just way over the top?

I mean, the guy's not a church deacon, or a senator, or even a sports broadcaster. He's a shock jock. It's his job to push humor to the edge and beyond the edge. So he made a joke that was in poor taste. He admitted it. He apologized for it. He was suspended for it, for crying out loud. And there are STILL people who want to drive him off the air? While the Reverend Al Sharpton is railing against him, has he never bothered to crack the Bible he ostensibly preaches and stumbled over the passage about erring being human and forgiving divine?

It's IMUS, for crying out loud. If Imus referred to a group of young Jewish basketball players as Matzoh-slinging Jewboys, I'd just shrug and say, "Whatever, man. It's Imus." The guy's filling however many hours his show is every day, and it's live. If he goes over the line and then admits he did and apologizes, I'm sorry, but that should be the end of it. Anyone who's flogging it beyond that point has their own agenda and is just using this to further it. If Al Sharpton is that upset about Black women being spoken of in such a disrespectful manner, then why not spend his time going after the radio stations playing rap songs that call Black women "ho's" (when they're not talking about killing cops.) Or are slurs and racism only acceptable when they stem from Sharpton's own constituency?

PAD

24, Drive, Heroes

WOW! Jack is back and didn't feel like a guest star on his own show. I'm so glad they wrapped up the suitcase nuke storyline and now we have "The Search for Audrey"
This will make it SO much more perspnal for Jack. Now, if we could only get rid of the soap opera elements around CTU.

Drive starts next Sunday with the 2 hour pilot at 7 Central time, then moves intoPrison Break's tome slot next Monday. I'm stoked for this one.

And, last but not least, Heroes will be back in just 2 weeks. WooHoo.

My Reading Preferences

Since I was 12 or 13, I've been a fairly voacious reader (besides comics). Seems like I started with Hardy Boys then moved up to Ian Fleming, E. R. Burroughs, Matt Helm, Travis McGee, Lew Archer, The Executioer, 87th Precinct, Harry Bosch, Spencer and others. As you can tell, I lean toward series and mystery/suspense. I do like the occasional humor book and authors like David Sedaris and Donald Westlake. Lately, Nelson Demille has me hooked.

My Favorite Team

Amazon.com: 40 Years of the X-Men Collector's Edition Win/Mac [DVD]: Software

Amazon.com: 40 Years of the X-Men Collector's Edition Win/Mac [DVD]: Software

Lost tonght and..........the End of the World

How'd you like Lost tonight? I really liked it. Is Juliet a spy? Is Sawyer the host with the most? Once again, so many questios needing answered. LOL. Guess I'll head for TWOP in a bit to get my dose of snarkiness for the night.

And this just in:

Pair launch Pillow Fight League
October, Berman acquire sport's TV rights
By JOSEF ADALIAN
"I'm gay, and even I know that girls pillow fighting is sexy," producer Eddie October said.

The feathers will fly -- or at least, that's what producers Eddie October and Al Berman are hoping.
Less than a month after ESPN agreed to air the Rock Paper Scissors League championship, October and Berman have snatched up worldwide television rights to another "sport" based in childhood memories: the Pillow Fight League.

The TV-friendly twist: PFL's roster of players boasts a slew of attractive females, many of whom compete while wearing skimpy uniforms. That will be one of the key selling points as October and Berman begin pitching nets later this month on the idea of a PFL skein.

"I'm gay, and even I know that girls pillow fighting is sexy," October told Daily Variety.

October, former showrunner for "Later With Greg Kinnear" and Roseanne Barr's syndie gabber, said the PFL caught his interest just a few months ago, when he heard some of the pillow fighters being interviewed. After seeing some matches, he teamed up with Berman -- whose live TV experiences include exec producing "The Early Show" and "Rock Star: INXS"-- to pursue the TV rights.

In addition to the sex appeal of the PFL, "It also plays out on other levels," October said. "These are real fights, and the girls are totally kick-ass girls."

There's also a huge camp factor, with contestants assuming wrestling-like alter egos: Sarah Bellum, Boozy Susie, Lynn Somnia, Betty Clock'er. The PFL's motto: Fight like a girl.

Berman said PFL matches are "a return to simple pleasures.

"We all grew up pillow fighting," he said. "We're taking that experience, spicing it up and letting it loose on America."

While a male-skewing net like Spike would seem to be an obvious home for the PFL, October believes the sport could have "appeal across the board.

"The women in the PFL are empowered," he said.

As played in the PFL, pillow fighting is a contact sport -- although all contact must be made via pillow. Contestants can win by pinning their opponent within five minutes, but if that doesn't happen, a panel of three judges determines the victor using a point system that grades style, stamina and (no joking) "eye of the tiger."

No word on who might judge the televised games, but a celeb panel is a possibility.

PFL was co-founded by musician Stacey P. Case, who'll serve as co-exec producer of any broadcasts that result from the rights deal.

October's other credits include "Tommy Lee Goes to College" and VH1's "Bands Reunited." His shingle recently acquired U.S. rights to U.K. format "How Long Will You Live" and Belgium quizzer "Top of the Tables."

Berman has produced a slew of live finales for "Survivor," "The Apprentice" and "The Biggest Loser."

Deals for October and Berman were brokered by CAA and Sherry Berman, respectively.
Date in print: Wed., Apr. 4, 2007, Los Angeles

I Agree With This Review

From Mania.com:

There are some plot holes in this episode such as how quickly Sara makes it to Panama, how easily she is set free even though she did commit some criminal acts, same for Michael and Linc but as I mentioned earlier, this is in many ways like a modern day MacGyver crossed with The Prisoner, you just have to suspend you disbelief and go along for the ride. I do it for LOST, Heroes, and 24 and will continue to do so as long as the series is entertaining and this episode was definitely entertaining. I can’t wait to see this new group work their way out of this new prison and I can’t wait to see why the company wants them to do it! I read that the producers originally planned for this series to run three seasons with season one in prison, season two out of prison, and season three back in prison and based on this season final it appears that everything is on track. Hopefully, we’ll get one more bang up season of Prison Break and it’ll be over.

Metal Men Movie?

'Metal' forged at Warners for Shuler DonnerBy Borys Kit

April 4, 2007

Mining for new projects, Warner Bros. Pictures is hoping to strike gold with the robotic superhero team "Metal Men," setting up the project with producer Lauren Shuler Donner. Eric Champnella has been brought on board to write.

Based on a DC Comics hero created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru in 1962, "Metal" revolves around a brilliant scientist, William Magnus, and his creations: six highly advanced robots who have powers associated with their respective metals -- gold, iron, lead, tin, mercury and platinum. Instead of having to be programd, the Metal Men can think for themselves, which is both their genius and their biggest flaw.

The heroes made their first appearance in "Showcase," where they were created as filler but proved to be unexpectedly popular and received their own title. The heroes served as a dysfunctional family, and the stories balanced sentimentality, humor and action.

Jack Leslie of the Donners' Co. also is producing.

Geoff Johns, who was an assistant to Richard Donner before becoming one of the comic world's renowned writers, helped develop the take and will executive produce.
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Dan Lin and Elishia Holmes are shepherding for Warners. Gregory Noveck is overseeing for DC Comics.

Shuler Donner has a history of bringing comic books to the silver screen. She was behind the "X-Men" movies at Fox, which were based on the Marvel Comics superheroes, and 2005's "Constantine" at Warners, based on a DC Comics/Vertigo title.

Moviehole.net - Anderson talks X-Files sequel

Moviehole.net - Anderson talks X-Files sequel: "Anderson talks X-Files sequel
Date : April 3, 2007 Posted By : Adam Weeks

For those that didn’t guess it – it’s mirthful to see that some of the news wires like this one here, here and here have taken it as gospel. That’s what they get for not clicking through on that carteresque.com link hey? Lazy so-and-so’s – our “X-Files” sequel item about Gillian Anderson being replaced by Julianne Moore was an April Fools gag. Most got to the bottom of the article and assumed as much… some took it as solid word. Suckers.
Today, some ‘Real’ news on “X-Files 2” – ironically, it’s Gillian Anderson saying that the film is definitely happening.
“They’re starting to talk about doing a feature again”, the spunky redhead tells Empire Online. “Every year or two they talk about it again, but it seems like it might be for real this time. Somehow it seems like somebody’s really serious about it. I know that Chris’ [Carter] lawsuit with Fox is over, so maybe now it can be done”
Last week co-star David Duchovny confirmed as much as well."

Joss Whedon Interview

From Wizard Magazine:

JOSS WHEDON: A TO Z
Wizard whips up this alphabet soup to whet your appetite for his upcoming stint on Runaways
By Paul Florez

Posted April 2, 2007 4:05 PM

Joss Whedon looks to ditch the West Coast for a stay in the Big Apple—and he’s bringing Marvel’s Runaways with him.

Whedon, along with artist Michael Ryan (New X-Men), takes the reins of Marvel’s most beloved group of teen misfits starting with this week's issue #25 for a six-issue ride that finds them on the mean streets of New York City. And if there’s anything the Buffy creator has proven throughout the years, it’s that he’s the master of teen angst and clever dialogue. But the question ultimately arises, why is Whedon taking Nico and the gang out of sunny L.A.?

“[Brian Vaughan] asked me!” Whedon admits. “He said they’re the most landlocked runaways. I mean, they’ve been living at the same place for a long time, so they’re not actually running anywhere.”

Whedon promises that their trip will impact the team and their perception of the world: “It’s going to give them a very different perspective on what their lives are like compared to everyone else’s. They’re going to see a side of the world that they haven’t really seen before.” And with NYC being the thriving center of superhero culture, does this mean we’re going to see any big-name Marvel hero cameos? “Not the ones they’ve met up with before,” Whedon teases. “And I’m actually not going to reveal who they are, because I am a bad person.”

So before Whedon showers fans with the flowers of his labor, we’re teaching you the fundamental ABCs of Whedon’s career—everything you need to know to get ready for his Runaways.

A for Angel
Whedon first saw that “Angel” star David Boreanaz could carry his own series after the “Buffy” episode “I Only Have Eyes for You,” where Buffy and Angel get caught up in a romantic haunting. In 1999, Whedon relocated Buffy’s star-crossed lover to L.A., snatching Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Wesley (Alexis Denisof) along the way. For five seasons, Angel fought the good fight helping the helpless, and eventually joined the blood-sucking lawyers at Wolfram and Hart, a law firm specializing in the supernatural. The series ended on a cliffhanger, with Angel and his gang facing certain death when taking on the firm’s evil Senior Partners. You can still catch Angel’s comic book adventures courtesy of IDW, which publishes a series of minis, specials and one-shots starring the redeemed vampire.

B for Buffy
Kristy Swanson bore the role first, but it was Sarah Michelle Gellar who made Buffy an icon. The show taught us the only thing more terrifying than fighting vampires and demons was surviving high school. Accompanied by her ragtag Scooby Gang—Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya and Spike—Buffy fought the evil forces of the Hellmouth for seven seasons. Things came to a heated finale when Willow activated all of the latent Slayers worldwide, forcing Buffy to relocate to Europe to train the next generations of Slayers. However, with Dark Horse’s Buffy Season 8 series, which kicked off in March, fans can plan on spending more time with their favorite Slayer. Says Whedon of the new comic push, “I’m having the time of my life. It’s really fun, and I’m getting to play with the characters I love, yet create new avenues of storytelling.”

C for Chase
In Runaways, he’s the dim-bulb son of mad scientists and the owner of a telepathically controlled dinosaur, but in Whedon’s heart, bad boy Chase Stein holds a special place: “I really love writing Chase. Chase always has my perspective, which is ‘Oh, now I get it.’”

D for Dark knight
Although he never wrote a script for “Batman Begins,” Whedon did go to Warner Brothers to pitch his take. “I still stay up late at night thinking how cool my Batman movie could have been, and I liked ‘Batman Begins’ a lot,” admits Whedon. “I thought it had some awesome stuff I would never have come up with, but I still think about what I could have done.”

E for E-sharp
If there’s anything the “Buffy” episode “Once More With Feeling” taught us, it’s that Whedon could do anything. After spending his entire summer between Seasons Five and Six writing the songs to the “Buffy” musical episode, this installment incited a musical revolution. Once fans saw the masterpiece, it sung its way to the top of favorite episode lists, spawned a soundtrack album and produced a pop culture phenomenon: Buffy karaoke!

F for Firefly
Set in the year 2517, the sci-fi Western series followed a crew of civil war survivors aboard the spaceship Serenity, and chronicled their adventures of survival in a universe dominated by an all-powerful- yet-supposedly-benevolent Alliance. Fox aired only 11 of the 15 episodes produced, some of them out of sequential order. However, the series found new life on the big screen as “Serenity,” which has prospered on DVD (as has the “Firefly” collection). In addition, a new comic project from Dark Horse looms on the horizon: Serenity: Better Days, by Whedon, Brett Matthews and Will Conrad, touches down in the fall.

G for ‘Goners’
Whedon remains tight-lipped about this new feature film project that he’s working on, saying only that “‘Goners’ is a supernatural thriller” he wrote after finishing “Serenity,” and “it’s being produced by Mary Parent and Scott Stuber [‘Halo’].”

H for House of Ideas
After wrapping Runaways and Astonishing X-Men, Whedon’s probably bowing out of future Marvel projects for the time being. “I’ve been in the House of Marvel for a couple of years,” Whedon says. “There is so much going on, there are so many crossover events, and every single character has been dragged out, revamped and dredged. I don’t feel like there is anyone you can get your mitts on that isn’t already being done.” Though Whedon does admit to having a dark horse favorite: “Cloak. But not Dagger. I hate Dagger,” Whedon laughs. “I’m kidding. That outfit? I love Dagger, she could teach Emma Frost a thing or two about shame.”

I for (Alien) Invaders
Whedon says he’s having a ball taking a crack at the Runaways’ resident alien, the shape-shifting Skrull named Xavin, who’s wrapped up in a homosexual romance with teammate Karolina. “I also enjoy Xavin because you know you want to find those characters that people don’t really get as well and haven’t been around as much,” notes the writer. “I’ve been having fun with Xavin.”

J for Joss
Born Joseph Hill Whedon, he changed his name to Joss, which is Chinese for “lucky,” after he broke into the writing business.

K for Kitty Pryde
Whedon’s self-professed favorite X-Man is phasing computer whiz Kitty Pryde. Aside from citing her as an inspiration for the creation of Buffy, his run on Astonishing X-Men centers on Kitty’s return to the team and the resurrection of her once-dead boyfriend, Colossus.

L for Loeb
Upcoming Buffy Season 8 writer Jeph Loeb was an executive producer along with Whedon on the ill-fated “Buffy” animated television show. The project was set up at Fox, but when that network passed, it was scrapped after it failed to get picked up elsewhere.

M for Melaka Fray
Into each generation, one Slayer is chosen. However, this wasn’t the case for the futuristic vampire killer Melaka Fray, who was the first Slayer to be called in centuries after a new vampire threat, known as Lurks, emerges 200 years from our time. Dark Horse published the long-delayed, eight-issue mini, which Karl Moline (Route 666) penciled.

N for Numfar
The only character Whedon ever played in the Buffy-verse was the dancing Pylea native, Numfar, which he appeared as in “Angel” Season Two’s “Through the Looking Glass.”


O for ‘the Office’
In March, Whedon directed an episode of the hit NBC comedy “The Office.” What does Whedon think of the experience? “That turned out to be so much fun, but you know, to be a director for hire, to walk in someone else’s house, that’s not an easy thing to do.” Whedon says. “[But] in ‘The Office,’ they couldn’t be nicer or more collaborative or more interested in working hard and getting it done, and to a man it was a great experience.”

P for Princess Powerful
So who is Whedon’s favorite Runaway? That would be the super-strong, pre-pubescent adolescent who’s known by both Princess Powerful and Bruiser, depending on which Runaway you ask. “I’ve always loved Molly [Hayes] desperately,” Whedon says. “Brian writes Molly so intimately well.”

Q for Quiet
The landmark “Buffy” episode “Hush”—told almost completely dialogue-free—scored Whedon an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series in 2000. Speaking of awards, he won an Eisner in 2006 for Best Continuing Series for Astonishing X-Men, and was nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar in 1996 for “Toy Story.”

R for Runaways
Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, Runaways tells the story of a diverse group of teens—Nico, Karolina, Molly, Gert and Chase—who find out their parents are actually a cabal of villains called the Pride who set out to conquer the world. Featuring similar themes and motifs to the ones we’ve seen on “Buffy”—evil parents, teen angst, adventure hijinks—we’re placing bets that Whedon is going to take no prisoners on his upcoming six-issue run with artist Michael Ryan (New
X-Men).

S for Spike
The bleach-blond vampire with a soul, played by James Marsters on both Whedonverse TV series, died destroying the Hellmouth in “Buffy” only to be reborn in “Angel” Season Five, where he continued his role as the antihero. These days, look for Spike in a host of minis and one-shots from IDW, and a possible cameo in the Dark Horse Buffy series!

T for TV
With great shows like “Buffy” and “Angel” under Whedon’s belt, fans are waiting for his return to television. But would he? “I love TV, I absolutely want to go back to TV, I just don’t want to get trampled on,” says Whedon, a third-generation TV writer whose father, Tom, and grandfather, John, both wrote for television. “You know, if I have a series that I believe in, and I have the people to make it and a place to put, yes. I adore television, but a lot of things have to come together, and while I have these other obligations, I can’t really pursue those things.”

U for Uncredited Work
Some fans may not know, but Whedon did a rewrite on the first “X-Men” script that went uncredited in the final production. He also wrote drafts of the screenplays to “Twister,” “Speed” and “Waterworld” which were never credited, though for his screenplay to “Alien: Resurrection,” Whedon has actually disavowed his own work!

V for ‘Veronica Mars
Whedon publicly praised the CW series, calling the teen-centric mystery the best show ever, and he backed up his claim with a guest appearance as a rental car manager who gets outwitted by Veronica in the Season Two episode “Raw Saw God.”

W for Wonder Woman
Whedon was scheduled to direct and write the silver screen adaptation of DC’s Wonder Woman. However, he recently announced his departure from the project, citing creative differences with the studio. Or, as he good-naturedly puts it, “I think the Amazon and I are going to see other people.”

X for X-Men
Alongside series artist John Cassaday, Whedon has redefined Marvel’s Merry Mutants with Astonishing X-Men, now in its second “season” and drawing to a close, as the Children of the Atom defend Earth from a bloodthirsty alien race who claim Colossus is foretold to be their destroyer. Whedon says his collaboration with Cassaday has been the best he’s ever had: “Cassaday is one of the great collaborations of my life. My scripts have gotten shorter and shorter because I just know he understands what I need, and he brings it so hugely.” Look for Whedon and Cassaday to continue the thrills when Astonishing X-Men #22 hits stores on April 18.

Y for ‘Yoko Factor’
Up until Season Four, Buffy never really had another love interest besides Angel. Sure, there was Scott Hope, but who remembers him? When demon-hunting Initiative operative Riley came into the picture in Season Four, we knew a fight between him and Angel was coming. And in the episode, “The Yoko Factor,” Angel traveled to Sunnydale to go toe to toe with Riley, letting him know who the real love of Buffy’s life was.

Z for Zack
Whedon’s brother Zack worked on “Angel” as a production assistant for Joss, and currently works as a P.A. to “Deadwood” creator David Milch. He also wrote the episode “Amateur Night” for the HBO series.

TV Tonight

So, that's it for Prison Break for this season. Not bad, but I can't wait to see what they come up with for next year. And that Panamanian prison:whew, not exactly Club Med.

24 was ok tonight, but I hope things pick up soon.

Oh, BTW, speaking of Prison Break, I can't wait for Drive, on Fox, which is taking over PB's time slot in a couple of weeks.

South Park/24

If you haven't seen this South Park parody of 24 yet, don't miss it this week. As usual, Comedy Central will rerun it another 5-6 times. Seriously, if you're a 24 fan, it was hilarious.

Somehow this didn't surprise me

From Moviehole:

Moore to play Scully in X-Files sequel
Date : April 1, 2007 Posted By : Clint Morris

Another month … another makeover for a popular film franchise.
Hot on the heels of David Duchovny’s comments that the next “X-Files” movie is being brokered as we speak comes news from CarterEsque.com that co-star Gillian Anderson – who has played his sciency subordinate since the series’ commencement in 1993 – has opted out of the new film.
Reports say Twentieth Century Fox is now in talks with Julianne Moore to replace Anderson as Agent Dana Scully. A deal is expected to be made before the end of the month.
Anderson, whose star has risen considerably in the past couple of years (she recently appeared in the Oscar Winning “King of Scotland”), says via her reps that “[X-Files] has been a wonderful experience, and I will always cherish my time on the series [and] the film, but the time has come to move on - I just don’t believe I can bring anything more to the character at this point. I wish the filmmakers my heartfelt best”.
Ironically, Julianne Moore also took over from Jodie Foster when she decided not to reprise her role as Agent Clarice Starling in “Hannibal”, the “Silence of the Lambs” follow-up, a couple of years back.
“The X-Files 2” will be the third film for Duchovny and Moore. They previously co-starred together in “Evolution” and the recent “Trust the Man”.
Thanks to ‘Loof Lirpa’