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Buzz Gift Guide: Hey, Daddio!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:30:36 -0800

Welcome to another one of my Buzz Gift Guides for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Yesterday I tackled gifts for moms and today I've got some ideas for the original special fellow in your life: Dad.

I know a lot of dads (not just my own) who were sad to see HBO's mobster hit The Sopranos end, so I was delighted to find a whole collection of wines inspired by the show. You can choose from an old school Chianti called "Uncle Junior's Wine" and a Pinot Grigio inspired by Carmella ("light but tasty enough for a strong woman"), among others. If your dad's a fan of the show he'll probably get a kick out of these.

If your dad's a music lover he might enjoy this CD and DVD box set of Frank Sinatra singin' his hits in Vegas, a collection of Louis Armstrong's Christmas tunes, or Martin Scorsese's rock doc chronicling two Rolling Stones concerts, Shine a Light.

Of course, many dads would be thrilled to get this humongous set of James Bond films on DVD. And finally, while it's not exactly my favorite series, my dad really does think Two and a Half Men is one of the funniest shows on TV, so I'll be picking up the fourth season on DVD for his collection this year.

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Buzz News Roundup, 10/24

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:31:09 -0700

USA Today has the first photo from Mike Meyers' next comedy The Love Guru.
David Chase talks — sort of — to the Associated Press about the finale of The Sopranos.
Juno writer Diablo Cody has yet another project in the works: a supernatural comedy titled Jennifer's Body that will star Megan Fox, writes Hollywood Reporter.
In a super-slow week for album sales, Bruce Springsteen topped the charts again, Billboard reports.
The Futon Critic has a slew of ABC scheduling updates: Men in Trees is moving to 8 p.m., October Road is coming back in November, and Dance War starts in January.
The Zac Efron movie 17 just got a lot cooler with the addition of Leslie Mann (Knocked Up) to the cast, as ComingSoon reports.
Champion tennis player Maria Sharapova is pitching a drama about female tennis players to the CW, Variety reports. Hey, anyone else remember Phenom?
According to ComingSoon, Billy Bob Thornton will join Shia LaBeouf in the thriller Eagle Eye.
Zap2it has introductions for the new cast of The Amazing Race.
Billy Ray Cyrus has landed himself a movie role in the family drama Flying By, writes Hollywood Reporter.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 05:30:00 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. This week's DVD selections are all TV series, though there are some movies coming out on DVD today, like the Kevin Costner thriller Mr. Brooks.

Veronica Mars: Season Three
VM fans, the wait is over! Season Three has finally made it to DVD and the 6-disc set looks to be a doozy. In addition to all the episodes that made up what turned out to be, sadly, VM's final season, there are a bunch of interesting extra features. There's a gag reel (natch), unaired scenes, cast interviews and set tours. Most interestingly, however, there's a featurette called "Pitching Season 4" in which Rob Thomas explains the idea he had for a new direction for the series — fast-forwarding years later with Veronica as a rookie FBI agent.

Two more new releases if you

Which Show Should Win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:30:00 -0700

My predictions are in for which show should win the Emmy for outstanding drama series. Now it's your turn. Which series do you think should win?

Emmy Breakdown: Outstanding Drama Series

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:15:00 -0700

In the weeks leading up to the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards, I've been looking at the nominees in some major categories and trying to predict who's most likely to win in these Emmy Breakdowns. Today, it's time for my final breakdown: Outstanding Drama Series.

"Boston Legal" — I've said it before and now I'll say it again: It baffles me that "Boston Legal" got nominated instead of "Friday Night Lights" — or, heck, even instead of "Lost," which ended its season on such a high note. It's a fine show, but it's not one of the five best dramas on TV. But this is about who will win, not who should win, and the fact that "Boston Legal" got four major nominations this year tells me that voters really like it. Still, I think it will only end up in the middle of this pack, mostly thanks to a certain mobster drama. Chance of winning: Low to moderate.

"Grey's Anatomy" — "Grey's" had some wonderful highs last year, and I still count the "Six Days" episodes (which revolve around George's father's illness) and "From a Whisper to a Scream" (in which Cristina tells the Chief about Burke's tremor) among the best dramatic TV I saw all season. On the other hand, there was the ferry arc, which ended with such a whimper that it almost made me give up on "Grey's" altogether. If the show pulls itself together, it can and should win an Emmy one day — but not this year. Chance of winning: Moderate.

For the other three nominees and their chances,

"Lights," "Heroes," "Sopranos" Headline TCA Awards

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:05:52 -0700

The Primetime Emmy Award nominations may have been all the talk among TV critics last week, but that didn't stop the group from giving out a few honors of their own.

The TCA Awards, presented Saturday night, shared some things in common with the Emmy nominations — lots of love for "The Sopranos," "Heroes" and Alec Baldwin — but the critics also gave top honors to "Friday Night Lights" and Michael C. Hall of "Dexter," both of whom were snubbed in the Emmy voting. "Friday Night Lights" won for Outstanding New Program, while Hall was recognized for Individual Achievement in Drama.

I'm told there were a couple of funny "Sopranos"-related moments — one when David Chase used a cryptic Beatles reference to joke about the finale, another when Alec Baldwin expressed his dismay at "The Sopranos" ending "because now I won't be able to be on the show." To see the complete list of winners,

"24" Drops Like a Stone in TV Critics' Rankings

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 06:30:00 -0700

Twice a year, a bunch of TV critics submit their lists of the best and worst shows of the season so far, tracking which shows are on the rise and which are tanking. The results of the latest poll were just published in TV Week, and maybe the biggest surprise is "24"'s huge decline — from No. 4 on last summer's list of best shows to No. 2 on this summer's worst list. Critics seemed mostly to berate the series for not living up to its own standards, something you've also mentioned. TV Guide's Michael Ausiello points out that this news came on the same day that "24" had to delay production for the seventh season after Fox scrapped the planned storyline.

"Grey's Anatomy" also took a tumble in the critics' poll — albeit a much smaller one — from No. 4 on the winter list of best shows to No. 9 on the summer list. "Lost," on the other hand, moved up from No. 6 after the fall portion of its season to No. 2 after that intense season finale.

The best overall show in the summer poll was "The Sopranos" — even after the controversial finale — while the worst was "October Road." Check out the full list, then let me know if you think the critics got it right. Or, to see the top 10 best and worst,

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 12:08:56 -0700

It's Father's Day weekend! I made up lists of my Top 10 Movie Dads and my Top 10 TV Dads. Also, check out this Father's Day playlist I created — you can even give it to your dad as a gift!
Are you watching this season of "Big Love"? I found this cool clip, along with some interesting back stories.
Check out my favorite new songs this week: one by Iron and Wine, and another by Matt Pond PA.
Because Hostel: Part II did poorly at the box office, some people are saying the horror genre is dead. I'm not so sure about that. What do you think?
Did you read the Nancy Drew books as a kid?
How did you feel about the series finale of "The Sopranos"? David Chase had a thing or two to say about it.
Feist is pretty awesome in this video of her playing "I Feel it All."
If you could recast the 1985 movie Clue, which actors would you pick?

Source

"Lost" Producers Promise Not to End Like "The Sopranos"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:27:17 -0700

After "The Sopranos" ended the series on Sunday night with a black screen, "Lost" producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have sworn not to do that when "Lost" finally wraps up in 2010. Without revealing much further about their own finale, they did promise that they "will not be ending with a blackout."

This was discussed at the annual Promax/BDA conference, along with these other tidbits:

The writers have fleshed out a plan for the final three seasons.
"I'm not sure there is any ending that will satisfy everyone," Cuse said. "Our hope is that the ending will be... the logical conclusion of the story."
Apparently, the first season was about the plane crash and the survivors of Oceanic 815, the second season was about the hatch, and the third season was about the Others. No hints about the fourth season's theme were revealed.

Three more points if you

David Chase Speaks Out about "The Sopranos" Finale

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:17:49 -0700

"The Sopranos" creator David Chase wasn't trying to mess with viewers when he put together Sunday's controversial ending to the series. That's what he told New Jersey Star-Ledger columnist Alan Sepinwall in an exclusive interview, the only one Chase intends to do for a while. Here's what he said about the final moments of the episode (which, incidentally, was the highest-rated installment of the series since 2004):

"No one was trying to be audacious, honest to God. We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people's minds, or thinking, 'Wow, this'll (tick) them off.'"

As for explanations, well, you won't be getting them from Chase, who told Sepinwall he had "no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there" and said "it's all there" for viewers of the show to figure it out.

Chase also said that while he's not ruling out a "Sopranos" movie, he's not feeling any urge to make one:

"If something appeared that really made a good 'Sopranos' movie and you could invest in it and everybody else wanted to do it, I would do it. But I think we've kind of said it and done it."

Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert has his own ideas of how the series should have ended. To watch him tell Jon Stewart about his concept for the finale,

Were You Satisfied with the Ending of "The Sopranos"?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 10:27:39 -0700

After eight years, six seasons — and more whackings than I can count — "The Sopranos" finished its run last night with a crazy ending that certainly has you talking. The final few minutes (which you can watch here) had me feeling physically tense, and after some thought, I think the controversial final moment was the perfect way to end it. That being said, I'm only a casual fan of the series and I totally understand die-hards feeling short changed. So I have to ask: Were you happy with how it all wrapped up?

Were You Satisfied with the Ending of "The Sopranos"?

Yes

I'm not sure yet

TV Tonight: "The Sopranos" Series Finale

BuzzSugar — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 10:40:51 -0700

One of TV's great institutions, "The Sopranos," will air its final episode on HBO tonight. The show has been credited with changing TV, not only inspiring a new generation of shows focusing on both sides of the law but also driving writers and producers to create multidimensional, complicated characters who give viewers something to talk about week after week.

In honor of the finale, I wanted to throw out a couple of questions for fans: What will you miss most about the show? Do you think it's changed television? And can you see anything else taking its place in TV's canon of must-watch shows?

Photo courtesy of HBO

What Is Your All-Time Favorite HBO Series?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 12:39:38 -0700

Tonight marks the long-awaited return of two excellent HBO shows: "Entourage" and "The Sopranos," which is now in its final season. The channel has had no shortage of excellent programming over the years, many of which live in in DVD. What is your all-time favorite?Photo courtesy of HBO

Seventy-Seven Sopranos Episodes in Seven Minutes

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:44:02 -0700

If, like me, you've fallen behind on "The Sopranos" and don't think you can catch up before its final episodes begin April 8, don't worry. A guy named Paul Gulyas has condensed all six seasons of the mob drama into seven jam-packed, fast-paced, "whacked out," and totally addictive minutes. I suspect HBO will be ordering YouTube to pull the video soon, but they really should leave it up — after all, I totally feel ready to watch "The Sopranos" now. To see the video,

TV Preview: "The Sopranos" Season 6 Trailer

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:00:00 -0700

Until now, we've had precious few clues about the final part of the final season of "The Sopranos," which starts up again on April 8. After releasing the list of episode summaries and guest stars a few weeks back, HBO is giving us the trailer for the final episodes of season 6. The cast, meanwhile, recently celebrated its new episode premiere party.

Unfortunately, in keeping with the show's typically tight lips, the video doesn't reveal very much, but it's still pretty exciting to watch if you need something to tide you over. To see the trailer,

Hey "Sopranos" Fans: Chew on These Morsels of News

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 13:30:09 -0700

"The Sopranos" kicks off the final part of its final season April 8, and details have been understandably scarce so far about what's coming up for Tony & co. But HBO just released a few tiny morsels for fans to nibble on while we wait: The episode titles and summaries for the first four episodes and a list of guest stars, including Sydney Pollack, Tim Daly, Daniel Baldwin, David Margulies, Julianna Margulies, Nancy Sinatra and — wait for it — Geraldo Rivera.

Here's HBO's incredibly vague description of what's to come:

Having survived a close call with death, Tony Soprano struggles to remind himself that each day is a gift, but challenges new and old make that all but impossible. At home, Carmela plans for a future she's not sure will arrive, while Anthony Jr. and Meadow find that adulthood holds its own surprises. As for his other "family," Tony comes to doubt some of his oldest and most trusted allies and makes some hard choices that will shape his own destiny as boss.

OK then, let's see if we can extract any shreds of meaning from the episode titles and descriptions. Spot anything intriguing? Tell me in the comments below.

April 8: "Soprano Home Movies"

After a close call at home, Tony and Carmela head to the Adirondacks for a weekend with Bobby and Janice.

Three more, so

Sopranos to Return in the Spring

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 04:37:39 -0800

Looks like fans of HBO's "The Sopranos" can mark their calendars — the show's Web site is now saying, officially, that the final season will begin airing in April.

An HBO spokesman said last month that new episodes of the mobster drama would start April 8, but it's nice to have this extra little bit of confirmation. The show's final season was originally supposed to start in January until star James Gandolfini's knee surgery forced producers to reschedule.

Now it looks like everything is finally on track for the show to air its final nine episodes — a mere 10 months after the last new episode. That's actually a relatively short break for the show, which took 21 months off between seasons five and six. But fans whose memories of last season's action are already fading can take heart: HBO will re-air all 12 episodes from season six starting Jan. 15.

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