TV

NOW SEE THIS: It's Always Sunny's Rob McElhenney hates smoking...

POSTED: Tuesday, August 31, 2010, 8:14 PM

Filed Under: Now See This | TV

...which makes this episode that much more confusing. Yeah, we're excited for the September 16 premiere of season six, too.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 8:14 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW SEE THIS: Oh my god, Tony Danza is going to ruin the lives of the children of the Northeast

POSTED: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 3:25 PM

Filed Under: Now See This | TV

My favorite part of this trailer for Teach: Tony Danza — the A&E reality show that followed Danza as he taught English at Northeast High last year — is when he says, "Where I come from, I'm pretty popular but that's not gonna help me here." Is he referring to Hollywood? Ah yes, when your last movie role was in The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone — aka, the shitty movie Tony Luke, Jr. made — I don't think that means you are particularly popular anywhere. It's a genius idea, really: Have someone whose entire career is predicated on playing sub-literates teach English class. To the students of Northeast High, I think I speak for the entire city of Philadelphia: Sorry... Teach: Tony Danza premieres Fri., Oct. 1 at 10 p.m. on A&E.

Sha

Posted 2010-08-25 22:45:04

Lol, Molly your funny. Pretty popular my ass.

Caitlin

Posted 2010-08-26 12:46:21

No, the best part is actually all of the parts, because it is all the best.  APPOINTMENT TELEVISION.

paige hughes(paris golden)

Posted 2010-08-26 16:11:47

This is funnt beacuse when i first saw it,i though it was our class than i looked again and none of those dtudent were us lol im like "where am i in this o wait thats not us" lol :)

Posted 2010-10-15 13:54:27

Amazing, typical "Ghetto" NE Irish style...trash anyone that demonstrates education or wealth (excluding Philly sports teams).  I wouldn't be too concerned about Tony Danza screwing up the lives of those kids in that school because the poor low life, Budweiser drinking, white trash parents of the NE already did the job!!  You should be honored to have him teach at that slum of a school.  LOL!!!

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 3:25 PM Permalink | Post a comment

It's Always Sunny cast Let It Be on Filter mag cover

POSTED: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 1:08 AM

Filed Under: Music | TV

[source]

Our Gang — aka, the kids from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — appear on the cover of Filter magazine next month, recreating the cover of The Replacements' straight-up classic 1984 album Let It Be. We're digging the cast associations, especially Charlie Day as Tommy Stinson, although we woulda put Frank (Danny DeVito) in the Bob Stinson spot, rather than Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson, who still gets points for being blond, just like King of the Fuck Ups Bob). The cover story also features paeans to the band by the likes of Of Montreal and Mike Patton (natch).

The original

The issues hits stands Thu., Sept 3, and also features a piece by Philly-born Bob Saget. It's Always Sunny's sixth season premieres Thu., Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. on FX. Like you didn't already have it DVR-ed. RELATED >> Catch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia early at the Troc's premiere party

Mick

Posted 2010-08-25 15:30:07

It's about time "Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia" finally gets some recognition. It's one of, if not THE best comedy on television right now. 

Here's FOUR REASONS TO WATCH IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY:
http://www.digitallizardproductions.com/daily-fournication-08.24.10--4-reasons-to-watch-its-always-sunny.html

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 1:08 AM Permalink | Post a comment

Catch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia early at the Troc's premiere party

POSTED: Thursday, August 12, 2010, 4:46 PM

Filed Under: TV

The only reason to be excited for the shorter nights and colder weather of fall? The premiere of local pride and joy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The sitcom's sixth season bows on FX Thu., Thu., Sept 16 at 10 p.m., but The Troc is hosting a premiere party on Tue., Sept. 7 where you can catch the season 6 premiere, the classic "Day Man Cometh" from season 4 and another fan-selected ep from a wmmr.com poll. Tickets to the event are free, which is awesome, but you must brave some WMMR events in order to obtain them. After the jump is the list of events where you can snatch up your own IASIP premiere tickets. RELATED >> The cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia hits town for the opening of Mac's Tavern Friday, August 6 Maggie's Waterfront CafÃ© 9247 Delaware Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19114 9:00pm-11:00pm Friday, August 13 PJ Whelihan's 799 Dekalb Pike Blue Bell, PA 19422 9:00pm-11:00pm Friday, August 27 Side Bar 10-12-14 E. Gay Street West Chester, PA 19380 10:00pm-Midnight Saturday, August 28 Landmark Americana 158 West Gay Street West Chester, PA 19380 9:00pm-11:00pm Wednesday, September 1 Urban Saloon 2120 Fairmount Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19130 9:00pm-11:00pm Thursday, September 2 Flukes 7401 State Road Philadelphia, PA 19136 8:00pm-10:00pm

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 4:46 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICECUBE: The Simpleton Edition, featuring John Mayer, the Jersey Shore kids and more

POSTED: Thursday, August 5, 2010, 7:01 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Movies | Music | TV

©Scott Weiner 2010

John Mayer at Studio Q

This week Icepack's got an abbreviated WHOWHATWHERE section, but trust me, it's a doozy. First up: Possibly-racist-maybe-misogynist-definitely-dumb John Mayer (pictured) at Q102's studios for its (kinda) new Studio Q performance series. Mayer, who we last saw comparing bellies and abs with The Situation in New York City, mashed a version of Justin Beiber's "Baby" into Mayer's own tame-boy anthem "Your Body is a Wonderland" and covering Katy Perry's vivacious "California Gurls." Mayer also did some of his own milquetoast tunes and took station jock Maxwell up on a Rocks-Paper-Scissors match. What else? âº Sticking to the musical tip Freeway, Beanie Sigel and Peddi Peddi were at the Unity in the Community block party on Snyder Ave. âº Before doing his Lulu bit in a ball gown with ostrich feather shoulders at the Mann, Rufus Wainwright hit the Art Museum to marvel at the Rocky impersonators. âº After his Black Keys jammed the outre-blues at Penn's Landing's Great Plaza (check out Patrick Rapa's pics!), Dan Auerbach hit Silk City. âº I'm bored of music — what's good with the cinematic tip? âº Are Lili Taylor and Amy Madigan here yet? The queens-of-indie-flick-dom are starring in the laugh-fest Future Weather that starting lensing the other day. âº Guess we'll have to make due with Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman and Anna Kendrick — the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, out Fri., Aug. 13 — who supped at Parc while on break from promoting the film. In more Oh-My-God-Celebs-Eat-Food news, the Ruby Tuesdays on Chestnut Street got a visitor from its Liberty condo-dwelling porn-tape-having football widowing neighbor Kendra Wilkinson. She stopped by and ate at the restaurant twice last week.

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (top) and "J Woww" Farley on August 3

And to round out Icecube's simpleton edition, we found our exquisitely accented friends from the MTV series Jersey Shore (the second ep of the season 2 premieres tonight at 10 p.m., with special Kanye West video preview) filming season 3 in Seaside Heights, NJ mere days after Snooki face-planted herself in the sands and got arrested for drunken dis-awwwwwwwwwwwwder.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino

betty

Posted 2010-08-05 14:44:25

I just read your first paragraph and can't be bothered to read the rest. What garbage! If you don't have the intellect, humour, and analysis to understand someone as sophisticated as Mayer, then please be quiet. Attacking someone for absolutely no reason except that he provided witty, fun banter for his fans, is nasty on your part.

John Mayer

Posted 2010-08-09 11:27:37

All I can say,
About the performance,
I saw that day.
It was simply marvelous.
I wish you may,
have a real chance,	
to watch and you'll reply,
That it's just fabulous.
If y worry about tickets,	
You can check Ticketsinvetory.com

John Mayer Tickets

Posted 2010-08-12 06:17:50

This was my husbands and my third John Mayer concert. 1st at the Hollywood Bowl, 2nd at the Verizon in OC, CA. This was definitely the best, we were very happy. his choice of songs was greatI used to get John Mayer Tickets easily through Ticketwood.com. Whatever. I will always be a fan, believe me, there is nothing like a Justin Bieber show — mind blowing.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 7:01 PM Permalink | Post a comment

How will American Idol deal with the judging problem during auditions?

POSTED: Monday, August 2, 2010, 8:31 PM

Filed Under: Music | TV Idol Hands

Despite being a predictably hilarious audition city during season 7, Philly was once again not chosen as a stop on this year's American Idol Tour of Televised Humiliation. Producers skipped our fare berg as an audition city, with East Rutherford, NJ as the closest destination, probably because you can jam pack more people waiting to have their hopes and dreams crushed into the new Meadowlands stadium than whatever the Wachovia Center is going to be called. The East Rutherford auditions are scheduled to take place tomorrow happening tomorrow. But how do you hold auditions without judges? Even the American Idol unfaithful must be aware of rumors Ellen and Kara left/were given the boot from the hallowed table, with J. Lo and the human large-mouthed bass that is Steven Tyler circling their spots (although, Fox execs at the Television Critics Association said nothing was set in stone except for E-dog's departure). Simon Cowell, of course, left at the end of last season. EW's Popwatch has the answer:

Every year, the show holds a series of cattle-call auditions across the country where a good 10-15,000 folks show up at a massive stadium and sing in front of an Idol producer or vocal coach. If the audition is good (or train-wrecky) enough, the singer then returns for a callback approximately one month later, where he or she performs in front of the Idol judges. [snip] According to sources close to the show, callbacks in front of the season 10 judging panel won't happen till September at the earliest.

::Wipes sweat from brow:: Thank the television gods for lying to us every week about the audition process. But if they have any power left, they should keep Kara at the table. Yeah, yeah, she has bitchface but she was the strongest judge last season, giving strong advice that the stuttering Ellen, the apathetic Simon and the opinion-less Randy were not able to.

Ted Caine

Posted 2010-08-03 10:04:18

Right on!

Lori Hebert

Posted 2010-08-12 21:09:12

I agree that Kara should stay...she seems to know what the (bleep) she is talking about. Elton John, yes a good choice. Harry Connick Jr.....he was so entertaining and educational and fascinating..he should be a judge. (He is Randy, Paula and Simon all rolled into one).

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 8:31 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICECUBE: Use Your Illusion Edition: Steven Adler and Screech hit Philly

POSTED: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 5:11 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | Music | TV

©Scott Weiner 2010

Steven Adler, once of Guns n' Roses, now of Adler's Appetite. He must be craving pens.

Today's the day that Icepack online drops and honestly where else are you going to find Diplo and Harry Jay Katz in the same column? Nowhere. Vortex-urally speaking, though, it's the WHOWHATWHERE section that tripped me up. By sheer accident, Back to the Future II-like, Icepack went backward this week to a mass-loving minute he mostly missed: 1989. I never saw the unfathomably popular Saved by the Bell and though I caught Guns 'n' Roses opening for-and-being-more-awesome than Aerosmith, I didn't get the rise of Appetite of Destruction. Yet here we are on Tuesday watching Steven Adler twirl his drums while some screechy singer yowls "Welcome to the Jungle." It wasn't Axl though. It was the guy in the stickman's new band, Adler's Appetite, (co-starring Chip Z'Nuff, man. CHIP Z'NUFF) who we caught strolling and smoking in the kitchen of the Mill Creek Tavern where they played.

Adler's Appetite with Rick Stitch on lead vocals, Alex Grossi (Quiet Riot) on guitar, Michael Thomas on guitar, Chip Z'nuff (Enuff Z'Nuff) on bass and Steven Adler on drums and percussion.

The next night there was Screech — Dustin Diamond to porn and Celebrity Fit Club aficionados - from Saved by the Bell at Cavanaugh's. Diamond could've had a different life. Consider this: Diamond's Bell co-star Mario Lopez was in this column a week earlier because of his hosting duties at the Borgata. Hey, it's not Clinton wedding opulent, but it's a start. Shift to the Deck and there's Diamond talking up his referee-ing gig for Damon Feldman's Celebrity Wrestling Big Bang event with fighters Susan Finkelstein (of Phillies sex-for-tix scandal fame) and Devon James (a Tiger Woods mistress). (Remember last time Ms. James hit Philly?) Somewhere, something in Diamond must've died.

Susan Finkelstein & Dustin Diamond & Devon James

Hardcore Phillies fan Susan Finklestein, Dustin Diamond (aka, Screech from Saved by the Bell) and Tiger Woods' former paramour Devon James.

Closer to the 21^st Century, there was my Aretha Franklin sighting-from-afar at the Four Seasons, the blab that Real Housewives of New York's Alex McCord had an early morning nosh at Fork and the still unconfirmed-but-fun rumor that Michael Jackson's personal doc Conrad Murray ate heartily at Barclay Prime, while all doctors in the M.J. death probe were freed from any charges of wrongdoing. Eat up, Nero.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 5:11 PM Permalink | Post a comment

TV WATCH: In defense of My Boys

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010, 8:38 PM

Filed Under: TV

The cast, including PJ (center) and the dearly departed Jim Gaffigan (right)

You know those TV shows you catch shit for watching? When you bring it up in conversation, you get that look of pity mixed condescension that just says, "I have more important things to do than watch Drop Dead Diva." Look, I watch a lot of crap television, but I don't deserve that look for watching TBS' My Boys, which premiered the first two eps of its fourth season last night. My Boys isn't a great sitcom; it will never be in the pantheon of All in the Family, Roseanne, Arrested Development or, even newer must-sees like Parks and Recreation or Community. But it's a good sitcom with a lived-in, well-drawn characters played by actors (including Norristown-bred Kellee Stewart) who know how to enhance the strength of their characters by playing off each other in ways usually only seen in the aforementioned canon sitcoms. Betsy Thomas' show is a well worn concept: The comings-and-goings of P.J. (Jordana Spiro), a Cubs beat reporter-turned-columnist, and her cadre of often drunk, mostly male friends. Even with the recent departure of P.J.'s older brother Andy, played by the great Jim Gaffigan, the rest of the ensemble knows how to plug the King Baby-sized hole by adding their own deadpan quirk. (Spiro, who like most leads, is usually stuck playing the straight-man but Gaffigan's absence has given even her the opportunity to throw in some slapstick, especially in the second, and better episodes shown last night). TBS clearly markets the show toward women — even if it's a dude-heavy cast on paper — but even more niche than that, it's geared toward a female audience to which Sex and the City might as well be broadcast in Farsi. There are definite similarities: Both shows have an ensemble cast with one leader who narrates the show in hindsight and offers a life lesson at the end of every episode, with communal gathering places to start a new adventure or rehash an old one —instead of the brunch table or at the place with the fanciest pink swill disguised as booze, P.J. and her friends commune in her living room or their bar. But what really separates My Boys is that its a show starring a woman in which her relationship follies are not front and center. While P.J. is dating one of the Boys in the current arc, that's just development, opposed to her character's overarching personality trait. This is a show that portends to be about friends and is actually about friends with the natural waves that friendships ride. My Boys isn't perfect, there are better things during its timeslot, you'll still probably get that look when you tell people you watch it. But at least we'll be getting it together.

My Boys airs every Sunday at 10 p.m.

Jesse Bikel

Posted 2010-07-27 13:18:27

You deserve the crap you're taking.  This is a very mediocre show.  Even if its narrated by a woman, the best characters are men.  Just because you might want a show where women drink beer instead of cosmos, does not make this good.

If you learned how to use On Demand, you'd find something better to watch during the summer and not waste your time convincing yourself you like this show.

S.Lyons

Posted 2010-07-27 13:38:17

Don't take any pity looks for watching "My Boys".  It's a lot more true to life than Sex in The City.  How many women do you know who actually buy $450 pairs of shoes ever other day?  The cast of "My Boys" reminds me of my group of weirdo work friends. I haven't found anything better at that time slot on Sunday night.  I personally hate Sundays and this little secret pleasure makes up for that. Be proud and watch "My Boys", dvr it and watch it again.

Drew Lazor

Posted 2010-07-27 15:34:18

I saw part of one where they all go to Cubs spring training and the redhead dude is in a bar and pretends to be a booze-seeking radar...he goes "boop boop boop boop...ALCOHOL!" and then points and walks toward the bar. That was really stupid and I am going to go ahead and say the rest of the show is stupid based solely on that.

Jules

Posted 2010-07-28 10:36:59

Wow, according to Jesse, if you like this show you don't know how to use your remote. It couldn't possibly be anything simple and less condescending than a difference of opinion. Molly, I've had this in my Netflix queue for a while-I've read some similar opinions that it's not great but a nice little show to occupy your time. I'll have to bump it on up.

Michelle

Posted 2010-07-28 15:26:34

Whoa, Jesse, those are some pretty harsh words.  

I for one would like to go on record saying that I thoroughly enjoy watching My Boys.  When I'm home and want spend a good 20 minutes or so watching something easy breezy this is my go-to On Demand selection.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 8:38 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW READ THIS: Josh Friedman's "Sledgehammer and Whore" TV dissection

POSTED: Friday, July 23, 2010, 7:03 PM

Filed Under: TV

davidicke.com

Friedman

If you need a Friday pick-me-up before you're released unto the weekend world, check out Josh Friedman's blog post "Sledgehammer and Whore." Friedman — former showrunner of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and writer of Stevie Spielberg's War of the Worlds — penned this piece for his blog, I find your lack of faith disturbing, that is ostensibly about his recent encounter with a fabled Hooker with a Heart of Gold and a Friedman-impostor, but it's really a giggly breakdown of the current television landscape, focusing on procedurals (like Law & Order) vs. "Event" television (like Lost). Please don't let Friedman's seemingly mediocre credentials fool you. Dude's funny. Here's a snippet:

With the death of Lost and 24, we find ourselves looking for the next bit of pop culture big-fucking-dealness that we can get ourselves all worked up for. And when I say "we" I'm referring to Fans of TV with a capital F and not simply those for whom TV is the thing that occupies the space between dinner and the sleep apnea machine. We Fans of TV want that Big Sexy Going Down the Rabbit Hole Feeling and no matter how much my mother loves Simon Baker, The Mentalist just isn't going to do it for us. The Mentalist, is, however, going to make a shitload of money for all involved. It's easy on the eyes and is habit-forming much in the same way two glasses of red wine a night is: you'll get a nice, warm buzz but you're not gonna get really wasted and wake up with Cobb's malevolent freight train blasting through your cortex. The Mentalist isn't the best sex you've ever had, but it's also not likely to leave you to finish yourself off while your partner falls asleep to reruns of "Cheaters".

h/t Deadline

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 7:03 PM Permalink | Post a comment

ICECUBE: Real Housewife Bethenny boozes it up at Franklin Mills

POSTED: Friday, July 23, 2010, 3:34 PM

Filed Under: Ice Cubes | TV

Bethenny Frankel

Well, I can see that the ladies responded to my Chris Noth at Parx IceCube from earlier this week. There are plenty of sexy men sightings (like Mario Lopez!) in my Icepack WHOWHATWHERE section and we just missed bumping into the hunky prog-rock likes of Rush while they slept at the Ritz-Carlton. But what about something for the men? Well, boys, here's Bethenny Frankel — star of the Real Housewives of New York and Bethenny Getting Married? — at the Franklin Mills Wine & Spirits store yesterday, selling and signing bottles of her all-natural, low calorie Skinnygirl Margarita. More than 500 peeps lined up and, yes, she did have a few swigs.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 3:34 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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What we're trying to do this weekend
CONCERT REVIEW: The Postal Service @ The Mann 6/17
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Sunny, Tony and the return of Do No Harm
Behind the scenes of local film A Man Full of Trouble
NOW SEE THIS: Salinger film trailer
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Indian fare rules, Dunder Mifflin lives on, Tom Jones is a god
REVIEW: Archer Live! @ the TLA 1/11
CITY PAPER WRITING CONTEST 2013: Send stories! Send poetry!
CONCERT PHOTOS: The National/Dirty Projectors @ The Mann Center 6/7
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Pink. Diner en Blanc 2. Breaking Glass and Milkboy at the movies. And so on.

About this blog

Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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