TV personality

It was a moment of exhilaration in the Marshall household. I was in mid-cheer when the moment ended.

It was the very end of last night's "Hell's Kitchen," the point in the show when Chef Gordon Ramsay kicks somebody off, and since there were only three contestants remaining, it was possible that cocky, arrogant, full-of-himself Rock was going to be leaving.

It wasn't likely, no. He's so full of confidence -- and something else -- that he can bluster his way through any challenge. Even when he utterly fails, he rarely looks it.

But last night, he and Bonnie and Jen all had their moments of glory and moments of error. So as Ramsay stood before the three of them, making his decision, I said, "There's no way Rock's going anywhere."

And then Ramsay spoke. "Rock," he said. "You've got to go."

Rock looked down, his dreams crushed. I started to jump up in elation.

But then Ramsay continued: "Into the final round."

I froze. "No!"

I'm not surprised, really. Rock is a stronger candidate than Jen and Bonnie: I just couldn't picture both girls in the final together. I expected him to make it to the Top Two. When it looked like he was gone for good -- that was when I was shocked.

But for Ramsay to give me that little bit of hope last night, then snatch it away? That was downright cruel.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At first, I thought it was just a fluke. But when I tuned in the next day, and the next, and the next, the anomaly continued.

Capital News 9 -- "a service of Time Warner Cable" -- apparently no longer sees fit to share the current Pittsfield temperature in its little lower-left-corner station sig. The temps skip from Lake George to Rensselaer.

I mean, I know their Berkshires coverage is token at best, but I'm just a bit miffed; I used to find that a very useful feature. I checked it before I walked to work every afternoon, so I'd know what kind of heat -- or, in the winter, cold -- I was about to face.

Well, not anymore. Now I turn to The Weather Channel. Which, to be honest, is probably more accurate anyway.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... unless you count The Weather Channel. And I don't.

But how could I watch anything but TWC when a) there was a new "Harry Potter" book to be read and b) I had to get some hiking in at some point?

Posted by Laura Marshall at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

UNITS magazine editor and former Eagle copy editor Kerry Sullivan has sent in this week's "Office" quote. And boy, can she pick 'em.

The quote: "I saw 'The Wedding Crashers' accidentally. I bought a ticket for 'Grizzly Man.' After about an hour, I thought I was in the wrong theater, but I kept waiting. That's the thing about bear attacks -- they come when you least expect it."
Who said it: Boy, do I love Dwight (Rainn Wilson).

Posted by Laura Marshall at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was really upset to see Julia leave "Hell's Kitchen" on Monday night. She was feisty and fun, and she alone among the contestants really understood the value of working together and just getting the job done.

And she was the underdog: Everyone else kept saying things like, "Oh, well, she's just a waffle house cook. She doesn't know anything." Snobs.

Still, she kept winning challenges, despite her admitted lack of knowledge about fine dining, because she at least knew how to make food taste good. She even won Monday's challenge, when they were all taken to a high school to create dishes for the students. All those fancy-dancy snobs made weird things, with goat cheese or salmon, but Julia kept it simple and make a fried chicken sandwich with cheese, and onion rings on the side. Much better than your usual cafeteria chicken-patty sandwich, and the kids loved it! Of course they did -- you don't serve goat cheese to high-schoolers.

At least she wasn't kicked off as rudely as the others had been. Usually Chef Gordon Ramsay screams at people -- something like, "Take off your jacket and get out of Hell's Kitchen!" -- but he told her he thought she had real talent, and that he's sending her to culinary school so she can hone that talent and come back and win.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I can't express how happy I was last night when Kenny got voted off "On the Lot." I think I actually punched the air. Yes!

The competition's extremely close now -- we're down to just six directors, and two will be kicked off next week. The trouble is, I can't predict which two. The films last night were better than we've seen in previous weeks, and my favorites, Will and Zach, delivered great stuff as always, but ... well, I'll be biting my nails next Tuesday ...

Posted by Laura Marshall at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't think I've talked about the new shows that have been popping up everywhere for the mid-summer season. But I keep seeing ads for "The Singing Bee" and "Don't Forget the Lyrics," and I have this to say:

Okay, at first I thought it was a cool idea -- a singing competition for the rest of us. Plus, I love hearing other people mess up lyrics, ever since I was a kid back in the '80s and someone related to me (I won't say who it was, because I'd be killed) mistook "I Miss You Like Crazy" for "I Wish You Liked Gravy." It's just too funny.

But the world does not now and never will need two shows like this.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jenna Fischer is my friend. The Emmy nominee who plays Pam Beesly on "The Office" is my friend. MySpace says so.

Of course, as of right now, she's also MySpace friend to 117,036 other people, so maybe that puts things in perspective.

I finally, finally jumped on the MySpace bandwagon recently. I set up a little profile and added photos and quotes and things, and then I set out to navigate that crazy little corner of the Internet. And one of the first things I stumbled across was Fischer's MySpace blog at myspace.com/pambeesley/.

Entertainment Weekly reviewed celebrity blogs recently, and I think they gave hers an A-minus; their reasoning had something to do with their wish for fewer "Office" updates. Hello? I have to disagree -- it's really cool to read about what's going on behind the scenes, and Fischer's blogging has a friendly, likeable tone.

Wait a second -- Fischer? What am I thinking? Maybe I should just call her Jenna.

After all, we're friends now.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I was sitting here at my desk at The Eagle this evening when my phone rang.

I blinked. This doesn't happen often, and when it does, it usually means someone misdialed.

But it wasn't a wrong number. It was Kerry Sullivan, esteemed magazine editor and official "TV personality" quote-chooser! She was calling to dictate the quote of the week. It was nice to hear from her. Sounds like she's adjusting well to her new role. Well, from what I could tell from our few-second conversation.

She gave me a choice of two quotes, so I made the final selection. Mostly because I wanted to get the word "sleazebag" into my blog. So without further ado ...

This week's quote: "Wow, Ben Franklin, you're really kind of a sleazebag."
Who said it: Michael Scott, played by multiple-Emmy nominee Steve Carell.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, I was going to post the full list of nominees, but you can get that at the Academy site in my blog post right below this one.

Besides, why would I wants to go cross-eyed editing a bunch of names when I can make my early early picks and predictions?

So here we go, using The Associated Press short list of nominees:

Drama Series: “Boston Legal,” ABC; “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; “Heroes,” NBC; “House,” Fox; “The Sopranos,” HBO.

Prediction: I want to vote for "House." You know I want to vote for "House." If I were a member of the Academy, I'd vote for "House" in a heartbeat. I don't know the other shows, and Hugh Laurie's sheer brilliance is mind-boggling. That said, the show's third season was wildly inconsistent in terms of quality, so I'll confess I was surprised to see it among the Drama nominees.

Besides, with "Sopranos" in the running, does any other show have a chance?

So I pick "House," but I'd bet on "The Sporanos."

Comedy Series: “Entourage,” HBO; “The Office,” NBC; “30 Rock, NBC; “Two and a Half Men,” CBS; “Ugly Betty,” ABC.

Prediction: "The Office"! "30 Rock"! "The Office"! "30 Rock"! "The Office"! "30 Rock"! "The Office"! "30 Rock"! "The Office"! "30 Rock"! "The Office"! "30 Rock"! "The Office"! "30 Rock"! "The Office"! "30 Rock"! ... whew.

It's a draw. But it's got to be "The Office"! Or "30 Rock"! And I say this not just as a fan, but as a television connoisseur.

Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, “Boston Legal,” ABC; Hugh Laurie, “House,” Fox; Denis Leary, “Rescue Me,” FX; James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos,” HBO; Kiefer Sutherland, “24,” Fox.

Prediction: It should be Hugh Laurie, but ... This is James Gandolfini's last season for a "Sopranos" win, right? So.

Actress, Drama Series: Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters,” ABC; Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer,” TNT; Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC; Patricia Arquette, “Medium,” NBC; Minnie Driver, “The Riches,” FX; “Edie Falco, “The Sopranos,” HBO.

Prediction: I haven't seen these shows, so I really can't say. But again, this is the final bow for "Sopranos," so I'll go with Edie Falco.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: William Shatner, “Boston Legal,” ABC; T.R. Knight, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Masi Oka, “Heroes,” NBC; Michael Emerson, “Lost,” ABC; Terry O’Quinn, “Lost,” ABC; Michael Imperioli, “The Sopranos,” HBO.

Prediction: Same here. Michael Imperioli, from "The Sopranos."

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers & Sisters,” ABC; Katherine Heigl, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Aida Turturro, “The Sopranos,” HBO; Lorraine Bracco, “The Sopranos,” HBO.

Prediction: Well, I'm probably pretty safe in guessing it's either going to be someone from "Grey's Anatomy" or someone from "The Sopranos," huh?

Actor, Comedy Series: Tony Shalhoub, “Monk,” USA; Steve Carell, “The Office,” NBC; Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock,” NBC; Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.

Prediction: Steve Carell is definitely deserving. The man is a genius. But I think he and Alec Baldwin are going to have to duke it out.

Actress, Comedy Series: Felicity Huffman, “Desperate Housewives,” ABC; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” CBS; Tina Fey, “30 Rock,” NBC; America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty,” ABC; Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds,” Showtime.

Prediction: I think Tina Fey's amazing, but I also don't think she has a chance, even if she does have the most likeable new character on television. Probably America Ferrera? I don't watch "Ugly Betty," so I don't know.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Kevin Dillon, “Entourage,” HBO; Jeremy Piven, “Entourage,” HBO; Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother,” CBS; Rainn Wilson, “The Office,” CBS; Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.

Prediction: Rainn Wilson should so have gotten this award twice already. He's overdue.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Jaime Pressly, “My Name Is Earl,” NBC; Jenna Fischer, “The Office,” NBC; Holland Taylor, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS; Conchata Ferrell, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS; Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty,” ABC; Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds,” Showtime.

Prediction: Jenna Fischer, too, should at least have been in the running for the first two seasons of "The Office." As Steve Carell said in one of the Season Two commentaries, she constantly has about five different emotions going on in one facial expression. Of course, she plays a very normal, fairly quiet character, so she tends not to get noticed. Here's hoping the Academy will notice her this year.

Actress, Miniseries or a Movie: Queen Latifah, “Life Support,” HBO; Helen Mirren, “Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre),” PBS; Mary-Louise Parker, “The Robber Bride,” Oxygen; Debra Messing, “The Starter Wife,” USA; Gena Rowlands, “What if God Were the Sun,” Lifetime.

Prediction: Okay, so I haven't seen any of these. But with Helen Mirren in the competition, the others should all have just stayed home.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The 2007 Emmy nominees were announced this morning!

You can get the full list at the Academy's Web site. I'll try to post something when I get to work and get the Associated Press rundown.

But for now, I'm flying:

* Not only was "The Office" nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but ...
* Jenna Fischer was nominated as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series!
* And Rainn Wilson was listed in Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy!
* And the brilliant Steve Carell, naturally, got a nod as Lead Actor in a Comedy!
* Of course, he's up against Alec Baldwin, who's sublime in "30 Rock" ...
* Which was also nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series.
* And not only was "House" named in the Outstanding Drama Series category, but ...
* Once again, Hugh Laurie was listed in the Lead Actor in a Drama slot.

The "Office" writers and editors were honored, too, as well as the writers on "30 Rock." And there were lots of other nods to my favorite shows.

It's funny: I feel so proprietary on my shows -- I don't call them "my shows" for nothin' -- so when they get awards, or even nominations, it makes me happy. As if I could take any kind of credit. Except, of course, for having the fantastic taste to watch them.

As always, look for my live Emmy blog on Sunday, Sept. 16, for coverage of the fun, the fashions and the winners. I know I can't wait.

Hang on -- look at that date. Sept. 16? That's going to be my third day of vacation. Hmmm. Well, I'll figure something out, even if it means carting my desktop computer all the way down to my living room. I can't miss live-blogging the Emmys.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Garry Marshall -- no relation to me, alas -- is obviously on another planet. His reaction comments to the directors on "On the Lot" range from slightly coherent to completely insane.

When he quotes someone else, like when he quoted Camus last night, it usually makes sense. But when he tells directors that there would have been more action to their action films if they'd had the male characters involved in the chase wear high heels like "Lot" host Adriana Costa ... ? What does that even mean?

Speaking of Costa, I swear -- I don't want to sound like Angela, everyone's favorite prude from "The Office," here, but -- her dresses seem to get more and more whorish as the weeks wear on.

At least the two contestants I really wanted off the show -- Hillary and Shalini -- got the boot last night. Now, if they would just get rid of Kenny next week. His skateboarding movie was terrible. Just like all his others.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, how backward is it that Brad got kicked off on last night's "Hell's Kitchen"? That's just wrong. I don't think he had what it takes to win the competition, but there's no way Josh should have stuck around even this long, let alone longer than Brad.

Maybe the guys were trying to be tricky in nominating him -- maybe they thought Josh would be a goner, even up against nice but flaky Bonnie, but Brad would never be kicked off? -- but it backfired.

And before I saw the preview for next week's installment, I thought it was just as well: Putting Rock and Josh together against the girls wuold ensure the (in my opinion, deserved) demise of both guys. But then the teaser came on, and it appears the two teams will be joined into one, so it'll be every chef for him- or herself.

Hopefully Josh will still be the one to go ...

Posted by Laura Marshall at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Former Berkshire Eagle copy editor and "Office" quote-chooser extraordinaire Kerry Sullivan is finally settled in her new position as manager of communications of UNITS magazine at the National Apartment Association in Arlington, Va. More important, she finally has cable, which means she can once again send me "Office" quotes of the week. Hurrah!

Last night, she was particularly overzealous and sent four ... and I got 'em all! Granted, I saw the rerun last night, but I swear I remembered all these lines before I watched it. It's a great episode.

The quote: "Well, I'm telling you, I'm looking at it right now, and it could be in Maxim."
Who said it: Michael Scott (Steve Carell).
Bonus: He said it to Todd Packer (David Koechner), who replied, "They wouldn't give you a subscription to Maxim!"

The quote: "It's better than listening to Michael playing a conch shell."
Who said it: Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer).

The quote: "And I, to you, in addition, feel the same feelings that you are, as well."
Who said it: Michael Scott, again, to his beloved Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin).

The quote: "What am I going to do? I'm going to hang it up at home. I don't have a lot of art."
Who said it: Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), about the poster-sized risqué photo of Michael and Jan in Jamaica printed up by the warehouse guys.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 08:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So the power went out at the Berkshire Mall tonight, leaving all my fellow "Harry Potter" fans in the dark. And who called to let us know here at The Eagle?

Gene Shalit. As in, NBC "Today Show" movie critic Gene Shalit, who lives in Stockbridge and was reportedly at the mall to screen something that's coming out in August.

Did I get to talk to him? No. Why does everything good have to happen while I'm on my dinner break?

Well, I guess it wasn't so good for the disappointed "Potter" fans ...

Posted by Laura Marshall at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The budding directors on "On the Lot" are really stepping up their game, at least in terms of production values. They showed us what they could do with little to no budget, and now, with higher stakes, their films have gotten even better. For the most part.

I loved Will's spaghetti western spoof last night, and Zach's little fairy tale -- those two consistently impress me. I really hope one of them wins, and I think it's terrible that one of them will have to lose. They're both easily the best filmmakers there.

I agreed with Carrie Fisher on Shalini's film -- too preachy, and it's been done to death. The white eyeballs were pretty creepy, but that, too, has been done.

Everybody seemed to love Adam's film, "Worldly Possession," and while I was fairly impressed with the special effects, I thought the story itself had too many holes. Especially that beginning sequence. What was the scientist guy doing? It looked almost like he purposely smudged the address, and that didn't make sense.

But Hilary's "The Legend of Donkey-Tail Willie" -- come on. Give me a break. That was tripe, and it wasn't even very well executed. Also, the narrator sounded like he was channeling Adam Sandler. Not a bad thing if you're Adam Sandler, but it just didn't work in this film.

It's really too bad two people have to be eliminated next week ... but I hope Shalini and Hilary are the ones to go.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm not sure if anybody has noticed my entry-titling convention, or if those who read this blog just think I'm crazy for the weird titles I give each post.

Either way, I'll reveal it for those who haven't noticed on their own: I name my blog entries alphabetically, from A to Z and back again. And when I get down to the end of the alphabet, it gets more and more difficult every time.

I think I've used all the X and Z words that come directly to mind, and even some that aren't really words, so now when I hit those particular letters, I tend to drag out my dictionary and flip to the end. "Hmm," I think to myself, "I haven't used 'xyster' yet. Or 'xerosis.' "

Of course, until "House" comes back for its fourth season in the fall, I probably won't have much use for words that describe, respectively, surgical instruments or "abnormal dryness, as of the skin or eyeball." Ew.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Quote: I wake up every morning in a bed that’s too small, drive my daughter to a school that’s too expensive, and then I go to work to a job for which I get paid too little. But on Pretzel Day -- well, I like Pretzel Day …
Who said it: Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker).

Posted by Laura Marshall at 07:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I realized yesterday that, during the summer, I have almost a show per night.

Sunday: "Ebert & Roeper"
Monday: "Hell's Kitchen"
Tuesday: "On the Lot" and reruns of "House"
Wednesday: "Ghost Hunters"
Thursday: Reruns of "The Office" and "30 Rock"

I don't have a show for Friday or Saturday nights, but that's okay, because I usually have those days off from work. That's when I have something resembling a life.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've never been a big horror fan, but last night's "On the Lot" fare was, on the whole, terrible.

Kenny's film, "The Malibu Myth," was the worst of all -- a rip-off of "The Blair Witch Project," but flatter and far less entertaining.

The female character was so poorly written, I was actually confused. What was her deal? When she and her stereotypically dorky male companion came upon a body lying in the road, and he expressed some apprehension about getting out of the car, she scoffed at him: "What are you, scared?" Um, THERE'S A BODY LYING IN THE ROAD. If you're not scared, you must be one of the pathetic zombies.

The zombies, by the way, weren't scary, and the camera angles used to film them looked like they'd been swiped from a kids' show.

I really hope Kenny gets voted off next week, but somehow I doubt that'll happen. People seem to like his so-called work. I don't get it. But maybe I'm getting too old to understand the young ones. Whippersnappers.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There we were, watching "Hell's Kitchen" last night, and I made a prediction: "They won't kick off Melissa," I said. "Even though she's stuck on herself to the point where it's bringing down her whole team, they can't kick her off. Having such a strong presence, especially somebody everybody hates, is just good TV. If she were gone, everybody would get along better and things would go more smoothly. Where's the conflict? So she won't be going home. No way."

And I was right -- even though she was the one put up on the chopping block, she didn't go home. Chef Ramsay just switched her over to the Blue Team. And it really is going to make for great TV when she and Rock go head to head.

I'm still rooting for Julia, the short-order cook. She's made it this far, despite her admitted lack of fine-dining knowledge. But she works hard, and really seems to be more about teamwork than making herself look good.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I didn't watch much TV this weekend, thanks to the gorgeous weather. We went on three great hikes: two shorter ones on Friday and Saturday, and a nice long one yesterday.

Of course, when I get home from a major hike and I need to rest my weary muscles, what else can I do but flip on the TV? And anyway, there's one program I never miss on Sunday nights: "Ebert & Roeper."

I love movies as much as, if not more than, television. And even though I don't always -- maybe not even often -- agree with Roeper and the guest filling in for Ebert, the show is a nice weekly check-in with the world of film. I get to say, "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten that one was coming out!" or "Hey, that actually looks better than I'd expected!" or "That looks horrible, and you're grinning like oafs about how 'clever' it is?" And I get to see clips and, maybe, get an idea whether I should venture out to see something I've been iffy on.

Like "Once," which I caught at an art theater in Albany after Saturday's hike. Oh, what a film. I'd read something good about it, but it was the clips on E&R and the all-around praise Roeper and guest had given the movie that made it a must-see for me.

And now it's a must-see for you! "Once" is a sweet little Irish film, a musical that works because it's not really a musical -- just a film about musicians. It's not Hollywood fare by any means, and I mean that in a very good way, but I'm really hoping it still gets the attention it deserves at Oscar time.

And if, like me, you go see the movie and start really, really hoping it's not too small and foreign to have a soundtrack available -- it isn't. Even my local Barnes & Noble, which is mostly a bookseller and has about 20 CDs total, carries it.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)