TV personality

Thanks to the writers' strike, which I support fully but just wish would end already, it never really felt like the holidays this year.

Oh, sure, it snowed, even if it was mostly melted into hard plasticky blocks by the 25th. And we listened to lots of carols, including my new favorite Christmas CDs, a collection of Andrews Sisters holiday hits and something called "A Merry 1940s Christmas." And we went to my hometown of North Syracuse, N.Y., for gifts and my family's time-honored Christmas Eve tradition: watching the Alastair Sim version of "A Christmas Carol" and mocking Tiny Tim for being nearly as tall as his mum. We even exchanged lovely presents and watched "Christmas in Connecticut" on Christmas Day, and spent time with kith and kin.

But there wasn't a Christmas episode of "The Office" this year.

And those are always among the best of the season -- the Christmas season and the viewing season. What happened with the Party Planning Committee this year? What did Jim and Pam give each other for Christmas? Did Dwight win Angela back, or did Andy win her over? What about Ryan and Kelly, and my goodness -- Michael and Jan?

It was Christmas, and there I was, alone in "The Office."

Posted by Laura Marshall at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Prize withdrawn from girl whose essay falsely claimed father died in Iraq

GARLAND, Texas (AP) — A 6-year-old girl who won four tickets to a Hannah Montana concert with an essay falsely claiming her father died in Iraq isn’t going to the show after all.

The contest’s sponsor, a store chain named Club Libby Lu, withdrew the prize yesterday and awarded it to another contestant. It didn’t identify the new winner.

“With this decision, we hope to revive the intended spirit of the contest, which was designed to make a little girl’s holidays extra special,” Club Libby Lu chief executive Mary Drolet said in a statement yesterday.

Officials of the Chicago-based chain surprised the girl on Friday at a Club Libby Lu store in mall in this Dallas suburb. Club Libby Lu sells clothes, accessories and games for young girls.

The girl won a makeover that included a blonde Hannah Montana wig, as well as the grand prize: airfare for four to Albany, N.Y., and four tickets to the sold-out Hannah Montana concert on Jan. 9.

The opening line in the essay was: “My daddy died this year in Iraq.”

The girl’s mother had told Club Libby Lu officials that the girl’s father died April 17 in a roadside bombing in Iraq, company spokeswoman Robyn Caulfield said. But the mother, Priscilla Ceballos, admitted later Friday that the essay and the military information she provided about her daughter’s father were untrue.

“We did the essay and that’s what we did to win. We did whatever we could do to win,” Ceballos said in an interview Friday with KDFW-TV of Dallas. “But when [Caulfield] asked me if this essay is true, I said ‘No, this essay is not true.”’

Posted by Laura Marshall at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Judge in Los Angeles orders mediation to decide who gets Mary Pickford Oscars

LOS ANGELES (AP) — And the Oscar goes to … well, lawyers will decide.

A judge has ordered mediation in a lawsuit over two Academy Awards presented to Mary Pickford and a third given to Charles “Buddy” Rogers, who was married to the actress.

If the mediation ordered Friday fails, a trial will be held next year.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is suing heirs of Rogers’ second wife, Beverly, to prevent the public sale of the statuettes.

The Academy claims that under its bylaws, it gets first chance to buy the Oscars for $10 each.

Pickford won the Academy Award for best actress in 1930 for “Coquette.” She received an honorary Oscar in 1976. Rogers won a humanitarian award Oscar in 1986.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Looking over the list of Golden Globes and SAG Awards nominations again this morning, I'm struck by a glaring absence.

Where the heck is Nicole Kidman's name?

I saw "Margot at the Wedding" at the Spectrum 8 in Albany last weekend, and -- wow. What a crazily complex, nuanced performance.

The film itself is going to take at least another viewing, but I'm looking forward to that.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, my guys (and girl) have done it again. If I were Michael Scott, and this weren't a family blog, I would have to say, "That's what she said!"

Good thing I'm not Michael Scott. And good thing this isn't a family blog.

Anyway, the Screen Actors Guild couldn't let the Golden Globes get all the attention, so they've announced their nominations as well.

The complete list is available on the SAG Awards Web site, but I'll just list my highlights:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:
Hugh Laurie / Dr. Gregory House – “House” (FOX)

Hugh (I usually call actors by their last name, but because my name is Laura and I hate when people call me Laurie, I either have to call him by his first name or his whole name. And I'll look cooler if I use his first name, so.) won last year, and here's hoping he'll win again. His acting on "House" has been consistently brilliant, even if the last season of the show wasn't. Hey, Guild, don't punish Hugh because the rest of the show was choppy -- he's done amazing work.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin / Jack Donaghy – “30 Rock” (NBC)
Steve Carell / Michael Scott – “The Office” (NBC)
Ricky Gervais / Andy Millman – “Extras” (HBO)

This trio could outsmart any think tank. Perhaps they should team up on world peace? But perhaps not, because I'm completely divided as to which one of them gets my vote.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
Tina Fey / Liz Lemon – “30 Rock” (NBC)

Go Liz Lemon! Win one for the smart chicks everywhere! "You," as Jack Donaghy says, "with your work sneakers and your left-handedness."

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:
"The Office" (NBC)
"30 Rock" (NBC)

As much as I do love "30 Rock," I have to give a slight edge to the "Office" ensemble on this one. There's just something about staying in one cramped, tiny set week after week -- with, yes, the occasional foray into the wider world -- and being able to keep things fresh and hysterically funny. That's magic.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I woke up this morning to find the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had announced the Golden Globes nominations for this year.

And "The Office" only got one nod -- Steve Carell, for best comedy performance.

At least the show got that much, and Carell really does deserve it. I'm just worried, because he's up against Alec Baldwin and Ricky Gervais again, and all three are brilliant.

And at least Hugh Laurie got a nom for his work on "House," which also got listed in best drama slot. And Tina Fey, for "30 Rock," which also got recognized for Baldwin's performance and named in the best comedy category.

The rest of the list? Eh. I haven't seen most of the movies -- since I work mostly evenings, I have to make a real effort to go to the movies. Which means I have to be really jazzed about seeing something to get there. And that just hasn't happened this year.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This week's "Office" quotes, courtesy of Ms. Kerry Sullivan:

The quote: "I've been controlling animals since I was 6."
Who said it: Dwight (Rainn Wilson).

The quote: "Your art was the prettiest art of all the art."
Who said it: Roy (David Denman). I love this quote -- how he's sincerely trying to win Pam (Jenna Fischer) back, but he just can't appreciate what she's trying to do. And Pam's reaction is priceless; if Roy's compliment sounds stilted, her "Thank you" is just ... dead. I love it!

The quote: "These could be tracings."
Who said it: Michael (Steve Carell), who really does appreciate Pam's artwork.

Posted by Laura Marshall at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)