David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
The Voice judges got pretty effusive with their comments on Tuesday night as Team Shakira and Team Blake competed for a spot in the Top 12 (to be announced Wednesday night). By the end of the night, the superlatives were flying.
Did the singers deserve such high praise? We’ll let you be the judge.
First up is Tuesday’s final performance, by Team Shakira’s Sasha Allen (OK, she swiped him from Team Adam. Grand theft.). After Allen's dynamic version of the Beatlers’ “Oh! Darling”, Shakira said, “You have one of the best voices I have ever heard in my life.” Agree or disagree?
Preceding Allen on stage was 16-year-old Danielle Bradbery of Team Blake’s all-country posse. She lit it up with an unusual selection: “Maybe It Was Memphis”, twice a hit for Pam Tillis. Afterwards Adam said, “You are coming along so quickly, it’s actually terrifying.” Blake called her “one of the most important artists who has ever been on The Voice.” Shakira, stealing a page from the wit and wisdom of Mr Shelton, said simply, “Oh, crap!” Her English is really improving, que no? Here is Bradbery’s performance. Who do you like better?
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
What an occasion last night was for comedy greats on TV! First Bob Newhart in a wonderful turn on The Big Bang Theory. And then later, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Mel Brooks, the guy who practically invented funny on the tube with Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows.
Actually, it was Brooks in a silly hat to play the statesman who has become an Internet sensation: The President of Turkmenistan. I’m not even going to attempt to spell his name. I leave that to Kimmel – and the pronunciation to Mel
Read more Dave on Demand or follow him on Twitter @DaveOnDemand_TV
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
Seemed like a pretty conventional night as far as American Idol sing-offs go.
We’re still stuck at four because no one got sent home last week. Amnesty! Amnesty!
Your task this week, ladies: Now and Then. First a song from 2013 and then a standard. Because of course we want to give these girls the best chance to shine.
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
The 40th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmys were announced today. The ceremony, which honors soaps, kids’ programming and talk and game shows, will be held on June 16th on the HLN channel.
The most nominated shows were CBS’s The Young and the Restless (23), ABC’s General Hospital (19), PBS’s Sesame Street (17), NBC’s Days of Our Lives (17) and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (10).
But today’s announcement was most remarkable for a somewhat shocking choice: Kevin Clash, the longtime voice of Sesame Street’s Elmo, was nominated for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series.
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
With Congress locked in conflict, it falls to patriots like Stephen Colbert to come up with visionary solutions. Last night he offered up a simple strategy in one of the most trenchant editions of his regular segment, “The Word”.
Immigration? Health care? Mental illness? Unemployment? Elder care? Poverty? Stephen’s got the answer (as well as one of the funniest Shakira references you may ever hear.)
And Colbert is no policy wonk. His fix can earn you a trip to Puerto Vallarta on a private jet. You're welcome, America.
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
After sparking headlines all across the country as the first active player in a major sport to come out as gay, NBA center Jason Collins seemed, well, relieved during his interview with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America.
“There’s nothing more beautiful…than allowing yourself to really be happy and be comfortable in your own skin,” Collins said. He also recounted the supportive phone call he got from President Obama.
Collins acknowledged that his uniform number, 98, was a quiet pledge to gay solidarity. He says his family and friends understood it was a tribute to Matthew Shepard, the gay college student who was tortured and killed in a hate crime in Wyoming in 1998.
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
It’s time to get real. Or at least audition to be real.
If it’s always been your ambition to be one of the hot -- and hot under the collar -- roommates on MTV’s Real World (28 seasons and counting), you got good weather for it.
The producers of the show are holding an open casting call on Saturday (April 27) at McFadden’s on North 3rd in Northern Liberties. The operative hours are 10 AM to 5 PM, but you may want to arrive on the earlier side because when The Real World opens its doors in Philly, it gets zooish. The line usually wraps around the corner a few times.
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
Ryan Seasick promised us a bold new twist last night, one that would make it a night of high drama. Actually it was a night of …no drama.
Here are your results, ladies and Germans:
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
Yesterday’s Ellen featured funny lady Kate McKinnon. Among the bits McKinnon does on Saturday Night Live is a devastating impersonation of – did you peek? – daytime’s most casually dressed talk show host.
Ellen even outfits her in a suitably funky outfit. Then watch these dancing fools go at it.
At the end of the show DeGeneres waved her partner Portia de Rossi into camera range. Is it just us, or does Portia seem more attracted to the ersatz Ellen?
De Rossi returns at the end of the month as Lindsay in the revival of Arrested Development on Netflix.
Read more Dave on Demand or follow him on Twitter @DaveOnDemand_TV
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
You know that episode of Hannibal that got pulled last week because of sensitivity to real-world events in Boston?
Now you can see it – or at least the portions that Hannibal executive producer Bryan Fuller feels are essential. The episode “Ceuf” has been divided into six discreet webisodes, all under four minutes.
