The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
| 'Men' star says no disrespect meant by 'filth' remark Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:28 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two And A Half Men teen actor Angus T. Jones, who caused a media furor by calling his own show "filth," apologized on Tuesday for disrespecting the creator, cast and crew of the raunchy TV comedy. But Jones, 19, whose distaste for the show was prompted by a his new-found Christian beliefs, did not retract his YouTube appeal to fans to stop watching the show, nor his own claims of discomfort at being part of one of the top-rated comedies on U.S. television. "Without qualification, I am grateful to and have the highest regard and respect for all of the wonderful people on Two And A Half Men with whom I have worked and over the past ten years who have become an extension of my family," Jones (pic), who plays fun-loving teen Jake Harper, said in a statement. "I apologize if my remarks reflect me showing indifference to and disrespect of my colleagues and a lack of appreciation of the extraordinary opportunity of which I have been blessed. I never intended that," he added. Jones started working on the show at the age of 9, playing the role of nephew to actor Charlie Sheen's womanizing, partying bachelor character. Sheen was sensationally fired from the CBS comedy in 2011 for bad behavior off screen and replaced by Ashton Kutcher, but Two And A Half Men is still known for its risque humor. In a YouTube video made for the California-based Forerunner Christian Church, Jones on Monday asked millions of fans to stop watching the show "and filling your head with filth." "You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that," he added, saying he no longer wanted to be part of it. The CBS network, and Warner Bros. Television which makes the comedy, have declined to comment. Jones, who has several months left on his more-than-US$350,000-per-episode contract, issued his statement after a rehearsal on Tuesday. Sheen, whose Two And A Half Men exit was accompanied by a spate of bizarre rantings and Internet monologues, on Tuesday called Jones's verbal assault a "meltdown." "It is clear to me that the show is cursed," Sheen commented in a statement. Two And A Half Men, now in its 10th season, is watched by about 14 million Americans and is seen in more than 20 countries around the world. |
| Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:25 AM PST The fantastical world of City Of Friends features people and talking animals, which have made their home a source of good values. A MONKEY as a cop. Now, that's not a combination you see everyday, but in a make-believe land in the 3D sphere, even an elephant can become a firefighter. Welcome to the City Of Friends, a town that brings together a motley crew of talking animals and cars, and of course, we human beings. The 3D animation series is the brainchild of Norwegian Special Forces police officer Carl Christian Hamre, who came up with the concept as an alternative to the "regular" children's bedtime stories available. "My eldest son, who was then five (now 10) years old, would ask me to tell him more about my job with the emergency services, instead of the bedtime stories. "But that would end up keeping him awake rather than helping him to sleep," said Hamre, who works with the Norwegian SWAT, imitating his son's wide-eyed amazement. In the end, City Of Friends became an amalgam of Hamre's daytime job and role as a father, and he's taken it as far as his imagination would allow. While it might seem contentious for kids aged two to five (the programme's target audience) to be consuming life-threatening situations experienced by the emergency services, Hamre has painstakingly worked his content to make it palatable for his target audience. His stories are more about what to do in case someone falls and bruises his or her knee, or if someone is stuck up in a tree – trials and tribulations of the everyday child. Naturally, the emergency services numbers are also conveyed. "I try to retain the childishness in the stories. I combine thinking like a five-year-old and also like an adult teaching a five-year-old," he said during a recent interview in Kuala Lumpur. City Of Friends brings family values to the fore, with its gentle message about friendship, tolerance and the importance of working together, timely topics given the age we live in and how values have eroded as a consequence. "I wanted to tell my son about the emergency services, but I also wanted to teach him the importance of friendship and being nice to people. It was also important for me to tell kids that they should be outdoors more, instead of sitting at home and playing computer games," said Hamre, who initially sold his stories as books via garage sales at his home in Bergen, Norway. Also of significance to Hamre was to let his kids understand that we live in an international world today, with people from all around the world mixing with each other, a facet displayed in the characters of the series. The father of three studied in a school which comprised various nationalities, and the world has simply become a smaller place since then. The protagonist in City Of Friends is Max, the police officer monkey. There is also Elphie, the firefighting elephant, and Ted, the paramedic teddy bear. Animals feature prominently in animation, but how does one decide what animals to include, and do the roles correlate to the animals' personality traits? "When I created the story, I was the main character, but I wanted my son to hear about someone other than daddy being the hero. So, I created this impressive universe and wanted a bunch of appealing characters in it. Max is funny and clumsy, and the monkey is my favourite animal," he revealed. Elphie the firefighting elephant was an easy pick, apparently. When Hamre was a kid, he had gone to the circus and watched an elephant spray water with its trunk. "And given the trunks elephants have, they can also reach up in the trees and bring people down to safety. With Ted, well, teddy bears are always warm and comforting." City Of Friends, a CreaCon Group Productions, has been sold to 180 countries and translated into 23 languages. The programme has great standing in Singapore (it's the leading kids show), Hong Kong and has even infiltrated Russia and the Middle East, with Europe remaining its stronghold. More than 25 million viewers watched it on YouTube in October. City Of Friends has also been made into a live show, one that has been impressively staged and taken Europe by storm. "The show will also be coming to Asia, and should play in Singapore in the third quarter of next year," he said. Hamre's recent visit to Malaysia was to secure TV broadcasting rights for his show, and while details remain forthcoming, he assures that sometime next year, kids here will be able to enjoy Max, Ted and Elphie in their resplendent, three-dimensional glory. For more info on City Of Friends, visit cityoffriends.com. |
| Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:25 AM PST The 10 remaining finalists of Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 have only two weeks to work their charm. Another two beauty queen hopefuls bit the dust in last Sunday's episode of The Next Miss Universe Malaysia on 8TV. Unfortunately, this time, it was fan favourites Chammaine Tan and Angely Lew who were sent packing after failing to impress the judges. The girls were brimming with potential at the start of the competition but during a mock "live talk show", the two cracked under pressure and gave lacklustre performances. Other strong contenders, such as Marissa Paramaraj and Trisha Kuck, also suffered the same fate when their personalities failed to come through in a photo shoot challenge. If there's anything the remaining finalists can learn from this, it is that no one is safe. The remaining contestants have only two short weeks to prove their worth before the grand finale at Setia City Convention Centre in Bandar Setia Alam, Selangor, on Dec 10. Only six of the 10 remaining finalists will make the cut and compete for the crown. Thankfully, eliminated contestants can still redeem themselves as two wild card contestants will be chosen – one by the judges and the other by the public – to compete in the finale. The winner will walk away with the chance to represent the country in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. Catch the two remaining episodes of The Next Miss Universe Malaysia on Dec 2 and 9, at 10.30pm, on 8TV (Astro Ch 708). Tickets to watch the grand finale and attend the gala are on sale at ticketcharge.com.my. |
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