The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
- Lance Armstrong to break silence in Oprah interview
- Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj down play feud
- The odd couple in police dramedy Common Law
| Lance Armstrong to break silence in Oprah interview Posted: 08 Jan 2013 07:49 PM PST REUTERS - Lance Armstrong will break his silence about his lifetime ban from cycling and the doping charges made against him in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey next week, the television presenter announced on Tuesday. The interview, to be broadcast on the Oprah Winfrey Network on January 17, will be the first the American cyclist has conducted since receiving his ban and being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. "Armstrong will address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating, and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career," the network said in a statement. On Saturday, the New York Times reported that Armstrong, 41, had told associates and anti-doping officials he was considering an admission of using banned drugs. The Times said Armstrong hoped to persuade anti-doping officials to allow him to resume competition in athletic events that adhere to the World Anti-Doping Code, under which the Texan is currently subject to a lifetime ban. However, Armstrong's lawyer Tim Herman later told USA Today that there had been no talks with anti-doping bodies about any admission. Armstrong has always vehemently denied charges of doping and has never been proven to have tested positive. An October 10 report from the U.S. anti-doping body USADA cited Armstrong's involvement in what it characterized as the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen," involving anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, blood transfusions and other doping. Less than two weeks later, Armstrong's seven Tour de France victories were nullified and he was banned from cycling for life after the International Cycling Union ratified the USADA's sanctions against him. In November, Armstrong, a survivor of testicular cancer, stepped down as a board member of Livestrong, the cancer-support charity he founded in 1997. |
| Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj down play feud Posted: 08 Jan 2013 08:36 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - New American Idol judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj shrugged off their widely publicized feud on Tuesday as a "trumped-up thing" that was merely a passionate difference of opinion over the TV talent show's contestants. In their first big media appearance ahead of the hit show's return to Fox television on January 16, the two pop stars showered each other with praise while barely looking at each other. A day after the airing of an ABC TV interview in which Carey said she hired extra security following threats reportedly made against her by Minaj last year, the Hero singer told reporters it was time to focus on the aspiring Idol stars. "This is a very passionate panel. There are a lot of strong personalities," said Carey, who is reportedly being paid US$18 million to be an American Idol judge. "The fighting is what it is. This is American Idol. It is bigger than some stupid trumped-up thing. It's about the next superstar ... The whole thing is convoluted. It's a distraction from the show and the contestants," Carey said. Minaj, an outspoken 30-year-old rapper, called Carey one of her "favorite artists of all time." "She has really shaped a generation of singers and to be on a panel with her where (contestants) all aspire to be Mariah Carey ... I feel excited to see them, see someone they look up to so much," Minaj said. Carey, 42, recalled working with Minaj in 2009 on an album track, and knowing at the time that the rapper would be successful. "Nothing to write about now!" quipped American Idol host Ryan Seacrest. REVIVING AGING IDOL FORMAT Carey, Minaj and country singer Keith Urban joined Idol as judges in September for the upcoming 12th season after the departures of Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Carey, with more than 200 million album sales, and Minaj, one of the most exciting voices in rap, are expected to revive the contest, which last year lost its eight-year crown as the most-watched show on U.S. television to Saturday Night Football on rival NBC. Video of the pair arguing was leaked online from early auditions in last fall, and Minaj was reported to have said, "If I had a gun, I would shoot that bitch." American Idol executive producer Trish Kinane said the new panel was chosen after fans said they wanted to see judges who were current and talented in their own right. "They (fans) also wanted honesty, and we very much took that into consideration. They (the judges) are not shrinking violets. They say what they think, and we encourage that," Kinane said. American Idol, which has produced stars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, faces growing competition for TV audiences from a slew of rivals like The Voice, The X Factor, and America's Got Talent. Last year, Idol attracted under 20 million viewers, down from the more than 30 million who watched on a regular basis five or six years ago. But Mike Darnell, reality programming chief for Fox, said the new panel had "re-invigorated the show." "Yes, there are too many (talent) shows on the air and they are all taking each other down a bit. But this is still the king of the shows and the only one that makes stars," Darnell said. |
| The odd couple in police dramedy Common Law Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:59 PM PST Common Law may be ordinary within its genre, but the police dramedy does make for an easy and fun watch. There is really nothing outstanding about Common Law, the latest cop-buddy show on TV. For starters, recent cop-inspired shows like Life, Life On Mars and The Shield have actually done the genre more justice than Common Law could ever hope to. Sure, Common Law has a unique key plot – the protagonists, two police detectives, have to go for couples' therapy. You see, they need to sort out a personal issue between them at the cop shop if they want to continue to work together. But at the end of the day, Common Law is still just about two very different people partnering up to do their job. You may be compelled to say "been there, seen that." Yet, miraculously, Common Law draws you in even when you can ably guess where the story and the characters are headed. What the series has in abudance is enthusiam, courtesy of the main actors, who bring colour to their otherwise one-dimensional characters. Travis Marks (Michael Ealy) is a politically incorrect man with very little depth as a person. When he is not working on a crime scene (sometimes even when he is at one), Travis often makes unwanted sexual advances. He pretty much has had a relationship with every women he comes in contact with – be it at work or elsewhere. In short, Travis is your typical cad. Undeterred by this huge handicap, Ealy makes the character come off as nothing more than a man who has yet to grow up. He plays Travis like he is sharing a joke with the audience. It also helps that Travis' encounters with ex-girlfriends are put to humorous advantage ... it's always good to see some women making this super cop squirm for the awful way he treats them. It should be interesting to see how this character steps out of the stereotype in future episodes. Well, it would've been interesting if not for the fact that the series is discontinued after its first season. At the polar opposite of Ealy's Travis Marks character is Wes Mitchell (Warren Kole). Where Travis is carefree, Wes is extremely responsible. Where Travis is messy, Wes is orderly. Where Travis wears jeans and a biker jacket, Wes is all about looking professional in suits ... well, you get the idea. With his unsmiling face and, unbending posture and personality, Kole's Wes really has nothing in common with Travis. The pattern also continues with Wes' background – he was a high-flying lawyer earning a heck a lot of money when he decided to give it all up and become a cop. And yes, he was a happily married man who is still in love with his ex-wife. Despite thebig difference in personalities, these two men turn out to be the best detectives in the precinct because they have the ying and yang element. This, as it turns out, is not always a good thing. As expected, there are a lot of heated disagreements between the pair. All these are brought up at the therapy sessions, which Travis and Wes share with other troubled partners (husbands and wives/boyfriend and girlfriend). Funny thing is, the "normal" couples seem to understand the problems the two men are experiencing, which is an interesting take on the whole cop/partners relationship. Usually, when it is a cop show and there are two partners, we just get a man and a woman with sexual attraction between them, on top of the different personalities. But here, that formula is totally taken to a whole new level. If only Common Law had the good sense not to play so much on the stereotypes, the series may have done itself a favour and survived just a little longer because there is obvious enjoyment in watching the tough guys go to couples' therapy and then go out to save the day. Well, whatever the reason for its early demise, for now Common Law does make Monday nights a little more fun. > Common Law is shown every Monday at 9.05pm on AXN (Astro Ch 701) & AXN HD (Astro Ch 721). |
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