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'Glee' says goodbye to Finn in tribute to Cory Monteith
Wit, wackiness and a whole lot of fun in local cartoon
Improv comedy game show from Steve Carell

'Glee' says goodbye to Finn in tribute to Cory Monteith

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The episode did not use the actor's death to send a message about drug abuse though it did end with a public service announcement.

TELEVISION musical comedy series Glee bid farewell on Thursday to Finn Hudson, the hunky, kind-hearted jock played by the late Cory Monteith, offering up songs, remembrances and plenty of tears while sidestepping the question of how his character died.

Fans had waited to see how the Fox television show would address the loss of one of its founding cast members following Monteith's death in July from an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol at age 31.

In an episode called The Quarterback, the writers of a show that often delves into serious topics chose not to use Monteith's death to send a message about drug abuse, and did not provide a cause of death for his character.

The show began the story three weeks after Finn's funeral with his stepbrother Kurt (Chris Colfer) preparing to attend a memorial service at McKinley High, the school where the series is set. "Everyone wants to talk about how he died, too, but who cares?" Kurt said. "One moment in his whole life. I care more about how he lived."

Remembering Finn, the hunky, kind-hearted quarterback of McKinley High.

Finn was a central character on the show, a high-school football star turned choir member who defended the school's misfits and played an integral part in advancing the series' theme of tolerance.

Glee star Lea Michele, who was dating Monteith in an off-screen romance at the time of his death, appeared near the end of the hour-long episode, singing the Bob Dylan song, Make You Feel My Love, while tears streamed down her face. Her character, Rachel Berry, had dated Finn on the show.

Glee premiered in 2009 and instantly became a hit and a pop culture phenomenon, with motivational storylines, upbeat musical numbers and a diverse young cast playing popular and oddball school students who come together in a musical choir group. The show has won Golden Globes, Emmys and Peabody awards.

Monteith had talked publicly about his struggles with substance abuse and was in rehab as recently as April. He was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room in July. Canadian authorities said he died from an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol.

Glee cast members appeared in a public service announcement that aired at the end of Thursday's episode. "Our friend Cory didn't look or act like an addict. He was happy, successful and seemingly had it all," actress Jane Lynch said, before a phone number appeared to connect viewers with treatment options for addiction. – Reuters

Wit, wackiness and a whole lot of fun in local cartoon

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NC is not your ordinary sushi chef. He's also a skilled, crime-fighting Ninja who keeps Enigma City safe from villains. Together with his sidekick, Oliver, the duo is the cause of terror in the dark underworld of criminals.

No, this is not another gritty drama on HBO nor is it the latest comic series by DC Comics.

It is Ninja Cat Ichi! Ni! San!, the latest animated series by Avant Garde Studios, a Malaysian animation and multimedia company.

The series follows the crazy adventures of Ninja Cat and Oliver, a kiwi bird, as they rid their city of crime, often with hilarious and unexpected outcomes.

Voicing Ninja Cat is Malaysian actor Gavin Yap and the series also features the voices of Brian Zimmerman and Amelia Henderson."Who would have thought that a simple story inspired by my own pet cat could be turned into a fun animated series. I hope the audience will have as much fun watching it as we had making it," said creative director and co-founder of Avant Garde Studios Keeta Brenna.

A co-production between Avant Garde and South Korean animation studio Cyberchicken Animation Studio, Ninja Cat costs RM5mil to make, with financial assistance from the Multimedia Development Corporation.

The first season of Ninja Cat, which is targeted at children aged 7 to 11 years old, has 26 episodes. Another 26 episodes are already in the pipeline.

*Ninja Cat Ichi! Ni! San! airs every Saturday at 6pm on TV9 (Astro Ch 119 / Hypp TV Ch 109).

Improv comedy game show from Steve Carell

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Slide Show inspired by French show.

STEVE Carell is bringing improv comedy game show to Fox. According to Deadline.com, Fox has ordered eight episodes of Slide Show, an unscripted comedy in which celebrities and comedians compete in unusual sketch, song and dance challenges.

Carell's inspiration for Slide Show comes from Vendredi, tout est permis, a show created by French comedian Arthur Essebag in 2011. Under the international title Anything Goes, the show has already been adapted for Australian, Portuguese and Danish TV and will soon also make its way to Spain, the Netherlands, and China.

The former The Office star will produce the US series, which will remain close to the original. – AFP Relaxnews

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Sabtu, 12 Oktober 2013