The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
- CBS and FOX take top honors in November sweeps
- Janet Hsieh shares her experience of hosting reality show
- Fashion passion
| CBS and FOX take top honors in November sweeps Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:33 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters): CBS won the November television sweeps period for the 11th straight year but Fox took the honors with the 18-49 year-old age group most coveted by advertisers, according to ratings data on Tuesday. ABC finished second to CBS in terms of overall viewers, thanks partly to the success of its Emmy-award winning comedy "Modern Family". But there was little joy for NBC, which came last again among the leading four TV networks despite featuring a slew of new comedy and drama shows. The November sweeps are one of four periods each year in which detailed viewing habits are measured across the United States and used by local TV stations to set advertising rates. Fox said it had boosted its 18-49 ratings by 13 percent - the biggest of any network - compared to November 2010 to give it a victory in the audience group for only the second time. Fox said its win among those younger viewers was fueled by new comedy "New Girl", reality show "The X Factor" and pricey dinosaur drama "Terra Nova". In terms of overall viewers, Fox finished in third place. CBS, which boasts hit comedies "Two Broke Girls" and "Two and A Half Men" along with veteran crime shows "NCIS" and the "CSI" franchise tends to attract older viewers. But the network finished second in the 18-49 demographic for the November sweeps, behind Fox and ahead of female-friendly ABC. NBC, which has revamped its management and prime-time line-up since being taken over by cable giant Comcast in January, saw a five percent decline in overall viewers during November sweeps. NBC axed its much talked-about new drama "The Playboy Club" after just three episodes in October, along with new comedy "Free Agents". The network's hopes for its "Prime Suspect" remake have also foundered and production of the crime drama has been suspended pending a decision on the show's future. CBS is part of CBS Corp , Fox is a unit of News Corp , ABC is part of Walt Disney Co. and NBC is majority-owned by Comcast . Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Janet Hsieh shares her experience of hosting reality show Posted: 30 Nov 2011 03:18 AM PST Taiwanese-American TV host Janet Hsieh shares the thrills and spills of hosting TLC's Fun Taiwan Challenge. Fancy exploring the hidden corners of Taiwan and sampling its exotic delicacies while meeting the people and learning the culture? And, while you're at it, how about playing some games on a TV show for a chance to win a cash prize of NT$1mil (RM105,129) at the end of your adventure. Often compared to Amazing Race and Survivor, the show in question is titled Fun Taiwan Challenge. A spin-off of the popular Taiwan series Fun Taiwan, it is US lifestyle channel TLC's first made-in-Taiwan reality challenge series and is produced in partnership with the Taiwan Tourism Board (TTB). The show started off with 15 contestants aged 21-31 from eight different countries. Chosen from over 3,000 applicants, the 15 well-travelled contestants hail from Australia, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Philippines, Romania, Britain and the United States. Hosting this exciting show is the vivacious Janet Hsieh, who even joins the contestants in undertaking the daredevil tasks as they experience the various facets of Taiwan. Hsieh, 31, enthused that hosting Fun Taiwan Challenge was a bag of laughs but being a judge was in itself a major challenge for her. "When you have to do eliminations with the contestants, you have to distance yourself as much as possible. Because, in the end, there can only be one winner. "So, after every episode when we had to do the eliminations, it was really emotionally difficult to have to send someone back home," said the Taiwanese-American TV host last week in a teleconference with journalists from Malaysia, Phillippines and Singapore. Hsieh also had a hand at developing some of the tasks and challenges. "A lot of the challenges, I've done personally, but we've added a twist to give them a different kind of experience during filming. "In the episodes airing this week, the tasks given are really physically challenging. During the Penghu challenge in episode seven, the contestants were shocked when we gave them their task. Everybody's jaw dropped when they heard what the challenge was." So, what was the challenge? Hsieh said you have to tune in to find out. So who maps out the contest and puts together the challenges? "We form a team, the producers and the crew, and test out the challenges beforehand. But, sometimes, the contestants will complete the tasks faster or slower than scheduled, so on-site I have to make quick decisions there and then," Hsieh shared about her own input on the set. Having already traversed the country as the host of the popular travel series Fun Taiwan, Hsieh is constantly surprised that she can still find new places to explore. "Sometimes, I think I must have seen it all, but yet there's suddenly a new corner to discover. For example, Hualien on the east coast of Taiwan, a place which I love and go for personal trips as well. For the challenge there, we went to this place called the Green Trail. It was gorgeous!" Each new episode sees the contestants taking on a different challenge and then facing the unwelcome prospect of being eliminated at the end. Winners of each task, however, are rewarded with fine food and luxury accommodation for their efforts. The first four episodes of the show have taken Hsieh and the contestants to Taipei, Taroko National Park, and Green Island. Later episodes will take them to Kaohsiung, Pingdong, Penghu, Tainan, Alishan, Taoyuan, Sun Moon Lake, and Miaoli. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, as Janet Josephine Hsieh Yi-fen, the bubbly TV host states in an online bio that she is 100% Taiwanese. Calling herself a "professional traveller and lifelong student of the world", Hsieh has travelled to over 35 countries and lived in six different countries. Hence, the effervescent lass speaks five languages fluently: English, Taiwanese (Hokkien), Mandarin, Spanish and French. The Spanish and biology major also loves to read (everything from autobiographies to Freakonomics), and is currently reading four books at the same time, including The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Alchemist. "I've read The Alchemist a hundred times already. So, I'm reading it in Spanish right now. Because, I've read it so many times before, it's easier to read it in a second language." (The Alchemist or O Alquimista is an allegorical novel originally written in Portuguese by Paulo Coelho and published in 1988.) Apart from devouring books, Hsieh is also a published author and she is already coming out with her third book – in English this time. Her first two books – Traveling With 100 Toothbrushes and Backpacking To The Future – were published last year. Recently, she also had the opportunity to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan at the National Concert Hall. "It was a dream come true to be able stand on the stage and perform Carmen on the violin. Next, I'll be performing violin with Taiwanese pop stars A-Lin and Christine Fan," shared Hsieh who started playing the violin when she was five, and wanted to be a concert violinist when she was 13. In the early 1990s, she even played at the White House and toured Europe (playing in France, Netherlands and Germany) with the Texas Young Virtuosos. Hsieh, who had earlier served a stint as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in a fire department in Taipei, shared that she had "wanted to work as a volunteer doctor with Doctors Without Borders". But, she now finds her role on TV to be more suited to highlighting issues that matter and she is taking it further by accepting a small part in a drama that will commence shooting in February. To see Hsieh in action, tune in today for episodes five and six, shown back-to-back. Episode five sees the contestants visit the Love River in Kaohsiung, where the indigenous-themed challenges include solving different types of crossword puzzles in addition to engaging in traditional temple rituals and making paper umbrellas. In episode six, the contestants have to memorise the names of a variety of tribal costumes as well as work in teams to conquer physical challenges like hauling and weighing tunas in Pingdong. Fun Taiwan Challenge airs on TLC (Astro Ch 707) every Monday at 8pm with repeats every Wednesday at 2pm. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 30 Nov 2011 12:56 AM PST The Li highlights in December are as stylish as they come. GET ready for a swinging year-end festive season treat with the best style shows on the Li channel (Astro706). Dizzy up on the fashion runway. Meet the iconic designers, experience the backstage frenzy at fashion shows, relive the adrenalin-rush lifestyles of the fashion gurus, take in the human angles of this buzzing industry and watch the fashionistas take flight on the catwalk. Check out what is in store. The Day Before: Proenza Schouler (S1) (Dec 4, 10pm) – Enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest high fashion houses in an all-access documentary by French director, cinematographer and fashion maven Loïc Prigent. Waltz through studios, ateliers and PR offices in a race against time just 36 hours prior to the debut of the Fall '09 ready-to-wear runway show by Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough. They are the young visionaries behind the edgy and elegant Proenza Schouler label, which was named after their mothers. In this full frontal fashion documentary, New York's frenetic hustle and bustle is amplified a thousand times over in the frenzied backstage scenes at Proenza Schouler. The dynamic Hernandez-McCollough duo pack serious heat with their fiery passion and deep involvement with even the finest details of their fashion show. For Hernandez and McCollough, every creation is an absolute labour of love that they would jointly delint, fuss over and send off as the models sashay out to an awestruck audience. After all, it's high stakes season as the Proenza Schouler Fall 2009 show cost a whopping US$180,000! This fine frenzy translates into a fashion feast like no other as captured through the lens of Loïc Prigent! Named the "next generation of American talent" by the New York Times – which garners praise for its willingness to experiment with fabrics and acute ability to reinterpret classic cuts and designs for a modern audience – the award-winning creative force that is Hernandez and McCollough combined will leave you riveted by their endless energy, striking symmetry and synergy, and absolute dedication to perfection. The Day Before: Fendi by Karl Lagerfeld (Dec 11, 10pm) – Unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to influential designer Karl Lagerfeld's most feverish and personal moments during the final 36 hours leading up to his major runway shows. Delve into Lagerfeld's exciting experience as the creative director of Italian high fashion house Fendi in this dramatic time when creativity and commerce come together. Featuring the frenetic hours before the Fendi Fall 2009 fashion show in Milan, there's no shortage of Italian screams and luxurious visions such as private jets. Loic Prigent, who has really taken the whole fly-on-the-wall fashion documentary concept by the horns these past few years, focuses more on the characters involved in the creation of fashion rather than the clothes in making the show, but there are hardly any full-on temper tantrums despite the last-minute circumstances. Yet that doesn't mean that emotions aren't strained and that tensions don't run high. Lagerfeld tries to relieve stress with the amusing house tradition: an annual employee fashion show. This documentary also features brief interview sessions with Lagerfeld and Carla Fendi, the chairman of the board of directors of Fendi. Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (Dec 18, 10pm)– The Louis Vuitton line has long been the desire of all women around the globe. The name behind the great Louis Vuitton creations is the brilliant Marc Jacobs, who is widely regarded as the most influential designer of his generation and recognised as one of the most original minds in haute couture in these modern times. French filmmaker and director Loïc Prigent brings you an intimate insight into the fashion world through his lens as he takes us into the everyday life of Marc Jacobs in this documentary. This witty portrait follows Jacobs as he balances his demanding roles, namely as the first American designer to be creative director of venerable French fashion house Louis Vuitton, and his own eponymous American line. Jacobs is disarmingly pleasant to watch, with seemingly unlimited access to the workshops and houses. The film does a good job of explaining how and why he and his designs are so successful, featuring him in meetings, preparing collections and at high-profile shows. This film is also specific in its focus – it is about an artist and his process. Jacobs has a knack for sizing up the zeitgeist and then one-upping it. A master of the mash-up, his references are wide-ranging, always in flux, and often unlikely. Vivienne Westwood – Do It Yourself! (Dec 25, 10pm) – Get up close and personal with the iconic, flame-haired fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, an audacious artist and activist who was the forefront of the punk movement in mid-1970s London. Many decades on, her brand of non-conformist punk style has remained relevant, inspiring generations of young designers after her. The documentary, filmed between 2009 and 2010 in London and Paris by the filmmaker-writer duo of Letmiya Sztalryd and Jean-Marie Sztalyrd, provides an intimate portrait of the irrepressible and irresistible tour de force that is Vivienne Westwood. With her penchant for deconstructing fashion, only to reinvent the same piece in a wildly different and exciting way, Westwood embodies the true revolutionary spirit of punk. Defying societal conventions, she runs her fashion empire all year, actively dislikes taking time off, and wears towering high-heeled shoes at every opportunity. The documentary also sheds light onto her working relationship with husband Andreas Kronthaler, who plays the pivotal part of artistic director in her fashion empire. Watch their preparations for the big shows in Paris – with playful arguments over everything from fabrics to choice of music for runway shows – and learn how their different working styles ultimately come together to produce groundbreaking, critically-acclaimed collections. Visit her legendary London shop, World's End and take a nostalgic trip as she recounts how her do-it-yourself influences stemmed from her childhood. – Compiled by Azhariah Kamin Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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