Betty White: Not Dead @12:45 PM
The Internet's desire to kill any celebrity was at its peak last summer [Ed. note: "The Summer of Death"], in the wake of Michael Jackson's passing; in recent months, Twitter-borne rumors of dead celebrities had mostly gone dormant, perhaps waiting for the days to get longer and peoples' internal BS detectors to grow more sun-addled. The fake-death spectre did, however, rear its head last night, when some joker at the multiheaded gossip hydra Oh No They Didn't decided to mock up a TMZ screenshot claiming that Betty White had gone to the Miami retirement complex in the sky. READ MORE 10
Iced Out: These Olympics Are Totally Awesome! @4:15 PM
"These Olympics have just been a complete disaster," said a coworker the other day with the sort of learned gravitas that can only be acquired via a force-fed nightly diet of Chris Collinsworth's zip-up-necked sweaters (stitched, per the suddenly saucy Wall Street Journal, "entirely out of Phil Simms's hair.") READ MORE 74
Ben Silverman Ditches NBC, According to… Ryan Seacrest @9:32 AM
Holy Jesus, a giant bomb just went off in L.A. and it's only 6:25 a.m.—according to the News Source that is Ryan Seacrest's Twitter, Ben Silverman, the boy wonder noodlehead of NBC, is finally out and off to a whole new (yet not new) world. (Thank God someone follows Seacrest's Twitter.) According to Seacrest (and I can't believe I had to write that), Silverman is going off to form his own studio. Thing is… he already had his own studio. Which sold TV shows to NBC. Here's Ryan's take! "This means better shows from our favorite stars in u.s. and around the world." Hey, wow, he is my favorite entertainment reporter. Also Nikki Finke is going to crap her pants when she finally rolls out of her pink sateen bed. Says TMZ, Silverman is going into business with Barry Diller…. and hiring Ryan Seacrest. Yay America! Ben Silverman is the new Tina Brown! 5
Jersey TV Critic Saves "Chuck" @12:00 PM
Alan Sepinwall has saved "Chuck"! That's right—the Star Ledger TV critic's campaign even got him name-checked by NBC's Ben Silverman at the upfront today, where "Chuck"'s return was announced. I guess they don't really mind that Alan trashed NBC in December on the Times op-ed page for becoming the Jay Leno network! Anyway, rejoice, nerds! All hail your Sepinwall. 9
In (Sort Of!) Defense Of Ben Silverman @9:14 AM
Broadcasting and Cable has a good laugh at those who were shocked by the Times profile of NBC boy-honcho Ben Silverman this weekend past. It's true: any Silverman story, even one as unrevealing and friendly as Carter's, can sound shocking if you're not accustomed to The Silverman Way! READ MORE 11
Blago Does Press For NBC Reality Show @12:46 PM
Jesus Christ, Rod Blagojevich is at NBC's press day for "I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!" According to people present: "Blago on the other things happening in his life: they 'suck' and 'are scary.' He is five feet from Sanjaya." 6
Ben Silverman's track record @2:41 PM
Jesus, "Baby Borrowers" actually lasted for five episodes? 0
Parks and Recreation May Fall Down, Go Boom @2:40 PM
Variety hates Amy Poehler NBC comedy advertainment vehicle "Parks and Recreation." Therefore I will love it. For three episodes. Then I will blog about how I hate it. Then it will pile up on my DVR and I will watch five episodes back to back and love it again. But by then it will be canceled. I'm so sorry Amy Poehler! 2
