Spartacus: Vengeance doesn’t premiere until January 27, 2012 at 10pm ET, however STARZ has just released this violent and bloody four-minute video showing off what we can expect from the opening scene of the upcoming season. In addition to the footage, new Spartacus star Liam McIntyre talking about what’s going on with his character.
Watch the video:
Spartacus: Vengeance Sneak Peek
‘New Year’s Eve’ Movie Review
February 12th, 2010. A date that will live in infamy. I apologize for casting any flip sensibilities on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked but 2/12/10 was the release date for Valentine’s Day … and in a cinematic sense, the landscape is still recovering.
Writer Katherine Fugate and director Garry Marshall went against the ‘less is more’ philosophy and crammed actors in that movie like it was a clown car escaping the Titanic … wait … no, that’s right. While there were some good actors mixed in with the mediocre (and the terrible), the fundamental failing of the picture was having so many different storylines and being obsessed with linking them together like a post-graduate version of six degrees of separation. When word leaked that Fugate and Marshall were re-teaming to do a de facto sequel, the only people happy about it were liquor store owners within a 6 block radius of my apartment.
Well, after seeing what this new holiday-themed movie brings to the table, there’s one thing I won’t badmouth either the writer or director for: learning from their mistakes. Now sure, there are still more big-to-middle-named actors here than a Lakers playoff game. However, as far as central plots go, Fugate has begun the road to screenwriter recovery and kept it to five or six, doing a far less OCD job of intertwining the characters just to be clever (or not as the case would be). With a runtime pushing 2 hours, the ability to actually do some measure of character/plot development is not only plausible, but it’s also serviceably accomplished.
As for the actors, they deliver what you would expect. Don’t expect Katherine Heigl to play anything but a woman looking for love who tears up at all times and acts bossy now and again to mask her insecurities (I think at this point scripts come to her pre-loaded with a Katherine Heigl character). Josh Duhamel plays a decent Josh Duhamel. Lea Michele is here to sing. Period. End of story.
Michelle Pfeiffer is beginning to look like Mia Farrow. Abigail Breslin’s face is so caked in makeup, it has an SPF of 5000. Hilary Swank’s large mouth scares smaller fish. Robert De Niro doesn’t read scripts prior to accepting roles, he reads the on-set catering menu. What the hell is a Zac Efron? Etc. etc. Ludacris. Etc.
The scariest thing about this film is that it isn’t the dangerous chemical-laden train wreck one might expect given its predecessor. Sure, some stories are stronger than others, and the transparent attempts to twist some of the relationships at the end were almost comically bad, but the inherent sweetness of the film comes out all right in the end, and Sofia Vergara steals every scene she’s in … which is really nice because they’re the ones with Heigl in them.
If you prefer your romance to come with more substantial character development, this year you can try Beginners or Like Crazy. If you’re a sucker for romantic comedies that prefer you check your mind at the door, New Year’s Eve fits the bill. It’s probably still asking too much of most boyfriends/husbands to endure what’s on display but getting together a few friends with similar cinematic sensibilities might be the diversion you need amidst this frenetic holiday season.
GRADE: C
New Year’s Eve hits theaters on December 9, 2011 and is rated PG-13 for language including some sexual references.
Sammy Davis Jr Biopic in the Works
Entertainment Studios, Inc. has picked up the life rights of Sammy Davis, Jr, with the company planning to bring his story alive on the big screen and on Broadway. Entertainment Studios is working with Sammy Davis, Jr’s daughter, Tracey Davis, on the projects.
Sammy would have turned 86 on December 8, 2011.
Says Tracey: “On his deathbed, one of the last things my father told me as he put my face in his hands was: ‘Tracy, tell my story. Warts and all.’ Byron Allen, who knew and worked with my father, is the perfect producer to help my family and I achieve my father’s dying wish.”
“Sammy Davis, Jr. was a phenomenal entertainer, icon, and American treasure whose inspirational story has to be told,” stated Byron Allen, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Entertainment Studios. “We are excited to bring his life story to both the stage and the big screen.”
‘Shame’ Movie Review
NC 17. The so-called kiss of death for a film’s box office success. While there are plenty of people old enough to go see a film slapped with the rating, many of America’s larger theater chains and DVD retailers (*cough* Wal-Mart) won’t carry it.
However, based on the early buzz, festival reactions, critical success and Fox Searchlight’s faith that people will see past the rating, Shame may likely perform quite well on a per-screen average … and there’s no shame in that (I’m so sorry, I couldn’t resist).
Of course, whether or not there’s the opposite effect in play here may also be true. By that, I’m saying that much of the hoopla surrounding director Steve McQueen’s vision might be derived from people thinking that it’s important and amazing because it’s pushing boundaries (and in case you’re wondering, this Steve McQueen bears no connection to the actor best known for films like Bullitt and The Great Escape). In short, I’m going to buck the general trend amongst critics and say that this film didn’t need to be NC-17, and keeping the elements that pushed it over the top ended up being more of a good marketing tool to draw out inquisitive audiences than a fundamental need.
Consider that what we’re really only talking about is less than a minute of full frontal male nudity (it’s a whole new side to Magneto Michael Fassbender) and most likely trimming down one of the film’s sex scenes; and there are only four total, which is generous because one of those isn’t fully consummated if you get my drift. There are also a handful of scenes where Fassbender is masturbating, but there’s nary a penis shot among them (seriously, if you’re just there for the look-see, don’t be late, it’s all in the first five minutes).
The whole point of the film is to watch this man struggle with sexual addiction, which is exacerbated by the arrival of his sister (Carey Mulligan), as her presence dredges up the past and triggers a downward spiral for both of them. While it can be titillating to be slightly more graphic than a hard-R movie, now having watched it twice in order to fully gather my thoughts on the subject, the extra bits that are the conversation starter for the production aren’t necessary and are sadly overshadowing what’s underneath.
On the whole, Fassbender delivers all that is needed for the role. However, while his portrayal is mostly fearless, there are some key scenes that play far too manufactured, the most egregious of which being when his character fully breaks down, and he has to walk out to a deserted pier, crumple to his knees, IN THE RAIN! How many clichés is that? Yes I know it’s three, shut up. It’s not the actor’s fault that McQueen included it in the script or shot it in such a maudlin fashion. If it weren’t for scenes like this, seemingly built to scream, “look at this amazing and vulnerable display of acting,” the performance would carry more weight – but it ends up feeling a bit tainted as a result.
Carey Mulligan also has a full frontal nude scene but thanks to the hypocrisy of the MPAA, I’m sure this didn’t prompt the ratings bomb or factor much into their decision. Her performance though feels far more genuine and will more than likely escape the manufactured aura surrounding Fassbender in my view. Like his character, hers is also deeply flawed; manic, impulsive, and self-destructive. Seeing the arc of this fragile woman is far more intriguing than that of her brother.
Additionally, while there are differences, I was immediately struck by the similarity of Fassbender’s character to that of Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. Sure, you’re switching out homicidal tendencies for sexual compulsion, but the same rise and fall is evident. There are even similarities in how they approach work and relationships, always struggling to maintain the appearance of normality and success but also always sizing up their next mark. I have no idea if McQueen was influenced by this or meant for there to be such casual allusions, but if you’re wondering about the progression of the character, it’s a loose framework that will give you an idea of what you might be in for.
And despite much of the hedging that I’ve been doing, McQueen’s film does present intriguing character studies with excellent acting, for the most part (there I go hedging again). There’s little doubt that Fassbender will be on the short list of actors earning nominations in the upcoming awards race, though I still have reservations about whether being truly naked (literally and figuratively) inside such a seemingly calculated display of both physical and emotional demons doesn’t somehow lessen its impact. Shame will definitely be a discussion piece for the next few months, but after giving it a second look and a lot of thought, I’m pretty much done with the need to talk about it.
GRADE: B
Shame hits theaters in limited release on December 2, 2011 and is rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content.
‘Young Adult’ Movie Review
Yet another award hopeful has come to the multiplex, in the form of director Jason Reitman’s Young Adult. ‘Hopeful’ being the keyword.
Starring Charlize Theron as a ghostwriter for a popular Young Adult book series in the middle of a less-than-mid-life crisis, the story centers on her return to a small Minnesota town, in the hopes that rekindling a lost love (Patrick Wilson) will put things back on track. As her quest begins, she begins an unlikely friendship with a former classmate (Patton Oswalt) – the kind of relationship only found in movies – and she drinks herself towards whatever fate might befall such a wayward person.
That’s a very sloppy plot description, but the bottom line is that it’s a very casually assembled film. While some of the blame lands firmly in the lap of Reitman, for creating a lackluster opening sequence and continuing with a rather sluggish pace that makes the 94-minute runtime feel much longer, most of the problems inherent in the final result stem from Diablo Cody’s script.
She and Reitman made a name for themselves with Juno, utilizing Cody’s penchant for jaded, quirky, and overtly hipster language. That works fine in the mouths of teenagers running in those associated social circles. Moving up to adults twice their age, Cody left behind the incessant turns of phrases but failed to inject very much energy into the scenes – relying too heavily on the actors to make each scene work. Perhaps she just fell in love with the idea of who the character was and shoehorned this story around it, reveling in the ability to write scenes where the outward beauty of the main character only elevates the hypocrisy of the ugliness within. Even if that were so, it’s giving too much credit to such a lifeless plot progression.
On the positive side, Theron does fine, portraying a big fish in a little town who finds the city inhabited by too many other big fish to feel special. And the casting department got it right in selecting Oswalt, who keeps the film from completely devolving into a sour mess of “woe is me”s. His comedic instincts and timing elevate the completely transparent reason for the character’s existence (and an Afternoon Special back story) into nearly the only thing interesting on-screen. Theron is busy feeling sorry for herself and looking to fix things by regressing, and Wilson is typecast as another unexplainably bland sex symbol. If it weren’t for Oswalt, theaters might have had to hand out pillows to make patrons more comfortable while napping.
It’s no shock that the powers that be held Young Adult for a prime release spot given the filmmakers’ pedigrees and Theron’s inclusion. However, Reitman will just have to come back another year with a better effort because this one shouldn’t find its way to the top of many Best Of lists. You’re better off re-watching one of his past films and putting the saved money towards that ridiculous toy your kid won’t shut up about this holiday season.
GRADE: C-
Young Adult hits theaters on December 9, 2011 and is rated R for language and some sexual content.
Coldplay Announces 2012 Tour Dates
Coldplay kicks off its 2012 tour on April 17th at Rexall Place in Edmonton, AB, marking the group’s start of its first North American tour in three years. The band is hitting the road in support of their strangely named album, Mylo Xyloto, which spawned two Grammy-nominated songs (“Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” “Paradise”).
The next single to be released later this month will be “Charlie Brown.”
Coldplay – 2012 Mylo Xyloto North American Tour
Date City Venue On Sale Date
—- —- —– ————
4/17 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place Sat., Dec. 17
4/18 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome Sat., Dec. 17
4/20 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena Sat., Dec. 17
4/24 Portland, OR Rose Garden Arena Sat., Dec. 17
4/25 Seattle, WA KeyArena Sat., Dec. 17
4/27 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose Sat., Dec. 17
5/1 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl Mon., Jan. 9
5/2 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl Mon., Jan. 9
6/22 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center Sat., Dec. 17
6/25 Houston, TX Toyota Center Sat., Dec. 17
6/28 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum Sat., Dec. 17
6/29 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena Sat., Dec. 17
7/2 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena Sat., Dec. 17
7/5 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center Sat., Dec. 17
7/8 Washington, DC Verizon Center Sat., Dec. 17
7/23 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre Sat., Dec. 17
7/26 Montreal, QC Bell Centre Sat., Dec. 17
7/29 Boston, MA TD Garden Sat., Dec. 17
8/3 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center Sat., Dec. 17
8/7 Chicago, IL United Center Mon., Dec. 19
8/11 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center Sat., Dec. 17
The Black Keys – “Gold on the Ceiling” Music Video
The Black Keys hit the late-night talk shows to promote their El Camino, performing “Gold on the Ceiling” live in front of studio audiences on Letterman and The Colbert Report. “Gold on the Ceiling” is the third track off of their seventh studio album, and it was released as the album’s second single.
And fans have got to love Pitchfork’s review of the single:
“It’s a shame Rock Band is no longer a thing,” wrote Rob Harvilla. “‘Gold on the Ceiling’ is just filthy, like George Thorogood scoring porn, all raunchy organ and licentious handclaps and chorus help from ladies attempting to sound like the sorts of ladies Steely Dan loved to write songs about. ‘I wanna buy some time/ But don’t have a dime,’ goes the raucous one called ‘Money Maker'”. Better cash some Subaru checks.’
Tom Cruise Talks Top Gun Sequel
MTV caught up with Tom Cruise and the topic of conversation turned from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to the sequel to Top Gun. And when asked about returning as Maverick, Cruise actually seemed pretty into it – if the material is right.
Watch the MTV video:
Michael Buble is #1 with His Christmas CD
The holiday season has been good for Grammy winner Michael Bublé. Warner Bros Records says Bublé’s Christmas CD sold 292, 501 units this week (up 29% for a total globally of over 5 million CDs) and has Bublé sitting pretty at the number 1 spot on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart for the second week running. Five songs off of Christmas are currently getting airplay on the radio, with “All I Want For Christmas Is You” resting in the number one spot on the charts.
Bublé’s Christmas is his fastest-selling album to date.
Bublé just hosted a holiday special on NBC and appeared on 60 Minutes, and has appearances on SNL (December 17) and Live! with Kelly (he’s co-hosting December 15-16).
Watch the “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” Music Video:
Source: Warner Bros Records – December 8, 2011
Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire Lead the Writers Guild Awards Nominees
The nominations have been announced in the Writers Guild of America’s television, news, radio, promotional writing, and graphic animation categories. Winners will be revealed on February 19, 2012 at ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.
TELEVISION NOMINEES
DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire, Written by Bathsheba Doran, Dave Flebotte, Howard Korder, Steve Kornacki, Itamar Moses, Margaret Nagle, Terence Winter; HBO
Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
Game of Thrones, Written by David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R.R. Martin, D.B. Weiss; HBO
The Good Wife, Written by Courtney Kemp Agboh, Meredith Averill, Corinne Brinkerhoff, Leonard Dick, Keith Eisner, Karen Hall, Ted Humphrey, Michelle King, Robert King, Steve Lichtman, Matthew Montoya, Julia Wolfe; CBS
Homeland, Written by Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Gideon Raff, Meredith Stiehm; Showtime
COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Hannibal Buress, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Vali Chandrasekaran, Tina Fey, Jon Haller, Matt Hubbard, Colleen McGuinness, Dylan Morgan, John Riggi, Josh Siegal, Ron Weiner, Tracey Wigfield; NBC
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Alec Berg, Larry David, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer; HBO
Louie, Written by Pamela Adlon, Louis C.K.; FX
Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Carol Leifer, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
Parks & Recreation, Written by Greg Daniels, Katie Dippold, Daniel J. Goor, Norm Hiscock, Emily Kapnek, Dave King, Greg Levine, Aisha Muharrar, Chelsea Peretti, Amy Poehler, Brian Rowe, Michael Schur, Mike Scully, Emily Spivey, Alan Yang, Harris Wittels; NBC
NEW SERIES
Episodes, Written by David Crane, Jeffrey Klarik; Showtime
Game of Thrones, Written by David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R.R. Martin, D.B. Weiss; HBO
Homeland, Written by Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Gideon Raff, Meredith Stiehm; Showtime
The Killing, Written by Linda Burstyn, Jeremy Doner, Soo Hugh, Dan Nowak, Nic Pizzolatto, Dawn Prestwich, Veena Sud, Nicole Yorkin, Aaron Zelman; AMC
New Girl, Written by Nick Adams, Rachel Axler, Brett Baer, Donick Cary, Dave Finkel, Berkley Johnson, Josh Malmuth, Elizabeth Meriwether, J.J. Philbin, Joe Port, Luvh Rakhe, Joe Wiseman; Fox
EPISODIC DRAMA
“A Dangerous Maid” (Boardwalk Empire), Written by Itamar Moses; HBO
“The Age of Reason” (Boardwalk Empire), Written by Bathsheba Doran; HBO
“Box Cutter” (Breaking Bad), Written by Vince Gilligan; AMC
“End Times” (Breaking Bad), Written by Thomas Schnauz & Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
“The Good Soldier” (Homeland), Written by Henry Bromell; Showtime
“Just Let Go” (Dexter), Written by Jace Richdale; Showtime
EPISODIC COMEDY
“Caught in the Act” (Modern Family), Written by Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman; ABC
“Goodbye Michael, Part 2” (The Office), Written by Greg Daniels; NBC
“Mother’s Day” (Modern Family), Written by Dan O’Shannon & Ilana Wernick; ABC
“Object Impermanence” (Weeds), Written by Stephen Falk; Showtime
“PDA” (The Office), Written by Robert Padnick; NBC
“Queen of Jordan” (30 Rock), Written by Tracey Wigfield; NBC
LONG FORM – ORIGINAL
Cinema Verite, Written by David Seltzer; HBO
Five, “Pearl,” Written by Deirdre O’Connor, “Charlotte,” Written by Stephen Godchaux, “Cheyanne,” Written by Howard Morris, “Lili,” Written by Jill Gordon, “Mia,” Written by Wendy West; Lifetime
LONG FORM – ADAPTED
Mildred Pierce, Teleplay by Todd Haynes & Jon Raymond, Based on the novel by James M. Cain; HBO
Too Big to Fail, Written by Peter Gould, Based on the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin; HBO
ANIMATION
“Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts” (The Simpsons), Written by Tim Long; Fox
“The Blue and the Gray” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik; Fox
“Donnie Fatso” (The Simpsons), Written by Chris Cluess; Fox
“Homer the Father” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox
“Moonstruck” (Ben 10: Ultimate Alien), Written by Len Uhley; Cartoon Network
“The Silence of the Clamps” (Futurama), Written by Eric Rogers; Comedy Central
COMEDY / VARIETY – (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES
Conan, Writers: Jose Arroyo, Andres du Bouchet, Deon Cole, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Michael Gordon, Berkley Johnson, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Rob Kutner, Todd Levin, Brian McCann, Conan O’Brien, Matt O’Brien, Jesse Popp, Andy Richter, Brian Stack, Mike Sweeney; TBS
Jon Benjamin Has a Van, Writers: Leo Allen, Jon Benjamin; Comedy Central
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Head Writer: AD Miles, Writers: David Angelo, Patrick Borelli, Gerard Bradford, Jeremy Bronson, Mike DiCenzo, Jimmy Fallon, John Haskell, Eric Ledgin, Dan Opsal, Amy Ozols, Gavin Purcell, Diallo Riddle, Jon Rineman, Bashir Salahuddin, Justin Shanes, Michael Shoemaker, Jen Statsky, CJ Toledano; NBC
Real Time with Bill Maher, Writers: Scott Carter, Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Amani Redd; HBO
Saturday Night Live, Head Writer: Seth Meyers, Writers: Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, Heather Anne Campbell, Matt Craig, Jessica Conrad, James Downey, Tom Flanigan, Shelly Gossman, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Jonathan Krisel, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Christine Nangle, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, John Solomon, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker; NBC
The Colbert Report, Writers: Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Dan Guterman, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Barry Julien, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Meredith Scardino, Scott Sherman, Max Werner; Comedy Central
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Writers: Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Richard Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Wyatt Cenac, Hallie Haglund, J.R. Havlan, Elliott Kalan, Dan McCoy, Sam Means, Jo Miller, John Oliver, Zhubin Parang, Daniel Radosh, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart; Comedy Central
COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS
After the Academy Awards, Head Writers: Gary Greenberg, Molly McNearney; Writers: Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, John N. Huss, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jonathan Kimmel, Jacob Lentz, Danny Ricker, Richard G. Rosner; ABC
The Kennedy Center Honors, Written by Lewis Friedman, Sara Lukinson, Michael Stevens, George Stevens, Jr.; CBS
DAYTIME DRAMA
All My Children, Written by Jeff Beldner, Lorraine Broderick, Joanna Cohen, Lisa K. Connor, Chris Dunn, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Chip Hayes, David Kreizman, Dave Ryan, Donna Swajeski, Rebecca Taylor, Addie Walsh; ABC
General Hospital, Written by Meg Bennett, Nathan Fissell, David Goldschmid, Robert Guza, Jr., Karen Harris, Elizabeth Korte, Mary Sue Price, Michele Val Jean, Susan Wald, Tracey Thomson; ABC
The Young and the Restless, Written by Amanda L. Beall, Tom Casiello, Susan Dansby, Janice Ferri Esser, Jay Gibson, Scott Hamner, Marla Kanelos, Natalie Minardi Slater, Beth Milstein, Michael Montgomery, Anne Schoettle, Linda Schreiber, Sarah Smith, Sandra Weintraub, Chris Whitesell, Teresa Zimmerman; CBS
CHILDREN’S – EPISODIC & SPECIALS
“The Good Birds Club” (Sesame Street), Written by Joseph Mazzarino; PBS
“Hero of the Shadows” (Supah Ninjas), Written by Leo Chu, Eric S. Garcia; Nickelodeon
“i Lost My Mind” (iCarly), Written by Dan Schneider, Matt Fleckenstein; Nickelodeon
“Luther Turns 4” (Zeke and Luther), Written by Devin Bunje, Nick Stanton; Disney XD
“Oh, Brother” (The Troop), Written by Max Burnett; Nickelodeon
“The Prince Frog” (Imagination Movers), Written by Jennifer Heftler, Randi Barnes, Rick Gitelson, Vivien Mejia, Michael G. Stern; Disney Channel
DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS
“Smartest Machine on Earth” (Nova), Written by Julia Cort, Michael Bicks; PBS
“The Spill” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria, Martin Smith; PBS
“Top Secret America” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser; PBS
DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“Dinosaur Bone War” (American Experience), Written by Mark Davis; PBS
“Episode One: A New Adam, a New Eden” (God in America), Written by David Belton; PBS
“Freedom Riders” (American Experience), Written by Stanley Nelson; PBS
“The Great Famine” (American Experience), Written by Austin Hoyt; PBS
“Making Stuff Smarter” (Nova), Written by Daniel McCabe; PBS
“Prohibition: Episode Two: A Nation of Scofflaws,” Written by Geoffrey C. Ward; PBS
“Triangle Fire” (American Experience), Written by Mark Zwonitzer; PBS
“Wiki Secrets” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria & Martin Smith; PBS
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“An American Tragedy in Joplin” (ABC World News with Diane Sawyer), Written by Lisa Ferri, Julia Kathan; ABC
“The Bond King” (CBS News), Written by Polly Leider; CBS
“CBS News Special Report-9/11: Ten Years Later” (CBS News), Written by Jerry Cipriano; CBS
“Educating Sergeant Pantzke” (Frontline), Written by John Maggio, Martin Smith; PBS
“North Carolina Sterilization” (CBS News), Written by Amy Westerby; CBS
“The Shootings in Tucson” (ABC Weekend World News), Written by Joel Siegel, Karen Mooney, David Muir; ABC
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Blind Surfers” (ABC News), Written by Joel Siegel, Sharyn Alfonsi; ABC
“Doctor Hot Spot” (Frontline), Written by Thomas Jennings; PBS
“Flying Cheaper” (Frontline), Written by Rick Young; PBS
“The Year in Politics” (CBS News), Written by Heather M. Scott; CBS
RADIO NOMINEES
DOCUMENTARY
2010 Year in Review, Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio News
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED OR BREAKING REPORT
Portraits of a Terrorist: Who is Osama Bin Laden?, Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio News
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE OR COMMENTARY
Justice in a Time of Terror, Written by Andrew Cohen & Rob Mank; CBS Radio News
So Many Goodbyes, Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio News
PROMOTIONAL WRITING AND GRAPHIC ANIMATION NOMINEES
ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)
“Fairytale” (Today Show), Written by Carol M. Sullivan; NBC News
Source: WGA – December 7, 2011
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