The Grammys are shaping up to be a concert for the ages.
The awards are almost beside the point – the Grammys are about spectacle, and this year is no exception. Some of 2013’s most discussed pop stars will perform, including Lorde, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Robin Thicke (in a duet with the legendary band Chicago) and Katy Perry. The show will feature critical favorites (Kacey Musgraves, Kendrick Lamar), chart toppers (Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons), rock royalty (Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age, Lindsey Buckingham), country heartthrobs (Keith Urban, Hunter Hayes) and legends of the summer (Daft Punk, Pharrell and Nile Rodgers). And that’s not all! The surviving members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will offer a rare performance and accept a Lifetime Achievement Award. Daft Punk will be joined by none other than perennial favorite Stevie Wonder.
Oh, and Beyonce is performing on television for the first time since she released her new album. Batten down the hatches. It’s going to be a fun show.
A long-term filmmaking experiment wows at Sundance.
The Sundance Film Festival is currently underway in the famous town of Park City, Utah. Dozens of films from directors both well-respected and up-and-coming descend upon the festival each year, hoping for distribution from a major studio. The most talked-about film of the festival so far is “Boyhood,” director Richard Linklater’s unprecedented attempt to fictionally document a young child’s coming-of-age over a period of 12 years. Linklater filmed one scene every year from 2002 until 2013, watching as his young star (Ellar Salmon) blossomed before his eyes. Other notable favorites at the festival include “Life Itself,” a documentary about the life and death of film critic Roger Ebert, and “The Skeleton Twins,” featuring dramatic performances from comedians Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader.
NBC attempts to solve its problems by retreating further into the past.
Around this time last year, NBC announced that sitcom legend and household name Michael J. Fox (“Back To the Future”) would be staging his return to primetime with a new family sitcom sure to set the Nielsen ratings ablaze with its multigenerational appeal. A year later, NBC is in the awkward position of airing a show starring one of the most respected actors on the planet that routinely draws a dismal 2 million viewers on Thursday nights.
Has NBC learned that nostalgia alone is not enough to draw viewers to the broadcast networks? Has the Peacock taken cues from Fox and embraced shows that challenge tradition (“Sleepy Hollow,” “New Girl”)? The answer is no. Instead, the network announced that Bill Cosby has inked a deal to star in a new family sitcom. Like M.J. Fox, Cosby is one of the most beloved stars in television history. Will sheer affection alone be enough to lift this network out of the doldrums? Precedent suggests a long road ahead.
Justin Bieber was arrested for DUI and drag racing.
But you already knew that. Moving on…
Colin Jost will provide your “Weekend Update.”
It’s been a season of turnover at NBC’s endlessly successful comedy staple. Six new comics – five white men and one white woman – joined the cast in September, prompting outrage from critics who felt the show wasn’t paying enough attention to diversity. Executive producer Lorne Michaels frantically added Sasheer Zamata to the cast in response. Meanwhile, Cecily Strong joined the soon-to-depart Seth Meyers at the Weekend Update desk, proving to be every bit his equal. The latest update, so to speak: Colin Jost, the head writer since 2012, will take over for Meyers after the Feb. 1 show. Meyers will head next door to host “Late Night,” taking over for Jimmy Fallon – an “SNL” alum. It’s all connected.
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