The April 15th event to host celebrity guests and cast members from Criminal Minds, The Sopranos, Westworld, NYPD Blue, plus others.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Deana Martin returns to the Showroom at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas for her next edition of The Deana Martin Celebrity Roast honoring the ‘Man of the Hour’ – world-renowned actor, producer, writer and director, Joe Mantegna on Sunday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Deana Martin continues her father’s legacy by recreating The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, which ran on NBC between 1974 to 1984.
Joe Mantegna, best known for his role as David Rossi in the CBS hit-series Criminal Minds, is the “Man of the Hour,’ and will have his life and career roasted by special celebrity guests. In addition, Mantegna is known for roles In box office hits, including Three Amigos, The Godfather Part III and Up Close & Personal. Mantegna won a Tony Award for David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross and earned Emmy Award nominations for his roles in three different miniseries: The Last Don (1997), The Rat Pack (Starring as Dean Martin,1999), and The Starter Wife (2007). He’s also known for his role voicing Fat Tony in The Simpsons.
Deana is excited to announce the celebrity guests who will join her in roasting Joe Mantegna: Singer, actor, and star of Saturday Night Live, Joe Piscopo; actor and Sopranos guest star, Lou Martini, Jr.; star of Westworld, Clifton Collins; star of Criminal Minds, Kirsten Vangsness; star of NYPD Blue, Gail O’Grady; “The Bad Boy of New Jersey” comedian, Mike Marino; director and star of Criminal Minds, Matthew Gray Gubler; and legendary comedian and Tonight Show Host, Tom Dreesen.
“Joe Mantegna is ‘one of the good guys’, so roasting him will be difficult. But with our creative and talented cast of Roasters, we will take no prisoners. So, fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night,” says Deana Martin
For additional information on Deana Martin’s appearances and concert events, please visit http://www.DeanaMartin.com.
About Deana Martin:
Deana Martin is an influential American singer, actor and performer and the very proud daughter of iconic entertainer, Dean Martin. Her 2006 debut CD release, “Memories Are Made of This,” stayed in the top ten for 40 consecutive weeks.
Her follow-up CD, 2009’s, ” Volare,” debuted in the top ten of the Billboard charts, followed by 2011’s seasonal evergreen, “White Christmas,” 2013’s critically acclaimed “Destination Moon.”
Her latest, 2016’s “Swing Street,” garnered her airplay on top jazz, standards and country radio stations, emphasizing her prominent status as a hit recording artist.
As a celebrated author, Deana found herself on the New York Times’ coveted #1 Best Seller list with her 2004 memoir, “Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter’s Eyes.” In it, she shares never-before-told stories about her father and his ‘pallies’.
The e-book version returned Ms. Martin to the best-selling book charts in 2015 on Wall Street Journal’s roster of best-selling e-books.
Pasadena, CA (The Hollywood Times) 1/5/17 – The FOX Network held an executive session on Thursday, January 4th, 2018 at the TCA Winter Press Tour taking place at the luxurious Langham Hotel in Pasadena. Below is a summary of this session. Continue reading “Disney Merger Discussed at TCA’S FOX Executive Session”
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 11/7/2017 – “We are coming down to the last few weeks of post-production. Sound design, color and usually working up to the very last moment so that we can sent off the final cut to be released.” Antonio Diaz, Founder/Executive Producer – Life & Thyme told The Hollywood Times during a telephone interview.
On KCET in Southern California THE MIGRANT KITCHEN premieres Wed., Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. followed by MEALS READY TO EAT at 8:30 p.m.
On LinkTV nationwide (DirecTV 375 and DISH 9410) THE MIGRANT KITCHEN premieres Wed., Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. followed by MEALS READY TO EAT at 9:30 p.m.
(Clockwise from top, left to right: Cauliflower Tandoori from Badmaash, Sonoko Sakai prepping noodles, Vietnamese broth, and Carlos Salgado at work. Images Courtesy of Life & Thyme)
Broken Spanish, Cassia and Badmaash Among Chefs Set To Appear in Season 2 of Life & Thyme’s Emmy®-Winning Series THE MIGRANT KITCHEN Premiering on KCET and Link TV Nov. 8
New Season Explores How the Next Generation of Chefs Is Creating Cuisine Inspired by the Immigrant Experience.
Watch a preview of The Migrant Kitchen, our Emmy®-winning food series that explores Los Angeles’ booming food scene through the eyes of a new generation of chefs whose cuisine is inspired by the immigrant experience. Produced in partnership with culinary publication Life & Thyme, The Migrant Kitchen‘s second season will premiere on Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. PT on KCET in Southern California and at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV nationwide (DirectTV 375 and DISH Network 9410). https://www.kcet.org/shows/the-migrant-kitchen/the-migrant-kitchen-season-2-trailer
THE MIGRANT KITCHEN, produced in partnership with acclaimed culinary publication Life & Thyme, dedicated to documenting global food culture. THE MIGRANT KITCHEN explores Los Angeles’ booming food scene through the eyes of a new generation of chefs whose cuisine is inspired by the immigrant experience.
The second season of the James Beard Award and Webby-nominated series, continues to spotlight chefs who are combining traditional, ethnic cuisines with new flavors and fresh technique that have transformed the culinary landscape of the city, making it one of the food capitals of the world.
Season two will examine tradition and innovation in cuisines celebrating the food cultures of Mexico, Vietnam, Japan and India, as well as their various interpretations found in Los Angeles. Episodes will feature interviews with key Los Angeles chefs and food influencers including Ray Garcia (Broken Spanish, BS Taqueria), Bryant Ng (Cassia), Sonoko Sakai (author of Rice Craft), Wes Avila (Guerilla Tacos) and the Mahendro family (Badmaash).
The Migrant Kitchen Emmy Award Envelope with Antonio Diaz
The interview with Antonio Diaz:
The Hollywood Times (THT): Although this is your second season, how did the show first come about?
Antonio Diaz (AD): Late 2015, KCET and Juan Devis, Chief Creative Officer at KCET reached out to me and said they wanted to develop a new show around food and I love your work at Life & Thyme, so let’s chat and see if we can come up with something. We had an idea for documenting the immigrant experience of Los Angeles through the lens of food. A lot of it has to do with food and we wanted to tell the story of what immigrants contributed to society, specifically in LA and really highlight the fact that the food industry, the restaurant industry, the backbone of this whole industry are immigrants.
Season one did really well last year. It got us a James Beard nomination and won us an Emmy® and pushed us to do season 2 which was really exciting.
August Dannehl, Juan Devis & Antonio Diaz
THT: Who came up with the title “The Migrant Kitchen?”
AD: It was actually Juan. He is great coming up with titles for each of the episodes. We had to come up with the name and we had about a hundred of them and mostly bad ones and Juan pitched to us “The Migrant Kitchen” and that fit perfectly and rolled off the tongue very well. It does capture what the show is about.
THT: Where do you find these great migrant chefs and their stories?
AD: I run a company called Life & Thyme which is a digital publication and a print publication at one point, and thus month we turn five years old! We have been documenting culinary stories all around the world, focusing on fool culture, the chefs, on social issues around food and obviously our home base of LA. In LA, we really built a solid connection within the industry, the gatekeepers of the restaurants, the publicists and PR company, contributors and creators that document the stories.
Who are the people that have not been spoken too, like a dishwasher. We are constantly chatting with the chefs, cooks and the coffee roasters. This is our business and we talk about it every day and through those connections, it has been a lot easier for us to find stories, we know where to start. We can call these Chefs and ask them if they are interested in being part of the show.
THT: What can we look forward to in Season 2?
AD: Season 2 is a little different from Season 1. Season 2 is the next generation of immigrant chefs. We are tackling Mexican, Vietnamese, Japanese and Indian food this season. We are not necessarily capturing the traditional cuisine that you would find in the Motherland. We want to see what the younger generation of chefs that were raised in Los Angeles and grew up with the food, either through their family or growing up with it. They went to culinary school and were training under the best French chefs. They are starting these business restaurants, not for survival reasons, which is a lot of reason why immigrants start restaurants because that is what they cook at home and that is what they know coming from their countries.
These other chefs do it because of their passion, it’s what they want to do. They want to highlight the flavors they grew up with but to put a different spin on it. They want to make it more creative. A taco doesn’t have to be one dollar, cheap food, why can’t it be as sophisticated as French food or Italian food. This is the difference between this season and last season. To really focus on these young chefs that are trying to change their stereotypes of their food and culture.
The Migrant Kitchen photo ep5
THT: Do you have an all-time favorite food?
AD: I am bias because I come from a Mexican background, and my parents are Mexican immigrants, so I can’t live without tortillas or tacos. For me Mexican food you can do anything with it and it’s so complex and so varied that I am a little bias, it’s my favorite. It is also one of the episodes that I directed.
THT: Do you like to cook?
AD: I do, but I have less time to really spend time in my own kitchen. If I do, it’s a one pan situation and what is fast!
THT: In your opinion, do you believe there will come a day when we no longer have “printed” media?
AD: Unfortunately, I think it will come to that one day. In the last couple of years, like a bubble, an intense interest in these high-end, indie-style coffee table/publication books. They were released every quarter or bi-annually and people loved it. This was the case in the last few years, I feel like it will start to disappear and it might have been a thing, but there will always be those true fans that they love the romance of print, and I am one of them, smell the paper, feel it, but it is an enormous finally expense to getting running it and sustain it. Digital content is far easier to produce and much more inexpensive to produce. You can pump it out immediately, where you document a story and it will take months to get it out.
THT: Do you plan to have a book one day?
AD: That is something I have thought about. There could be an anthology or collection of recipes from all these chefs we have had the pleasure documenting. Cookbooks I see a little different than publications. Cookbooks are only getting stronger and coming out and everyone’s grandmas is coming out with one. They are timeless. There might be a Life & Thyme cookbook in the future. I love print and the printed magazine was only a phase for us that we had to kind of do to understand and be a validated publication, but I think maybe in the future there might be another iteration of it, some sort of cookbook or anthology book or something a little bit more timeless and long-lasting.
THE MIGRANT KITCHEN will telecast as follows (subject to change):
Wed., Nov. 8 – “Alta California”:
A collective of culturally connected, distinguished chefs (including Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish, WesAvila of Guerilla Tacos, Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria, as well as Jorge Gaviria of corn purveyor, Masienda) work to preserve heritage and push forward the “Alta California” Mexican food movement. By celebrating those dishes and ingredients integral to Mexico’s cuisine and its economy, a group of accomplished Mexican-American chefs are working to elevate not only the food, but what people of their heritage can achieve in the food business. Featured in the episode: Guerilla Tacos, Orange County’s Taco Maria, Broken Spanish, BS Taqueria.
Chef Jorge Gaviria of MasiendaChef Carlos Salgado of Maria TacoChef Wes Avila of Guerrilla TacosChef Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish
The Mahendros of Badmaash (Photo KCET)
Wed., Nov. 15 – “Badmaash”:
Indian food has often been associated with stiff restaurants, all-you-can-eat buffets and heavily spiced, cream-based dishes. The Mahendro family (Anu, Pawan, Nakul and Arjun) immigrated to Los Angeles and found that they didn’t recognize any of the so-called Indian food available to them.
Like carefully selected spices to a classic Indian dish, each family member contributes something special and significant to their restaurant Badmaash and to the city of LA. Featured in the episode: Downtown LA’s Badmaash.
Chef Charles Namba
Wed., Nov. 22 – “Omotenashi”:
Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan, the couple behind Echo Park’s Tsubaki, have always loved the culture of izakaya but found Los Angeles lacking in these Japanese taverns. Sonoko Sakai is a teacher with a passion for buckwheat and the near-sacred art of soba noodles, and Seiichi Yokota knows how to prepare and preserve fresh fish with a traditional Japanese technique never seen before in Los Angeles. Each aims to introduce Angelenos to the unique spirit of Japanese hospitality and the culture’s deep culinary customs.
Courtney Kaplan pours Miracle-Sake
Featured in the episode: Echo Park’s Tsubaki, Sonoko Sakai, Wild Live Seafood and Spago Beverly Hills.
Wed., Nov. 29 – “Beyond Pho”:
Banh Mi. Spring rolls. Pho. The war and its subsequent refugees. These are things most commonly associated with the Vietnamese culture and its people. But a group of chefs in Los Angeles (including Cassia’s Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng, Diep Tran of Good Girl Dinette, and Minh Phan of Porridge & Puffs) are hoping to demonstrate that there’s so much more than that.
Chef Minh Phan of Porridge + Puffs (Photo KCET)Chef Diep Tran of Good Girl DinetteCassia’s Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng
Featured in the episode: Cassia in Santa Monica, Good Girl Dinette in Highland Park, Red Boat Fish Sauce.
Join the conversation on social media using #migrantkitchen, #lifeandthyme
ABOUT ANTONIO DIAZ
Creative Director and entrepreneur, Antonio Diaz, began his career in the interactive and graphic design field focused on creating products and stories in the digital space for the past 10 years. He has founded creative agencies, led the art and technical direction of tech startups, produced/directed several short films, and founded Life & Thyme, a culinary media company, in 2012. Based out of Los Angeles, Antonio is focused on building relationships and partnerships to offer meaningful experiences in video, photography, and publishing by merging creativity and storytelling with food and culture.
KCETLink Media Group is a national independent, nonprofit, digital and broadcast network that provides high-quality, culturally diverse programming designed to engage the public in innovative, entertaining and transformative ways. With a commitment to independent perspectives, smart global entertainment, local communities, and opportunities for engagement and social action, KCETLink depicts people and the world through a lens unavailable elsewhere in U.S. media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization, KCETLink content is distributed nationally via satellite on Link TV DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410 and on KCET in Southern and Central California via broadcast and cable, as well as through various digital delivery systems. For additional information about KCET and Link TV productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org. Select programming from KCET and Link TV is also available for streaming on Amazon, Apple TV and Roku platforms.
The Gifted onstage during the FOX portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.
FOX – Executive Session
“With so much programming, big wins are simply going to be harder to come by. And the metrics for success are going to be different for everybody.” Dana Walden
Chairman and CEO of the Fox Television Group, Dana Walden.
By Valerie Milano
Beverly Hills, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/9/27 – After a robust ‘turn of the century’ run as challenger to the supremacy of the big three networks, FOX has again returned to also ran status. CBS, NBC, ABC are back in the saddle again, but FOX retains some cache’ as number one network provider of adult oriented animated comedy (i.e. Family Guy, The Simpsons) and can also boast a healthy infusion of NFL revenue. Continue reading “FOX Goes Forth”
Actress Vida Ghaffari with her attorney Nadia Davari
by Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA, (The Hollywood Times) 8/8/17-“It has truly been an honor to represent ScareLA and Lora, a young serial entrepreneur, and watch it evolve into such an informative and epic event,” said noted entertainment attorney Nadia Davari.
On Sunday, Aug. 6 at 4 p.m. at the Education Stage of the Los Angeles Convention Center, Scare LA 2017 held the informative “The 7 Legal Pitfalls You Must Avoid Before Getting Into The Horror Entertainment Biz” with ScareLA’s own renowned entertainment attorney Nadia Davari and her client, noted actress Vida Ghaffari (The Mindy Project, Holy Terror).
These ladies took the stage to guide attendees safely past the horror entertainment industry’s largest — and unexpected — pitfalls. Davari showed the attendees how to not get taken advantage of. To add a little practical spice, this seminar was moderated by Ghaffari, who herself has dealt first-hand with many of these pitfalls in her career, but overcame them all with Davari’s expertise. Many of the ladies educational and often humorous experiences and anecdotes were highlighted in this informative seminar.
Attorney Nadia Davari addresses the audience while moderator Vida Ghaffari looks on
“I was so thrilled to be part of this panel with my wise attorney and a part of this wonderful convention that was started by a woman. It’s really great to be a part of the horror community with such knowledgeable and empowered women,” added Ghaffari.
“I created ScareLA with the vision of bringing the community together and celebrating our city’s diversity in its most unusual forms. Halloween has an amazing tradition of self-expression and creativity and we bring thousands of artists, haunt entertainment professionals, horror filmmakers and fans to celebrate it early. ScareLA was first to bring Halloween to the summer and we are thrilled with the amazing response to our show and creating Halloween’s first Comic-con,” said Ivanova.
Nadia gives great legal insight at her seminar at ScareLA
“As an entrepreneur, it has been extremely important for me to have an A-class legal team to ensure our success and I could not be happier working with experts like Nadia Davari in this process. Her ability to look at the big picture and navigate the intricate landscape of show business has been key to our growth and I really enjoyed having her share her experience with our community at large at ScareLA this year,” added Ivanova.
About Scare LA:
ScareLA premiered in 2013 as the first fan convention dedicated to Halloween. Situated in the entertainment capital of the world, it combines LA’s top talent and unique setting with a twist! The weekend-long Halloween teaser celebrated California’s scariest faire with attraction unveils, workshops, classes, industry panels, haunt tours, screenings and activities. Share, inspire, play – ScareLA.
Nadia with her client Lora Ivanova, founder of ScareLA
About Nadia Davari:
Nadia Davari is an experienced attorney whose practice bridges the diverse realms of entertainment, new media, technology, start-up companies, corporate and business law. Ms. Davari works with a wide range of clients including digital media companies, new business start-ups, production companies, movie studios, television networks, investors, and “talent” representation. Among her many areas of expertise, Nadia has an extensive record of accomplishment in the areas of entity formation, corporate maintenance, content acquisition, production, distribution (domestic and international), finance, the internet and new media issues ranging from capital structuring to intellectual property protection. Ms. Davari restructured international content licensing deals for MAVTV cable network and guided The Channel Factory and Planet Street through the process of establishing new media entities. At Taurus Entertainment and Dream Factory, she managed all aspects of “production legal.” While at Gigapix Studios, Ms. Davari negotiated and drafted scripted and unscripted television production, animation series, documentary and feature film, acquisition and financing agreements. At GVN Releasing she helped management launch GVN Releasing and negotiated domestic and international distribution agreements with content providers and sub-distributors.
This smart and savvy attorney has represented a number of prestigious companies including WR Films Entertainment, Je’Caryous Johnson Entertainment, Konwiser Brothers, Entertainment Treasures, Film Roman, Starz Entertainment, the popular Geekie Awards, and ScareLA. In the past, Ms. Davari practiced law as an associate with the law firms Rosen and Anderson as well as Barnes Morris. Nadia graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in molecular, cell and developmental biology and attended USC Law School where she participated in the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. Ms. Davari is also a guest lecturer at The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. She recently guested as a legal expert on KCRW, KBEACH and LA Talk Radio and was profiled by popular blogs like Ms. In The Biz and the Hollywood Press Corps for her legal expertise.
Vida has been active on the Tinsel town scene as an award-winning actress and voiceover artist. This comedic powerhouse is best known for her appearances on the television comedies, The Mindy Project formerly on FOX, Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, and Mind of Mencia on Comedy Central. These projects cap off a number of successes for the versatile starlet. She just wrapped a supporting role in Nation’s Fire, which will be distributed by Universal opposite two-time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern, Emmy winner Gil Bellows, iconic action and horror film heroine Laurene Landon and UFC Champion Chuck Liddell. Her other film, the much buzzed-about Holy Terror, where she plays the pivotal role of Hayley, a very troubled young woman opposite legendary actors Mel Novak (Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, Black Belt Jones) and Kristine DeBell (Meatballs, The Big Brawl). Holy Terror is climbing up the charts and is #11 on Amazon Prime UK. This scream queen has gotten local, national and international press from this project and was billed as “the Persian Linda Blair” from her work in this role by noted journalist Maurice Dwayne Smith at this link: http://coldheatnews.com/archives/7401 and here’s Holy Terror’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNjDmcCRAhY&t=3s
Vida also just shot Hybristophilia with Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock). She will also be voicing a lead role in the three time Peabody award nominated The Suspense Show on XM satellite radio opposite Novak once again. In addition to voicing commercials, industrials, and audiobooks, Vida made her animation voice-over debut alongside Fred Willard, Lisa Kudrow, and Janeane Garofalo inLovesick Fool, a film festival darling created by Emmy nominated director and animator Dominic Polcino (The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill).
As an award-winning journalist and blogger of her self-titled blog, www.soveryvida.com, she has also worked as a red carpet correspondent and has interviewed many celebs ranging from Oscar nominees and winners to Grammy winners. Vida recently received commendations from the City of Los Angeles and the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce for her journalism and acting endeavors as well as an Entrepreneur Award from the World Networks, an Excellence in Media Award from the Los Angeles Nollywood Film Association and a Media Appreciation Award. Ever the fashionista, Vida recently graced the cover of noted fashion magazine FVM Global Magazine twice, Shine on Hollywood Magazine, and 1st Class Magazine and was quoted about her knowledge of red carpet fashion for the Oscars by US News and World Report. She was also named a blogger to watch by On Trend Magazine.
“Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit to either.” (Aesop)
By Valerie Milano
Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11/7/17 – Acclaimed actors Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd star in a compelling emotional six-part thriller from Two Brothers Pictures. “Liar” started shooting in November 2016 and is being produced in conjunction with ITV in the UK.
Beverly Hills, California (The Hollywood Times) 7/28/16 – “You don’t know and you watch the stories and the show is always intact with a great tapestry of talented actors. It’s been great being here from the beginning and should we keep doing it. David Hollander, Executive Producer told the audience at The Paley Center for Media last night.
West Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/25/16 – The winners of the 68th Los Angeles Area Media Awards were announced on Saturday, July 23rd, 2016 at the new Saban Media Center at the Television Academy. The City of West Hollywood won an Emmy in the category of Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the City’s WeHoTV Channel’s 60-second PSA video entitled Winter is Here! But the Drought is Far From Over.
Designed as a mock TV-series preview trailer, this PSA parodies HBO’s Emmy-winning program GAME OF THRONES. Instead of traveling through the mythical land of Westeros, viewers travel on a storybook tour of what a fictional West Hollywood might look like if the drought were to continue.
Santa Fe, NM (The Hollywood Times) 10/20/15 – Greetings from the Land of Enchantment –
The legendary actress was given the Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 17. The ceremony was followed by a screening of the 1974 film “A Woman Under the Influence.” She was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress in 1975 for the role. The film was shown on 35 mm.
2015 FX SUMMER TCA: John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks & FX Productions during the EXECUTIVE SESSION panel at the 2015 FX SUMMER TCA on Friday, Aug. 7 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. CR: Frank Micelotta/FX
FX – Executive Session
John Landgraf CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions
By Valerie Milano
Beverly Hills, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/8/15 – Less a Q&A than a master class in the rise and (possible) fall of originally scripted programming as the coin of the realm in broadcast media; John Landgraf went all professorial on our collective derrieres and gave us the 411 on originally scripted programming; past, present and future. He’s obviously an out of the box thinker and steers far clear of any bubble that might burst on his watch. And the bubble to which he refers, is the current ‘genre de jour’ that is originally scripted programming. The case he makes is persuasive and logical. His pedigree on the subject is unassailable, since he is one of the pioneers in originally scripted programming serving a master brand – FX. Whatever the next ‘big thing’ is, Landgraf is sure it’s lurking out there on the horizon, and it’s a cinch bet he won’t be caught cheerleading a stagnant business model while yet another sea change swamps the industry. Continue reading “The Big Brand Theory”
Beverly Hills, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/30/15 – The theme in the National Geographic Channel exec session was stated clearly, if not succinctly. NGC wants to pick up its game a notch and take it to the next level. Less reliance on low budget (read cheesy) reality fare; and more emphasis on event level programing both documentary and scripted. NGC acknowledges the whirlwind of changes in technology and viewership that is sweeping through the Television industry. However, with a killer brand and a simple, family/ecofriendly mission statement, CEO Courtney Monroe exuded confidence that NGC and (satellite channel) Nat Geo Wild, will not only survive, but thrive. Continue reading “Talking a Big Game for The Small Screen”
This season, the series will feature short, vibrant videos from MOCAtv, the art video channel developed as a digital extension of the education and exhibition programming of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA); a profile on acclaimed Israeli dancer Danielle Agami; rebroadcasts of several episodes of THE WORKS, a seminal arts series which aired on KCET during the ‘80s and ‘90s in commemoration of KCET’s 50th anniversary; and much more.
Launches New Original Music Video Series, ‘Border Blaster’
Season Premieres of SoCal Music Series ‘Artbound Presents: Studio A’, Arts & Culture Series ‘Artbound,’ and ‘City Walk’
Comedies ‘Moone Boy’ and ‘Spy’ Debut for the First Time in
Southern California
Burbank, Calif. – Sept. 8, 2014 – KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television, today announced its fall programming lineup, featuring BORDER BLASTER,a new original world music video series; new seasons of original series ARTBOUND PRESENTS: STUDIO A, CITY WALK and ARTBOUND; newly acquired comedies MOONE BOY and SPY; andanentertaining travel series, HOTEL SECRETS WITH RICHARD E. GRANT.
The new slate kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. with the premiere of ARTBOUND PRESENTS: STUDIO A featuring singer/songwriter LP.
•The original music series showcases Southern California’s top musical talent; featured performers this season include: Rodrigo Amarante, Tijuana Panthers, Moses Sumney, Tigran Hamasyan, The Bots, Nick Waterhouse and more.
•The program repeats each Friday at 10 p.m. Public radio music station, KCSN-FM, which broadcasts from the campus of California State University, Northridge, will also simulcast the series Friday nights at 10 p.m.
CITY WALK, now in its second season, premieres on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 10:30 p.m., with repeats on Fridays at the same time. The original series showcases how walking is transforming cities across the country and, in the process, reconnecting us with our bodies and ourselves.
•This season, viewers will explore New York, Chicago, the Silverlake Reservoir Community in Los Angeles and its plans for an “urban beach”; the reinvention of Downtown Las Vegas as a safe place to walk by day and night with the help of Zappos founder Tony Hshieh; the rapid transformation of Santa Monica as a city that doesn’t need cars; and much more.
•The series will also feature popular YouTube shorts like “Walking Contest” from comedian Daniel Koren, “Stolen Bike in NYC” from filmmaker Casey Neistat, and guest appearances from famous faces including Penn & Teller, animator Bill Plympton, Telemundo’s Vanessa Villela and KCRW’s traffic maven Kajon Cermak.
•A new recurring segment, “City Walk, MD” features insight from local family practitioner and past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, Dr. Bob Sallis.
•The new season of CITY WALK also premieres on Link TV on Friday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
On Thursday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m., KCET presents the fifth season of ARTBOUND, the Emmy® award-winning transmedia series which explores the arts and cultural landscape of Southern California.
•This season, the series will feature short, vibrant videos from MOCAtv, the art video channel developed as a digital extension of the education and exhibition programming of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA); a profile on acclaimed Israeli dancer Danielle Agami; rebroadcasts of several episodes of THE WORKS, a seminal arts series which aired on KCET during the ‘80s and ‘90s in commemoration of KCET’s 50th anniversary; and much more.
•The new season of ARTBOUND also premieres on Link TV on Monday, Sept. 29 at 11 p.m. ET.
Beginning Monday, Sept. 30, KCET introduces two new comedies to its lineup –MOONE BOY (8 p.m.) and SPY (8:30 p.m.).
•Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a “finely crafted little jewel,” MOONE BOY follows Martin Moone, a young boy who relies on the help of his imaginary friend, Sean, played by Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, This Is 40) to deal with the quandaries of life in a wacky small-town Irish family in the late ‘80s.
•Starring English actor Darren Boyd, SPY introduces viewers to Tim, a single father who is in a custody battle with his ex-wife and recently quit his job. He applies for a data entry job, but discovers that he has been offered a job as a trainee spy for MI5, a British intelligence agency.
Following the comedies, KCET will broadcast the unique eight-part travel series,HOTEL SECRETS WITH RICHARD E. GRANT on Monday, Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. Grant, an award-winning actor, takes an in-depth look at some of the most remarkable hotels in the world, exploring the stories contained within the walls and meeting some of the extraordinary people who frequent these extravagant destinations.
Finally, BORDER BLASTER, a new original world music video series will premiere onKCET on Monday, Oct. 6 at 10:30 p.m.
and on Link TV on Monday, Oct. 13 at 10:30 p.m. ET. The 30-minute series is comprised solely of music videos from groundbreaking musicians from around the world.
•From Malian roots music to Norwegian electronica, from Mongolian hip-hop to Filipino indie rock, BORDER BLASTER traces the transnational flows of music culture across every continent.
•The show is made possible by collaboration with independent record labels and musicians worldwide and will be available online.
•Each month, an episode will be dedicated to user-generated selections of the site’s most popular videos.
To request preview links and/or images for KCET’s new fall lineup, please contact Ayn Allen at aallen@kcet.org.
ABOUT KCET
On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children’s programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCETproductions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink.
Honoring The ‘Man Of The Hour’ Joe Mantegna
Deana is excited to announce the celebrity guests who will join her in roasting Joe Mantegna: Singer, actor, and star of Saturday Night Live, Joe Piscopo; actor and Sopranos guest star, Lou Martini, Jr.; star of Westworld, Clifton Collins; star of Criminal Minds, Kirsten Vangsness; star of NYPD Blue, Gail O’Grady; “The Bad Boy of New Jersey” comedian, Mike Marino; director and star of Criminal Minds, Matthew Gray Gubler; and legendary comedian and Tonight Show Host, Tom Dreesen.
For additional information on Deana Martin’s appearances and concert events, please visit http://www.DeanaMartin.com.
Her follow-up CD, 2009’s, ” Volare,” debuted in the top ten of the Billboard charts, followed by 2011’s seasonal evergreen, “White Christmas,” 2013’s critically acclaimed “Destination Moon.”
Migrant Kitchen – Season Two Premieres Nov. 8th
The second season of the James Beard Award and Webby-nominated series, continues to spotlight chefs who are combining traditional, ethnic cuisines with new flavors and fresh technique that have transformed the culinary landscape of the city, making it one of the food capitals of the world.
–by Dr. Laura Wilhelm, LauraWil Intercultural
TheHollywoodTimes.net 
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