Television - The Salt Lake Tribune

Scott D. Pierce: Leave Dawn alone! ‘Survivor’ is a game

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:35:28 MDT

Scott D. Pierce: Leave Dawn alone! ‘Survivor’ is a game

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 18, 2013 04:35PM MDT

Haters got to hate. But the haters who went after Utah “Survivor” contestant Dawn Meehan were displaying ignorance. Meehan, of South Jordan, became the object of insults because of the way she played the game of “Survivor.” Which is what you need to remember — she was playing a game. Clearly, the Brigham Young University English professor didn’t play it perfectly. She made it to the final three of “Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites,” but she didn’t get a single vote from jury members, wh...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PBS recalls Mel Brooks’ life of laughter

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:49:54 MDT

PBS recalls Mel Brooks’ life of laughter

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 17, 2013 02:49PM MDT

Mel Brooks is a comedy giant. Just don’t let him hear you call him one. “I’m not such a comedy giant,” he said. “I’m 5-6. There are guys not as funny, but they are bigger, and I think that counts.” Brooks, 86, is the subject of PBS’ newest “American Masters.” And there’s so much to his career that stuffing it all into a two-hour documentary leaves it bursting at the seams. Even as he’s being interviewed for “Mel Brooks: Make a Noise,” he’s not so much talking as he is performing. He opens with a...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Scott D. Pierce: Aussie host joins KTVX

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:49:54 MDT

Scott D. Pierce: Aussie host joins KTVX

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 17, 2013 02:49PM MDT

Troy Thompson came to Utah to ski. He’s staying to join the on-air team at KTVX-Channel 4. The Australian hairdresser, author and on-air host spent this past Christmas holiday on Utah’s slopes and fell in love with state. “I said, ‘I have to live here. I have no choice.’ I just loved everything about Salt Lake and Park City.” A lot of us vacation places we’d like to live. Not many of us make the move. Fewer still do it this effortlessly. While in Park City, Thompson met Stanton Jones, the owne...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

NBC's workplace comedy ‘The Office’ ends its 8-year run

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:49:54 MDT

NBC's workplace comedy ‘The Office’ ends its 8-year run

by Frazier Moore The Associated Press

Published May 17, 2013 02:49PM MDT

New York • That’s a wrap! Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. lives on, but “The Office” has closed shop. The NBC workplace comedy, set at the fictional company’s Scranton, Pa., branch, aired its finale Thursday to end an eight-year run. As expected, office manager Dwight wed tempestuous co-worker Angela, with whom he previously shared a secret affair. He had abruptly proposed to her on last week’s episode. And as a welcome surprise, former manager Michael Scott was back to serve as Dwight’s best man. It w...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Candice Glover wins ‘American Idol,’ defeating Kree Harrison

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:31:04 MDT

Candice Glover wins ‘American Idol,’ defeating Kree Harrison

by Derrik J. Lang The Associated Press

Published May 17, 2013 07:31AM MDT

Los Angeles • The third time’s the charm for Candice Glover on “American Idol.” The booming 23-year-old R&B vocalist from St. Helena Island, S.C., won the Fox singing competition after auditioning a trio of times and making it to the finals this year. Glover looked stunned when “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest announced she bested soulful 22-year-old country singer Kree Harrison from Woodville, Texas. “Three times,” exclaimed a weepy Glover under a wave of confetti. After her crowning, an emotional Glo...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TV preview: Can you guess the ‘Motive’?

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:12:02 MDT

TV preview: Can you guess the ‘Motive’?

Published May 15, 2013 05:12PM MDT

After umpteen procedural crime dramas, ABC is attempting one with a twist that harks back to “Columbo.” In “Motive,” viewers learns the identify of the killer and the victim in the opening moments, and the crime story is told over the rest of the hour. It’s not a bad show, but it feels like it’s working too hard to be different with too little to show for it. Watch • 9 p.m. Monday and Thursday, Channel 13

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PBS says 4th season of ‘Downton Abbey’ will air in January

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:43:04 MDT

PBS says 4th season of ‘Downton Abbey’ will air in January

the Associated Press

Published May 15, 2013 01:43PM MDT

NEW YORK • PBS says the fourth season of “Downton Abbey” will begin in January and run for eight weeks. The series is the highest-rated drama in public TV’s history. The costume drama about the family and servants in a stately English home stars Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery. Shirley MacLaine will return for the fourth season, joined by newcomers including opera star Kiri Te Kanawa. They’ll have to fill the void left by leading man Dan Stevens’ departure:...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TV chat: 'American Idol' and other season finales; networks announcing fall shows

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:18:30 MDT

TV chat: 'American Idol' and other season finales; networks announcing fall shows

Digital First Media

Published May 14, 2013 09:18AM MDT

Bay Area News Group TV critic Chuck Barney on Monday chatted about the likes of "American Idol," "The Office" and TV's "Upfront week," in which news fall shows are introduced to critics. Leave comments, ask questions or just listen in to a great discussion!

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Scott D. Pierce: We’ve got to meet the ‘Mother’ pretty soon

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:54:52 MDT

Scott D. Pierce: We’ve got to meet the ‘Mother’ pretty soon

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 14, 2013 08:54AM MDT

Nobody has ever strung TV viewers along the way the executive producers of “How I Met Your Mother” have. Monday (7 p.m., CBS/Channel 2) is Episode 184 and Carter Bays and Craig Thomas STILL haven’t told us who the mother is. Hey, it only took 120 episodes to do in the one-armed man on “The Fugitive.” We found out who shot J.R. just four episodes after he was shot. (Well, there was a summer hiatus and a writers’ strike, which dragged the mystery out for eight months.) It took 121 episodes to ge...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

‘The Office’ closes down — a bit too late, perhaps

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:54:52 MDT

‘The Office’ closes down — a bit too late, perhaps

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 14, 2013 08:54AM MDT

“The Office” closes on Thursday after 200 episodes — which is about 199 more episodes than some cast members anticipated. Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam, recalled meeting with Ricky Gervais, the creator and star of the British version. “We had lunch and got to ask him any questions we wanted,” she said. “And I remember going home and thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh. If nothing else happens except that I got to have lunch with Ricky Gervais, this is amazing.’ And now — look. It’s 10 years later and we made,...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

‘The Office’ finale: Build these paper figures from your favorite paper company

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:24:25 MDT

‘The Office’ finale: Build these paper figures from your favorite paper company

digital First Media

Published May 13, 2013 11:24AM MDT

Download a printable paper cutout of Angela, Dwight, Stanley, Michael, Pam or Jim (or the whole gang), grab some scissors and tape, then make your colleagues jealous with the finished product! <freeform><script data-hide-title=”true” data-hide-byline=”true” data-hide-footnotes=”true” type=”text/javascript” src=”http://cdn.spundge.com/embed/stories/3412/”></script><noscript><h1>'The Office' finale: Build these paper figures from your favorite paper company<...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Scott D. Pierce: Why Utahn will not win ‘Survivor’

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:41:19 MDT

Scott D. Pierce: Why Utahn will not win ‘Survivor’

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 10, 2013 08:41AM MDT

Utahn Dawn Meehan has a one-in-five chance of winning $1 million in the season finale of “Survivor” (Sunday, 7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) — because she’s one of five remaining contestants. But the odds are longer than that. The Brigham Young University English professor who lives in South Jordan is an underdog, and she faces an uphill climb to be the sole survivor. Of course “Survivor” is full of surprises. But here are reasons Meehan will — or will not — win: Dawn won’t win • Because she won’t make it ...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PBS documentary: Meet the rock star of the ukulele

Thu, 09 May 2013 08:17:44 MDT

PBS documentary: Meet the rock star of the ukulele

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 9, 2013 08:17AM MDT

If you have a hard time believing that a ukulele player can be a rock star, then you’ve never heard of Jake Shimabukuro. He was one of the original YouTube sensations. A video of him performing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in Central Park, uploaded in 2006, was viewed millions of times. “At the time, I didn’t even know what YouTube was,” he says in the PBS documentary “Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings.” If you’re thinking of Don Ho and “Tiny Bubbles,” think again. Shimabukuro’s talent is...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TV preview: Take stroll down ‘Brigham Street’

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:08:02 MDT

TV preview: Take stroll down ‘Brigham Street’

Published May 8, 2013 06:08PM MDT

A lot of documentaries are too long. KUED’s Salt Lake City’s Grand Boulevard: Brigham Street is, arguably, too short. The hourlong program touches on the fabulous mansions along South Temple and the fascinating histories behind them — many of which could have been entire documentaries on their own. This is a bit like skimming a great book. Watch • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Channel 7

‘The Office’ finale: Supersized, but no Steve Carell

Tue, 07 May 2013 22:11:44 MDT

‘The Office’ finale: Supersized, but no Steve Carell

by Michael Sadowski Reuters

Published May 7, 2013 10:11PM MDT

Award-winning comedy “The Office” is hoping to get an extra-long episode for the series finale later this month, but Steve Carell’s bumbling office manager Michael Scott won’t be joining the farewell party, the producer of the TV comedy said on Wednesday. Greg Daniels, executive producer of the U.S. mockumentary workplace comedy, said the May 16 finale will be patterned after the original British version, in which the characters reunited after becoming famous as reality TV stars. “After attempti...

TV chat recap: 'Mad Men,' 'Game of Thrones' and more

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:59:33 MDT

TV chat recap: 'Mad Men,' 'Game of Thrones' and more

Digital First Media

Published May 7, 2013 08:59AM MDT

Join us today at 1 p.m. as we recap the week's hottest TV shows. Featuring clips from what you missed, predictions for next week, news, analysis and more.

Pierce: ‘The Voice’ is choice; it’s so over for ‘Idol’

Mon, 06 May 2013 23:50:40 MDT

Pierce: ‘The Voice’ is choice; it’s so over for ‘Idol’

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 6, 2013 11:50PM MDT

We’re heading into the least appealing part of NBC’s “The Voice” — the part that’s the most like “American Idol.” And “Idol” is unwatchable these days. For all that these two shows have in common, there are also some significant differences. And most of those play out in favor of “The Voice.” The contestants • “The Voice” relies on pre-screened contestants — many of them ringers who have previously been signed to recording contracts. So we don’t get the mean-spirited “comedy” that results from...

‘Constitution USA’ doesn’t feel like a civics lesson

Sat, 04 May 2013 01:01:04 MDT

‘Constitution USA’ doesn’t feel like a civics lesson

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 4, 2013 01:01AM MDT

Every week on NPR’s “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” host Peter Sagal entertains us as he informs us. Which is the concept behind “Constitution USA,” a PBS documentary series that teaches us about the Constitution in a surprisingly entertaining way. “We were desperately trying to find a way to animate this story so that it didn’t come across as everyone’s dreaded civics lesson from junior high school,” said director Stephen Ives. “So the idea of giving Peter sort of a dynamic thing to animate, a jo...

Scott D. Pierce: KSL, NBC headed for a divorce? Doubtful

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:30:29 MDT

Scott D. Pierce: KSL, NBC headed for a divorce? Doubtful

by Scott D. Pierce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 2, 2013 10:30AM MDT

In the wake of KSL’s decision to pull yet another NBC series — “Hannibal” — let’s do a bit of Q&A. Why doesn’t NBC dump KSL? • Well, there are contracts to consider. And KUCW-Channel 30, where NBC shows often end up, is not an option. The FCC prohibits a company (in this case, Nexstar) from owning ABC (KTVX-Channel 4) and NBC affiliates in the same market. Even in its weakened state — even with the pre-emptions — KSL is clearly NBC’s strongest option in Utah. (NBC execs don’t want to talk muc...

TV preview: ‘Amazing Race’ to the finish line

Wed, 01 May 2013 17:48:03 MDT

TV preview: ‘Amazing Race’ to the finish line

Published May 1, 2013 05:48PM MDT

The Amazing Race has gone some gorgeous places this season — from Bora Bora to Scotland. But once Utah father-and-son Dave and Connor O’Leary had to quit because of Dave’s injury, it’s been hard to find someone to root for. As long as that awful couple Katie and Max don’t finish first in Sunday’s two-hour season finale, I’ll be OK with the outcome. Watch • 7 p.m. Sunday, Channel 2