TNT

University of Georgia’s prestigious Peabody Awards announced its winners today, which included Atlanta-based TNT’s ‘Men of a Certain Age,’ FX’s “Justified” and CBS’s “The Good Wife.”

HBO’s miniseries “The Pacific” and Canadian teen drama “Degrassi” got some love, as did CNN’s Gulf Spill coverage.

The Peabodys, as noted by the organization, “are considered among the most prestigious and selective prizes in electronic media. The Peabody Awards recognize excellence and meritorious work by radio and television stations, networks, webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. The 16-member Peabody Board is a distinguished panel of television critics, industry practitioners and experts in culture and the arts. Selection is made by the board following review by special screening committees of UGA faculty, students and staff.”

Oddly, “Jersey Shore” was absent.

Here is the entire list of winners:

COMPLETE LIST OF RECIPIENTS OF THE 70th ANNUAL PEABODY AWARDS*

Justified …

Continue reading UGA’s Peabody Award winners include TNT’s ‘Men of a Certain Age,’ FX’s ‘Justified’ and CBS’s ‘The Good Wife’ »

Atlanta’s Cee Lo Green is on a roll. His single “Forget You” remains the most-played song on Atlanta radio this week for a third week. He’s ready to be a coach on “The Voice” on NBC April 26. He was even singing with Sam Moore in front of several ex-presidents at this week’s NBC special on community service.

His Grammy-nominated song has maximum airplay on Star (45), Wild (92) and Q100 (94) with V-103 throwing in 27 spins.

Coming up fast is Rihanna’s “S&M,” which is now third with 210 spins and a whopping 114 spins on Wild and 95 on Q100. Rihanna, however, is getting no love from Hot or V-103.

Fastest rising: Dirty-Diddy Money’s “Coming Home,” up from 30 to 86 spins with Wild and Q100 primarily airing the song. It’s not getting any Hot airplay and only two spins on V-103.

Top 10 songs in Atlanta radio:
1. Cee Lo Green – F You 258 (+25)
2. Nicki Minaj – Moment 4 Life 223 (-1)
3. Rihanna – S&M 210 (+48)
4. Lady Gagaa – Born This Way 190 (+5)
5. Enrique Igeslias – Tonight 184 …

Continue reading Cee Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’ tops Atlanta radio for third week »

Ten years ago, Mike Mizanin was a naive 20-year-old Ohio kid who antagonized his castmates on MTV’s  “Real World: New York.”

“I was an outcast,” he recalled in a brief interview today to promote Wrestlemania XXVII at the Georgia Dome Sunday. “I was dumb and innocent. I had no idea what was going on.”

There, he created his Miz character, the one he uses to this day in the wrestling ring, which helped turn him into the WWE Champion last November. He’ll be defending his title against John Cena Sunday.

“The Miz is Mike at volume 100,” he said. “The Miz is Mike on 50 Red Bulls.”

“I’m a jerk in real life,” he continued. “I can’t help it! It’s who I am. Getting to the WWE made me realize I could do anything I want in my life. It’s funny. It’s just an interesting ride. I’m glad I’m on it.”

The Miz has an Atlanta connection: in 2005, he spent six months in McDonough training with Deep South Wrestling and Bill DeMott in kind of a minor league wrestling training camp.

DeMott, he said, …

Continue reading Ten minutes with WWE champ the Miz promoting Wrestlemania XXVII April 3 »

Q100’s Bert Show, which began syndication in Nashville last year, has added a third city this week: Indianapolis at a Cumulus-run top 40 station called i94.

The station is not being run with a lot of local talent. In fact, its mid-day host is Brittany, same as Q100. Its night-time syndicated host? Billy Bush. Again, same as Q100. The only local presence? Marc “Marco” Orem, former host of the Morning Mess, which lasted only a year at Star 94 in 2008.

Yes, Marco’s Morning Mess team splintered after Star 94 let them go. Marco returned to Indianapolis as a solo morning host at the new i94. Late last year, his morning show was moved to afternoons and i94 ran without jocks in the mornings until this week. So ironically, Marco lost to the Bert Show in Atlanta, then got effectively bumped off mornings in Indianapolis — by the Bert Show. He can’t escape them! But at least he’s now working on the same station with them.

Shannon Murphy, another part of that Mess team and arguably the …

Continue reading Q100’s Bert Show adds Indianapolis to its lineup »

MTV has released an extended trailer for its remake of the 1985 Michael J. Fox horror comedy “Teen Wolf,” shot the past few months here in metro Atlanta. It’s set to debut after the MTV Movie Awards June 5.

Fox’s film was done for laughs. This MTV version starring Tyler Posey (”Lincoln Heights”) is clearly darker and more mysterious, with echoes of “Twilight” and fellow Atlanta-based show “Vampire Diaries” in its execution.

Continue reading Trailer for remake of ‘Teen Wolf,’ shot in Atlanta »

WGCL-TV was in a bind last Friday evening. Alleged Athens cop killer Jamie Hood was holed up with hostages. He didn’t want to be arrested unless it was on live TV, worried he might be shot otherwise.

The police asked the local media to run video live during the 11 p.m. news, presuming Hood would surrender at that time. That was not a problem for the other news stations. But WGCL-TV, the CBS affiliate, was airing the Kentucky/Ohio State NCAA game at 11 p.m.

Steve Schwaid, who oversees the station and is VP of digital content for Meredith (WGCL-TV’s owners), blogged about the entire situation.

For all we knew he was watching the game with the hostages. There is no way I wanted to live with the fact that if we didn’t carry his surrender, he might not come out or more importantly, hurt or kill a hostage. Do I worry about a person’s life or a basketball game? Honestly, an easy decision.

WGCL decided to do a split screen of the hostage situation and the game. Game …

Continue reading WGCL VP Steve Schwaid explains NCAA/Athens hostage dilemma last Friday »

FX’s cheeky animated series “Archer,” created by two Atlantans Matt Thompson and Adam Reed, has been given a third season.

The spy spoof has done better this season from its freshman year, averaging around 1 million viewers every Thursday night. It will get 16 more episodes, with three in the fall and 13 more next year.

FX also renewed its big hit “Justified” for a third season (2 million-plus a week) while canceling “Lights Out,” which disappointed with only 800,000 viewers a week.

Thompson this morning sent email out to me:

Adam is currently walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

It is this thousands year old famous Spanish Pilgrim Walking trail.

It was on this trail that he first thought about Archer and the world he has created.

He was hoping for some more inspiration, thus the return trip.

I am sure I could have said that better, but you get the idea.

He is in deep thought and purposefully does not check his email all that often.

He is trying to disconnect a …

Continue reading Atlanta-based FX animated series ‘Archer’ gets third season »

Lacey Schwimmer with "Psycho Mike" Catherwood, first out on "Dancing With the Stars," season 12 March 29, 2011. CREDIT: ABC/Adam Taylor

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In perhaps the least shocking results show ever, what’s-his-face was the first “celebrity” out on “Dancing With the Stars” Tuesday night.

Some guy named Mike Catherwood (allegedly a radio DJ) got the fewest votes. His clunky dancing didn’t help him as he was at the bottom of the judges’ scoring heap as well.

At least he took the departure with good humor. After Tom Bergeron noted other celebrated participants who were ousted first such as Jeffrey Ross, David Hasselhoff and Kenny Mayne, Catherwood mused, “I’m part of the Mount Rushmore of terrible dancers.” He then showed off some of bad white-boy dance moves.

Although boxer Sugar Ray Leonard shared the departing stage with Catherwood, he didn’t necessarily get the fewest votes.

He …

Continue reading Who’s out first on ‘Dancing With the Stars’? »

Christopher Titus, a decade ago, had his very own critically acclaimed Fox sitcom.  It unfortunately only lasted two seasons.

He has since focused on his stand-up career and executive producing work behind the scenes, resulting in one short-lived ABC series, “Big Shots.”

But it’s his whacked-out childhood that has shaped him more than any TV project.  His dad was an alcoholic womanizer, he said, and his mom, a schizophrenic who killed her second husband.

“I got over it,” he said. “Thank God for stand-up comedy. I’d still be in therapy or shot up a bunch a people without it. The damage from my parents are over. And without them, I wouldn’t be the guy I am right now.”

He’s going to be in Atlanta starting today through Saturday at the 14th Street Playhouse with a one-man comedy show called ‘Neverlution.” He is headlining the week-long Laughing Skull Comedy Festival.

“It’s all about taking America back,” Titus said. “The only thing we’re No. 1 in now is obesity.”

The idea for …

Continue reading Christopher Titus headlining Laughing Skull Comedy Festival March 29-April 2 »

Elle Duncan at the Doggies on the Catwalk charity event January, 2011. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

My inside sources were right on the mark: Elle Duncan’s foray into mornings was indeed short lived.

The V-103 host today re-joined Ryan Cameron’s afternoon show (2 p.m. to 6 p.m.).

It’s become a bit like a game of musical chairs.

Duncan was Cameron’s sidekick for several years until early 2009, when she was moved to mid-days, taking over for the now departed Porsche Foxx.

She lasted there for about 18 months before moving to the Frank & Wanda morning show where she did the sports and entertainment reports. Miss Sophia was out. But it was clear that this wasn’t the best arrangement. (Frank and Wanda’s producer Nina Brown, now at WXIA-TV, moved to Cameron’s show briefly before a tiff with Duncan last November led to her departure from the station entirely. Read about that here.)

When V-103 and Rashan Ali parted ways last week, Duncan moved yet again to replace her in afternoons …

Continue reading V-103’s Elle Duncan moves yet again… back to the Ryan Cameron show »