Mara Davis and Yvonne Monet hug it out for someone else's camera. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Dave FM this week held its annual three-day Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta radio-thon a little earlier this year. Why? The rock station is disappearing from the airwaves, soon to be replaced by sports talk.

So I stopped by Children’s Healthcare at Scottish Rite Friday to say goodbye in effect to the radio station. It’s a little sad for me since I was demographically very much the typical listener.

This year’s radio-thon was different in many ways. They held it last year at the Voice studio at Children’s Healthcare at Egleston. This year, they moved it to the cafeteria at Children’s Healthcare at Scottish Rite because it’s more accessible to the families and provides that “noisy background” that indicates action and excitement during a radio-thon. Another difference: the program director Scott Jameson was let go a few months ago so he’s no longer hovering like a mother hen.

I was …

Continue reading Checking in with Dave FM on its final Radio-thon day for Children’s Healthcare »

Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar have some job security for at least another year as TNT gives their show "Franklin & Bash" a third season. CREDIT: TNT

Yesterday, in a blog entry about Atlanta-based TNT renewing “Major Crimes,” I openly speculated about the future of two scripted dramas that had not been given a renewal yet: “Leverage” and “Franklin & Bash.”

Today, TNT answered one of those questions by renewing “Franklin & Bash” for a third season. The buddy legal dramedy averaged 4.3 million viewers (including DVR usage) and improved upon its first season numbers.

In case you aren’t familiar with the show (in which case you probably wouldn’t be reading this), here’s a quick summary, courtesy of TNT’s press department:

Franklin & Bash stars Breckin Meyer as Jared Franklin and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Peter Bash, two young, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants street lawyers who caused a seismic culture clash when they joined a legendary, button-down law firm. Jared loves …

Continue reading Atlanta-based TNT renews “Franklin & Bash” for third season »

After Rush Limbaugh finished up his show at 3 p.m. , News/Talk WGST-AM was no more. Instead, 640 began playing the syndicated radio network ESPN Deportes targeting Spanish listeners. (Clear Channel, which owns the signal, also operates a Hispanic music station on the FM side at 105.3 called El Patron.)

This was one of the rumored changes I had heard on Wednesday, but Clear Channel GM Matt Scarano didn’t return calls for comment.

Limbaugh moves to AM 750 and 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB on Monday. I’m not sure what becomes of the other syndicated shows like Glenn Beck, “Coast to Coast AM with George Noory,” Michael Savage and Mark Levin. I presume some of the other talk stations on the AM dial may try to scoop them up.

WGST’s afternoon host Rusty Humphries, a syndicated talk show host who added a local Atlanta show at GST two years ago, said in an interview that he had already told GST months ago that he was going to leave after his two year contract was up next month and before …

Continue reading WGST flips to Spanish sports talk ESPN Deportes; Rusty Humphries had plans to leave anyway »

Morgan Saylor attends the Showtime and Time Warner Cable hosted premiere screening and reception to launch the second season of "Homeland" at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on September 7, 2012 in New York City. "Homeland" returns to Showtime for its second season debut on Sunday, September 30th at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Credit: Stephen Lovekin/SHOWTIME

Last Sunday night, a wildly grinning Morgan Saylor stood on stage in a sparkly Jovani dress as Showtime’s “Homeland” received an Emmy for best drama.

By Tuesday morning, the 17-year-old senior was back at Decatur High School discussing terrorism in class.

“Thanks to the show,” Saylor says, “I’m more educated about the topic than I would have been.”

That’s the bifurcated life of an actress who on TV plays the daughter of Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis),  a U.S. Marine  found alive after eight years as an al-Qaeda prisoner of war. CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) spent season one playing cat and mouse with him, …

Continue reading Decatur actress Morgan Saylor stars in Showtime’s Emmy-winning ‘Homeland’ »

John Hodgman is part of a trio of comics at Ferst Sept. 28. CREDIT: Comedy Central

Back when the debate mattered from 2006 to 2009, the Mac vs. PC ads became instant classics, featuring Justin Long as the confident Mac and John Hodgman as a neurotic, insecure PC.

Now the debate is between the iPhone vs. any Droid-operated smartphone. Hodgman, who will be at the Ferst Center Friday night, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m. with Al Madrigal and Adam Lowitt in a mini-”Daily Show” show, wouldn’t mind playing a Droid phone. But he doesn’t think Apple would resurrect the campaign.

“They don’t stick with an ad campaign forever,” Hodgman says in a recent phone interview from his Brooklyn apartment. “But I still love and appreciate Apple products. I was happy and proud to be associated with them for that period of time. They have to evolve.”

He remains an occasional contributor to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” and the show at the Ferst Show uses “The Daily Show” name since …

Continue reading John Hodgman promises ‘chuckles among the arched eyebrow set’ at Ferst Sept. 28 with Al Madrigal »

Todd Newton (left) hosts the live "Price is Right Live" show coming to the Fox Theatre October 3, 2012. If you want good seats, you may have to hit Stubhub. CREDIT: Price is Right Live

For four decades, CBS has anchored the 11 a.m. weekday lineup a glitzy, proudly cheesy game show that has bestowed our culture with the legendary line, “Come on down! You’re the next contestant on ‘The Price is Right’!”

Now the show is coming on down to Atlanta Wednesday, October 3, the Fox Theatre as part of its first live road trip, featuring Emmy-winning game show host Todd Newton.

“The Price is Right Live” is not televised but replicates many of the elements of the real game, including the chipper music, the pricing games, the female models and the prizes. The live version, which debuted in Reno, Nev. a decade ago in a 200-seat theatre, has now expanded to a permanent show in Las Vegas, a version in Branson, Mo. and this traveling road show.

“It’s authentic,” Newton says. “We are …

Continue reading ‘Price is Right’ comes on down to Atlanta October 3 »

Neal Boortz, heard locally on 95.5 FM and AM 750 News/Talk WSB, is celebrating his retirement January 12, 2012 at the Fox Theatre. CREDIT: AP

Monica Pearson, the Channel 2 Action News doyenne, received a big farewell at the Fox Theatre this summer before her retirement, and now it’s Neal Boortz’s turn.

A bash for “The Talkmaster” is set for Jan. 12, about a week before his official departure from four decades of radio shows. It will feature comedian Jeff Foxworthy and guests Herman Cain, who will replace Boortz in January; his buddy and syndicated talk show host Sean Hannity; WSB talk show host Erick Erickson, also editor of Redstate.com, and consumer advocate Clark Howard. The band Banks and Shane, one of Boortz’s favorite acts and good friends, will perform.

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at ticketalternative.com. Prices range from $35 to $100.

Belinda Skelton, Boortz’s longtime producer, said there will be surprise guests as well. “We were working on this before …

Continue reading Neal Boortz holding a ‘Happy Ending’ retirement party Jan. 12 at the Fox Theatre »

LAST RESORT – "Last Resort" stars Andre Braugher as Captain Marcus Chaplin, Scott Speedman as XO Sam Kendal, Daisy Betts as Lieutenant Grace Shepard, Dichen Lachman as Tani Tumrenjack, Daniel Lissing as SEAL Officer James King, Sahr Ngaujah as Mayor Julian Serrat, Camille de Pazzis as Sophie Gerard, Autumn Reeser as Kylie Sinclair, Jessy Schram as Christine Kendal. "Last Resort" was written by Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek, who are also executive producers along with Martin Campbell and Marney Hochman Nash. The pilot for "Last Resort" was directed by Martin Campbell. "Last Resort" is produced by Middkid Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. (ABC/MARIO PEREZ) ROBERT PATRICK

Marietta native and actor Robert Patrick says he’s had a “fantastic year.” Look at his resume for the past year: he has worked with Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Melissa McCarthy, Kevin Bacon and Billy Bob Thornton. That’s awfully good company.

Patrick, who broke it big two decades ago as …

Continue reading Marietta native Robert Patrick stars in ABC’s ‘Last Resort’ »

CREDIT: TNT

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Life without Kyra Sedgwick isn’t quite the same but the end of Atlanta-based TNT’s “The Closer” didn’t mean the end of her team. Most of the “Closer” cast segued over to spin-off “Major Crimes,” which has just been renewed for a second season.

“Major Crimes,” which airs Mondays at 9 p.m., is receiving 15 more episodes next year.  The first season finale is slated for mid October and it will return next summer.

While the show doesn’t pull in “Closer” numbers, TNT didn’t really expect it to. But it has retained at least two thirds of the audience, averaging 7 million viewers (including DVR usage) every week. That’s certainly good enough for renewal. And against fresh …

Continue reading TNT renews ‘Major Crimes’ »

CREDIT: Lifetime

TLC Wednesday said it was adding “special” episodes of “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” including three holiday specials for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Uh oh. This phenomenon is a sweet guilty pleasure but I can’t see how much more gas they can suck out of this tank of redneck gas.

On Wednesday, Sept. 26, TLC aired the final episode of the first half of the season and it was a special hour-long deal. (Yes, TLC says this is a first half.)

Anna had her baby and Honey Boo Boo won a big prize at a pageant.  That’s pretty much it when it comes to “plot.”

Here’s what I learned:

1. Don’t hold a photo shoot in 101 degree weather.

It makes even this lovable family cranky.

“I”m sweatin’  like a whore in church,” Mama says.

2. “Honey Boo Boo” editors actually can show discretion  – and don’t let it happen again!

The cameras weren’t around to show Alana’s baby pop out. Heck, they weren’t even in the hospital room for the big event. Maybe the family drew the …

Continue reading Five things I learned from the fall finale of ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’ »