TeleChimp | TV Journalism

The little show that began as a road trip through the demon-filled American back-country is officially 100 episodes in — and oh, how things have changed since the beginning. [SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT.] Remember when Dean and Sam were two young demon-hunters, off in a sweet ride of a car to search for their father, who taught them all they know about the supernatural? Staring in the devilish face of a fight like they’ve never seen before, I imagine Dean and Sam are longing for the days when their biggest problem was following dad’s trail. Personally, I’m not. That’s not to say those days didn’t produce quality entertainment. Many of the episodes from what I’ll call ”the simpler days” made my list of Supernatural’s 10 Best Episodes (a task that produced new levels of pain in my soul, which I’m not sure I’ve recovered from quite yet).

But take into consideration what they’re facing now: Lucifer and archangel Michael kind of make the Yellow-Eyed Demon look as threatening as a can of expired dollar store-brand condensed soup — a little scary in theory, but you’d face it in a life or death situation. And I’m happy to report that the subtle transformation of the show from a fun ride-a-long in the Impala into a mythology-packed roller coaster ride came to a head in ”Point of No Return.” It was the welcome mat to what I anticipate to be the grand finale of the show’s evolution and functioned just as a 100th episode should. It had a big twist (in the form of lovechild Adam Winchester’s return), a death (good riddance, Zachariah), an ass kicking (In Cas’ defense, Dean kind of deserved it), and guaranteed our attendance at episode 101 (Where did Castiel go?!). And I liked it. So let’s talk episode, specifically the 10 lines that deserve a closer look.

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Winning both critics’ and audiences’ praises, Golden-Globe nominated sitcom Modern Family is the hilarious comedy that tells the story of three very different families living in suburban America. Told in a mockumentary style, Modern Family seeks to shine a light on just how neurotic and idiosyncratic – and at the same time how reassuringly normal – every family is, no matter what its makeup.

Revolving around three diverse families, the series follows the Brady Brunch-like family of five, overseen by Phil (Ty Burrell), a dad who’s far less cool than he believes himself to be, and Claire (Julie Bowen), a mom who struggles to keep her family moving in a straight line. Then there’s Jay, (Ed O’Neill), an older man who has taken a younger bride in Gloria (Sofía Vergara) and become a reluctant father to her idealistically romantic young son Manny (Rico Rodriguez). And lastly, there’s Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his partner of five years, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) who’ve just taken that amazing ‘next step’ by adopting a child together from Vietnam.

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The charming Oli Pettigrew is back to host the latest season of Sony Style TV Magazine (Sony Style) which promises to bring you the latest lifestyle trends and happenings with an even higher quotient of style! Season 4 of the snazzy lifestyle magazine show will bring you across continents from Los Angeles to Japan and Australia, with more celebrity exclusives, rare giveaways and a sneak preview of the newest Sony gadgets!

This season, Oli has got his pulse right on the hip and the youthful. Follow him as he grills the likes of Kris Allen and Adam Lambert under the celebrity spotlight and gets insights into the world of popular indie bands like the Kings of Convenience, Plain Sunset and pop-rock band The Fray. Western music not your kind of thing? Then look out for Korean pop sensation, the sexy The Brown Eyed Girls or even tap into the latest street culture of parkour (also known as free running), defined as the physical art of moving like a ninja.

From celebrity interviews to sports and TV entertainment, Oli has it all covered. Football fans will not be disappointed, as Oli descends upon Darling Harbour in Sydney for the FIFA World Cup Fan Fest™, where millions of fans are expected to watch the matches live and bask in the camaraderie of the World Cup fever. Movie and TV junkies will also be in for a major treat as we tour the Sony Studio 3D Technology Centre in Los Angeles where the likes of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs was produced; visit animation studios in Japan for a sneak peek into the art of animation and as we go behind the scenes on the filming sets of top-rated US dramas.

Technophiles will also not be left out, with our showcase of the latest and sleekest gadget lineup at the famous Sony Building in Japan, a must-visit on all travel itineraries!

Watching Sony Style has never been more rewarding as this season, there will be exclusive giveaways to our viewers in the form of autographed premiums and rare celebrity merchandise. Look out for our viewer contest in conjunction with the launch of a never-before released 3D music video where Guitarist legend Jimi Hendrix will come to life again! All you have to do is to send in your best air guitar video to us and stand to win attractive prizes like a Gibson electric guitar! Don’t miss the latest season of Sony Style, the half-hour info-tainment series on what’s hip, what’s sleek, what’s in, right here on AXN this April!

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Collection Kevin Eubanks made it official during today’s taping of The Tonight Show by announcing he will leave the late night talk show in six weeks. Back in February, NBC confirmed that Eubanks was ready to step aside after serving 18 years as Jay Leno’s music director.

After doing his “Headlines” segment, Leno called Eubanks to the couch and announced how “we have one more headline to get to and it involves our very own Kevin Eubanks.”

“After 18 years, I just need a change of pace and see what else is going on,” Eubanks said. ” But it’s a really difficult decision because this has become my second home, as it has been for the band, and I love the audience and the American people really love the show and it’s been a wonderful experience to be here.”

“It has been a pleasure,” Leno said.  “You’ve been a great friend and really supportive.  When those jokes die, I gotta look to you man.”

“I thought about this and it wasn’t that difficult,” replied Eubanks. ” After 18 years of playing America in to commercials, I’m gonna go somewhere where I can finish a song.”

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Discovery Channel is extending its relationship with Steven Spielberg, who’s behind a new animated miniseries for the channel.

Spielberg, DreamWorks TV and DreamWorks Animation are all behind “Future Earth,” which will look at what life on the planet will be like in 25, 50 and 100 years.

Spielberg is already producing the special series “The Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero” for the channel.

In the case of “Future Earth,” Spielberg plans to personally oversee the development.

In a statement, Spielberg said he was “excited to be back in business with DreamWorks Animation,” and said the collaboration with Discovery gives them “an opportunity to bring exciting new experiences to take television audiences into the imagined future of planet Earth.”

According to Discovery Channel president/GM Clark Bunting, “Future Earth” is part of a development deal the channel has struck with Spielberg, DreamWorks TV and DreamWorks Animation on an “array of new nonfiction programs.”

“Future Earth” will utilize futurists, scholars and other “great minds of today” to determine how health and medicine, technology, the environment, the military, the economy and the media evolve.

Miniseries was also announced by DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and DreamWorks TV co-heads Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey.

Discovery announced the miniseries on Thursday at its upfront presentation in New York.

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The race for the No. 1 slot this weekend was a close one, but Date Night is claiming victory with an estimated $27.1 million gross over Clash of the Titans‘ $26.8 million take (although that could all change by tomorrow morning when the true numbers are reported). Date Night, which marks a new box office opening weekend record for Tina Fey, scored a B with audiences, according to exit pollster Cinemascore. The PG-13 rated comedy about a married couple caught up in a case of mistaken identity is not a career high for Fey’s co-star Steve Carell. That honor goes to 2008’s Get Smart, which opened to $38 million on its way to $130 million. Carell’s box office prowess will be tested again shortly when Dinner for Schmucks, where he plays opposite Paul Rudd, debuts in July. Clash’s numbers represent a 56 percent drop at the box office, quite steep for the swords and sandals epic starring Sam Worthington. The film has now grossed $110 million after two weekends of release, with its 3-D theaters accounting for approximately 43 percent of the gross.

Third place went to the animated kid flick How to Train Your Dragon. While the Dreamworks Animated film opened below many expectations, it has held on quite well in the subsequent weeks. Grossing $25.3 million with a remarkably small 13 percent drop, the Jay Baruchel-voiced flick has now earned $133.9 million after three weekends in theaters. Spot four goes to Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too, which is also in a horse race for the frame against Miley Cyrus’ romance Last Song. Estimates give the advantage to Perry, with Lionsgate reporting an $11 million gross. That figure represents a steep 62 percent fall for the Janet Jackson-starring sequel, putting its two-week take at $48.5 million. Cyrus walked away with another $10 million for her second weekend in theaters. The PG-rated film, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, fell only 37 percent, putting its cume at $42.4 million in two weekends in theaters.

Alice in Wonderland continues to perform solidly. The film may be in its sixth weekend in release, but with a scant 32 percent drop, it managed to hold onto a sixth slot in the top 10 rankings with another $5.6 million. The Tim Burton-directed fantasy has now grossed $319 million since bowing in March. Spot seven went to MGM’s Hot Tub Time Machine. The 1980s nostalgia fest fell only 33 percent since last weekend, earning an additional $5.4 million. The John Cusack-starrer has now grossed close to $37 million since it bowed three weekends ago. The Bounty Hunter took the eighth spot for the frame, grossing another $4.3 million for a four-weekend gross of $56 million. Ninth place belonged to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which fell 23 percent its fourth weekend in theaters. The PG-rated kid flick grossed an additional $4.1 million and has now earned $$53.7 million.

Spot 10 was the only other surprise of the frame. It belonged to the Christian-themed Letters to God, which only opened in 895 theaters. Still, the film managed to land in the top 10, with a weekend take of $1.1 million. The overall box office was down a bit compared to last year at this time, when Miley Cyrus dominated Easter weekend with her feature film Hannah Montana. Stay tuned for next weekend, when Kick-Ass comes storming into theaters.

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Diane Lane will star in HBO’s upcoming film “Cinema Verite,” the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the groundbreaking documentary “An American Family.”

Lane will play Pat Loud, the mother and main character of the documentary, which chronicled an intimate look at a Santa Barbara family.

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I’m officially getting old. I know this because Holly Marie Combs has just been cast as the mother of a teenager!

Sources confirm to me exclusively that the ex-Charmed one is joining ABC Family’s upcoming drama, Pretty Little Liars, as the mother of Lucy Hale’s Aria.

Liars, based on the popular series of young adult novels from Alloy (which is producing the series), follows four teen girls — Aria (Hale), Emily (Shay Mitchell), Hanna (Ashley Benson), and Spencer (Troian Bellisario) — who have been hiding a deep, dark secret since the sixth grade.

Chad Lowe was recently tapped to play Aria’s father (and Combs’ TV hubby). The cast also includes Laura Leighton and Bianca Lawson.

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Cable TV is larded with food, cooking, and eating shows. They can range from Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners With Melissa d’Arabian to Travel Channel’s Man v. Food, productions that center on cheap shopping or cheap gastronomic thrills. The class act in the televised food genre was thought to be Bravo’s Top Chef, but in recent seasons, it’s become a showcase for expletive-spewing tattoo victims more familiar with truculence than truffles.

These are all reasons to welcome back Top Chef Masters, now in its second season. It inverts the usual reality-TV competition show. Instead of desperate amateurs or semipros trying to establish themselves as fascinating television personalities, these are well-established professionals who tend not to be needy for camera fame. Instead, they want to beat the molasses out of their peers. What I’m saying is, Top Chef Masters is that rarity: It’s mature reality TV.

But mature doesn’t mean not fun. In the very first episode of the second season, one of my favorite Quickfire Challenges asks the chefs to make a good meal from food purchased solely from a gas-station quickie mart. I got to feel superior to the chef team that didn’t know the difference between a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and regular Cheetos (hey, I take my small victories where I can find them), and took pleasure in the fact that the judges that first week were the rock band the Bravery — which was nicely random. (Their qualification? Their touring schedule compels them to spend a lot of time at gas stations.)

The series isn’t perfect, of course. Host Kelly Choi is both cheesy and grating: a cheese grater who seems even less interested in eating the food set before her than Top Chef‘s Padma Lakshmi, the queen of tiny bites. Of course, Choi can’t help but come off as wan when placed beside cooking television’s most amusing bunch of judges, including Jay Rayner, who possesses that effortless British glibness; James Oseland, who smiles broadly but doesn’t mind making cutting comments; and the divine Gael Greene, who’s never met a meal over which she couldn’t sprinkle some amusing babble

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Wow! 1980’s star Boy George met 2010 pop star Lady Gaga backstage at one of her chaotic concerts. And the overly eccentric singer actually equested a signed autograph… on her private parts!

“It was very brief when I met her, there were a lot of people in the room, it was all a bit chaotic,” he told The Mirror in the U.K. “I haven’t been around that kind of circus in years! I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ You know, I’ve been that woman! So it was very interesting to be on the outside looking in. She was very sweet. She asked me to sign her vagina.”

George shyly denied her request and signed her hat instead. This classic encounter left a positive impact on Boy George and he states “underneath all the drama” Lady Gaga is still a talented artist. Wouldn’t a collaboration between these two be crazy?