Meet you at the virtual screening room. Take a left at your computer, jump in and save me a seat. It’s on Second Life, and it’s run by the Sundance Channel.
If you have to ask what Second Life is, or if you can’t imagine getting together with strangers to screen a movie virtually – in cyberspace – better grab the chips and head back to the three-dimensional sofa.
Otherwise, visit the booming virtual world online and follow the blogging noise at sundancechannel.com/
secondlife. Have your avatar call my avatar; we’ll do lunch.
Seriously, it makes sense to link lonely movie watchers in a common cyberplace to share an experience and talk about film. Somehow that’s more intuitive than Second Life’s invitation to buy virtual land.
Listen for the indecency
Everybody’s favorite wild and crazy cable network is up to unprintable mischief: Live from New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, it’s C-SPAN!
The dry-to-drowsy network specializing in congressional hearings will defy its Robert’s Rules image on Wednesday.
Does this kind of profanity belong on television? Oral arguments in a case involving profanity on TV will be broadcast after all.
In March, the Federal Communications Commission ruled against the broadcast of Fox Billboard Awards, saying it was profane. Broadcasters challenged that decision. Now, C-SPAN’s request to cover the proceedings has been granted.
A number of broadcast networks have joined the petition against the FCC’s ruling that utterances of the F- and S-words by Cher and Nicole Richie during the 2002 Billboard Awards show were indecent.
Fox, CBS, NBC and other broadcasters have challenged the FCC’s decision, arguing that it chills free speech, threatens live programming and is unduly vague.
Remember, while obscene speech is not protected by the First Amendment, indecent speech is. The definition of indecency is tougher to pin down.
Bio of the year
Not Obama. Not W. Not Mel Gibson, not Tony Bennett and definitely not Ted Haggard. “The Biography of the Year” for 2006 is Tiger Woods, airing Thursday at 7 p.m., on the Biography Channel, now the exclusive home for the series that used to run on the History Channel.
CBS makes music
Having sold off old-school Columbia Records, CBS is reviving CBS Records, getting back into the music business in a more modern way. CBS Records will spread music around – from CBS, CW and Showtime shows to download offerings on YouTube and Apple’s iTunes. Specifically, the new music label will work songs into primetime series.
Nancy Tellem, head of the CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, says it’s a win-win: “Our artists will have access to an incredibly powerful medium (TV) to drive music sales; our television producers will have greater flexibility to use music as a creative enhancement in their shows; and our company will be able to reduce the network and studio’s music licensing cost center while transforming it into a new revenue stream.”
And consumers will be on the receiving end of more nudges from more places steering them toward Viacom-connected music.
For starters, would-be music stars are invited to audition online, posting videos on Yahoo! Music for “My Grammy Moment,” to sing with Justin Timberlake on the CBS Grammys telecast Feb. 11.
That melodious ka-ching! you hear is the sound of synergy.
“Grease” is the word
NBC has a slick talent show in store, “Grease: You’re the One That I Want,” taking the “American Idol” example to the stage. Performers compete for the chance to play Sandy or Danny on Broadway in a new production of “Grease” opening in July.
The top 12 will perform in live episodes for six weeks as viewers vote hopefuls off the stage.
The three judges are Kathleen Marshall, director-choreographer; Jim Jacobs, the co-creator of “Grease”; and David Ian, who produced “Grease” for London’s West End.
Show him the door
ABC is nixing the six additional episodes it recently ordered of the tacky game show “Show Me The Money.” The William Shatner-hosted game show hit an embarrassing ratings low last week.
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
