I'm A Radio Contest Winner

So Wednesday morning something really kool happened to me. To be honest I still can't believe it. The V-103 radio morning show, "The Frank And Wanda Show" are celebrating their 10th Anniversary. So they held a contest to pick 10 winners that will get Frank And Wanda's favorite things. It's a play on the annual Oprah's favorite things she gives her audience.

So I never expected to win the contest. Here is how I entered, I recorded 90210 Tuesday night on the CW69 on my desktop computer. So later that night I go to my computer and the TV version of the "Frank And Wanda Show" was still on. I watched it for a while. Towards the end a women called in because she heard her name. So Frank Ski was telling people how to enter the contest, so that is when I decided to enter. I said what the hell, why not. I entered via the web as instructed. The show pulls two names each morning during the anniversary week, one at 7:30 and one at 8:30. So the next morning I forgot to listen in at the 7:30 drawing. So I was thinking... what are the chances that I would win anyway? V-103 is like the number 2 station in Atlanta, with nearly a half million or more listeners. What chance do I have of winning, right? So I listen in at about 8:10-8:15. So They finally pull the last name for the day, and I heard them call Stephan. I immediately thought to myself who names their children Stephan? I have never liked that name. People always mispronounce my name Stephen as Stephan. So I didn't even hear the last name until they repeated it and I realized that they were calling my name. I couldn't believe it. So you only have 10 minutes to call in and claim you prize. So when I called in they ask me if it was Stephen or Stephan? I was so excited that I won that I didn't even care about that anymore... simple mistake right?

So I guess you are wondering what the 10 favorite things are.... well let me tell you that they are some pretty awesome prizes. Here goes...

Frank and Wanda's Favorite things are:

1. $100 Kroger Gift Card- just in time for the holidays

2. Life size 4 foot stuffed Mickey & Minnie Dolls - my mom loves them on her bed.

3. A bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier Perfume - very nice scent

4. A Dinner at Carrabbas Italian Grill with Frank Ski

5. A Verizon Blackberry 8330 Smartphone

6. A Panasonic Lumix Digital Camera- Sweet camera, 8.1 megs

7. A Night out on the town with Frank Ski with a night's stay at the W hotel, dinner at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and VIP passes to the Velvet Room - Let say I haven't had a night like this is a long time.

8. A King Size Ralph Lauren Goose Down Comforter

9. A Trip to Las Vegas with Wanda Smith to see Cirque Du Soleil

10. A Trip to New York City with Frank Ski to see the musical Wicked

How cool is that? I hear that Oprah's prizes this year isn't all that. The Frank And Wanda Show winners were treated to a breakfast at Justin's restaurant in Buckhead. Young Jeezy mad an appearance. There was cake and champagne by Moet.

I have to say Frank and Wanda's gifts are great.... and I can't wait to get back to the cities that never really sleep, fabulous Las Vegas and lovely New York City. What a way to celebrate an anniversary. It should definitely be a fun trip.

The Comedy Of Politics

Everyone loves a good joke, especially if it’s at the expense of an elected official. For years politicians have been the source of material for the late night shows. Shows like “The Tonight Show”, “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Saturday Night Live” are notorious for their political satire. It’s always a treat when the politician being poked fun at makes an appearance and can laugh at themselves. On Saturday night, Governor Sarah Palin did just that. Sarah Palin stopped by the “SNL” studios and made an appearance in a couple of sketches. Although she didn’t say very much, it was obvious she was having fun with it.



Over the years we’ve seen politicians that are often the bud of jokes on late night television make appearances. I remember President Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show”. Janet Reno made an appearance on “SNL” in 2001 and in 2002 Al Gore hosted the show. So why would politicians appear on shows that make fun of them? Well the answer has more to do with who’s watching those shows. Today, younger adults are getting their information from shows like “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report”. “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update is so popular that they have a special Weekend Update on Thursdays. The candidates are always campaigning for votes; they want to win people over. So they go on these shows to look more human. People can watch and see that they are people too, and they can laugh at themselves. These shows have a huge followings. Sarah Palin’s appearance on “SNL” was the show’s highest rated episode in 14 years.

With less than 2 weeks until Election Day, we can expect the candidates to step up the campaigning until election night. So I’ll expect the jokes and the sketches to get even funnier as “E-Day” approaches. Although I love the sketches and jokes, my favorite form of political satire comes from Mike Luckovich, a national syndicated political cartoonist. I think his drawings are pretty right on!

Madonna Is Calling It “Quits”

Mega Pop Star Madonna is divorcing her husband of more than seven years Guy Ritchie, according to media reports. News came today that Madonna, considered the highest-earning female singer has given up efforts to save her stained marriage. The couple has one child together seven-year-old Rocco, along with a three-year-old adoptive son from Malawi.

Rumors of divorce have been circulating for months now. Madonna has been linked by the media to A-Rod. She’s even been spotted at his games. She has maintained that she and the Alex Rodriguez are just friends. Friends or more than just friends, it would appear that Madonna is now free to publicly pursue a relationship with Rodriguez if she chooses to do so.

Madonna is believed to be worth more than $500 million dollars. With that kind of money at stake, its no wonder that she has enlisted the legal services of Fiona "Steel Magnolia" Shackleton, she is a high profile divorce lawyer that handled Paul McCartney’s divorce from Heather Mills. It’s being reported that the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement, so Ritchie could walk away with more than $100 million dollars.

Madonna’s marriage joins a long list of celebrity couples calling it quits. It really says a lot when this country is facing dire financial times and Madonna’s marriage is considered more noteworthy one news websites than the presidential debates or the economic bailout plan. You have to wonder what this world is coming to.

Tyler Perry Has The Golden Touch

It seems that everything Tyler Perry touches turns to gold. The successful director and Atlanta resident just formally opened a 30-acre multi-million dollar facility that will be the new home to his production company Tyler Perry Studios. The studio is located near Greenbriar Mall where the lot of the old Delta building once stood.

The studio located in the Southwest side of Atlanta is reported to be over 200,000 square feet of office and studio space. It contains several sound stages, a 300 seat screening room and will be used to produce episodes of the TBS sitcom, “House of Payne”. Perry named the four of five sound stages after legendary entertainers Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson, Quincy Jones and Sidney Poitier.



Most people would think a man of Tyler Perry’s success would choose Hollywood to build a studio. But it’s very clear that Mr. Perry is making a major commitment to Atlanta. Tyler Perry received a lot of praise from celebrities such as Hank Aaron, Sidney Poitier and Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Jackson, for opening a facility in Southwest Atlanta. Attending the grand opening of Tyler Perry’s new studio was a guest list that included Hollywood legends and young up and coming stars.

During the grand opening festivities a group of protesters demonstrated near the studio. Four writers for the sitcom “House of Payne”, were fired earlier in the week. The protesters were wearing t-shirts with the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) on them and held signs saying “Perry Has No Shame”. Its reported that fired writers were pushing for unionization.

60th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards

It’s not just another awards show, but is the only awards show I'll watch from beginning to end. The 60th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards, broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles. The show airs live on ABC. The ceremony recognizes the best of prime time television. 2008 marks the first year that the Television Academy will recognize reality TV hosts. TV viewers can go to a special website and view a collection of videos of the nominated hosts of prime time’s reality TV. The videos contain interesting facts about the nominees.

Tonight’s show opened with daytime talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey. Oprah introduced the reality TV show hosts, Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Jeff Probsts, Ryan Seacrest and Howie Mandel.

And the Winners are……

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
The winner is…….
Jeremy Piven
My pick: Jeremy Piven. Piven is a great actor and as Ari, he makes the show!


Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Jean Smart
My pick: Amy Poehler…. I always look forward to seeing her on SNL, but especially after she took over hosting duties at weekend update….. and she’s way funnier than Jimmy Fallon ever was.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Zeljko Ivanek
My pick: Is a tie: William Shatner is roll on the floor and down the stairs funny. The shenanigans his character pulls on “Boston Legal” are so outrageous, but somehow we manager to still love him at the end, that’s talent!
Also Ted Danson’s performance as the complicated bad guy in “Damages” is simply awesome. He makes playing ruthless look easy.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Dianne Wiest
My pick: Chandra Wilson, has a huge presence on screen. It’s no wonder she was a “Grey’s Anatomy” breakout star. Her character is brutally hard on the doctors, and yet she leaves us seeing her as a mother figure.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Laura Linney
My pick: Phylicia Rashad, a superb actress, that I miss dearly from network TV. She always gives a memorable performance that you just want more of.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
My pick: Saturday Night Live, the hsow is always funny, Live and unpredictable. The sketches are always timely and really makes you laugh and sometimes make you think.

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Tina Fey won the award for the episode “Cooter” on 30 Rock. Tina Fey is a great writer, she did wonders for SNL.

Outstanding Made For Television Movie
And the winner is…….
Recount
My pick: A Raisin In The Sun, I thought was a wonderful movie, the kind of movie that you don’t see enough of on the major networks.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Tom Wilkinson
My pick: Denis Leary, I can’t get enough of this guy. He’s funny even when he’s not trying to be. Denis Leary is a great actor and has real talent.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Dame Eileen Atkins
My pick: Audra McDonald, an amazing talent on screen and in the theater. Its always great to see one of her performances.

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
And the winner is…….
The Amazing Race
My pick: Top Chef, never has watching TV looked so good. The food and the food is just mouth watering. Never a reason to wonder what to cook for dinner when Top Chef is on.

Outstanding Miniseries
And the winner is…….
John Adams
My pick: A tie between Tin Man and The Andromeda Strain. Both are modern takes of classic movies. Andromeda Strain merges science with sci-fi to make a chilling and somewhat believable scenario. Tin Man is a modern update of one of America’s most memorable movie.

Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program
And the winner is…….
Don Rickles
My pick: Don Rickles, I’ve been a fan of Don Rickles ever since he insulted me on live TV some 15 years ago. I was just a kid then, and it was funny as heck. The guy is never boring, and can come up with stuff fast. Go Don!

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Glynn Turman
My pick: Robin Williams as a sicko on Law & Order SVU, the guy has a talent for playing disturbed charaters. An he does it brilliantly.

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Cynthia Nixon
My pick: Cynthia Nixon, nothing better on Law 7 Order when you don’t see the twists coming. Cynthia Nixon, played her role like no one else.

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Mad Men • Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Pilot)
My pick: The final seasons of Battlestar Galactica and The Wire. The Wire is a show that never received the awards and acknowledgement it deserved. Battlestar Galactica is a show that has kept us guessing from the TV miniseries to the regular series, always has a surprise for the audience.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
And the winner is…….
Paul Giamatti
My pick Paul Giamatti, an excellent performer.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Alec Baldwin
My pick Alec Baldwin. Alec Baldwin is a great actor in 30 Rock. He really compliments Tina Fey.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Sally Field as Nora Holden-Walker, Brothers & Sisters • ABC

Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, The Closer • TNT

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes, Damages • FX Networks

Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko, Saving Grace • TNT

And the winner is…….
Glenn Close
My pick: all of them, they all play complicated and powerful women. They command your attention on each of their shows. It’s hard to pick a favorite.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
And the winner is…….
Bryan Cranston
My pick: James Spader , Boston Legal is a great dramady and James Spader keeps us laughing, and delves into social issues in a refreshing way.


Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
And the winner is…….
Tina Fey
My pick Tina Fey, I’m a big fan, so is it any wonder she won again.

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
And the winner is…….
Jeff Probst
My pick: Howie Mandel or Jeff Probst. Survivor being a survivor in reality TV, no wonder Jeff Probst won.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO

Entourage • HBO

The Office • NBC

30 Rock • NBC

Two And A Half Men • CBS

And the winner is…….
30 Rock
My pick: 30 Rock and Entouarge two of the best shows on TV.


Outstanding Drama Series

Boston Legal • ABC

Damages • FX Networks

Dexter • Showtime

House • FOX

Lost • ABC

Mad Men • AMC

And the winner is…….
Mad Men
My pick: Damages, a complex and suspenseful drama that is a real gem on TV.

HBO Premiere Of True Blood

The Premiere of the HBO series "True Blood" aired last night. The show is based on the novels of acclaimed author Charlaine Harris. We've seen tons of vampire shows on TV, but this one has a slightly different spin on the tale. In this series the vampires don't lurk in the dark, It's public knowledge that vampires exist. There is even a vampire rights movement. The main character Sookie has some sort of psychic ability. Its not quite what I expected. Vampires aren't necessarily evil in this series. There is a synthetic blood that's sold in stores that vampires can drink instead of human blood. It's like the vampire equivalent of a energy drink.

The plot is kind of confusing, there is so much going on. The show isn't like any of the vampire shows I've seen on TV lately. This vampire world is completely different. The bad guys aren't so easy to identify. It still isn't clear what abilities vampires have. So far we know that silver is a weakness. As the show progresses we should find out if they have super human strength, or other supernatural abilities.

So far the show is off the a slow start. The first episode spent a lot of time establishing the characters and less on defining the story. But if the first show is any indication, expect to see plenty of graphic vampire/human sex, come on it's HBO after 10pm. Apparently its all the rage to sleep with a vampire, or drink vampire blood as super Viagra. I did think it was very interesting that HBO aired two 30-minute specials to introduce "True Blood" and explain the characters and series.