Here are the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. The announcement of winners will be on March 7, 2010.

Best Picture
“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9″
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

Most of the nominees here were pretty much predicted by almost everyone so there’s not much surprise here. I’m simply happy that Pixar finally gets the Best Picture nod for one of their films, and for something like “Up” nonetheless. I’m also thrilled that “District 9″ found its way into the Best Picture race. It’s extremely rare that science fiction films get the nod. In this race, however, 2 sci-fi films out of 10 nominees is not bad at all. Many people were saying that giving 10 slots for Best Picture nominees was a bad idea; but in my opinion, it’s simply a chance to get more works noticed and honored. Although it’s mostly a race between “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker,” these nominations still get people talking about all the films selected.

So far, I’ve watched 8 out of 10 of these films (which I’m pretty happy about). This means I’ve only got “An Education” and “A Serious Man” on my must-watch list before awards night.

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”

I’m really rooting for Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker.” His performance is so memorable. However, it seems that based on the awards that have been given to Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart,” voters are more inclined to recognize the veteran actor who hasn’t been given his due over the newcomer/dark horse.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”

This has been Sandra Bullock’s year so far; so I wouldn’t be surprised if she won this. Anyway, her performance in “The Blind Side” has been entertaining and overall amazing. I’m also thrilled for Gaby Sidibe. What she did on “Precious” is pretty outstanding.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

Hans Landa better win this… that’s all I’m gonna say.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

This is going to Mo’Nique, no doubt about it. Still, I’m thrilled for Anna Kendrick, who is awesome in “Up in the Air.”

Best Director
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Lee Daniels, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”

I really really really hope Kathryn Bigelow wins this. I loved “Avatar,” but “The Hurt Locker” is simply an amazing movie, mostly due to its director and how she got those performances out of her actors. Everyone’s talking about this race. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Best Animated Feature
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”

“Up” is the sure winner here because of its inclusion in the Best Picture race. I would’ve wanted to see “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” nominated, though.

For the complete list of nominations, go here.

Even if there has been a creative resurgence this season, I guess the ratings spoke for themselves. Ugly Betty has officially been canceled.  I’m proud to say that I watched this series from the very beginning, and stuck by it despite the ups and downs in terms of quality. The fourth season has been great and the show got most of its heart back, so I’m pretty sad to see it go off the air. (I’d much rather see Grey’s Anatomy end.) On the bright side, at least the creators will get a chance to close everything up before the series officially ends. That’s what every fan wants to see anyway.

So… Is it too soon to request for a Marc and Amanda-centric show now?

This is about as ugly as it gets, folks.

ABC has just informed Ugly Betty producers that the show’s current fourth season will be its last.  What’s more, the network has trimmed Betty’s episode order from 22 to 20.

Although not a complete shock given the show’s heinous ratings, the news is nonetheless a total bummer — particularly in light of Betty’s creative resurgence this season.

The good news is that ABC has given Betty’s bosses enough time to craft a satisfying series finale. Exec producer Silvio Horta and ABC president Steve McPherson confirmed as much in this joint statement:  “We’ve mutually come to the difficult decision to make this Ugly Betty’s final season, and are announcing now as we want to allow the show ample time to write a satisfying conclusion. We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series, and felt it was important to give the fans a proper farewell.”

But back to the bad news: Betty is about to hang up her poncho for good.

– Ausiello Files

I definitely won’t miss this. This is a teaser trailer for one of the most anticipated new series this 2010, Boardwalk Empire. Penned by Terence Winter who wrote for The Sopranos, and directed by none other than Martin Scorsese, this series is set in the 1920s when alcohol was outlawed and outlaws were kings. This show is set to air on HBO soon; and from the looks of this trailer alone, it’s going to be one beautiful show. Mad Men, watch out.

Ensemble in a Drama Series: Mad Men

Male Actor in a Drama Series: Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Female Actor in a Drama Series: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Ensemble in a Comedy Series: Glee

Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance

Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens

Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series: 24

For a complete list of winners, go here.

I haven’t gotten around to watching the last shows of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien; but I promise I will. Anyway, this has been posted everywhere; and the last few words he said on his final night still shows how eloquent (and awesome) he is. I love the guy and I really wish him all the best. |source|

“Before we end this rodeo, a few things need to be said. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can’t say about NBC.  To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night Show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years.  Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we’re going to go our separate ways.  But this company has been my home for most of my adult life.  I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.

Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult. This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not  regret a second. I’ve had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we’ll find a way to make it fun.

And finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational.

To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism- it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere.

Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

I’m pleasantly surprised by the winners this year. After the first couple of seasons that Dexter’s been on air, I’m so glad that Michael C. Hall finally gets the recognition he deserves for playing America’s favorite serial killer Dexter Morgan. The fourth season has been such a rush to watch and other than Hall’s amazing performance, it’s also in part thanks to John Lithgow, Best Supporting Actor Winner for his creepy and amazing portrayal of The Trinity Killer.

It was also a surprise to see 30 Rock and Modern Family lose in favor of freshman favorite Glee. I guess it’s all in the spirit of the Hollywood Foreign Press honoring breakout shows and stars. Still, I’m happy for the musical dramedy series. I love it; and apparently, so does the HFPA. If I was disappointed of anything, though, I wanted Jane Lynch to win for her supporting role as Sue Sylvester. She was up against Chloë Sevigny, though, so she had some tough competition in her category.

As for the other winners, I’m not that surprised with Mad Men and Alec Baldwin winning yet another Golden Globe. Also, I’ve watched United States of Tara and from the pilot, I had already declared that Toni Collette will have to win an award for what she’s doing in that show. Anyway, here’s the complete list of winners:

TELEVISION
Television Series, Drama
Mad Men
Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Glee
Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Chloë Sevigny, Big Love
Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
John Lithgow, Dexter
Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Grey Gardens
Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance

As for the movie winners, I can’t really judge that much; but from what I’ve read, upsets abound. Avatar and director James Cameron, as well as The Hangover were surprise winners in their respective categories. I’m happy to see these movies win, though. Also, I’m happy that The Blind Side is allowing Sandra Bullock to finally be noticed in the awards circuit. She’s been an underrated actress for quite a while now; and I can’t wait to watch her in one of the biggest surprises in movies for 2009. |complete list of winners|

I’ve been meaning to read this book; because I’m really into series that have spoiled, rich kids as central characters. (Feel free to judge me based on that sentence alone. It’s okay.) With the likes of Gossip Girl, The A-List and Secrets of My Hollywood Life as part of my growing collection, adding Pretty Little Liars would be a no-brainer.

Pretty Little Liars is a series of young adult novels by Sara Shepard. The series follows the lives of four girls — Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily — whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader, Alison. Three years later, they begin receiving text messages from someone using the name “A” who threatens to expose their secrets — including long-hidden ones they thought only Alison knew. |source|

With a plot this intriguing, no wonder ABC Family jumped at the chance of creating a pilot based on this book. As of December 2009, most of the lead characters have been cast:
Aria Montgomery – Lucy Hale (Privileged), Spencer Hastings – Troian Bellisario, Hanna Marin – Ashley Benson, Emily Fields – Shay Mitchell, Alison DiLaurentis – Sasha Pieterse, Byron Montgomery – Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Ashley Marin – Laura Leighton (Melrose Place)

Though I’m still not sure whether I’ll read the series eventually, I would definitely check out the pilot. I haven’t found a reliable source on when it will be exactly; but I’ll be sure to update the site on any news.

FOR MARSONTV.NET

|if i could only buy this shirt|

|latest update on Late Night Drama ‘10|

Tonight Show Shake Up

The Jay Leno Show is canceled; but they want to keep Jay, Conan and Jimmy. Talk about NBC wanting it all.
NBC reportedly planned to have Jay on at the 11:35pm slot, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien at 12:05am and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon afterwards. But if that’s going to happen, Conan O’Brien has issued a statement that he won’t do “The Tonight Show” following Jay Leno.
“My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of ‘The Tonight Show.’ But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction.”
I’m Team Coco all the way. His statement has got to be one of the classiest and most eloquent responses to a news this messed up. NBC is just making messes all around. And Jay Leno’s smugness doesn’t help things one bit. I still can’t understand why he didn’t just retire altogether when he said he would leave “The Tonight Show.” And now with the way things are going, it seems like he’s going to go back to his old timeslot as if nothing changed. And Conan O’Brien! I love the man and his comedy way more than Jay Leno (This guy doesn’t even make me laugh.). I just wish things pan out for him in the long run; because he’s simply getting the shortest end of the stick here.

Simon’s Last Year

Simon Cowell is leaving American Idol after this season to concentrate on the American version of his Brit show The X Factor.
Well, that sort of throws the whole future of American Idol into a tailspin. After all, Simon Cowell IS the show. His opinions are the only ones that really really matter. Fox could only hope to find a suitable replacement that achieves even half of what Simon does for the show.
So I guess Ellen Degeneres, Randy Jackson and Kara Dioguardi are sure things for next year. Other than that, we could only enjoy the last few days of Simon Cowell on American Idol and only speculate on what will happen on the show’s tenth season.

January Pick-Ups

And onto some good news, here are shows that got early pick-ups for next season.
The Middle, White Collar, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Glee, Mad Men, Dexter, The Big Bang Theory.

Friends on TV

Right on the heels of Lisa Kudrow’s guest appearance on Courtney Cox-Arquette’s show Cougar Town, we’re hearing more shows from former friends are getting their own go signals. ABC has greenlighted to pilot the Matthew Perry-starring comedy Mr. Sunshine. |source| Meanwhile, Matt LeBlanc is forced to audition for the role of himself in the series/spoof Episodes for Showtime. |source|
I love seeing my favorite Friends stars on television. I deeply miss the show; and seeing them move on to (hopefully) good projects just feels great.

Favorite Talk Show – The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Favorite TV Obsession – True Blood
Favorite TV Competition Show – American Idol
Favorite TV Comedy – The Big Bang Theory
Favorite TV Comedy Actor – Steve Carrell
Favorite TV Comedy Actress – Alyson Hannigan
Favorite TV Drama Actor – Hugh Laurie
Favorite TV Drama Actress – Katherine Heigl
Favorite TV Drama – House
Favorite New TV Drama – The Vampire Diaries
Favorite New TV Comedy – Glee
Favorite Sc-Fi / Fantasy Show – Supernatural

Wow. I actually watch most of the winners here. Yay for Glee, True Blood, The Big Bang Theory and Alyson Hannigan most of all.