Screenwriter William Goldman once said of Hollywood, “Nobody knows nothing.” That’s as true today as it was 40 or even 100 years ago. The biggest hits frequently come as a complete surprise, even to those that made them. When “The Waltons” premiered on Sept. 14, 1972, nobody gave it much hope of survival, and that included its network, CBS, which scheduled it on Thursdays at 8 p.m. against ratings powerhouses “The Flip Wilson Show” and “The Mod Squad.” The show, created... Read more
TV executives like to say that their business isn’t driven by ideology but instead by money. If that were entirely true, then there’d probably be a sequel to, or a reimagining of, the long-running (1971-1981) CBS family drama “The Waltons” — which centered on a rural Virginia clan during the Great Depression and World War II — but there isn’t. And there isn’t likely to be, at least on broadcast TV. More on that in the next post, but for... Read more
In an elegantly reasoned op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, Fordham University bioethics instructor Charles Camosy looks at the twin Internet furors over the undercover videos depicting Planned Parenthood’s practice of trafficking in the body parts of prenatal infants, and the shooting of Zimbabwe’s famed Cecil the lion during a canned hunt. Camosy doesn’t claim moral equivalency between the two things, but he does point out some interesting similarities. On animal-rights supporters: Animals are helpless creatures, often subject to terrible... Read more
Not long ago, Tim Tebow’s career as an NFL quarterback had been blown dead. After the Denver Broncos let him go in favor of Peyton Manning, he had a brief stint at the New York Jets, than an even briefer stint with the New England Patriots — then, nothing. Tebow hasn’t appeared in a regular-season NFL game since 2012. He got work as a college-football commentator, made many speaking appearances, was the subject of various romantic rumors (but zero scandal)... Read more
Under a tsunami of awful news on all fronts, I just had a tiny glimmer of joy. Even though, as a longtime entertainment journalist, I have watched a bazillion hours of TV, I remain one of the worst comedy audiences ever. Very little TV comedy makes me laugh out loud, and the one thing guaranteed to do that at least once in every episode, is, of all things, a show about motoring. Here’s a taste of the BBC’s “Top Gear”:... Read more
In the secular world, people usually lobby for promotions, or, at least, the subject is brought up with them at some point. Not so, in the Catholic Church. Not long ago, Robert Barron, Catholic media star, priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and rector of its Mundelein Seminary, got a call. “I was in my room on a lazy Sunday afternoon,” he said. “I had finished Mass, and I was back in my room, watching golf. This phone call comes... Read more
Ever heard of Pope Pius XIII? No? Don’t worry, you didn’t miss a chunk of Church history. The pontiff comes from the imagination of writers Tony Grisoni, Umberto Contarello, Stefano Rulli and Paolo Sorrentino, who will also direct all eight episodes of HBO’s “The Young Pope.” Production is set to begin this summer and continue through early 2016, primarily in Italy but also in the U.S., Africa and Puerto Rico. Jude Law takes the title role of Lenny Belardo, an... Read more
After axing the beleaguered “19 Kids and Counting” in June — which was, all things considered, utterly unsurprising — TLC is keeping a toehold with the faith-based audience with the premiere of “Answered Prayers” on Sunday, July 26, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. “Touched by an Angel” star Roma Downey is executive producer (with husband Mark Burnett and others) and host of the one-hour series, which chronicles stories believed to feature miraculous experiences. Over the last few years, Downey has been more producer... Read more
There are some stories that, while not dramatic or grand or full of explosions, can awaken minds and shatter souls. Read more
On Tuesday, July 21, Archbishop Jose Gomez (second from left) of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles held a press conference at the downtown Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to introduce his three newly named auxiliary bishops — (from left to right) Msgr. Joseph V. Brennan, Father Robert Barron, and Msgr. David O’Connell — to the media. The three bishops-elect wore pectoral crosses identical to those worn by Pope Francis, who had the ultimate say over their elevation (but I understand... Read more
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