The 50 Greatest TV icons airs tonight

If you missed it the first time around (like I did,) then you’ve still got time to check out the TV Land special The 50 Greatest TV Icons.

The show will rerun tonight at 5 p.m. and several other times this week. (Check out the schedule at the end of this post.)

The list is interesting. It includes the biggies, Oprah, Carol Burnett, Jerry Seinfeld and, of course, Johnny Carson as number one. There are some fun names on the list as well: Lassie, Homer Simpson, Kermit and George Clooney.

A couple names, though, made me scratch my head in shock. Jennifer Aniston? It must have been the haircut that earned her that spot.

Here’s the schedule for upcoming airings:

11/20 5 p.m.
11/21 12 p.m.
11/21 10 p.m.
11/24 12:30 a.m.
11/24 10 a.m.

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David Letterman to appear on Oprah

For the first time ever, late night talker David Letterman will appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

He’ll appear in her season opener, scheduled for taping September 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

For years, Letterman had tried to get Winfrey on his show, and she finally agreed two years ago, mending a reported 16-year silence between them. The two then appeared in a funny Super Bowl ad as a cozy couple.

Winfrey had appeared on Letterman’s show twice on NBC, before he jumped networks in 1993. But Winfrey had told Time magazine that she felt uncomfortable as the target of his jokes.

Let’s hope that Dave doesn’t pull out that unfortunate, “Oprah, Uma” joke.

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Who are TV’s highest paid stars?

It’s probably no surprise that Oprah Winfrey is the highest paid individual on television.

But what is surprising is that Scrubs’ star Zach Braff earns $6.3 million a year. (Somehow, that makes me feel a little better about his Emmy snub.)

According to TV Guide’s July 23 issue that lists TV’s highest paid stars, Oprah earns $260 million per year. It’s no wonder she has so many “favorite things,” when she’s pulling down that kind of cash.

Simon Cowell and Judge Judy are also doing pretty well, with $45 million and $30 million respectively. It’s hard to believe that they earn that kind of dough for what they do, but there it is. Who said the world was fair?

Strangely missing from the list are Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jon Stewart. I’m not sure why they aren't listed, but I assume they are also among TV’s highest paid stars.

Here’s the complete list of bank breakers, broken down by categories:

NETWORK PRIME TIME (all salaries are per episode)
William Petersen ("CSI"): $500,000
Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men"): $350,000
Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000
Chris Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000
Hugh Laurie ("House"): $300,000
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("New Adventures of Old Christine"):$225,000
Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy"): $200,000
Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"): $200,000

DAYTIME (all salaries are per year)
Judge Judy: $30 million
Bob Barker: $10 million
Maury Povich (per year plus profits): $7 million
Ellen DeGeneres: $5 million
Jerry Springer: $3 million - 4 million
Tyra Banks: $3.5 million

NEWS ANCHORS (all salaries are per year)
Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News" anchor): $15 million
Matt Lauer (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $12 million
Meredith Vieira (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $10 million

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Super Bowl commercials: Dave and Oprah and K-Fed

My secret is out. I don’t actually watch the Super Bowl for football. I watch it for the commercials.

Yes, it’s shallow and an affront to true sports fans everywhere. Sorry. But, I find croaking frogs, football-playing Clydesdales, and herds of cats much more entertaining than grown men tossing a ball.

This year, however, the ads were so disappointing that I started watching (gulp) the game. How lacking were the commercials? Well, when K-Fed working at a fast-food restaurant is my second favorite Super Bowl ad, you figure it out.

The best spot of the night was for the Bowl game, itself, and featured David Letterman (of Indianapolis) and Oprah Winfrey (of Chicago.) Apparently, they’re in love now. Enjoy!

Dave and Oprah: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2819651

K-Fed: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2819651

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Oprah features "We Are Marshall"

Actor Matthew McConaughey is scheduled to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show Wednesday, Dec. 6, to discuss the film We Are Marshall. I promised I’d let you know the date, so there it is, according to the West Virginia Film Office. Check your local listings for times and set your TiVos, Tubers. You don’t want to miss this.

In other We Are Marshall news, Huntington, WV, locals you may want to pick up the new filming-location map before you watch the movie. The Huntington Convention & Visitors Bureau has created a handy foldout map for We Are Marshall, that pinpoints locations where filming occurred in Huntington. The maps will be distributed around Huntington and will also appear at welcome centers, among other places. For more information, contact the CVB at http://www.wvvisit.com/

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People’s Choice Award Nominees

Grey’s Anatomy, House, Oprah Winfrey, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Aniston are just some of the shows and TV stars nominated for this year’s People’s Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. EST, live on CBS.

Fans, you can vote for your favorites in each category at PCAvote.com. Online voters can also register for a chance to win a VIP trip to “The 33rd Annual People’s Choice Awards” at the Web site.

Here is a complete list of nominees, with the television nominees listed first, of course!

TV
Favorite TV Comedy: The King of Queens, My Name is Earl, Two and a Half Men
Favorite TV Comedy, Animated: Family Guy, King of the Hill, The Simpsons
Favorite TV Drama: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey’s Anatomy, House
Favorite Competition/Reality Show: American Idol, Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Favorite Female TV Star: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eva Longoria, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Favorite Male TV Star: Patrick Dempsey, Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland
Favorite Talk Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey

Movies
Favorite Female Movie Star: Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock
Favorite Male Movie Star: Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington
Favorite Leading Lady: Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Scarlett Johansson
Favorite Leading Man: Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn
Favorite Female Action Star: Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Uma Thurman
Favorite Male Action Star: Johnny Depp, Samuel L. Jackson, Jet Li
Favorite On-Screen Match-Up: Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, The Break-Up; Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed; Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Music
Favorite Female Singer: Faith Hill, Shakira, Carrie Underwood
Favorite Male Singer: Trace Adkins, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith
Favorite Group: The Black Eyed Peas, Nickelback, The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Favorite R&B Song: Christina Aguilera, “Ain’t No Other Man”; Justin Timberlake, “SexyBack”; Mariah Carey, “Shake It Off”
Favorite Hip-Hop Song: Nelly, “Grillz”; Chamillionaire, “Ridin’”; Eminem, “Shake That”
Favorite Pop Song: Shakira, “Hips Don’t Lie”; Nelly Furtado, “Promiscuous”; Pink, “Stupid Girls”
Favorite Country Song: Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats”; Rascal Flatts, “What Hurts the Most”; Tim McGraw, “When the Stars Go Blue”
Favorite Rock Song: Evanescence, “Call Me When You’re Sober”; Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Dani California”; Bon Jovi, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”

Miscellaneous
Favorite Funny Female Star: Ellen DeGeneres, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Queen Latifah
Favorite Funny Male Star: Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Robin Williams

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"We Are Marshall" to be featured on "Oprah"

by Jennifer Squires Biller

Photo: Actor Matthew McConaughey and director McG do the traditional Marshall University pre-game walk .

The movie We Are Marshall will be featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show before the film’s Dec. 22 premiere, according to star Matthew McConaughey. We Are Marshall tells the story of a 1970 plane crash that killed most of the Marshall University football team, coaches, and several community members and chronicles the rebuilding year that followed.

McConaughey told a group of reporters in Huntington, W.Va., last week that he watched the film with Oprah and that she is planning a special show about the tragic story. McConaughey did not know the exact date of the special, but said it would be before Dec. 22.

“She did enjoy the movie. We both shed a good tear over it,” he said. “The show ended with the whole studio audience (cheering) our chorus ‘We Are... Marshall.’ It was beautiful.”

McConaughey and director McG were in Huntington for the Marshall/Central Florida game Wednesday. The duo did the pre-game walk with the team, as thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the stars and support the Thundering Herd.

During the game, ESPN2 gave plenty of promotion to the upcoming film. McConaughey talked with announcers about the movie and what it means to the community. The film trailer also played during the game, for television viewers.

At the stadium, McConaughey and McG introduced the crowd to a four-minute clip of the movie. The two stood together, arms around one another, facing the big screen, as the scene played. The clip shown was an inspirational speech from Coach Jack Lengyel (McConaughey) to his team at the gravesite of six players killed in the plane crash. The crowd watching the clip, sat silently, wiping tears, before erupting in cheers, as McConaughey’s words found resonance with fans who have watched their team face some tough losses this season. Lengyel told the team that despite what the scoreboard said, if they played with heart, they would not be losers.

Despite all the Hollywood magic and the heartfelt memories at the stadium, the Thundering Herd couldn’t pull out a win. They lost to Central Florida 23-22.

McConaughey has not been shy about proclaiming his adoration for the upcoming movie in recent interviews.

“There are two scripts I’ve read in my career — I’ve made 37 films — that as soon as I finished the last page, I said, ‘I’m in, no matter what,’” he said. “The first was my first film, Dazed and Confused, the second was this.”


You can view the film clip below that was shown at the game.

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