New year, same rules: Stuff Happens and I bring the smarm. Let the sniping begin!
Radiohead topped the charts with the physical retail release of In Rainbows which was released in North America via a licensing agreement between the band and Dave Matthews-owned ATO Records. The main difference between the CD release and the download release back in October is that you will most likely not be able to name your own price for the CD. Although that’s never really stopped anyone from trying that tact at Best Buy.
In Rainbows actually charted a week earlier due to some retailers breaking the original January 1st street date to reportedly protest the earlier online stunt. ATO is currently mulling its options for a response–including delaying when those same retail outlets get the upcoming new Dave Matthews Band album. Which kind of works out, since most of DMB’s remaining fans will likely “name their own price” for it anyway.
Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel circumvented WGA strike rules by appearing as guests on each other’s late night talk shows, allowing the hosts to write material for their appearances. Reassuringly, however, the change of venue failed to make Kimmel or Leno’s written material any better.
In other strike busting news, CBS announced it would begin airing episodes of the Showtime hit Dexter starting later this month. The network has also announced a winter edition of Big Brother. Sadly, no crossovers are planned.
Torchwood producer Chris Chibnall has signed on to head the upcoming UK version of Law & Order for ITV. The first series’ 13 episodes will be based on scripts from the American series (reworked to fit the UK’s legal system, of course) and may eventually be aired stateside on NBC or USA, which is quite a long to go for refried reruns.
There is no official word yet on what Chibnall’s new gig means for the future of Torchwood, which premieres its second series on BBC America in about two weeks. Actually, I do know what it means for the future of the show–I’m just not going to tell you yet. Besides, we have to give the British tabloids (not to mention the artist formerly known as the Outpost Gallifrey forums) time to wildly speculate about what it means. It’s only fair, after all.
But while we’re there, lemme give you folks something else to chew on. Showtime has snagged the US airing rights to the UK series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. The show features former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper leading a double life as a secretary by day and a high priced escort at night. This, of course, is nothing you couldn’t have already seen in Who fan fic, but the curious can check out the series later this Spring.
A second series of Secret Diary has already been commissioned, but Piper will be temporarily shelving the dominatrix gear in order to make a brief return to Doctor Who later this year. Again, nothing you’ve couldn’t have already seen in…oh, just look it up.
Bill Gates graced the stage of this week’s Consumer Electronics Show to deliver his final keynote as head of Microsoft. Gates spent the majority of his time highlighting the changes in the digital landscape and the achievements the company has made in pushing them forward to mainstream consumers. He then admitted the company was still working diligently to patch most of them.
Finally, the first “Sucks to be you” honor of 2008 goes to MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, mainly for sitting through this:
Direct link for the feedreaders.
Please join us next week, when Chris will cement his pop culture and political relevancy as he compares the South Carolina results to High Noon.
