Donald Trump doesn’t understand why staying on as an executive producer on The Celebrity Apprentice might be a problem, insisting that he will spend “zero time” working on it. Let me explain this to you, Donald: The problem is not that you’ll be spending time in “the boardroom” firing Ray J or Screech from Saved by the Bell. The problem is, you asshole, that by making money off of a show like Celebrity Apprentice you could create all sorts of fishy scenarios in which people might try to buy your influence by purchasing advertising time on your show. And as I stated last week, it creates issues for NBC and how they will cover you through their news wing.
“My concern is that if NBC is possibly going to cancel the show because of ratings, they might have second thoughts because of the F.C.C. and other agencies he controls,” said Robert M. Stern, former president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, which focuses on ethics reform.
Mr. Stern noted that government agencies would be regulating a variety of businesses owned by Comcast. If executives were to interfere with the “Apprentice,” he said, they might wonder, “What would the president do to us? Or what would his F.C.C. do to us?”
THIS IS THE SAME THING AS PUTTING YOUR KIDS IN CHARGE OF YOUR BUSINESS INSTEAD OF USING AN ACTUAL BLIND TRUST: YOU ARE CREATING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST EVERYWHERE, YOU FUCKING GREEDY MONSTER. JUST LOSE THE CONTRACT AND TRY TO LOOK PRESIDENTIAL. FOR ONCE.
But Arnold Schwarzenegger is cool with Trump staying on as a producer so everything is fine. Don’t worry about it, guys.
How much is Trump going to make as an executive producer of Celebrity Apprentice, spending “zero time” working on it? Somewhere in the $1 million a season range.
But the worst part of all of this? This Celebrity Apprentice garbage is easily the least problematic thing the Petulant-elect has done this week. Between refusing to take intelligence briefings to trying to undermine the One China policy which led to the Chinese flying a nuclear bomber over the South China Sea so as “to send Donald Trump a ‘message'” to considering appointing as Secretary of State an oil executive with ties to Putin to dismissing intelligence reports that the Russians hacked the election in his favor and picking a fight with the CIA, this man is pushing us towards a constitutional crisis AND HE IS NOT EVEN PRESIDENT YET.
BUT THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL BLOG. THIS IS A TV BLOG.
Which is why I am including this New York Times piece about how the Trump presidency IS Trump TV:
Mr. Trump and cable news have the same metabolism. Cable news demands a steady stream of excitations and “breaking” updates, a constant instability that keeps you tuning in.
Mr. Trump is glad to supply that, and cable news is glad to respond. This creates a perpetual-motion machine. Mr. Trump sees something in the news; he gets mad; he tweets; that becomes the news; repeat. He’s the Hate-Watcher in Chief.
I MEAN LOOK AT THAT TWEET!
Fortunately, Jake Tapper is doing his job and demanding answers from people in power, also known as “being a journalist.” It’s terrifying that it is so remarkable in this day and age that we applaud when people in the media don’t just give politicians a safe place to spin their nonsense and actually ask them hard questions. Y’ALL ARE GONNA NEED TO STEP UP YOUR GAME, JOURNALISTS.
Joe Piscopo is talking about running for governor of New Jersey, because this is what Trump hath wrought, just any idiot who has ever been on TV for anything thinking he should be in charge of shit. THANKS, TRUMP.
I’m not laughing at a drunk Silicon Valley‘s T.J. Miller slapping an Uber driver over a fight about Trump because violence is never the answer.
Last week Adult Swim canceled Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace after being decried as an “alt-right” comedy series. Here’s an interview with the creator, Sam Hyde, and I gotta say, he comes off as a horrible human being.
Jimmy Kimmel is here with Trump on a Stump to make Christmas Great Again:
Here’s a long form piece about the best political comedian in late night these days.
In non-Trump news: We have our Golden Globe nominees and if I can get my act together later on today, I’ll pull together some thoughts on who I think will/should win and who was snubbed. No promises, though.
The Critic’s Choice Awards were last night. People vs. OJ unsurprisingly ran the table, and I don’t have a lot of beef with the rest of the winners with a couple of exceptions: 1. Evan Rachel Wood did not deserve to win Best Actress in a Drama over Keri Russell or Tatiana Maslany; 2. Where the hell was Brian Tyree Henry for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Atlanta? and 3. Imma let you finish, Silicon Valley, but Atlanta was the best comedy of the year.
It would seem Lakeith Stanfield, a.k.a. Darius, agrees with me:
Just LOOK at Sam Richardson’s (Richard from Veep) face:
Speaking of Veep, do we have them to blame for the Trump administration? No, of course not, but kinda?
Here’s the red band trailer for The Mick, which, yes, will be on network TV, and it looks like there will need to be a lot of bleeping in post-production. Seriously, do not play thisat work with the volume turned up.
Emmy Rossum has reportedly been offered the same salary as William Macy for Shameless but is holding out for more. This is an interesting situation for a number of reasons: Rossum is undoubtedly the heart of the series and probably deserves more especially if Showtime isn’t actually ready to cancel the series. But it is an older show and paying her more will break the parity rule, which could create trouble for a bunch of other series whose casts will be renegotiating their contracts — particularly and especially over at The Big Bang Theory.
Here’s the trailer for the fourth season of Sherlock and OMG what is his big secret?
Eric Stonestreet has stated the obvious: They’ve filmed more episodes of Modern Family than they are going to film. That said, it’s still a huge ratings draw — one of the biggest on ABC, and the show isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The Exorcist and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend have both promised crazy finales. PLEASE DON’T CANCEL EITHER OF THESE SHOWS, TV GODS.
I’m happy your mother isn’t alive to see you behaving this way, Cindy Brady.
Those Duck Dynasty producers have, in fact, been fired and are being sued for fraud by ITV. Here’s why.
NBC is working on Top Puppet, a puppet reality competition because why the hell not.
In other development news:
- ABC bought Down in the Valley, a crime dramedy.
- The CW bought an Ian Somerhalder project, Transience, a drama about consciousness transferring.
R.I.P. Darrell Ewalt, Emmy-award-winning executive at AXS Television
R.I.P. Joseph Mascolo, Stefano DiMera on Days of Our Lives
WATCH THIS
Timeless: Benedict Arnold. 9 p.m., NBC
America’s Next Top Model: Tyra Banks isn’t hosting and it’s on VH1 instead of The CW and they’ve gotten rid of all the male models but otherwise it’s just the same. Season premiere. 9 p.m., VH1
The Odd Couple: It’s the fall finale but there will be no spring episodes and so what I’m saying is this might be goodbye. 8:30 p.m., CBS
The Daily Show: President Obama makes his last appearance while president. 10 p.m., Comedy Central
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Bryan Cranston, Hailee Steinfeld, OneRepublic Late Night with Seth Meyers: Billie Lourd, Maureen Dowd, Dave Lombardo The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: John Goodman, Denee Benton, Norah Jones The Late Late Show with James Corden: Chris Pratt, Olivia Munn Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jennifer Lawrence, Phantogram The Daily Show: President Barack Obama Watch What Happens Live: Sting, Trudie Styler
| MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | The Great Christmas Light Fight (new) |
The Great American Baking Show (repeat) |
| CBS | Kevin Can Wait (new) |
Man With a Plan (new) |
2 Broke Girls (new) |
The Odd Couple (new) |
Scorpion (new) |
| CW | Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer | Greatest Holiday Commercials (new) |
Local |
| FOX | Gotham (repeat) |
Lucifer (repeat) |
News/Local |
| NBC | The Voice (new) |
Timeless (new) |
OMG!!! Where do I get my Trump on a Stump??? I must have this!!!!