‘After Lately’ Promises Amusing Potential For E!

Chelsea Handler fans rejoice: the acerbic comedienne is expanding her brand with a new mockementary show called After Lately. The series follows Chelsea and her writers backstage through a tongue-and-cheek series of exploits, with the premiere episode focusing on a heated competition to land a spot on Ms. Handler’s swanky private jet. I was lucky enough to nab an advanced screener of the pilot, and while it’s uneven at times, I’m happy to report that the show does certainly have potential to be a buzzworthy comedy.

Much like Chelsea Lately (and E!’s other white hot series, The Soup), I’m guessing that After Lately might need some time to find its sweet spot. The performers (all actual staff members on Chelsea Lately) are all game, but they’re still a bit rough around the edges (the exception being Chelsea and writer Sarah Colonna, who have a natural ease on camera). Unsurprisingly, Chelsea steals most scenes she pops up in, but most of the action focuses on writers such as Brad Wollack and Heather McDonald, the latter of whom lands a bit about sidekicks that suggests potential brilliance in this show’s future. After Lately is not there yet, but comedies need to find their voices, and with some sweet, sweet love and affection from E!, we might have another worthy contender for our DVR — or at least something to distract us from crap like Pretty Wild.

After Lately: Premieres March 6th at 11 PM on E!

REAL HOUSEWIVES PHOTOCAP: Doing It For The Kids

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The second episode of The Real Housewives of Miami aired last night, and I’m afraid we’ve yet to see much stirring drama. It wasn’t a total wash — there was some amusing crap that went down — but this season has yet to get its sea legs so far. With any luck, next week’s installment will be bringing the craziness, what with Adriana getting into a spat with some tall dandy. For now, however, our attention must remain with this week’s drama, which centered around Lea and Cristy, as well as some ancillary junk with Adriana. Continue reading “REAL HOUSEWIVES PHOTOCAP: Doing It For The Kids”

New Dancing with the Stars Cast Revealed; Williams vs. Alley Showdown Hotly Anticipated

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Hey dancing fiends, the new cast of Dancing with the Stars is out, and once again, the producers have wisely trended toward tabloid disasters. We got a neat group of people, but it all comes down to two names: Wendy Williams and Kirstie Alley. Need I say anymore? Final two right there.

But in case you care about the rest of the cast, here is the full list: Continue reading “New Dancing with the Stars Cast Revealed; Williams vs. Alley Showdown Hotly Anticipated”

B-Side Blog Attends QVC Red Carpet Party, Invades Personal Space

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In case you didn’t hear, the Oscars happened this weekend, and Los Angeles officially entered celebration mode — a mode it’s actually been in for three weeks, what with the NBA All-Star Game and Grammys taking up party real-estate for the prior two Sundays. Naturally I was more than eager to take part in the festivities; so when Fox 411 writer Meaghan Murphy invited me to join her at the QVC “Buzz on the Red Carpet” event on Friday, I leapt at the opportunity.

Now I know what you’re saying: QVC had a red carpet event? They did. And here’s what’s crazy: legitimate A-Listers and Oscar nominees showed up, including Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Lawrence, and eventual winner Melissa Leo. Of course, I saw none of them, but I did spend a solid ten minutes next to Mark Ruffalo at the valet stand when I left. Spoiler alert: he’s really short (and also quite friendly).

Anyway, more trifling celebrity stories as well as a few pictures after the jump… Continue reading “B-Side Blog Attends QVC Red Carpet Party, Invades Personal Space”

Rachel Zoe Gives B-Side Blog Exclusive Story Behind Anne Hathaway’s Oscar Looks

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Last night’s telecast of the Oscars was one of the dullest in years, thanks in part to lackluster nominations, predictable wins, and lame comedy bits. Just about the only thing noteworthy was hostess Anne Hathaway’s perpetually changing wardrobe, which consisted of eight looks overall. I couldn’t help think about the toll this must have put on celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, who manages to suffer a near aneurysm every year when she needs to dress Annie in one dress, let alone eight.

Luckily, the harried stylist was able to take some time out of her busy schedule to talk about each of Anne Hathaway’s ensembles. Exclusive commentary after the jump… Continue reading “Rachel Zoe Gives B-Side Blog Exclusive Story Behind Anne Hathaway’s Oscar Looks”

Layout Changes Coming To B-Side Blog

Exciting stuff going on here at B-Side Blog lately. No, I didn’t get new office furniture. I’ve decided to recommit myself to the blog, which means more coverage of more TV shows as well as other fun stuff in the realm of food, drink, nightlife, and everything else. To that end, I plan on rejiggering some of the layout here on the site. One of the struggles that I’ve had is keeping a clear brand message for new readers. TV fans come here and see posts about soups and vacuum cleaners. Food people come here and see nothing but Real Housewives. B-Side Blog is first and foremost a pop culture site, and the redesign will emphasize that. The new look will feature TV items prominently on the main page, but food, drink, and nightlife will be easily accessible on the sidebar. The idea is to give the site more of a pop-culture “hub” feeling rather than a random stream of topics. Fear not though: this is not going to be an annoying segmentation (ie. the dreaded recaps and Newsgasm segregation that occurred at TVgasm). The full blog will still be accessible from the very front page. Furthermore, the content will be exactly the same.

The whole point is to merely make the site more accessible for new readers (as well as potential advertisers because let’s be honest, that’s what it’s all about). I’ll be moving over to the new theme over the course of this weekend; so if things look funky, you’ll know why. On the plus side, if you’re bored, you can watch as the site morphs in front of your eyes (I don’t know how to put up a nifty “Under Construction” page; so you’ll get to see the changes just as I do).

Wish me luck…

Currywurst Arrives In Los Angeles!

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When I went to Germany three and a half years ago with my friends jash and m_ruv, I returned with an undying love for currywurst, a local street food in Berlin that combines sausage and curried ketchup. Some vendors sell it with bratwurst, others with bockwurst, and quite frankly there are many heated arguments (according to Time-Out Berlin) about the proper way to prepare the dish. All I know is that every time I ordered it (which was quite often on our brief four day jaunt), I loved it.

Unfortunately, German restaurants are few and far between here in Los Angeles, and the ones that do exist have pretty meager currywurst offerings. That’s why I was so excited when my friend IndianJones emailed me (and our friend Phamtastic, who is actually German) this morning about the opening of Berlin Currywurst. Located in the heart of the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, Berlin Currywurst looked to be what I’d been waiting for all these years: A CURRYWURST MECCA. It should be no surprise then that I trekked out there on its opening day today for a solo lunch amidst the hipsters and hippies at Sunset Junction.

Continue reading “Currywurst Arrives In Los Angeles!”

HOUSEWIVES HOEDOWN, EPISODE 9: Talking Miami



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It’s Wednesday, which means there’s a new episode of Housewives Hoedown ready to watch. Joining me this week is my old chum from TVgasm, Katie Cazorla, who just happens to be starring in a brand new reality show for the TV Guide Network called “The Nail Files,” which premieres in June. Anyway, on this episode of Housewives Hoedown, Katie and I take on The Real Housewives of Miami. We break down the debut episode, analyze all the women, and then rank them in order of best to worst at the end of the show. We also chat about The Real Housewives of Atlanta as well as gossip from the other franchises. Plus, Katie dishes exclusively about meeting Taylor Armstrong from Beverly Hills.

Check it out!

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MIAMI PHOTOCAP: Bienvenedos a Miami

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Heeeere we go! The Real Housewives of Miami premiered last night, and I’m sorry to report that it wasn’t terribly caliente. I’m not writing it off by any means, but the first episode was a bit on the slow side. Already people on Twitter and Facebook are comparing it unfavorably to D.C., but even that much maligned season had some great stuff in its premiere (the salons integrating? Cat bashing Tyra Banks in front of Stacie?). Miami, however, was quiet on the drama front. Then again, Beverly Hills had a tame premiere, and look how that turned out. Beverly Hills also had significantly more compelling characters too though, and even without drama in its debut, we could tell we were in for some amazing times.

Nevertheless, Miami has potential. Lea looks to be a mess in the best way, and if nothing else, hopefully we’ll get plenty of Marysol’s mother to keep things interesting. Continue reading “REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MIAMI PHOTOCAP: Bienvenedos a Miami”