The Remote Island : Elvis Costello

"30 Rock": Everybody Was In "Kidney Now" [VIDEO]

Jake Kalish — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:05:00 GMT

Everybody - and we mean everybody - was in that fake benefit song in the season finale of 30 Rock. Elvis Costello, Clay Aiken, Sheryl Crow, the Beastie Boys, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef, Talib Kweli, Moby, Norah Jones, Cyndi Lauper, and more. Plus, the song had catchy lyrics:

This country has six million kidneys/and we really only need half/that leaves about three hundred million kidneys/Do the math.

Check it out...

PREVIOUSLY:

Judah Friedlander, World Champion [VIDEO]

Salma Hayek Likes To Sync Her Weddings With Her "30 Rock" Appearances

NBC: Incompetent Would Be A Step Up [VIDEO]

Bill Clinton Talks About His Sax Life Wednesday At 9 On "Elvis Costello: Spectacle"

Jake Kalish — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:27:00 GMT

Elvis and Bubba in the same room?

We've checked out the first two episodes of Elvis Costello: Spectacle, and it's a show that's clearly still getting its bearings. The good news is Elvis Costello doesn't talk down to anyone; the bad news is he doesn't talk to that many people, either. The first two shows featured Elvis with Elton John and Lou Reed, and felt like when you hear old musicians talk in depth to each other - great appeal, quite honestly, clearly seemed limited to music geeks. Elton went on and on about the now-obscure Leon Russell, while Lou waxed poetic about the mostly-forgotten Jimmy Scott. It wasn't that any of this was bad -- it was that it seemed a little exclusive; too inside baseball for the regular folk.

But that problem may be alleviated by Wednesday's guest, former Saxophonist-in Chief William Jefferson Clinton. Clinton has always been a fantastic talk-show guest, and it'll be interesting to hear him talk music. Maybe getting a non-musician (er, non-professional, anyways!) on for the whole show will free Costello up to let us all into the party.

"Elvis Costello: Spectacle" Premieres Tonight On The Sundance Channel

Jake Kalish — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:35:00 GMT

So just when we were pining for those days before we were born, when serious music shows like The Johnny Cash Show featured serious musicians doing serious songs, all grown-up like, we find out about Elvis Costello: Spectacle, set to premiere tonight at 9 on Sundance (and, if you happen to be across the pond, also on BBC 4). The show, created by Elton John and his partner in love and business, David Furnish, will feature Costello sitting down with guests and talking music after first performing a song written by or inspired by the guest. Here's Sir Elton discussing the concept for the show:

Wouldn’t it be great to do a proper, full-length musical show, because we live in a sound-bite culture. Elvis has experience, he’s got an encyclopedic knowledge of music...He's the one.

No argument here, especially after seeing Costello doing such a stand-up job guest-hosting for Letterman in 2003, and watching him on other shows talking shop in a deeply intelligent, never pretentious or insider-y way. These are Elvis' hopes for the show:

(I want to) hear about a deep love or a curiosity that might be obscured by fame. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk in complete thoughts about music, movies, art or even vaudeville, then frame it with unique and illustrative performances.

Well, doesn't that sound...adult. The first guest Wednesday will be Elton John (How did Elton John book that guy?), followed the 10th by Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel, and then, on the 17th, Bill "Saxophone Collossus" Clinton. We look forward to it.

PREVIOUSLY:
Holiday Gift Suggestion #1: "The Johnny Cash Show" On DVD

Wake Up And Smile: Your New Daily TV News Source!

Bryan Christian — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:36:00 GMT

No, really. We're gonna give you a snarky, easy-to-read digest of TV news every single day. (Or thereabouts.) Why? Well, A) Because we like you, and B) Because we're too lazy to write individual posts about everything we wanna.

- Smallvile fans, don't click this link if you don't want spoilers about next season's developments between Lois and Clark and, urm, you've never seen Lois and Clark or known anything about Superman ever.

- Cable's IFC is buying Steven Soderbergh's two-part, four-hour, possibly boring political epic Che for a simultaneous January release in theatres and on-demand. 'Cause the place for epics is on your couch!

- The aim of Elvis Costello's new Sundance Channel variety show might not be that true.

- Hey Remote Olivia, check it out: Fanny Pak were back. Briefly.

- One of the hot chicks from Cloverfield is gonna be on 90210. Wonder what she'll look like filmed with stationary cameras.

- Gary Cole's gonna play Sarah's dad on Chuck. Everyone all together now: Yeah... that'd be great.

- And just because you've been so good today handling something new on the blog: reporters sometimes don't look where they're going. Fun. Ny.

18 "Memorable TV Moments" That The Emmy People Missed

Bryan Christian — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:31:00 GMT

Dear Emmys People,

Hi guys. Listen, we know that you're really busy ignoring The Wire and all, but we here at The Remote Island have a bone to pick with you. What's up with those "memorable TV moments" you got us all voting on? Not to put too fine a point on it, but we don't actually remember that many of them. And some of them aren't even moments; they're just, like, parts of important episodes.

So, we cooked up a list of our own most memorable moments that we think should have been included for voting. Have a look, let us know what you think. Maybe you could even vote on your favorite!

Oh, and not that they're in any particular order or anything -- but number one is totally "Mahna Mahna."

Better luck next time!

Cheers,
Yr pals at The Remote Island

Mahna Mahna

Reverend Jim takes his driving test on Taxi

The bomb goes off in The Day After

The end of Star Trek: The Next Generation

The confrontation between Chandler and Phoebe in "The One Where Everyone finds Out" where Phoebe knows that Chandler and Monica are hooking up and Chandler and Monica know that she knows and Phoebe knows that they know that she knows and so Chandler and Phoebe act like they wanna have sex with each other to see who'll crack first

Homer falls down Springfield Gorge. Twice.

Stringer Bell meets Omar and Brother Mouzone on The Wire

Gus McCrea buys the farm on Lonesome Dove

The lizard alien reveal in V

Ellen comes out

Elvis Costello bails on "Less Than Zero" and launches into "Radio, Radio" live on SNL

Jessie's drug freakout in Saved by the Bell

the Moldavian massacre on Dynasty

Arnold Drummond ditches his best friend alone with a child molester on Diff'rent Strokes

Agent Dale Cooper's Dream on Twin Peaks

Sam and Diane say goodbye

Beatles on Sullivan. Duh.

Luke rapes Laura on a dance floor on General Hospital

PREVIOUSLY:
Emmy Wants You To Pick The Most Memorable Moments In TV History
What Did We Think Of The Emmy Nominations?

Get Happy!! Elvis Costello Is Doing a Variety Show

Ben Kallen — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:33:00 GMT

When David Letterman allowed his show to be taken over by guest hosts while he was recovering from an illness a few years ago, one of the best, and most interesting, was Elvis Costello. Now comes news that the genius musician is preparing a variety show of his own.

Produced in part by Elton John, Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... will feature Costello both conversing and collaborating with a different performer each week. In addition to John, the guests are slated to include Tony Bennett, Lou Reed, Pat Metheny, and even former President Bill Clinton. (Please let him play sax on "Watching the Detectives.")

The 13-episode first season is set to run on the Sundance Channel in the U.S., but a broadcast schedule hasn't been announced yet.

In the meantime, click here to see Costello singing "Letterman," his tribute to Dave (to the tune of "Alison," natch). And watch the video below to see Costello and Lucinda Williams performing the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" on Country Music Television -- just because you can.

Photo: The Elvis Costello Home Page

Previously:
Will the Osbournes' Next Program Be a Variety Show?