History Channel to Air ‘Vietnam in HD’

07.27.11 Written by Matt

In case you missed it, “World War II in HD” — AKA “Hitler in Color” — was the greatest thing the History Channel has ever aired, and remains the single best thing a grown son can watch with his father (suck it, Field of Dreams). Now History is following up with “Vietnam in HD,” which may prove the existence of God if they reveal HD footage of Raquel Welch’s USO trip.

History channel is set to announce a six-hour miniseries that brings the Vietnam War into 2011 with a true high-definition telecast.

The network collected thousands of hours of uncensored war footage for the project, much of which has never previously been seen, then restored and and converted the most compelling moments to HD. Much of the footage was from soldiers’ personal handheld cameras. [EW]

“Dexter’s” Michael C. Hall will narrate the miniseries, and a bunch of actors will read the letters and writings of veterans. Not that this will need sound. If it’s half as good as “WWII in HD,” the images alone will be enough to drop your jaw. Especially if there’s Raquel Welch. Hint, hint.

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Starz, FX, Showtime, Pass on ‘Kennedys’

01.13.11 Written by Matt

Earlier this week, Starz and FX both passed on picking up “The Kennedys,” the eight-part miniseries that History dropped from its schedule because it “wasn’t the right fit.” (*cough* POLITICAL PRESSURE *cough cough*)

Not to be outdone, Showtime has also passed on the series:

Showtime was considered The Kennedy‘s best shot for an airing on a traditional network in the U.S. because of 24 co-creator [Joel] Surnow’s long-standing relationship with Showtime’s new programming chief David Nevins.

Reached for comment, the CEO of History Channel said, “Anyone? Anyone? C’mon, you can have it for ten bucks. Okay, five. Did I mention it has Katie Holmes?” And all the other programming executives cleared their throats and tried not to make eye contact.

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History Cancels ‘Kennedys’

01.10.11 Written by Matt

In a shocking move, History announced on Friday that it was pulling “The Kennedys,” the 8-part miniseries starring Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes that was supposed to air this spring. (SPOILER ALERT: Jack and Bobby get shot.)

“Upon completion of the production of The Kennedys, History has decided not to air the 8-part miniseries on the network,” a rep for the network tells The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand.” [THR]

More appropriate for the History brand: “Ice Road Truckers.”

Anyway, Deadline says that the miniseries, which is now being shopped to Showtime, was blocked by the long powerful tentacles of the Kennedy family.

Read the rest of this entry »

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What’s on Tonight: The Man in Black + WWII in HD

11.10.10 Written by Matt

"There's something I ought to tell you: I'm not circumcised, either."

Psych (USA) — Fall premiere. Returning from hiatus, the show will feature Cary Elwes as a debonair villain who uses the Shawn and Gus to escape prison. Cary Elwes gets a lifetime pass from me thanks to The Princess Bride, which is a good thing given his performance in Saw.

WWII in HD: The Air War (History) — Series premiere. From History: “The Air War showcases breathtaking aerial combat – original, color footage, never before seen by most Americans – of the B-17s “Flying Fortresses”, P-47 “Thunderbolts” and P-51 “Mustangs” on missions such as Regensburg, Schweinfurt and Berlin. Never-before-seen 8mm footage of the airmen on the bases, the devastation in Germany, and the Luftwaffe perspective is also highlighted.” Also: Andy Rooney. It may be the most perfect TV program ever made.

44th Annual Country Music Awards (ABC) — Wow, pop country music AND Gwyneth Paltrow singing?!?! What’s not to like? Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood host.

Harry Loves Lisa (TV Land) — Season finale. Smell ya later, “Harry Loves Lisa.” Smell ya later forever.

Track Me If You Can (Discovery) — Series premiere. From Discovery: “Security expert Aton Edwards takes the viewer on an amazing journey off the grid and under the radar.” Perfect viewing for paranoid conspiracy theorists.

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‘Rusty Nuts’: A ‘Pawn Stars’ Spin-Off

09.24.10 Written by Matt

History will be making a spin-off of its reality hit “Pawn Stars.” Ordinarily, I’d dismiss this outright, but the new show has a saving grace: it’s called “Rusty Nuts.”

The network has made a deal with Leftfield Pictures for “Rusty Nuts,” in which restoration expert Rick Dale brings trashed treasures back to life.

Dale owns Las Vegas-based Rick’s Restorations and is the go-to guy for the “Pawn Stars” team whenever the shop has an antique that needs improvement (such as a Coke machine, barber chair or 1937 gas pump).

Each episode of “Nuts” follows Dale, his staff and teenage son as they restore objects to their original, mint condition. [The Live Feed]

Can he restore History so it looks like the original History Channel? I miss all the Hitler programming. Those were the good old days. When History had Hitler programming, I mean. Not when Hitler killed six million Jews. Totally not cool, Hitler.

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