A Brief History of Gambling on TV Shows

07.29.11 Written by Josh

Earlier this week, our briefly departed tyrannical leader, Mr. Ufford, posted an article about how bookmakers Paddy Power have given odds on how Charlie Sheen’s character, Charlie Harper, will depart “Two and a Half Men.” Gambling on TV shows, particularly when it involves death, isn’t all that different from putting money on a sports game because you have no idea what the outcome is going to be (“WILL TONY DIE?” ASKS 2007). Unless you work for the show, or know someone who works for the show, or have access to a screener, or…

So it’s completely unlike a sports game, which is why there aren’t many opportunities to do it (with the exception of reality shows—ironically, I hear season two “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard was last seen hanging outside of an OTB in Fresno). On the following pages are a few examples of bets that you could have placed on scripted series, with a last page bonus of the odds for this year’s Emmys.

Let the neon claws of Gamblor guide you.

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Venn Diagram: HBO Explained

06.15.11 Written by Matt

No, the banner image does not explain HBO. The diagram below, designed by Dan Abramowitz at College Humor, breaks down all of HBO’s programming using three criteria: critical acclaim, violence, and f**king. It’s excellent. Have a look:

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Know Your Voice Actors: Ten Faces to Go With the Voices You Know

05.04.11 Written by Josh

Here at Warming Glow, I’ve made a habit of praising the brilliant voice work in “Archer,” particularly the dry, deadpan delivery of H. Jon Benjamin in the title role. Yet Benjamin is just as believable as the schlubby burger joint owner on “Bob’s Burgers” as he is an international super-spy. I realized that I don’t know jack about voice actors aside from a few names in the “Simpsons” credits, so I tapped Josh Kurp to make a list of ten names you should know. You may be surprised the way some of these people get around like HPV. They’ve got longer IMDb pages than Christopher Walken. –Ed.

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Ten Memorable Songs With Lyrics About TV Shows

04.06.11 Written by Josh

While driving around yesterday, I heard my second favorite song from the Bad Boys II soundtrack on the radio, “Shake Ya Tailfeather” by Nelly, P. Diddy, and Murphy Lee. While that in itself isn’t much of a monumental event, I did hear something I never noticed before: Murphy Lee rapping, “Man, I’m that damn hungry/See I’m starving like Marvin, girl,” a reference to “South Park’s” classic “Starvin’ Marvin’” episode. Surprisingly, there aren’t many references to specific TV shows in popular music, but here are ten of the most memorable — some good, some Blessid Union of Souls-awful.

[EDIT: As many have so kindly pointed out, Murphy Lee likely wasn't referencing "South Park." Nonetheless, it's what planted the seed for this article, so just go with it.]

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Ten Awful Pieces of TV Memorabilia

03.02.11 Written by Josh


“How could you, Krusty? I’d never lend my name to an inferior product.”
“They drove a dump truck full of money up to my house! I’m not made of stone!”

My apartment is decorated with a “Dexter” bobblehead, old issues of TV Guide with the casts of “Six Feet Under” and “The Sopranos,” and a fake press pass for Homerpalooza. Those are all pretty cool (I use the word lightly) pieces of television memorabilia. But there’s a darker, crappier side to the world of items based on your favorite TV shows (and I only chose shows that people actually like–obviously “Cavemen” is going to have some subpar merchandise). Below are ten of the worst.

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