With the nation’s economy continually on a knife’s edge, the past few years has seen the political discourse take a marked shift. Conservative politicians have started to lure voters with an image that they will tighten the wasteful spending in Washington, but for the most part, that has meant targeting social services. Indeed, healthcare, social security and other measures are seen as bloated programs that will sink the country into financial ruin if they aren’t severely overhauled. And all of this is being done in the name of supposedly preserving the middle class, but as the documentary “American Winter” argues, the entire approach is not only wrong headed, it’s only making things worse for the people these policies are supposed to protect.Filmmakers Joe and Harry Gantz make their argument by turning their cameras to Portland, Oregan and tracking the tales of eight families, who all...
- 3/18/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Thanks to your votes, the financial crisis doc from the guys behind "Taxicab Confessions" “Crisis Call 211” won this weekend’s Project of the Week contest for last week! Congratulations to “Crisis Call 211" directors Joe and Harry Gantz. The filmmaker will receive a digital distribution consultation from SnagFilms and is now officially a candidate for Project of the Month. That winner will be awarded with a consultation from the Sundance ...
- 10/17/2011
- Indiewire
With the Internet dominating adult content for guys, Playboy TV is looking for opportunities elsewhere. The TV channel is expected to announce tomorrow TV for 2, new adult programming slate aimed at couples, which will begin to roll out in January. The first new TV for 2 show is Brooklyn Kinda Love, a docu-reality series from producers Joe and Harry Gantz (Taxicab Confessions), which is set to premiere on January 15. It follows the intricacies of four real couples’ relationships. Other new unscripted shows for the new format include Swing, featuring monogamous as they venture into alternative lifestyles guided by a sex therapist, and Playboy’s Sextreme Makeover, featuring couples who receive intimacy advice from experts.
- 11/17/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
By Fred Topel
HollywoodNews.com: Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell play The Defenders, CBS’s new fall series. They’re both funny guys and playing Las Vegas defense attorneys lets them deal with sometimes outrageous cases. However, this is not the new Boston Legal. The stars and creators visited the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills on Friday to present the new show to TV fans as part of Fall Paleyfest. Paleyfest continues this week with Fox, ABC and The CW.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily quirky and funny,” Belushi said. “I think it is a serious show. Look, any great drama has to have humor or it’s not a great drama. Any real comedy has to be based in drama, a real situation. Ours has a great sense of humor to it but it’s not quirky or goofy by any means.”
Watching The Defenders...
HollywoodNews.com: Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell play The Defenders, CBS’s new fall series. They’re both funny guys and playing Las Vegas defense attorneys lets them deal with sometimes outrageous cases. However, this is not the new Boston Legal. The stars and creators visited the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills on Friday to present the new show to TV fans as part of Fall Paleyfest. Paleyfest continues this week with Fox, ABC and The CW.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily quirky and funny,” Belushi said. “I think it is a serious show. Look, any great drama has to have humor or it’s not a great drama. Any real comedy has to be based in drama, a real situation. Ours has a great sense of humor to it but it’s not quirky or goofy by any means.”
Watching The Defenders...
- 9/13/2010
- by Fred Topel
- Hollywoodnews.com
Sneak Peek new key art supporting the upcoming 'serio-comedic' legal drama, "The Defenders", set to air on CBS during the 2010-11 television season.
Set in Las Vegas, Nevada, the show "...involves a pair of defense attorneys who go all out to help their clients, while keeping their personal lives in order..."
Created by Kevin Kennedy and Niels Mueller, the pilot episode was directed by Davis Guggenheim, starring Gillian Vigman, Jerry O'Connell, Jim Belushi, Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fischer.
Executive producers are Harry Gantz, Joe Gantz, Kevin Kennedy, Niels Mueller and Carol Mendelsohn.
Produced by CBS Television Studios, "The Defenders" debuts Wednesday, September 22, 2010.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Defenders"...
Set in Las Vegas, Nevada, the show "...involves a pair of defense attorneys who go all out to help their clients, while keeping their personal lives in order..."
Created by Kevin Kennedy and Niels Mueller, the pilot episode was directed by Davis Guggenheim, starring Gillian Vigman, Jerry O'Connell, Jim Belushi, Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fischer.
Executive producers are Harry Gantz, Joe Gantz, Kevin Kennedy, Niels Mueller and Carol Mendelsohn.
Produced by CBS Television Studios, "The Defenders" debuts Wednesday, September 22, 2010.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Defenders"...
- 9/4/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Filed under: TV News, Fall TV
Just when you thought that there wasn't room for another legal drama on prime-time, along comes 'The Defenders,' a new hour-long procedural set in Las Vegas. Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell are defense attorneys based on a couple of real-life Vegas lawyers, who were joined on the panel by co-stars Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fisher, exec-producers Harry Gantz, Joe Gantz, Carol Mendelsohn, Kevin Kennedy and Niels Muller, and showrunner Greg Walker.
Since the show hasn't started shooting yet, there wasn't much in the way of dirt from filming, but Jim Belushi kept the panel lively despite some truly dire questions from attending critics. A rundown of highlights follows after the jump.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
Just when you thought that there wasn't room for another legal drama on prime-time, along comes 'The Defenders,' a new hour-long procedural set in Las Vegas. Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell are defense attorneys based on a couple of real-life Vegas lawyers, who were joined on the panel by co-stars Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fisher, exec-producers Harry Gantz, Joe Gantz, Carol Mendelsohn, Kevin Kennedy and Niels Muller, and showrunner Greg Walker.
Since the show hasn't started shooting yet, there wasn't much in the way of dirt from filming, but Jim Belushi kept the panel lively despite some truly dire questions from attending critics. A rundown of highlights follows after the jump.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
- 7/28/2010
- by Laura Prudom
- Aol TV.
Chicago – CBS announced their fall schedule today. While fans of canceled “Accidentally on Purpose,” “Cold Case,” “Gary Unmarried,” “Numb3rs,” “The Ghost Whisperer,” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” may disagree, the big TV news of the week is that several of the top network’s biggest shows are moving. “Survivor” jumps to Wednesday nights, “The Big Bang Theory” moves to Thursdays, “CSI: NY” slides to Fridays, and “CSI: Miami” now goes down on Sundays.
As far as on-the-bubble renewals are concerned, CBS saved “Rules of Engagement” and “Medium”. The rest of their renewals were pretty obvious choices as the network continues to air many of the biggest hits on TV including the #1 drama (“NCIS”), #1 comedy (“Two and a Half Men”), #1 new series (“Undercover Boss”), #1 news magazine (“60 Minutes”), #1 new drama (“NCIS: Los Angeles”), and #1 scripted series for the 18-49 and 25-54 demos (“The Big Bang Theory”).
Of course, all of those shows are returning,...
As far as on-the-bubble renewals are concerned, CBS saved “Rules of Engagement” and “Medium”. The rest of their renewals were pretty obvious choices as the network continues to air many of the biggest hits on TV including the #1 drama (“NCIS”), #1 comedy (“Two and a Half Men”), #1 new series (“Undercover Boss”), #1 news magazine (“60 Minutes”), #1 new drama (“NCIS: Los Angeles”), and #1 scripted series for the 18-49 and 25-54 demos (“The Big Bang Theory”).
Of course, all of those shows are returning,...
- 5/19/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Pilot season may have had its busiest casting day yet on Monday (Feb. 22), with actors ranging from Emmy winner Jane Kaczmarek to Jim Belushi to Olivia Munn landing roles.
Among the other names on the casting sheets: Adam Arkin, Leah Remini, Zeljko Ivanek, Romany Malco and Wayne Knight. Here's a rundown:
- Former "According to Jim" star Belushi is switching to drama in the CBS pilot "Defenders." He'll play one of a pair of larger-than-life defense attorneys in Las Vegas, the showbiz trade papers report. Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy ("The Assassination of Richard Nixon") wrote the script and will executive produce with director Davis Guggenheim, "CSI" exec producer Carol Mendelsohn and Joe and Harry Gantz.
- Kaczmarek ("Raising the Bar," "Malcolm in the Middle") and Arkin, late of "Sons of Anarchy," will star in ABC's comedy "Who Gets the Parents?," according to The Hollywood Reporter. They'll play a long-married couple who decide to split,...
Among the other names on the casting sheets: Adam Arkin, Leah Remini, Zeljko Ivanek, Romany Malco and Wayne Knight. Here's a rundown:
- Former "According to Jim" star Belushi is switching to drama in the CBS pilot "Defenders." He'll play one of a pair of larger-than-life defense attorneys in Las Vegas, the showbiz trade papers report. Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy ("The Assassination of Richard Nixon") wrote the script and will executive produce with director Davis Guggenheim, "CSI" exec producer Carol Mendelsohn and Joe and Harry Gantz.
- Kaczmarek ("Raising the Bar," "Malcolm in the Middle") and Arkin, late of "Sons of Anarchy," will star in ABC's comedy "Who Gets the Parents?," according to The Hollywood Reporter. They'll play a long-married couple who decide to split,...
- 2/23/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Jim Belushi is returning to series television, this time on the drama side.
Belushi has been tapped to star in CBS' hourlong pilot "Defenders."
The project, from CBS Studios, centers on two charismatic and fiery Las Vegas defense attorneys who go to the mat for their clients.
Belushi will play one of them, Nick Mancini, who has marital troubles and loves to drink his sorrows away.
"Saturday Night Live" alum Belushi most recently toplined ABC's family sitcom "According to Jim."
He has ventured into dramatic series before, most recently on the ABC series "Total Security," created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee and David Milch.
Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy wrote the script for "Defenders" and are executive producing with Joe and Harry Gantz, "CSI" maven Carol Mendelsohn and the pilot's director Davis Guggenheim.
Belushi has been tapped to star in CBS' hourlong pilot "Defenders."
The project, from CBS Studios, centers on two charismatic and fiery Las Vegas defense attorneys who go to the mat for their clients.
Belushi will play one of them, Nick Mancini, who has marital troubles and loves to drink his sorrows away.
"Saturday Night Live" alum Belushi most recently toplined ABC's family sitcom "According to Jim."
He has ventured into dramatic series before, most recently on the ABC series "Total Security," created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee and David Milch.
Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy wrote the script for "Defenders" and are executive producing with Joe and Harry Gantz, "CSI" maven Carol Mendelsohn and the pilot's director Davis Guggenheim.
- 2/22/2010
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jim Belushi ("According to Jim," "Saturday Night Live") has been cast in CBS' hour-long drama pilot, "Defenders." The CBS Studios project centers on two charismatic and fiery Las Vegas defense attorneys who go to the mat for their clients. Belushi will play one of them, Nick Mancini, who has marital troubles and loves to drink his sorrows away. Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy wrote the script and are executive producing with Joe and Harry Gantz, Carol Mendelsohn ("CSI") and the pilot's director Davis Guggenheim.
- 2/22/2010
- Comingsoon.net
Hey, prostitutes are people too, okay? There’s real horror here: the “gals” of the legal Nevada brothel the Chicken Ranch don’t ever get to leave the premises, we discover in Episode One of this six-part Sundance Channel documentary series, except for three hours once a week to visit a doctor for their regular recertification as Std-free. But their near-incarceration is all but forgotten as filmmakers Joe and Harry Gantz, who made HBO’s similarly voyeuristic Taxicab Confessions, let soap opera take over. Catfights as the “girls” compete for customers? You bet. High drama as medical issues plague one “gal”? Of course. The problem isn’t that the Gantzes aren’t sympathetic, or even that their apparent thesis that these “girls” are people who deserve our respect isn’t a worthy one: it’s that the upshot of the whole deal is still turning these women into commodities, except...
- 12/5/2008
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Showtime said Wednesday that it will explore Sexual Healing in a new reality documentary series set to begin production in February. The network has ordered nine one-hour episodes of the show from Joe and Harry Gantz (HBO's Taxicab Confessions) and their production company, View Film. Sexual Healing, which will premiere on the network in the spring or early summer, chronicles the experiences of three couples as they undergo a weeklong relationship workshop led by sex educator/therapist Dr. Laura Berman to work through their problems. The Gantz brothers, Berman and Sam Chapman will executive produce, with the Gantzes also directing.
- 10/6/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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