Release the unaired TV pilots

I’m fascinated by high-profile television projects that were filmed but never released. As a TV junkie, I’d love to watch some of these pilots no matter how bad they are. I’d like to see for myself why they didn’t work and why they weren’t picked up by the television networks.
In August, The Ringer writer Ben Lindbergh suggested that TV networks salvage these pilots from Hollywood vaults and air them when new television programming gets scarce during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lindbergh listed many interesting projects that are sitting in warehouses or on computer servers.
I have a couple different ideas for how these unused works could be repurposed.

Make a documentary series about failed pilots

My first idea is to make a documentary series about why these television projects failed. The series can show clips from the original project – not necessarily the entire pilot – and then interview actors, writers, directors and others involved to discuss what went wrong and perhaps what went right.
It would be a bit like the series “Brilliant But Cancelled.” However, this series would focus on pilots that had big-name stars and behind-the-camera talent, but just weren’t very good.

Make a contest out of fixing unused pilots

Television studios should let talented young editors, effects artists and up-and-coming producers take a crack at some failed pilots. The goal would be to “save it in post,” as they say in Hollywood.
They can take inspiration from remix culture (see “Star Wars Episode I.I: The Phantom Edit,” etc,) and try to make something worthwhile from those flawed and possibly unfinished works.
They could make a contest out of it. Set up two producers and see which one can make the best show from failed pilots, preferably hour-long dramas. They can select their teams from recent graduates and industry upstarts to find editors, music composers and visual effects artists.
The contestant producers should be given a limited budget to film some additional scenes. Think of what Zack Snyder is doing to reinvent “Justice League” for HBO Max. But this would be on a shoestring budget, something a guerilla filmmaker like Robert Rodriguez could pull off.
It could be a bit like the series “Project Greenlight.”
The holdup for not releasing these pilots is almost certainly related to legal clearance and ownership rights. But if there’s a will there’s a way.

Next: 10 noteworthy TV dramas that never aired

Photo: “TV” by chrisinplymouth via Creative Commons.

CES 2021 organizers pressing ahead with in-person conference

As 2020 progresses, more and more planned gatherings of people for entertainment, sports and business are being canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent cancellations are for events that had been scheduled for this fall, when a second wave of the coronavirus is forecast.

• On May 26, video game publisher Blizzard Entertainment canceled this year’s BlizzCon fan show, which usually takes place every year at the beginning of November.
• On May 29, organizers of the CEDIA Expo home electronics conference canceled this year’s show which had been set for Sept. 8-12 in Denver.
• On June 4, organizers of Milwaukee’s Summerfest, the largest music festival in the U.S., canceled this year’s event, which had been rescheduled to September from late June and early July.
• On June 12, TAITRA, the Taiwan organization that oversees the Computex Taipei tech show, canceled this year’s show, which had been scheduled for Sept. 28-30.
• On June 15, Disney-owned Lucasfilm canceled the 2020 Star Wars Celebration convention slated for Aug. 27-30 in Anaheim, Calif.
• That same day, the GSM Association canceled its MWC Los Angeles 2020 wireless industry event, which had been scheduled for October 28-30.

CNet has a comprehensive list of the events that have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
So far, the Consumer Technology Association is sticking with its plans to hold CES 2021 in Las Vegas. The 2020 consumer electronics show attracted over 175,000 attendees from more than 160 countries.
On June 15, Karen Chupka, executive vice president for CES at the Consumer Technology Association, posted an update on CES 2021 planning.
As of now, CES 2021 is still planned as an in-person event running Jan. 6-9. The physical event will be augmented by an enhanced online presence.
“In January, we plan to convene the technology industry, both physically in Las Vegas and digitally online,” Chupka said. “Though we do expect the show to be smaller, many of the world's leading tech brands are confirmed to showcase the latest technologies, and we will be announcing soon the tech luminaries who will speak on our CES stages.”
CES 2021 will feature new health and safety protocols. They will include new sanitization and social distancing measures.
CES 2021 also will cover the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. That will include discussions about tech for battling pandemics and digital health initiatives like telemedicine, she said.

See also:

CES 2021: Will it happen? And if so, how different will it be? (May 23, 2020)

Best fall TV show prospects, 2019: The Mandalorian, etc.

TV shows from traditional networks are a lot less interesting in the age of streaming video. Few people anymore want to watch a series in hourly installments spread over 10 to 20 weeks, especially one interrupted by commercials.
Viewers prefer watching shows on their own schedules, free of commercials, with the ability to binge-watch multiple episodes in a sitting. They also like the unrated nature of many streaming shows today.
Last fall, I gave one new network show a try, NBC’s “Manifest,” but it was boring, uninspired and pretentious. So, I wasn’t surprised when it got canceled after its first season. I gave up on it midway through the season.
The new shows I’m most excited about are on streaming networks.

• The Star Wars series “The Mandalorian,” premieres on Nov. 12 on the new Disney+ service.
• CBS All Access will premiere “Star Trek: Picard” in early 2020. It’s a continuation of the story of Jean-Luc Picard, which began with “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and carried over into several movies.

There are almost too many good shows to watch on streaming services these days. Recent favorites include “The Boys” on Amazon Prime and “The Haunting of Hill House” on Netflix.
As a fan of science-fiction, fantasy and horror stories, I’m drawn to three new network TV shows: “Emergence,” “Prodigal Son” and “Evil.”
ABC is back with another sci-fi mystery show in “Emergence.” ABC has a poor track record with such shows. Last year, it canceled “The Crossing” after one season, joining a long list of such one-and-done shows at ABC. I would be surprised if “Emergence” gets renewed.
“Emergence” premieres on Sept. 24. It follows a police chief who takes custody of a young child found near a mysterious accident. The girl has no memory of what happened or who she is.
“Prodigal Son” premieres Sept. 23 on Fox. It centers on a young criminal profiler whose father is an infamous serial killer known as “The Surgeon.”
“Evil” premieres on Sept. 26 on CBS. In the series, a skeptical psychologist allies with a priest and a contractor to investigate purported supernatural incidents.

Photos: Promotional posters for “The Mandalorian” and “Star Trek: Picard.”

Fun videos: Bad Lip Reading, Without Music, Tronicbox, Homemade Movies

YouTube features the work of some very clever creators who have consistently made entertaining videos. I’d like to spotlight a few of my favorites today, including Bad Lip Reading, Without Music, Tronicbox and Homemade Movies.

Bad Lip Reading

Bad Lip Reading has 6.7 million subscribers for its funny videos. The channel spoofs movies, TV shows, sports and political news stories by overdubbing humorous vocal work that matches the lip movements of the subjects.

Without Music

Without Music has 703,000 subscribers for its video channel. It takes music videos and strips out the audio track and then overdubs it with sound effects and vocal performances that match the on-screen action. It’s all done for comic effect.
My favorite is “Bad Blood Without Music,” a remix of the Taylor Swift video for “Bad Blood.”

Tronicbox

Tronicbox has remade a bunch of modern pop music songs as if they were done in the 1980s. The effect is pretty entertaining. Songs done in the synthesizer-heavy sound of the ’80s include “Firework” by Katy Perry, “Cool for the Summer” by Demi Lovato, and “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye featuring Kimbra.
Tronicbox has 300,000 subscribers.

Homemade Movies

CineFix does ultra-low-budget homemade remakes of Hollywood movie trailers like “Justice League” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” They’re cheesy, but you have to admire the dedication of these film fans. Cinefix is owned by Mashable, a unit of Ziff Davis.

Disney princesses reimagined as Warhammer 40K space marines, wookies and potatoes

There’s no end to the creativity of pop culture artists when it comes to reinventing characters we all know and love.
I’ve written many times about how artists like to mash up Disney princesses with other entertainment properties or take twisted looks at the fairytale icons.
Here’s a few more examples for you to enjoy.
Australian game developer and artist Emre Deniz portrayed several Disney princesses (see Ariel up top) as space marines from “Warhammer 40,000,” a tabletop miniature wargame. (See article by GeekTyrant.)
Artist Michael Nozinich reimagined several Disney princesses as wookies from the Star Wars movie series. Here’s wookie Merida, for example. (See GeekTyrant article.)

Cosplayers Elizabeth Rage and Dan Young played Beauty and the Beast by way of Star Wars. (See GeekTyrant article.)

Artist C. Cassandra portrayed the Disney princesses as having real-life hair problems, not their magically perfect locks from the movies. Here’s Pocahontas. (See GeekTyrant article.)

Speaking of real-life, Boston artist Isaiah Keith Stephens created illustrations of Disney princesses as mothers. Here’s Belle breast-feeding her not-so-beastly baby. (See article by the Daily Mail.)

OK, now for a couple of humorous entries.
Clickbait parody website Clickhole whitewashed five princesses of color for an article titled “5 Disney Princesses Reimagined As Caucasian.” Check out Pocahontas as a white girl.

And finally, some jokester posted a series of photos on Imgur that reimagined the Disney princesses as potatoes. (See article by GeekTyrant.) Here’s Elsa from “Frozen” as a potato.

Other interesting takes on Disney princesses:

If Disney Movies Were Faithful to Their Dark and Twisted Source Material (GeekTyrant)

How the Disney Princesses Celebrate Oktoberfest by the Brews They Drink (GeekTyrant)

Elsa from Disney’s Frozen Gets a Harley Quinn Makeover in Fan Art (GeekTyrant)

2017 pop culture predictions: Top movies, celebrity marriages, big book deal

What follows are some interesting pop-culture predictions for 2017 that I’ve seen online.

‘Star Wars 8’ reigns supreme

“Star Wars: Episode 8” is a “no-brainer lock” to be the highest-grossing movie of 2017, Screen Rant proclaimed.
Rounding out the top five earners in descending order will be “Despicable Me 3,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “Justice League,” Screen Rant forecast.

Kardashian-West marriage goes south

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton predicts that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West “will get divorced in 2017.”

Celebrity weddings ahead

The Knot predicts that the following celebrity couples, among others, will get engaged in 2017:

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
• Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton
• Kylie Jenner and Tyga

Barack Obama gets huge book deal

Fortune magazine predicts that retiring President Barack Obama will get a book deal worth $20 million.
“The post-presidential book deal is a time-honored moneymaker for past Presidents,” Fortune said. “But Obama, already the author of a writerly bestseller and a historic figure as the first African-American president, will command a higher premium than most.”

Streaming video service wins an Oscar

Fortune also predicts that either Netflix or Amazon.com will win an Oscar for its original content.
“Netflix’s ‘13th,’ by ‘Selma’ director Ava DuVernay, is a strong contender in the doc genre, and Amazon’s devastating drama ‘Manchester by the Sea’ is getting buzz,” Fortune said.

The 10 most unusual halls of fame you can physically visit

Forget the big halls of fame for baseball, football and basketball. There are a lot of more niche halls of fame out there to visit.
What follows are 10 of the most unusual halls of fame that you can physically visit.

Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame

The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wis., is a museum dedicated to freshwater sportfishing. The highlight of the museum is a giant sculpture of a leaping fish (a muskellunge or muskie). The “Shrine to Anglers” is half a city block long and 4.5 stories tall. Visitors can stand in its open jaw for a great photo opp.

Burlesque Hall of Fame

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a little museum with a big mission to preserve, celebrate, and inspire the art of burlesque. It is located inside Emergency Arts in historic downtown Las Vegas. It now is looking to move to a larger location.

Pinball Hall of Fame

The Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas celebrates the history and fun of pinball machines. But first and foremost, it’s an active arcade with tons of machines to play. (Photo by James Brooks.)

National Toy Hall of Fame

The National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., recognizes toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period. Each year, the hall inducts new honorees and showcases both new and historic versions of classic toys beloved by generations.

World Video Game Hall of Fame

The World Video Game Hall of Fame is co-located with the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong. The World Video Game Hall of Fame inducted its first six honorees last June: Super Mario Bros., Pong, Pac-Man, Tetris, World of Warcraft, and Doom.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame is part of the EMP in Seattle. The hall was established to honor work of the greatest creators of science fiction and fantasy.

International Clown Hall of Fame

If clowns don’t creep you out, you might want to visit the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center in Baraboo, Wis.

International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame

Sports account for most halls of fame in North America. One of the more unusual halls is devoted to bowling. The International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas, collects, preserves and exhibits the 5,000-year history of the worldwide sport of bowling.

Paper Industry International Hall of Fame

The Paper Industry International Hall of Fame is an organization “whose mission is to celebrate all things paper, the wonder and the legacy.” The hall of fame is located at Paper Discovery Center in Appleton, Wis.

Insurance Hall of Fame

If these other halls of fame are too exciting for you, try the Insurance Hall of Fame.
The Insurance Hall of Fame honors leaders, innovators and visionaries in the insurance field. Located at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the Insurance Hall of Fame Museum and Portrait Gallery houses a collection of memorabilia illustrating the impact the insurance industry and its leaders have had on the world, especially in times of disaster and economic downturn.

Disney princesses as Jedi knights, Zodiac signs and hot dogs

Pop culture artists enjoy doing mashups with Disney princesses almost as much as they like sexualizing them.
Here’s a roundup of some of the latest examples.
Artist Tom Hodges created a series of Jedi Disney princesses. They include lightsaber-wielding Cinderella, Belle and Ariel.

Illustrator Diego Gomez refashioned Disney princesses to look like X-Men characters. They include Cinderella as Emma Frost and Snow White as Jubilee.

Artist Jessica Madorran drew Disney princesses as warriors with exotic weapons. (See examples up top and below.)

Artist Grodansnagel created zodiac signs featuring Disney princesses.

Artist Andrew Tarusov did illustrations of Disney characters in the style of Tim Burton.

Anna Hezel and Gabriella Paiella of Luckypeach.com satirized the trend of reimagining Disney princesses as X or Y. For their post, they recast Disney princesses as hot dogs.

The 20 most controversial magazine covers of 2015

Last year, I wrote about “the 20 most talked-about magazine covers of 2014 (that didn’t feature nudity).”
That article was a mix of controversial covers and significant news-making issues.
This year, I’m splitting that list into two posts: one about the most controversial magazine covers of 2015 and one about the most significant magazine issues of 2015.
I’ll start with the most controversial magazine covers of last year.

InTouch; Jan. 26, 2015

InTouch magazine caused a firestorm when it created a cover that showed what Olympian Bruce Jenner might look like as a woman. At the time, Jenner was rumored to be undergoing a sex change. Ultimately he saved his big reveal for Vanity Fair magazine and a prime-time special on ABC.
(See articles by the Washington Post, the New York Daily News, and ET Online.)

Vanity Fair, July 2015

Bruce Jenner emerged as Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair’s July 2015 issue.
The cover was revealed on June 1.
(See articles by the New York Times, Huffington Post, the Daily Mail and the Hollywood Reporter.)

Cosmopolitan UK, February 2015

To raise awareness about the injustice of honor killings, Cosmopolitan UK created a shocking cover for its February 2015 issue that shows a woman suffocating in plastic.
The cover references the horrific 2004 honor killing of 17-year-old British Pakistani woman Shafilea Ahmed by her Muslim parents, after she refused an arranged marriage.
(See articles by Adweek, Business Insider and Design Taxi.)

Maxim Korea, September 2015

Maxim’s Korean edition caused a stir with its September 2015 issue. It featured actor Byeong-ok Kim smoking a cigarette next to a car along with the headline “The Real Bad Guy.” Sticking out of the car’s trunk are a woman’s bare and bound legs.
Many condemned the cover and inside pictorial as sexualizing violence against women.
(See article by the Huffington Post.)

New York; July 27-Aug. 9, 2015

New York magazine featured 35 of the women accusing comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault on its July 27-Aug. 9, 2015, cover.
(See articles by the Huffington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and the Daily Mail.)

Ebony, November 2015

Ebony magazine featured a shattered portrait of Bill Cosby’s TV family on its cover. The magazine looked at the impact of Cosby’s alleged crimes on African American popular culture.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Newsweek; Feb. 6, 2015

Newsweek sparked outrage with its cover showing a woman whose skirt is being lifted by a computer cursor. The illustration was for the magazine’s article “What Silicon Valley Thinks of Women.” (See articles by TechCrunch, Huffington Post and another piece by HuffPo.)

Sports Illustrated, Winter 2015

Sports Illustrated got pulses racing with the cover of its 2015 Swimsuit Issue. Some felt model Hannah Davis revealed a little too much as she was pulling down her bikini bottom in the photo.
(See articles by Inquisitr and the Daily Mail.)

Complex, August-September 2015

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian got people talking with her cover shot on the August-September 2015 issue of Complex magazine. The photo showed off her big booty.
(See three articles by the Daily Mail: one, two and three.)

Rolling Stone; July 16-30, 2015

Rolling Stone got in hot water for putting reality TV star Kim Kardashian (Khloe’s sister) on its July 16-30 cover, instead of a music artist.
Kardashian wore a sea captain’s cap and a nautical striped top that displayed her overflowing bosom. The photo looked like a joke about motor-boating.
Rolling Stone was criticized for its cover choice by singer Sinead O’Connor and the editor of Rolling Stone’s Australian edition.

Interview, Dec. 2015-Jan. 2016

Kylie Jenner, half-sister of Kim and Khloe Kardashian, stoked her own controversy with the Dec.-Jan. cover of Interview magazine.
Able-bodied Jenner posed in a wheelchair for a fashion shoot for the magazine.
(See articles by the Daily Mail and the Huffington Post.)

InStyle, March 2015

InStyle magazine came under fire for its March 2015 cover photo for allegedly lightening the skin color of African American actress Kerry Washington.
(See articles by the Huffington Post, Access Hollywood and Starpulse.)

Education Next, Spring 2015

Conservative-leaning journal Education Next created a stir with the cover of its spring issue, which features an African-American family with a mother holding a baby and a fading image of the father.
(See article by Education Week.)

Philadelphia, October 2015

Philadelphia magazine was criticized for showing a striking lack of diversity on the cover for its education issue in October 2015.
About 52% of the students in Philadelphia’s schools are black, but none of the seven kids on the cover were African American. (Five were white, one Latino and one South Asian.)
(See articles by the Washington Post, the Huffington Post and Philadelphia City Paper.)

Mpls. St. Paul, March 2015

Mpls. St. Paul magazine was called sexist for featuring 15 male chefs and no female chefs on its March 2015 cover about the region’s best restaurants.
(See articles by JimRomenesko.com and Mpls. St. Paul magazine.)

Time; March 23, 2015

Time magazine was accused of putting devil horns on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for the cover of its March 23, 2015, issue.
However, Time magazine says it’s faced the horns controversy many times before because of the shape and placement of its nameplate.
(See article by the Huffington Post.)

Maclean’s; Nov. 16, 2015

Canadian magazine Maclean’s took flak for its Nov. 16, 2015, issue and its sympathetic portrayal of a convicted terrorist.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

Flare, March 2015

Canadian fashion magazine Flare featured five make-up free, unretouched models on its March 2015 cover.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

GQ, August 2015

Comedian Amy Schumer upset the Walt Disney Co. and some fans with her GQ parody cover which featured her getting frisky with C-3PO and other Star Wars characters.
(See articles by the Daily Mail and Entertainment Weekly.)

Time, Aug. 17, 2015

Time magazine became the butt of a thousand jokes after it released the cover to its Aug. 17, 2015, issue. It featured cover boy Palmer Luckey, inventor of Oculus Rift, prancing midair while wearing his virtual reality goggles.
The Time cover was ridiculed online and quickly became an Internet meme. Even Time joined in on the fun.
(See articles by the Huffington Post and Time.)