Jeff Martin quits The Tea Party
After 15 years as frontman for Canadian rock trio The Tea Party, Jeff Martin has decided to pack it in.
Martin has announced his departure from the band to pursue a solo career, according to a press statement.
The news came as a surprise to bassist Stuart Chatwood, who, stated that he "wasn't aware that the band had broken up."
Despite the decision, Martin left the door open for a possible return to the T.O.-based band.
"I am deeply appreciative of all the support Tea Party fans have shown both the band and me over the years," Martin said. "While I'm not ruling out a return of The Tea Party at some time in the future, I am focused for now on my acoustic solo record, and hope to release the new music this winter and tour in support of it."
"I am excited to embark on this new musical chapter of my life and wish all the best to my two former bandmates and friends, Jeff Burrows and Stuart Chatwood."
Formed in Windsor, Ontario in 1990, Martin, Chatwood and drummer Jeff Burrows are best known for their eastern-influenced rock songs, which include "Sister Awake" and "Heaven Coming Down."
The Juno-nominated band's final studio album, "Seven Circles," was released in August of 2004.
Mum's the Word on "Alias"
When ABC announced it was moving Alias to Thursdays, it looked like curtains for Sydney Bristow. One month into the season, it looks like curtains for Sydney Bristow.
As the anchor of ABC's notoriously must-not-see night, the five-season-old spy adventure sank to 70th place (7.2 million) for the TV week ended Sunday, per Nielsen Media Research.
Even worse, in its first half-hour, the show ran behind NBC's world-famous Joey (68th place, 7.4 million) among coveted 18-to-49-year-old viewers.
And in the most ominous sign yet--if press releases can be considered signs--Alias was programa non grata in ABC's weekly ratings recap released Tuesday.
The network that found something nice to say about Supernanny (71st place, 7 million) couldn't bring itself to spin mother-to-be Sydney. In this instance, silence most likely is deadly.
Other ABC shows rating unmentionable status: Alias' Thursday partners in obscurity, Night Stalker (83rd place, 5.1 million) and Primetime (86th place, 4.5 million), not to mention every Friday series, save for the vaunted Supernanny. The formerly sturdy According to Jim (60th place, 7.8 million) was only noted in passing, as in "Rodney [57th place, 8 million] built on its According to Jim lead-in."
So far, ABC has yet to cancel or renew any series. But when Commander in Chief (ninth place, 16.2 million) gets three paragraphs' worth of glowing press-release ink, Freddie (45th place, 9.4 million) gets two, and Alias gets none, SD-6 intelligence is not required to determine which shows are bound for glory.
Or not.
Elsewhere:
It's probably nothing, but since starting its second season before a whopping 28.4 million, Desperate Housewives has slipped an itty-bitty bit in each successive week, down to a whopping 25.8 million (second place) on Sunday night.
In case you were wondering, CBS' CSI (first place, 28.3 million) doesn't slip.
NBC is "excited" not to have to cancel another new show, reupping Surface (35th place, 10.4 million) for a full season's worth of underwater antics.
CBS' Out of Practice (24th place, 12.3 million) closed in on NBC's My Name Is Earl (23rd place, 12.6 million) for bragging rights as TV's most-watched new comedy, but hasn't yet closed on a season-long renewal.
Break out the Australian Shiraz! Martha Stewart's Apprentice (72nd place, 6.9 million) was up almost 10 percent from last week's not-good ratings.
Last year, Judging Amy averaged 10.6 million for CBS in the 10 p.m., Tuesday hour. Its reward: Cancellation. This fall, Jerry Bruckheimer's latest crime drama, Close to Home (39th place, 10.1 million), is averaging 7 percent fewer viewers in the same time slot. Its reward: The jury's still out.
To date, the WB has lost more viewers this fall, as compared to last, than any other network--down 11 percent. This, despite big-time showings by Gilmore Girls (76th place, 6.2 million), Smallville (77th place, 5.9 million) and Supernatural (78th place, 5.5 million). This, because of little-time showings by Twins (109th place, 2.2 million), Blue Collar TV (108th place, 2.3 million) and Related (105th place, 2.5 million).
Oh, and nobody watched What I Like About You (111th place, 2 million), but you already knew that.
Overall, CBS notched its first double-double of the season, winning total viewers (averaging 13.4 million) and the 18-49 demo.
ABC (10.7 million) claimed second in both categories. NBC ran third in the demo, and fourth in viewers (9.6 million).
Minus the soap opera that was last season's Boston Red Sox, Fox's baseball playoff ratings are down, but the network isn't out. The games were still enough to boost the network to third place in viewers (10.5 million).
The surging UPN (3.7 million) closed the gap with the slumping WB (3.8 million).
Here's a look of the 10 most watched prime-time shows for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research:
1. CSI, CBS, 28.3 million viewers
2. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 25.8 million viewers
3. Lost, ABC, 21.7 million viewers
4. Without a Trace, CBS, 20.6 million viewers
5. CSI: Miami, CBS, 18.5 million viewers
6. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 18.3 million viewers
7. Survivor: Guatemala, CBS, 17.8 million viewers
8. NCIS, CBS, 16.8 million viewers
9. Commander in Chief, ABC, 16.2 million viewers
10. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, ABC, 16.1 million viewers
'My Name Is Earl' a surprise hit
Have you heard about the new redneck sitcom starring the dude from A Guy Thing and created by the man responsible for Yes, Dear?
Actually yeah, you probably have. But had NBC chosen that way to sell its Tuesday night success story My Name Is Earl (9 p.m. on NBC and CH), audiences would probably have tuned into reruns of My Wife And Kids instead. With good reason.
On paper, Earl shouldn't work. A half-hour comedy with cinematic camera work and no laugh track seems a better fit for HBO, while its bushy-mustached, white trash protagonist sounds like a character from an unfunny Jeff Foxworthy monologue. Wait, is that redundant?
But with Almost Famous's Jason Lee as the charming loser on a quest to rehabilitate his karma, Earl has enjoyed the double-barreled success of critical acclaim and solid ratings, premiering with more than 15 million U.S. viewers and hanging onto audiences throughout its first handful of episodes.
Trucker caps off to open-minded NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly, then, who gambled on a comedy by the co-creator of a successful but critically reviled CBS series (Greg Garcia of Yes, Dear) and pimped it mercilessly with an aggressive advertising campaign.
And also to Lee's Earl Hickey, an anti-hero who is deceptively light on the anti, once you get to know him. Having been hit by a car seconds after winning $100,000 on a lottery scratch ticket, Earl has made a list of the 259 really bad things he's done in his life, and has set out to rebalance his karma by revisiting his sins and setting things right.
Along for the ride are Earl's large and lazy brother (The Butterfly Effect's wonderfully droll Ethan Suplee) and their chambermaid pal (Nadine Velazquez). Earl's recently ex'd wife (Jaime Pressly) is the coyote to Earl's roadrunner, hunting him down for her share of the lottery winnings.
Lowbrow highjinks aside, the show has proven to be surprisingly sly and even more surprisingly sweet. The concept of a politically incorrect ne'er-do-well atoning for his sins while hanging onto his love for the not-so-fine things in life clearly strikes a chord.
It's Touched By An Angel for the beer and nicotine set, except we admire Earl for some of the things he's done. Shooting bottle rockets at your brother while he's on a date? Priceless. And tonight's episode will see Earl making amends for mocking people with accents by teaching an English as a second language class, while an ex-con pal (Giovanni Ribisi) kidnaps Earl's brother in a bid to get his hands on the lottery cash.
NBC's Reilly has said Earl is the counterbalance to the sitcom staple format of the fat guy with hot wife and lippy kids, which has seen fare like The King Of Queens, According To Jim and, let's face it, Yes, Dear enjoy lengthy runs that are far beyond science's ability to explain.
And so far, it's working. By the third episode, My Name Is Earl had become the highest-rated comedy of the new season (and a serious boon to NBC's flaccid schedule), and Reilly ordered a full season of 22 episodes. How much gas Earl has in the tank of his rusting Camaro beyond that remains to be seen, since the sin-o'-the-week format could wear out its welcome.
But Earl does have a bit of a beer gut, his ex-missus is played by a hot former model, and while he doesn't have kids, his brother is a sort of a man-child. So by the formula of long-lasting sitcom success, My Name Is Earl is already blessed with some pretty good karma.
THE SINS OF EARL
A sampling from Earl Hickey's list of 259 karma-fouling deeds:
No. 23: Peed in the back of a cop car
No. 41: Snatched a kid's Halloween candy when he came to my trailer to trick-or-treat
No. 59: Everything I did to Dad
No. 63: Wasted electricity
No. 69: Cheated on school tests. A lot
No. 73: Always took a penny, never left a penny
No. 86: Stole a car from a one-legged girl
No. 84: Faked death to break up with a girl
No. 136: I've been a litterbug
Sundance marks 25 years with DVD set
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Giving a nod to the Sundance Institute's 25th anniversary, an 11-DVD collection of festival favorites is being readied for a November 22 release.
" Sundance Film Festival Collection: Celebrating 25 Years of Sundance Institute" includes 10 movies plus an additional disc of interviews, behind-the-scenes shots from the Sundance Institute labs, and footage from the Sundance Film Festival.
Films that will be part of the collection include Stephen Soderbergh's "sex, lies and videotape," which won the Audience Award at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival; Kevin Smith's cult favorite "Clerks," winner of the Filmmakers Trophy at the 1994 festival; "The Usual Suspects," the acclaimed thriller from Bryan Singer that premiered at the 1995 festival; "Smoke Signals," which was developed by Chris Eyre at the 1995 Sundance Institute Filmmakers lab and won the Audience Award and the Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 festival; and the Sundance Film Festival's 1999 Grand Jury Prize winner, "American Movie," from director Chris Smith.
Also featured in the collection are the Oscar-winning "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), developed by Kimberly Peirce at the 1997 lab; Todd Field's critically hailed "In the Bedroom," for which stars Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek were given Special Jury Prizes at the 2001 festival; 2002 Grand Jury Prize winner "Real Women Have Curves," from director Patricia Cardoso, which also garnered Special Jury Prizes for Lupe Ontiveros and America Ferrera; 2003 Grand Jury Prize winner "Capturing the Friedmans," the acclaimed documentary from director Andrew Jarecki; and another 2003 Grand Jury Prize winner, "American Splendor," helmed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini.
Special features on the bonus disc include interviews with Sundance founder Robert Redford; a documentary on the Sundance Institute; filmmaker interviews; and scenes from the Sundance lab sessions for two films included in the collection.
The boxed set will include a booklet with an introduction by Redford and a review of the institute's work in independent film, film music and theater.
Former Jays coach Widmar Dies
Former Toronto coach and executive Al Widmar passed away Saturday after a battle with colon cancer. He was 80 years old.
Widmar spent more than half of his life in the game, working from 1942 to 2000. He pitched for 17 professional seasons, notching a 13-30 record in 114 big league games. Widmar dove right into coaching once his playing career ended and never really stopped after that. He worked for four more decades -- two of them with the Blue Jays.
The former hurler first joined the Jays in 1980, serving as the team's pitching coach. He remained in that capacity for 10 years, overseeing franchise stalwarts like Dave Stieb and Jimmy Key. After that, Widmar worked as a special assignment coach for two seasons and capped off his Toronto tenure as a special assistant to the general manager.
Widmar worked in that advisory capacity with both Pat Gillick and Gord Ash, but his professional career began 58 years earlier, when he signed with the Boston Red Sox as a 17-year-old. Widmar didn't make it to the big leagues until 1947, and he pitched just two games for the Sox.
One trade later, the right-hander spent three seasons with Bill Veeck's St. Louis Browns. He was a teammate of 3-foot-7 pinch-hitter Eddie Gaedel in 1951. The 27-year-old Widmar pitched one game for the Chicago White Sox in 1952 and never made it back to the big leagues, pitching five more years in the Minor Leagues before he called it quits.
Widmar coached 12 seasons in the Phillies organization and one with the defunct Seattle Pilots. He also spent several seasons as the farm director for the Milwaukee Brewers, adding to his wide-ranging resume. Widmar also coached two seasons in Baltimore before finding a home in Toronto, where he stayed for the rest of his career.
Widmar's death came just six days after the passing of longtime Toronto broadcaster Tom Cheek, who lost a 16-month battle with brain cancer last Sunday. Visitation for Widmar will be held on Wednesday at the Floral Haven Funeral Home in Broken Arrow, Okla. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at St. Madeline Parish in Tulsa.
NEW CD RELEASES FOR OCTOBER 18, 2005
10 Ft. Ganja Plant Bass Chalice (ROIR)
Eric Andersen Waves (w/songs by Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Tim Buckley, Tom Paxton and more; includes live bonus track w/Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie and Tom Rush) (Appleseed)
Asamov And Now... (w/9th Wonder, Mr. Lif, J-Live and more) (6 Hole)
Asian Kung-Fu Generation Sol-fa (Tofu)
Audio Bullys Generation (w/Roots Manuva and Madness frontman Suggs) (Astralwerks)
The Beautiful Newborn Children Hey People! (Domino)
The Blackout Pact Hello Sailor (produced by Thursday's Geoff Rickly) (Astro Magnetics)
Blueskins Change Your Mind EP (Domino)
Boards of Canada Campfire Headphase (Warp)
Books on Tape Dinosaur Dinosaur (Alien 8/Southern)
Chris Botti Still in Love (Columbia)
The Briefs Steal Yer Heart (BYO)
Brothers Past This Feeling's Called Goodbye (Range)
Burnside Project The Finest Example Is You (Bar/None)
Charlemagne Detour Allure (SideCho)
Classic Case Dress to Depress (Fiddler)
B.J. Cole Lost in Paradise (DualDisc) (Silverline)
Miriam Conti Dances of Spain (Koch)
Jack Cook Sittin' on Top of the World (Koch)
Billy Currington Doin' Somethin' Right (Mercury Nashville)
Dave's True Story Project Remix (BePop)
Depeche Mode Playing the Angel (Mute/Sire/Reprise)
Dishwalla Live... Greetings from the Flow State (DualDisc) (Immergent)
DJ Irene Decades (mix CD) (Moist)
Dr. Neptune Beyond Warped (DualDisc) (Immergent)
Faded Me When It's Over (Bungalo)
Faunts High Expectations/Low Results (Friendly Fire)
Julian Fauth Songs of Vice and Sorrow (Electro-Fi)
Fireball Ministry Their Rock Is Not Our Rock (Liquor and Poker Music)
Al Franken The Show Party Album (Artemis)
Tim Garland If the Sea Replied (Sirocco)
Chris Gerolmo I'm Your Daddy (Lakeshore)
Goapele Change It All (Columbia)
Gravenhurst Fires in Distant Buildings (Warp)
Guttermouth Beyond Warped (DualDisc) (Immergent)
Mick Harvey One Man's Treasure (Mute)
The Jade Shader Curse of the Tuatara (Sonic Boom)
Jneiro Jarel Three Piece Puzzle (w/Vinia Mojica) (Ropeadope)
Johnny Society Coming to Get You (Messenger)
Lakota Hope for the Haunted (Pop Up)
Brie Larson Finally Out of P.E. (Universal Motown)
Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy guitarist) Faith, Hope, Love (w/cover of Elliot Smith's "Say Yes") (Small Stone)
Tracy Lawrence Then and Now: The Hits Collection (DreamWorks Nashville)
Steve Lehman Demian as a Post Human (Pi)
Jackie Leven Shining Brother Shining Sister (DualDisc) (Silverline)
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis Don't Be Afraid...the Music of Charles Mingus (Palmetto)
LongShot Civil War Pt. 2 (CD/DVD combo) (EV Productions)
The Lovetones (w/Brian Jonestown Massacre guitarist Matthew J. Tow) Meditations (Tee Pee)
Marah If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry (Yep Roc)
Mashonda January Joy (DualDisc same day) (J Records)
Martina McBride Timeless (RCA Nashville)
Messer Chups Crazy Price (Ipecac)
MEST Photographs (w/bonus DVD featuring live and behind-the-scenes footage) (Maverick)
Jane Monheit The Season (holiday album) (Epic)
Mum Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK (Morr Music)
Nadja Truth Becomes Death (Alien 8/Southern)
Odetta Gonna Let It Shine (M.C.)
OHM (w/Megadeth's Chris Poland) Amino Acid Flashback (Blacknote)
Jean-Michel Pilc Live at Iridium, NY (Dreyfus)
Play N Skillz The Process (Universal)
Lou Pride Keep on Believing (Severn)
Tom Principato Band Guitar Gumbo (Powerhouse)
Propagandhi Potemkin City Limits (Fat Wreck Chords)
Rev Run (of Run-D.M.C.) Distortion (enhanced CD) (Def Jam)
Ribeye Brothers (ex-members of Monster Magnet) Bar Ballads and Other Cautionary Tales (Times Beach)
Ringworm Justice Replaced by Revenge (Victory)
George Russell The 80th Birthday Concert (two CDs; 2003 performance w/the Living Time Orchestra) (Concept)
The Ruts Babylon's Burning (Dub Drenched Soundscapes) (Collision)
Moacir Santos Choros and Alegria (Adventure)
Saxon Shore The Exquisite Death of (produced by David Fridmann) (Burnt Toast Vinyl)
Say Anything ...Is a Real Boy (two CDs; includes 2004 indie release plus bonus disc of demos and new, acoustic versions of older songs) (J Records)
Scarface and the Underground Railroad Presents The Product (Koch)
Scars of Tomorrow The Horror of Realization (Victory)
Brian Setzer Dig That Crazy Christmas (Surfdog)
Shady Grady All Wound Up (CD/DVD combo) (Bungalo)
Silver Jews (ex-members of Pavement and the Jesus Lizard) Tanglewood Numbers (w/Will Oldham) (Drag City)
Simply Red Simplified (new songs and new recordings of classic hits) (Verve Forecast)
Ashlee Simpson I Am Me (Geffen)
Ricky Skaggs A Skaggs Family Christmas (Skaggs Family)
Sound Team Work
Eddie Spaghetti (of Supersuckers) Old No. 2 (originals and covers of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits and AC/DC) (Mid-Fi)
Split Decision Featuring Fats & Bathgate (Never Enough)
Rod Stewart Thanks for the Memory...The Great American Songbook: Vol. IV (includes duets w/Diana Ross, Elton John and Chaka Khan) (J Records)
Thrice Vheissu (Deluxe Edition same day) (Island)
The Timeout Drawer Nowonmai (Consumer Research & Development/Southern)
Trillville Reloaded (produced by Lil Jon) (Warner Bros.)
Unearth The Oncoming Storm (CD/DVD combo; special edition of 2004 album with live and behind-the-scenes footage and interviews) (Metal Blade)
Unknown Instructors (w/Mike Watt and George Hurley of fIREHOSE/Minutemen) The Way Things Work (Smog Veil)
Vaz The Lie That Matches the Furniture (Narnack)
Vienna Boys Choir Amazing Grace (Koch)
Voltage Building the Bass Castle, Vol. 1 (Flameshovel/Southern)
BJ Ward Michael Feinstein Presents: Sings Marshall Barer (Feinery/Fantasy)
Hayley Westenra Odyssey (includes duet w/Andrea Bocelli) (Decca)
Wheatus Too Soon Monsoon (Montauk Mantis)
Joy Lynn White One More Time (see page x) (Thortch)
Who Made Who Who Made Who (Gomma)
Brian Wilson What I Really Want for Christmas (J Records)
With Honor This Is Our Revenge (Victory)
Stevie Wonder A Time 2 Love (Universal Motown)
Words Now Heard Loud and Clear (JMD/Victory)
VA A Celebration of New Orleans Music: MusiCares Hurricane Relief 2005 (Rounder)
VA Another World Is Possible (w/Moby, Asian Dub Foundation, Manu Chao and more) (Uncivilized World)
VA Freestyle Latin Style (Empire)
VA Nikki Music Vol. 02 (two CDs; house and downtempo electronica compilation) (M2K/Koch)
VA PROTECT: A Benefit for the National Association to Protect Children (w/NOFX, MxPx, Jawbreaker, Anti-Flag and more) (Fat Wreck Chords)
VA to: KATE - A Benefit for Kate's Sake (holiday songs by/Jim Lauderdale, Raul Malo, John Prine, Steve Earle and more; benefits Children's Organ Transplant Association) (Western Beat)
VA Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture (collaborations between Wu-Tang Clan members and MF Doom, Cannibal Ox, El-P, J-Live) (Babygrande)
OST Chumscrubber (w/songs from Phantom Planet, Snow Patrol, Cat Power, eels and more) (Lakeshore)
OST Daltry Calhoun (Johnny Knoxville film; score by John Swihart) (Lakeshore)
OST Masters of Horror (two CDs; soundtrack to upcoming Showtime TV series; w/songs by Mudvayne, Thursday, Andrew WK and more) (Immortal)
OST Stubbs the Zombie (video game soundtrack; exclusive covers of ‘50s-era songs by Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, The Walkmen, The Raveonettes, Cake and more) (Shout! Factory)
OST The Squid and the Whale (w/songs by Lou Reed, the Cars and more; plus original songs and score from ex-Luna's Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips) (Ultra)
OST Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (video game soundtrack w/My Chemical Romance, Alkaline Trio, Hot Snakes and others performing exclusive versions of classic punk songs by Black Flag, the Stooges, the Buzzcocks and more) (Vagrant)
DVD The Rat Pack: Live from Las Vegas (stage show recreating classic routines of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.) (Image)
DVD Chick Corea & the Elektric Band Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Rock)
DVD Fourplay An Evening with, Vols. I and II (Eagle Rock)
DVD Queen + Paul Rodgers Return of the Champions (Hollywood)
DVD Brian Setzer Christmas Extravaganza (live 2004 performance) (Surfdog)
DVD Umphrey's McGee Wrapped Around Chicago: New Year's at the Riv (two DVDs; live performance w/behind-the-scenes footage) (SCI Fidelity)
DVD Suzanne Vega Live at Montreux 2000/2004 (Eagle Rock)
SACD Chris Brubeck Czech National Philharmonic (Koch)
Craig Was First Choice Bond
Daniel Craig was the producers' first choice to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, dispelling reports that the prestigious role had been turned down by other actors during the protracted selection process.
Producer Michael G. Wilson told Friday's press conference in London that he spent two years searching for the new British superspy, and a host of contenders including Clive Owen, Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor were not offered the part in Casino Royale.
Wilson said, "(Daniel Craig) was the only one we offered the film to. There's been some speculation that we offered it to other people but that's not accurate."
The 37-year-old, who will be the first blond Bond, is expected to portray a stripped down Bond in what is expected to be a darker exploration of the world of espionage. Craig added, "I want to take Bond somewhere he's never been before."
Moneypenny and Q Axed from 'Casino Royale'
Producers of the forthcoming James Bond movie Casino Royale have axed the legendary Miss Moneypenny character.
Moneypenny, who has waved the suave super-spy off on some of his most perilous missions, been written out of the new film because she only fleetingly appears in Ian Fleming's original novel.
Gadget-inventor Q, last played by John Cleese will also be absent from the new film - in which British actor Daniel Craig will play 007 for the first time.
The news is the biggest indication the new film will deviate substantially from the spirit of previous Bond adventures.
Co-producer Michael G. Wilson confirms, "Neither Miss Moneypenny nor Q will appear.
Neither of them are in the book. The film will update the novel but stick very closely to the storyline."