More B&B
“Confirming reports that first surfaced last summer, MTV announced today that Beavis and Butt-head is returning with new episodes. Mike Judge is back as the main creative force, and of course, the voice of the title characters, who were last seen in a cameo in Jackass 3D.
“EW.com reports that MTV made the announcement at their Upfront presentation in New York today. The network hasn’t revealed yet when the new episodes will debut.
“Assuming the format of the show remains the same as it was in the 90s, Beavis and Butt-head marks a very special event: A show in MTV’s current lineup that will include music videos!”
— Eric Goldman, writing on “Beavis and Butt-head Return Confirmed,” on Feb. 2 at IGN
Final tango
“Maria Schneider, the actor who helped introduce explicit sex to mainstream cinema, has died following a long illness. The 58-year-old is best known for her performance in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1972 drama ’Last Tango in Paris’ — a role that came to both define and destroy her acting career. …
“The film made Schneider a star, although she later accused [star Marlon] Brando and Bertolucci of exploiting her. She described the director as ’a gangster and a pimp,’ likened the experience to being ’raped’ and said that ’Last Tango in Paris’ had taught her an important lesson: ’Never take your clothes off for a middle-aged man who claims that it’s art.’
“Bertolucci, for his part, appeared puzzled by the criticism. ’It is true that Maria was very young when we shot the film and maybe she couldn’t articulate what happened,’ he told the Guardian in 2003. ’So what remains is a confused moment where I am the killer or the bad guy.’ Following ’Last Tango in Paris,’ Schneider went on to star alongside Jack Nicholson in ’The Passenger,’ an existential thriller by director Michelangelo Antonioni. But her subsequent career was hindered by drug addiction and mental illness.”
— Xan Brooks, writing on “Maria Schneider dies aged 58,” on Feb. 3 at the Guardian
No ESPN for you
“Since Keith Olbermann’s departure from MSNBC, there have been a number of rumored destinations for the former ’Countdown’ host. Some are obvious (a move to CNN), and some are more creative (a recurring role on Aaron Sorkin’s new HBO series). But one of the more popular rumors was a return to his old home at ESPN, where he helped kickstart the era of the wisecracking sports anchor.
“However, his past with ESPN seems a bit too complicated for a return (we chronicled the long, strange journey between Keith and the Worldwide Leader here). Although a return to ESPN TV is probably impossible (Olbermann once told David Letterman that he was banned from ESPN’s main campus in Bristol, Connecticut), many thought a run on ESPN Radio was possible. After all, ESPN’s radio operation seems separated enough from their main hub of activity that Olbermann’s past run-ins with management wouldn’t make things too uncomfortable.
“Well, you can scratch that off the list. Earlier today, Olbermann tweeted the following from his verified account: ’A SPECIAL kind of conflict of interest. ESPN’er rips Nike on air, signs endorsement deal with Reebok.’ … [B]y making his feelings public, he likely kills any chance he has of going to ESPN, and makes it clear that he never wanted to return in the first place.”
— Dan Fogarty, writing on “I Think We Can Assume Keith Olbermann Won’t Be Working At ESPN After This Tweet,” on Jan. 30 at Sports Grid
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