BW Manilowe

The movie made $120.5 Million in the US on Friday (this does include the box office from Thursday's showings, considered preview showings). This gives it the biggest Friday opening in history. It crossed the $250 Million mark, globally, in three days. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-star-wars-force-849854?utm_source=twitter

http://www.billboard.com/articles/videos/popular/6813830/wiz-live-producer-harvey-mason-jr-interview?utm_source=twitter An interview with the producer of The Wiz Live!, on the creation of the music.

I thought I'd read Skellig Michael was a filming location in at least 1 review. I just Googled to doublecheck & there are links, such as from RTE (1 of) the Irish television network(s), discussing/confirming it.

Don't forget: NBC is airing an encore broadcast of The Wiz Live! TONIGHT, December 19th, at 8PM Eastern/7PM Central. The Color Purple was originally produced on Broadway in 2005. It's currently back on Broadway in a Revival production. Oprah Winfrey was 1 of the producers of the original production & I believe she's also a producer of the current Revival production. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_Purple_(musical)

The movie's apparently looking at a $200 Million (or greater) opening weekend. http://variety.com/2015/film/news/box-office-star-wars-the-force-awakens-record-1201665272/

According to studio estimates, & many entertainment news sources, the movie made $57 Million as a result of Thursday night's previews. http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/12/18/star-wars-force-awakens-blasts-record-57-million-thursday-night/77554720/

The E! Online website reports that Martin Sheen underwent proactive (non-emergency, elective) quadruple bypass surgery over the past weekend. He's doing so well, he's already out of the ICU & expected to be home in time for Christmas. http://m.eonline.com/news/725266/martin-sheen-recovering-from-quadruple-bypass-surgery

If you want/need it, Amazon.com (US site) currently has the Complete Series Boxed Set for $71.99 (item price before adding in shipping & handling--but that price also qualifies it for free shipping if you don't have Amazon Prime free shipping & don't want/need it for Christmas). That's 76% off the Suggested Retail Price (& I'd consider it a very good deal--so good I took advantage of it yesterday, & I already have all 7 seasons on separate DVDs).

Not for nothing, but I also linked to the Letterman interview *where the link actually belongs*, in the Letterman in the Media thread in the forum for his version of the show. I agree, it was a great interview--so were the scenic Montana photos (not by Dave) included with it.

Didn't they do some of the special BBQ/Grilling episodes, from a few seasons ago (they had at least 1 series they filmed outdoors, in like an old west set), outside of NYC?

I know. If you've never had it, & you go to a Jewish deli that serves it or a meal at someone's house & they've made it--especially the sweet kind (you can also make a savory version)--try it.

NBC is apparently repeating this on Christmas night at 9:00PM Eastern.

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it, & actually posted you did. The Whitefish Review is an arts magazine in Montana (I knew it was a specialized type of magazine, but couldn't remember what type when I posted the link). I laughed when Dave said Montana's too wide, & I loved when the writer said Dave could be an intern at the magazine if he wanted. And the scenic photography with Dave's article was beautiful.

The movie was also Produced/Co-Produced by actress Rita Wilson, wife of 2-time Oscar-winner Tom Hanks (I don't think he was a Producer on the movie, but I could be wrong). She's also part Greek.

I've always read Cheno sang the song you linked to--For Good from Wicked--at John's funeral/memorial service (I think the 1 in LA). And I remember her talking about it on talk shows she did after. Not for nothing, but that's become 1 of my favorite songs. I also remember her talking about how they were good friends while doing the show &, after he died, she would find Jolly Rancher candies (she said those were his favorites) in places she knew they weren't at before he died (like in pockets of her clothes, & other places). She felt like maybe that was him trying to send her a message.

Interesting, & longish, interview with Dave in the Whitefish Review. It's a magazine based in Montana, where--as we know--Dave & the family have a second home. http://www.whitefishreview.org/archives/2015/12/david-letterman-interview/

I don't think they ever planned to write Leo out. I'm not even sure the election would've turned out differently (a lot of sources claimed it would've) if John Spencer (& Leo) had lived to finish out the series. But I definitely remember reading, in articles which came out upon John's death, that there was rewriting involved, on the episodes written but not shot at the time of his death. Stuff like giving John's/Leo's lines to other characters, where that'd work, or whatever. So I'm pretty sure this ep *was* written in response to his real life death (like Isaac & Ishmael was a "response" to 9/11). And pretty much everyone at "the old board" agreed the emotions expressed by the characters for Leo were just as much for John from his TWW colleagues & friends (many of them had attended 1 or both funerals for him--I remember their being an East Coast & West Coast 1--& a few of the cast, like Bradley, were actually among his pallbearers at the East [last] funeral)--although at least parts of their verbal remembrances of Leo weren't part of the character's history as Wingnuts/serious viewers knew it from previous seasons (which some objected to).

So much for sticking to the embargo.

Though we're not Jewish, my Mom makes Noodle Kugel (sweet, baked noodle pudding) on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or both, & she has for years. She's making it for Christmas (she forgot at Thanksgiving); she got the ingredients at the store yesterday. She was given the recipe years ago by a Jewish family living in the neighborhood at the time, whom we became good friends with & whose daughter went to school with my brother. I have to admit, I don't know that I liked it that much the first time we had it--& I can't remember if my Mom made it then, or the lady who gave her the recipe did--but, ever since then I look forward to Mom making it & completely devour it whenever she does.

Remembering John Spencer today, on the 10th anniversary of his passing (& again Sunday, on the 68th anniversary of his birth).

Yes, John Spencer was already dead in real life by the time Election Day Parts I & II were filmed--those were filmed closer to when the series wrapped production, along with the final 4 (or whatever), left to air after these 2, dealing with Bartlet & his Administration preparing to leave the White House, Vinick adjusting to losing, & the Santos family's life adjustments as they prepare to enter the White House. The last 2 eps John apparently filmed scenes for were The Cold & Running Mates, the 1 about the Vice-Presidential Debate. Those were filmed closer to when they left for their last Christmas/New Year's holiday break at the end of 2005/the beginning of 2006. John died over that break, on December 16th, 2005, 4 days short of his 59th birthday. So, as I write this it's actually the 10th anniversary of his passing (ironically). There should've been a brief "introduction" at the start of Running Mates (similar to the cast's explanatory introduction at the beginning of Isaac & Ishmael) where Martin Sheen explains how this is the last ep of TWW John filmed before his death, & how he was a great guy & Martin & the rest of the cast would miss him terribly, ending with the line, "Johnny, we hardly knew ye." (or a variation of it). If there isn't, it was part of the ep when it aired on TV & it's also in the ep as it appears in the S7 DVDs (which is another advantage to having the DVDs--stuff like this is on the eps there, if it's not on the eps as they air on Netflix/other streaming services with rights to the series). You commented about Josh's "Thanks, Boss.", to a pic of the now-deceased Leo, at the end of Part II in the Quotes thread. That line, & Brad's delivery of it, got to a lot of us the first time we heard it. It probably still gets to some of us, even now--10 years after John died & almost 10 years after it originally aired.

I have no idea. I was referring to full-fledged reviews by, like, newspapers & the electronic/print entertainment & mainstream news media--as opposed to the brief, non-spoilery, Tweets I've read today from celebs & journalists who were at last night's World Premiere in LA.

FYI... I've read that full-fledged reviews of the movie are embargoed from being published/released until 12:01AM Wednesday night/Thursday morning Pacific Time/3:01AM Eastern.

But the thing about Kermit is, he is & he also isn't a Sesame Street character. He's, like, the only Muppet which is in both SS & the more "adult" Muppet stuff, like the current The Muppets show, the older The Muppet Show, Muppets Tonight, & the movies. But it looks like he wasn't considered a SS character for the purposes of the Disney deal.

Has NBC actually announced a repeat date? I haven't seen anything except it's apparently streaming somewhere--which was said on Twitter earlier today, except they didn't say where it was streaming.