When it comes to sitcoms with great guest stars, 30 RockandThe Officeseem to get all the glory. But last night, we were delighted to see one of our favorite actresses, Parker Posey, throw down with Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation. Parker’s Lindsay Carlisle Shay is Leslie’s former best friend and coworker who snubbed Pawnee for a job in the city’s posh neighboring town, Eagleton. Her hilarious performance got us thinking about how many wonderful guests Parks and Rec has hosted in fewer than three seasons. We round up ten of our favorites after the jump.
One of the major complaints about Saturday Night Live this season (okay, perhaps every season) is that the show falls back on recurring characters rather than developing new ideas. So it’s no wonder that the interwebs erupted with delight upon word that Kristen Wiig has decided to retire two of her most well-known and annoying characters: hair-twirling, one-upper Penelope and homicidal child prankster Gilly. Since Wiig is cleaning house, here are a few more SNL characters we wouldn’t mind seeing exit stage left forever.
For those of us who love TV, this time of year is a dead zone. Your favorite series are either running reruns or not returning for months to come. But here’s some exciting news: 2011 is bringing in more exciting changes than we usually see — and we’re not just talking about the fact that American Idol is moving to a new night for the first time in a decade. From a handful of promising looking British imports to a new HBO series that’s being referred to as “The Sopranos with swords,” after the jump we’ve rounded up 10 of the most interesting new shows that we could find. Add anything that we’ve missed in the comments.
1. An alleged photo of the Facebook Phone prototype has been leaked. Frankly, we’re underwhelmed. [via Laughing Squid]
2. Check out the latest free track from Kanye, “Lord Lord Lord,” a song which features a little help from Mos Def, Raekwon, Swizz Beatz, and former Gap Band singer Charlie Wilson. But be warned: It’s over seven and a half minutes long. [via P4K]
3. Welcome to your future: San Antonio says that it now has the first bookless library. [via Inside Higher Ed]
4. Ken Kwapis, the executive producer of NBC’s new workplace comedy Outsourced, defends his controversial portrayal of Indians on the show. [via THR]
5. In case you’ve been worried about Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss post-breakup with husband Fred Armisen, don’t. She is reportedly looking good and in “single-girl mode.” [via NYP]
1. Former Saturday Night Live “presidents” Will Ferrell, Fred Armisen, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Dana Carvey, and Darrell Hammond, have joined forces for a skit encouraging financial regulatory reform. (video) [via HuffPo]
2. Check out this short documentary about Ryan Gosling‘s band, Dead Man’s Bones. [via Pitchfork]
3. Is 8-year-old Brazilian talent show contestant Laura Montana a.k.a. “Baby Gaga” going to be the next Susan Boyle? [via The Awl]
4. Martin Scorsese has announced that he’s working on a documentary about writer/social commentator Fran Lebowitz. [via The Playlist]
5. The American Ballet Theatre has canceled its fall season, citing the need for rehearsal time for a new production of The Nutcracker and lack of funds. [via WSJ]
Coachella giveaway: We use Yahoo! Search to help find the top culture stories of the day. Now we’re giving you the chance to play editor, and you just might win a trip to Coachella.
Use Yahoo! Search to find an interesting link about Saturday Night Live, and drop it below in the comments. Our favorite entry will receive 39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There, and more importantly, be entered to win a VIP trip for two to Coachella. Topics will be changing throughout the week, so get your search on and keep playing to increase your chances of winning!
There are a million random reading lists out there, but few that are grouped together based on the type of person doling out the recommendations (ergo our lit-hipster reading list from last month). For this new installment we’ve decided to go in a different direction, and collected the suggested reading of a few of our favorite comedians. (The result is a lot less funny than you might think.) Most of the books here aren’t new, but they are completely awesome. Leave a comment if you were as shocked by what’s on Tina Fey’s bedside table as we were.
Today at Flavorpill when we were supposed to be busy working… we chortled over this creative new use for an in-flight sick bag; we took a hilarious vicarious visit to a feminist bookstore thanks to Fred Armisen (who we’ve never really liked before); we considered buying some FlyJumpers Power Jumping Stilts but decided that they’re way too expensive (are you reading this Atomic Sports?); we felt hypnotized and couldn’t stop staring at a whole lot of animated Tyra Banks heads; we were delighted by a new, easy way to share files online that totally trumps Yousendit; we were surprised that a small town in Maryland picked Uncle Sam over Santa; and finally, we shocked to learn that even though he has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, O.J. Simpson is innocent after all.
, and more importantly, be entered to win a VIP trip for two to Coachella. Topics will be changing throughout the week, so get your search on and keep playing to increase your chances of winning!
