This is probably not going to be a popular opinion in town but regarding the Emmycast shakeup ... I say give them the benefit of the doubt, at least until Sept. 21. For three reasons:

No. 1 -- They're not dumping the awards entirely from the show. The vidclips will be interspersed at appropriate moments throughout the telecast. Exec producer Don Mischer has promised the clips won't be a split-second montage thing but a proper segment for each of the eight awards that will include a listing of the nominees, the reaction shot of the winner(s) while still seated and then a complete thought expressed by said winner(s) at the microphone.

No. 2 -- The Emmycast has to do something. It's basically a pretty boring show. I'm always preoccupied by covering the backstage antics, but you can tell that with rare exceptions, it's a snoozer. The vast majority of my non-pro friends have never watched it, couldn't care less, even those who are TV buffs.

No. 3 -- They've got Neil Patrick Harris as host. This fine young man is a born entertainer. He deserves some extra minutes here and there to strut, sing and soft shoe. Memo to Mischer: Reserve Ricky Gervais for a nice long segment, and throw caution to the wind by giving Craig Ferguson a good slot too for some ad-libbing. Fortune favors the brave.

I really don't believe that the changes are any kind of big conspiracy by CBS to downplay the wins of rivals, particularly cable rivals, in favor of running trailers for "CSI" and "The Mentalist." I think it is a ratings-driven move to produce a show with more tune-in appeal to the vast expanse of viewers. 

As usual, I agree with most everything Brian Lowry has to say in the thinkpiece he's posted on BLTV.

Frankly, forget the Emmys. I'm far more worried about the plan to redo "The Rockford Files" for NBC -- much as I have a deep appreciation for David Shore's talent as a scribe and showrunner.

But "Rockford" is special. James Garner is special beyond words (and easy on the eyes too). Stephen J. "Badass" Cannell and Roy "I created 'Maverick,' 'The Fugitive' and 'Rockford' so don't mess with me" Huggins caught lightning in a bottle with the character, the cast, the backdrop. You just can't recreate it with a rights deal and the best intentions. I was heartened when Shore told me that "Rockford" was one of the shows that made him want to become a writer. It's a good sign.

Jim Rockford, pound for pound, is TV's coolest private eye ever. David Chase, who worked on "Rockford," agrees with me. Once backstage at the Emmys after Chase won a writing award for "The Sopranos" I asked him if he concurred on the Rockford-is-the-coolest question. It was a little reckless, for sure. The mercurial Mr. Chase might've gotten mad and made me feel like an idiot. But he smiled big and answered emphatically in the affirmative. (I think he was relieved to change the subject after a string of inane "Sopranos" questions.)

There are too many great things about "Rockford" to begin to list here. (For starters, how about Stuart "Angel" Margolin and Noah "Rocky" Beery Jr.? And don't forget the Firebird.) But one oddball thing that always comes to mind when I think about "Rockford" are the segs in which Isaac Hayes guest starred as a prison buddy of Jim's, calling him "Rockfish" the entire time. Hayes' wardrobe from those segs would probably fetch about $3 million on Ebay right now.

Ah, they don't make 'em like that anymore. Not even for $200 a day plus expenses.

BY STUART LEVINE

Mo’Nique might be in high demand come the fall.

The comedian and author appeared on a panel Thursday at TCA as BET is set to launch her talkshow beginning Oct. 5. Yet, while the program might help her garner attention, it’s her film career that could get plenty of play as Oscar season approaches.

She stars in “Precious,” which received raves at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize. Mo’Nique took home the Special Jury Prize for acting.

“The Mo’Nique Show” will tape in Atlantabut BET execs are well aware of the pressures of an Oscar campaign. She’ll be tubthumping both for the film and herself.

According to Loretha Jones, BET’s president of original programming, the network is already on board with Lionsgate about allowing Mo’Nique to travel and, ultimately, make the talkshow’s production as flexible as possible.

“We’re going to make her available, and I’ve already reached out to Lionsgate offering our support,” she said. “We’re exteremly committed to Mo’Nique’s success across all media. We want people to see her film and then those people will follow her to BET.”

Mo’Nique is part of a growing contingency of minority latenight talkshow hosts. George Lopez begins Nov. 9 on TBS and Wanda Sykes will have a Saturday night show on Fox.

BY STUART LEVINE

Because I'm a home-game player, G4's TCA panel "2 Months, $2 Million" intrigued me.

Premise: Four online poker players move to Vegas for a couple of months and use their own money to try and earn a cool $2 mil in 60 days.

That's a lot of coin but whether they're able to accumulate that amount isn't really the point. The fact that four twentysomethings are all professional players and don't blink an eye on having to pony up $10,000 to enter a tournament -- and these guys often plays 2-3 tournaments a month -- is mindbogging.

The poker craze began when amateur Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker six years ago and it's difficult to say whether the phenomenon has continued. G4 is smart to focus and market the show on how these guys enjoy a bachelor's lifestyle in Vegas. Yup, that means girls, extravagance, clubbing, and more girls wiill be featured more than poker strategy.

Show launches Aug. 16 and will air Sunday nights at 9 p.m.

BY STUART LEVINE

Fox Reality's "Househusbands of Hollywood" features the guys doing daily chores and being with the kids while mom is at the office, but clearly the show will get plenty of traction as long as Jillian Reynolds is in the mix.

Reynolds (pictured right), formerly Jillian Barberie and a mainstay on the Fox morning news show forever, wasn't shy about letting the world -- i.e. assembled crix -- know that she and new hubby Grant like to get it on as much as possible.

The declaration came when a journo asked the couple about their response to the L.A. Times piece by James Rainey, who questioned her TV qualifications amid layoffs at the net. And then there was her explicit chat with Howard Stern about her sex life

"It was in the Monday Times, which is pretty skinny right now," Grant snapped back, a shot at the troubled newspaper environment these days on Spring Street.

Jillian didn't back away either. Being in front of the camera is natural to her, and it took a bit of persuasion to get him on board to participate in "Househusbands," which some have equated as a male version of the "Real Housewives" franchise

"Grant didn’t want to do the show but I was very open to it," she explained. And then, a little more about their bedroom activities.

"Do we fight? Hell ya, but we have great makeup sex too," which must account for her announcement that she's pregnant again.

Count Jeff Gaspin among the legion of TV execs who attended the Brandon Tartikoff Conservatory.

Gaspin, who was promoted to the uber-TV gig at NBC Universal on Monday as Ben Silverman shipped out, was sent out to Burbank to study with Tartikoff for a few months after he got his first programming job at the Peacock, in the news division. Then-NBC News prexy Michael Gartner was impressed with Gaspin's genuine love of television, something he'd had since he was a kid growing up in Queens.

Gaspin never thought of TV as a career, however, until he was in his final days of the MBA program at New York U. He was leafing through a job recruiting book and saw a page of openings at NBC. Until then, he figured he was headed for the strategic consultant route at a big firm like Towers Perrin or McKinsey & Co.

But once he realized that he could actually "get a job at a company I watched every day," he was hooked. He didn't get the first job he applied for at NBC, but two months later he was hired to price spots for the O&O divisions.

Gaspin had been a production finance exec working on NBC's East Coast-based shows, but what he really wanted to do was ... program. Gartner, according to Gaspin, told him that he was one of the few in the news division who "actually watches television," and that appreciation would come in handy as NBC News developed the newsmag that became "Dateline NBC."

Shortly after Gaspin made the leap to veep of programming and development, Gartner introduced him to NBC Sports guru Dick Ebersol, who suggested that Gaspin make the pilgrimage to Burbank to learn at the knee of Tartikoff.

"I went from a decent job in finance to working in programming and being mentored by a god," Gaspin says. "The rest is history."

Friday night's tribute to Mel Brooks at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences was as heartfelt as it was hilarious.

Leonard Maltin was, as ever, a fantastic host. The tributers were extremely qualified to talk about Mel and his impact on the biz, his unique genius and the crazy-funny stuff like how Brooks squeezed an extra $300,000 out of MGM/UA's David Begelman (tip: always hit up a studio chief up after lunch, not before) so that Richard Benjamin and Brooks' Brooksfilms banner could do right by "My Favorite Year" (thank goodness they did).

Carl Reiner revealed that it was Burns and Allen -- George Burns and Steve Allen -- who ensured that "The 2000-Year-Old Man" routine -- something Reiner and Brooks had done for fun at parties for years (as Reiner put it, "for Jews and for non-antisemitic gentiles") -- was put down on wax and mass marketed as a comedy album(s). Burns told them after one party perf that if they didn't record it "he would steal it," Reiner recalled. And then Allen went a step further and booked studio time for them to record a few routines.

Everyone on the stage made a concerted effort to convey love and admiration for Brooks, as an auteur and as a human being. But I submit that nobody made quite as much of an effort as Teri Garr. She demonstrated incredible grace and resilience in walking on stage to join Lesley Ann Warren and Tracey Ullman in a discussion of performing opposite Mel.

Multiple sclerosis has taken a physical toll on Garr, but the neurological disorder has not claimed the exuberant spirit that caught Brooks' eye way back when. After a clip of "Young Frankenstein" was shown, Garr deadpanned, "I haven't changed a bit."

(Pictured above, from left: Richard Benjamin, Lesley Ann Warren, Mel Brooks, Leonard Maltin, Teri Garr, AMPAS' Sid Ganis and Tracey Ullman.)

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Another emotional moment in a night of big, big, can't-catch-my-breath laughs came when Brooks himself noted during the Q&A with Maltin how deeply he was moved by the clips of his late wife, Anne Bancroft, from "Silent Movie" and "To Be or Not To Be." They were married for 40 years and had a son, Max, who sat next to his father during Friday night's fete. As my husband observed, Bancroft was immensely talented, and she was a babe. 

Lots of "Lost" goodies this weekend.

Extra special thanks to the intrepid Jennifer Godwin of E!'s "Watch with Kristin" blog for the links to the entire "Lost" panel at Comic-Con on Saturday. From what I've seen and read, it was hoot.

And ABC is back at it with an elaborate "Lost University" website that promises to begin "enrollment" on Sept. 22, 2009. From what I can gather it has a tie-in with the Blu-ray edition of "Lost's" season five DVD set.

As much fun as these things are, there's the bittersweet factor of having to wait a minimum of six months for the dawn of the Final Season. Wherefore art thou, Juliet?

Walter Cronkite's funeral was held today at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Manhattan. A classy affair for a class act. Broadcasting & Cable's Marissa Guthrie has a thorough report.

From Cronkite's son Chip:

"I admired my Dad. He was just a reporter, he’d say. He just ended up reporting bigger and bigger stories. He was fast too. I liked watching him swivel around and rewrite stories during the commercial breaks."

I've become strangely addicted to Showtime's "Nurse Jackie." What is that hoodoo-voodoo that Edie Falco do so well?
 
The show overall, like its titular character, has its shortcomings. But Falco is mesmerizing, and she's given plenty to work with.

As an tough, battle-scarred ER nurse in a crossroads-of-the-world Manhattan hospital, Falco gets to play the hero, the healer, the rogue who fights the inanity of the health care system for the good of her patients. She's also very addicted to powerful prescription painkillers, and although you'd think she'd be able to stash them by the fistful, considerable time is devoted to depicting her daily machinations to feed her habit.
 
Falco is unfailingly fantastic in the role. She makes you believe in Jackie Peyton's every move, every flinch, every outburst. You know that Falco would be just as good if she were playing a sanitation worker, or an accountant, but it doesn't hurt that the nurse part puts her in high-stakes and highly emotional situations. It is a tribute to her talent that I never think about Carmela Soprano while watching "Nurse Jackie."
 
Falco is so good that she rises above the show's preposterous elements, and she distracts from the weakness of some of the supporting cast. The show's half-hour format also helps. You can be dazzled by Falco's perf as a character study for 26-28 minutes, but even she couldn't carry an episode much longer. I don't think I would have hung in with "Nurse Jackie" had it been an hourlong skein.
 
(Spoiler alert -- stop reading if you haven't seen the show because I'm getting into plot specifics.)
 
The biggest problem is buying the idea that Jackie's hospital coworkers in Manhattan wouldn't know that she's married with two kids in Queens. It's just too hard to believe, and impossible to sustain. I know New York's a big city and all but puh-leeze. Also on the wrong end of ridiculous is the notion that Jackie would remove her wedding ring every morning before stepping into the ER. Just can't see it, especially for the character.
 
Of the supporting cast, some of them really stand out as less than great when working opposite La Falco. Looking on the positive side, the one who matches Falco for naturalness and brings her own distinctive goofy charm is Merritt Wever (pictured right), who plays the naive nursing student Zoey.
 
I've seen the entire run of first-season episodes, and without giving anything away, I think the writers either lost their road map for where "Nurse Jackie" was going, or they never had one in the first place.

The directing on the show, on the other hand, has been consistently good. The half-hour format seems to force a spare, no-showing-off approach. Steve Buscemi (pictured below with Falco), an old "Sopranos" hand, has helmed multiple episodes.

"Nurse Jackie" doesn't have to sweat out its fate as its first season comes to a close next month. The Lionsgate TV series was picked up after its first airing. Falco is that good.

So here's hoping the material rises to Falco's level in season two, set to begin production in the fall.
 
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One more thought: Edie Falco has undoubtedly earned herself an Emmy nomination next year for "Nurse Jackie." But in what category -- Comedy? Drama?
 
It's billed as a dark comedy, and the half-hour format naturally points to the comedy (see Toni Collette's nod for "United States of Tara," which is only a little bit lighter than "Nurse Jackie"). But there are precious few laughs for Falco and crew. It's a melodrama through and through.

Walter Cronkite is gone. Long live his legacy of great journalism.

I can't possibly describe what Cronkite meant to broadcasting and to American culture better than Brian Lowry has on his BLTV blog, so click right here for Brian's spot-on appreciation.

On a deeply personal level, this is one of those passings that really feels like a member of the family -- that was Cronkite's gift, after all. Another piece of the world as it was when I was a kid has died, and I cherish my idealized memories of that time enough to mourn for that reason alone.

"The CBS Evening News" was "the news" when I was growing up. To this day, my mom and dad are CBS News loyalists. They watch local KCBS-TV (KNXT to us old-timers) news in the late afternoon and on through the "CBS Evening News." Sure, they flip around to CNN and MSNBC now and then (Dad has crush on Rachel Maddow) but when it's time for them to watch "the news," they head on over to channel 2.

So that's a long-winded way of saying that Cronkite's voice was part of the soundtrack of my childhood. He came on right after dinner like clockwork. And his was the voice of the god of truth in current events as far as my family was concerned. If Cronkite reported it, it was the gospel.

When I first started working for UPI and learned that Cronkite had been a Unipresser (actually he worked for United Press, before it acquired the "I"), I was proud to be even remotely part of the same organization that schooled young Walter (that was before I'd worked there very long).

We knew his death was imminent -- last month Cronkite's family released a statement saying that he was gravely ill and unlikely to recuperate (reporting accurately and diligently to the end). But it was still a jolt when I heard the news break on the radio (a CBS-owned station) while driving with my daughter this evening.

I agree with George Clooney, who observed: "He was the most important voice in our lives for thirty years. And that voice made people reach for the stars. I hate the world without Walter Cronkite."

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Here's a great vid of Walter Cronkite from his 1998 interview with the TV Acad's Archive of American Television

The world wants to know: How does Jemaine Clement feel about landing an Emmy nomination for his HBO series "Flight of the Conchords," and a nom for himself for lead comedy actor?

Hours after the news broke, Clement broke his silence.

Through a (hard-working) HBO publicist, the Kiwi star offered this comment:

"Go away reporters."

... ignored Jack Bender (pictured left) for drama series direction. He only helmed the best episodes of season ("The Incident, parts 1 and 2"; "Namaste," "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham," among others) Need we say more??

And how did "Lost's" badass cinematographers get completely shut out?

Oh, and what about one of the most talented composers working in film and TV today -- Michael Giacchino (pictured right) who still writes mini- movie scores for "Lost" every week that are recorded by a LIVE ORCHESTRA, not a souped-up synthesizer or computer.

He kept the insanely emotional quality going on "Lost" this past season even when he was kinda busy with a few other projects -- little movies called "Up" and "Star Trek," not to mention working on J.J. Abrams' Fox drama "Fringe."

What more does it take?

I gotta get moving on sidebars for tomorrow's paper but a few top-of-mind thoughts on the Primetime Emmy noms:

** "The Big Bang Theory" -- Call the cops. The best all-around comedy series extant wuz robbed this morning. Star Jim Parsons (pictured left, who announced the noms with "Grey's Anatomy's" Chandra Wilson) of course was recognized but the show deserved it too, dagnabit.

** "Friday Night Lights" -- What does it take, Emmy voters? With seven nominees for drama series, there wasn't any room for the most well-rendered slice of life drama on TV? Or for Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler in the acting heats?

** "True Blood" snub? While I'm not a huge fan of HBO's fang-fest, it has undeniable sizzle right now, and star Anna Paquin is delicious in her role (even I recognize that). With the Alan Ball of it all, the show seem to be much more Emmy bait than HBO's "Big Love," which nabbed a drama series nod. Go figure.

** "Battlestar Galactica" shut out? I would've bet money on the voters catching up with this space opera's final voyage.

** Supporting drama actor nom for Michael Emerson of "Lost" -- good. But William Shatner, again?? The category would've been better served by Taylor Kitsch of "FNL," or Vincent Kartheiser of "Mad Men," or Josh Holloway of "Lost" (and not just because Holloway would make all the girl reporters backstage swoon, but because he was damn good last season).

** Supporting drama actress for Elisabeth Moss of "Mad Men." This is good.

** Supporting comedy actor. Tracy Morgan -- really? Over Simon Helberg or Kunal Nayyar of "Big Bang Theory." Really?

** Supporting comedy actress. No room for Kaley Cuoco of "Big Bang Theory"? What part of this show are Emmy voters NOT watching??

** Comedy series writing. Four nods for "30 Rock"? I'd call that gluttony.

** Drama series writing. Four nods for "Mad Men"? Much as I love that show, much as I spent Sunday nights last summer and fall parsing every word of every episode on this blog, four nods is overkill.

** Betty White earning her 15th career nom, this time for a guest shot on "My Name is Earl." This is good.

** The great Gena Rowlands was recognized for her guest turn on "Monk." She somehow grows more beautiful every year.

** Ed Asner's having a hell of a year. Not only is he in the best movie I've seen all year -- "Up" -- but he nabbed a drama guest star nod for "CSI: NY." Old guys rule!

I love Paul McCartney -- always have, always will.

Sometime tomorrow during the madness of Emmy noms day, I'm gonna fire up the webcast of Macca's set on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater (a little  bonus to his appearance Wednesday on CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman"), put on the headphones and drift off to a happier place...at least for 22:52 minutes.

Let me roll it to ya...

Thanks, Dave.

Holy crap, by now E should know enough to keep his hands off of Mrs. Ari! Might this be a plot point in season six of "Entourage?"

HBO hosted a screening and party on the Paramount lot Thursday night for its boys of summer. Our heroes/lovable losers are going through some growing pains this season, but they all had a perfectly pleasant time in the plaza outside Paramount Theater on a balmy night tailor-made for an intimate premiere party. The after-party chow was great -- a veggie dish that blended beets, tangerines and bell peppers was quite tasty -- and the desserts were even better. Simple (vanilla ice cream, cookies) but scrumptious.

"Entourage" creator/exec producer Doug Ellin spent some quality time with one of the o.g.'s of Paramount and Variety, Peter Bart. Wonder if the subject of a certain TV critic came up in their conversation? 

(Pictured above, "Entourage's" Kevin Connolly and Perrey Reeves. Pictured right, Peter Bart and Doug Ellin.)

Good news on the "Glee" front. The show is definitely building on the promise of its pilot, which Fox sneak-peeked back in May.

And that's good news for Fox, which is putting everything it has into the launch of the series in September (regional screenings, contests, Internet vid-sharing sites, etc.).

Studio 20th Century Fox TV is eager to show off "Glee." So much so they invited a few dozen TV scribes to the lot on Wednesday for a screening of two more episodes. The segs went by quickly, complemented by a generous spread of popcorn, cookies and fruit salad.

Without giving away any plot points, it's great to see that the key characters are settling into their skin nicely, and the nifty production touches that made the pilot feel so fresh are still working, at least for me. And "Glee" deftly balances the soapy elements with laugh-out-loud moments.

At times the show can be downright saccharine, but somehow in the context of the material it mostly works. By the past standards of series co-creator Ryan Murphy, it's light and not terribly edgy, though there are signs that things may take a darker turn down the road apiece. The skewering of the holier-than-thou hypocrisy of the teen abstinence movement continues apace, with devilishly funny results.

A criticism so far is that some key characters are still pretty two-dimensional and verging on caricature.

Perhaps the show's biggest asset is its fresh-faced cast (they're good enough to overcome the fact that few of them look remotely high school age). Jane Lynch is the most well-known of the bunch, and needless to say she nails it every time she's on screen. And they're finding plenty to do with her character, the maniacal cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester who has it in for Matthew Morrison's Will Schuester, the earnest English teacher who dedicates himself to reviving the school's glee club, the source of his greatest triumph during his own years as a student at McKinley High School. (Lynch and Morrison pictured above at a "Glee" screening in May at Santa Monica High School.)

Lea Michele (pictured in purple with co-star Dianna Agron), who plays the over-achieving and ultra-ambitious Rachel Berry, continues to impress -- that girl can sing, as anyone who saw her in "Spring Awakening" can attest. Chris Colfer, who plays the music-loving closeted gay teen Kurt, gets a good showcase in an early episode, with Mike O'Malley as his dad.

The music selections in the upcoming segs are bouncy and fun -- including Kanye West's "Gold Digger" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)." Which means that Fox is not scrimping on the show. The music rights budget on "Glee" must be almost as much as the entire budget of some cable series.

The "Glee" express begins Sept. 16.

Comedy Central execs are giddy at having nabbed the rerun rights to "30 Rock" starting in the fall of 2011.

How giddy? In a tribute to the Emmy-winning awesomeness of Alec Baldwin in his role as Jack Donaghy, Comedy Central program scout David Bernath has made a slight tweak to his title.* Why be a mere senior veep of programming when you can be senior veep of program strategy and microwave programming?

At this rate, David, you could be headed to the chairman's job at Viacom. Or back to the MTV Networks mail room. Only time (and the performance of those "30 Rock" reruns) will tell.

*At least for the purposes of the press release announcing the "30 Rock" deal.

Pros: All-around good cast. Strong pilot script from Jason Katims, very un-showy direction of pilot by Thomas Schlamme fits the material.

Cons: A little speechy here and there

I liked this one a lot. Katims has the very tough task of living up to his "Friday Night Lights" standard. "Parenthood" didn't quite hit me with the same thunderbolt as "FNL," but it's oozing with potential by the end of the pilot

I liked the distinctiveness of the setting (Berkeley/Bay Area), and the foundation of the sprawling Braverman family of four adult siblings dealing with their own children of various ages and emotional states. There was great detail and specificity that gave the characters immediate depth and, well, character right away.

There's a lot of plot and character development going on in the script, perhaps a hair too much at times. But in the main it delivers a lot of info without getting terribly bogged down in exposition. Some of roughest patches seemed to be out of the mouths of the teenage characters, which is a little surprising since "FNL" has excelled at portraying high schoolers in a credible way. But this is a minor quibble.

Among a uniformly good cast, Maura Tierney stands out in the pilot as Sarah Braverman, the daughter who instigates much of the basic plot by moving back with her parents in Berkeley after hitting hard times with her teenage kids in Fresno.

Craig T. Nelson is very good as patriarch Zeek. Bonnie Bedelia doesn't have a whole lot to do in the pilot as matriarch Camille, but there's clearly more coming for her. Dax Shepard makes a good impression as bohemian brother Crosby. Of the younger thesps, Mae Whitman impresses in the pilot as Sarah's feisty, growing-up-in-a-hurry daughter, Amber.

Can't help but wonder how an family ensembler without a built-in marketing hook will fare on NBC. Let's hope viewers are drawn in by the familiarity of the 1989 movie (though there are few similarities, as I recall) and then suitably dazzled by the solid thesp roster.

Sad, sad news arrived this evening. Steve Brennan, longtime reporter and editor for The Hollywood Reporter, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center today at 57 after a yearlong struggle with cancer. He was my friend, and I will miss him so much. (Click here for THR's obituary.)

Steve was an incredibly colorful character, a sharp wit, a fantastic and accomplished writer. He realized a longtime dream in 2007 with the release of his book, "Emeralds in Tinseltown: The Irish in Hollywood."

Steve worked for THR, in his last years as international editor, for two decades. He started out as freelancer (he liked to tell of how he managed to sell stories on every permutation of the Irish entertainment biz) and then after he moved to L.A., he charmed his way into a full-time gig covering syndication and international TV.

He was a great reporter and an even better raconteur. He added to the joviality of many a NATPE convention, that's for sure. (Let's just say there are some waiters at famed New Orleans establishments who will never forget him.)