July 31 show

Over the weekend, Mel Gibson got busted, Pamela Anderson got married, and Lindsay Lohan got a new one ripped...but eTalk opened tonight's show with a repeat of its interview with Martin Short. It was the same interview aired when his show was playing in Toronto but they dragged it out tonight to promote his show on Broadway. Unbelievable. Next up, a "worldwide exclusive" (yes, Tanya Kim said "worldwide") about the celebrity guests at this year's One X One gala during the Toronto International Film Festival. You mean the "worldwide exclusive" that Matt Damon and John Legend will be there? Hmmm...didn't I see that somewhere? And why the "worldwide?" I'm sure somewhere in the Ukraine an entertainment show is kicking itself for missing that one. Now back to the filler... up next was a crappy segment on the offspring of famous directors and actors who are also working in show business. Suddenly, I realized this is a pre-packaged show. Hey, those eTalk interns deserve a break. There was some fairly new content, though, with creepy David Giammarco on a junket interview with Robin Williams... but this was followed by a rehash of a David Cronenberg profile. After the break, rehashed filler pieces on band members who go solo and minorities on prime time television. A segment from last year about the movie Three Needles was trotted back out because of the upcoming International AIDS Conference in Toronto. (Did we really need the cheesy sound effects in a segment about a serious subject like AIDS?) No mention of the fact that the movie, which screened at last year's Toronto Film Festival, never got a wide release. Then, an old behind-the-scenes look at Billable Hours. Well folks, if eTalk is taking a break from new shows this week, maybe I should seize the opportunity to take a break, too.