Texarkana Entertainment Blog

The meteoric rise in popularity for super singer Susan Boyle is surely something amazing, and a good sign there’s still an audience out there for something pure and beautiful when it comes to music and, well, people in general. It’s also a powerful reminder to not judge by first appearances, as Boyle’s audience first did when she stepped out onto the stage for the TV talent show “Britain’s Got Talent.” 

Boyle, the 47-year-old from Blackburn, Scotland, took the Internet by storm in recent days after performing on “Britain’s Got Talent.” Unassuming and lacking in flair, Boyle inspired the judges to heap high praise upon her, most notably Simon Cowell of American Idol, and the audience to stand and applaud with fervor. She’s won adoring fans and found more than 12 million viewers on YouTube. It’s an incredible story, especially the level of intense love people have proclaimed for her. Here’s an AP update on how her life has changed: Internet’s power makes singing Scot a global star. And what I think is the original YouTube video: Susan Boyle – Singer – Britain’s Got Talent. (She sings “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables.”)

Sometimes a story comes along that reaffirms your faith in folks. This is one. 

- Aaron  Brand

Just saw this on the entertainment wire. “Sesame Street” and kids’ program producer Sesame Workshop is cutting part of its workforce (about 1/5). The economic hard times made it to Main Street … and now Sesame Street. Source and story: Recession forcing layoffs at Sesame Workshop. 

- Aaron Brand

Molly Quinn, all of 15 and the daughter of Dianna and Tom Quinn, got a start here in Texarkana that helped propel her to a role in “Castle,” the new ABC midseason series premiering Monday night in the 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. time slot.

The hometown actress studied here under Martin Beck and appeared in “Nutcracker” performances, among other things. In “Castle,” she appears with Nathan Fillion, who plays the title character Richard Castle, a mystery writer who’s bored with life and signs on to assist NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) with a case. There’s also something of a romantic spark between the two, apparently, which has led to comparisons with “Moonlighting.” 

Quinn’s been busy promoting the series and took some time out to talk with me for an interview. She sounds remarkably poised and articulate for her age. My story will appear this weekend or Monday, so check it out. And then tune in Monday night to see her perform. 

- Aaron Brand

Submitted ABC photo: 

Back in April we featured new online content provider Hulu.com on a Sunday Accent page story. Hulu acts as a window through which to see online TV shows and movies, but the content is available right at the Website. Since it first appeared, Hulu has grown. Here’s an opinion piece from the Hollywood Reporter about the Hulu success story and its limitations so far. I don’t quite buy the argument of the article—or maybe I should say, rather, that the points are fairly obvious. I mean, of course sustained growth for an entertainment provider like this will depend on content planning and landing hits. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting read (and makes some important observations): Hulu commentary.

From the story:

The Associated Press named Hulu its Web site of the year. Mark Cuban declared “Hulu Kicks YouTube’s Ass.” Influential blog TechCrunch issued a mea culpa. And if that guy Barack Obama hadn’t arrived on the scene, surely Hulu CEO Jason Kilar would be Time’s Person of the Year, right?

A look at the latest data on Hulu, however, puts the site’s performance into perspective. While unquestionably a success story, the hullabaloo over Hulu needs to be taken down a notch.

A key component of the Hulu hype is the so-called long tail, the notion that the Internet’s limitless capacity enables library content to be monetized more effectively than traditional distribution. While YouTube drowns in user-generated content that advertisers won’t touch with a 10-foot pole, Hulu has shunned that category to amass an ocean of premium-only content.

In terms of movies, here are some recent additions to Hulu’s lineup: “21 Grams,” “One True Thing,” “A River Runs Through It,” “In the Name of the Father,” “Gattaca,” “Rudy,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” “Air Force One,” and “A League of Their Own.”

Seasons and episodes have been added for “The Practice,” “The A Team,” “Major Dad,” “ReGenesis,” “The Three Stooges,” and “News Radio.”

- Aaron Brand

** Edited to add recent additions **