Entertainment

The Walking Dead wrapped up its brief 6-episode "first season" last night, and while we haven't seen the ratings yet, it's safe to say that AMC can't get the second season on fast enough. Meanwhile, the creative team has been out in force. Producer Gale Ann Hurd went to EW to pooh-pooh talk of writer firings, saying that folks were just moving on to other projects. The surviving cast has been resigned for season two. Even Hurd is surprised by how well the show has done.

With Smallville wrapping up, the WB is firing up the oven to cook up another DC-themed TV show. Now in development, rather surprisingly, Raven, the demon-spawned empath created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez for the Teen Titans. Diego Gutierrez (V) is developing the concept for the CW. Raven previously appeared on TV as a Goth-type character on the Teen Titans cartoon.

Every year the producers of the best cartoon of the 21st century, The Venture Brothers, unleash a new Christmas single -- here's a handy link to all of them to date Including Venture-Aid 2006 and The Monarch singing The Christmas Song. There are rumors of a new song for 2010, but until then, enjoy the mellow sounds of Venture-mas past.

While an earlier Deadline report set tongues twittering, you've got to like how Robert Kirkman has deflected some of the freak-outs over changes at The Walking Dead's writing staff by frankly addressing them. In an interview with TV Guide he explains that things aren't how they look. "It's kind of unfortunate that it's being reported that our writing staff has been fired because that's not the case." Writer Chic Eglee left of his own volition, Kirkman explains:

The cycle of "the new things is awesome!" to "we are so over it!" has accelerated to mere minutes. Case in point: The Walking Dead. Only last week it was on the cover of EW with a triumphant story:

Scroobius Pip is one half of UK indie hip hop duo dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip. Their songs tackle issues including suicide, domestic...

Well, it has actually happened. We've been covering the Spider-Man musical story since it was first whispered, 5 or 6 years ago, and last year, at the Foxwoods Theatre in Manhattan, the very first public performance of the musical, directed by theater great Julie Taymor, with music by Bono and the Edge, of well known rock band, U2. Some thought this day would never come.

While he will be long remembered for his timeless, side-splitting, searing portrayal of Lt. Frank Drebin, we shouldn't forget Leslie Nielsen's earlier stint as a stolid, upright leading man that allowed his later send-ups of this same role to pack such punch. And of course, he was pretty memorable in FORBIDDEN PLANET, a classic '50s SF version of The Tempest that also introduced Robbie the Robot on a waiting world.

As many of you have noticed, the recent server shuffle has resulted in a loss of visual images.  The Beatrix herself is spearheading our crack team of technological troubleshooters, and we hope to restore normalcy soon. Normally, in situations such as this, we would run "classic" columns from before the advent of the World Wide Web.  Unfortunately, our tape archive was mistakenly recorded over with the 67th Academy Awards. So instead, we have reverted to ASCII mode.

As The Beatrix, on vacation up country, deals with the new server and its delusion that it's an electronic bulletin board from 1982, I...

Walking Dead Recap: Don’t have a fish fry during a Zombiepocalpse Season 1/Episode 4: Vatos Last week’s Walking Dead saw what’s left of the survivors' families ripped apart...

A viewing of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Part One the other night allowed a viewing of the big trailers for 2011. Although they've all been linked online, there's nothing like seeing them on the big screen.