Blogs

newsobserver.com blogs

Today's giveaway puts you at the top of your game

Know anyone that loves cars and Brits?

Then seek today's giveaway: "Top Gear," the BBC show that features cars, stunts and humor and the British presenter dudes who bring it all to you.

We'll give you THREE DVD sets: The complete season one, featuring Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust and Rutledge Wood doing a moonshine run in the deep South, teaching a blind man to drift a Nissan 370Z, and messing around with celebs like "Modern Family's" Ty Burrell and Kid Rock.

The complete season 13 with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May trying to film a Volkswagen ad and test driving a Lambo Murcielago, and hanging with sprinter Usain Bolt and comic Jay Leno.

The complete season 16 with the gang embarking on a three-part US road trip and testing the Rolls-Royce Ghost, and goofing around with Boris Becker and Simon Pegg.

Plus, just because we like going over the top, we'll throw in a 4-disc DVD set of "Top Shot," the History Channel's competition show that challenges contestants to feats of markmanship inspired by historical events. Like Wild West gunfights.

Just send an email by 8 tonight (12/15) and we'll choose a random winner.

Carrboro makes finals for Oprah's "Lovetown USA"; Fuquay-Varina out

From correspondent Tammy Grubb

True love may be just around the corner for Carrboro!

Producers of the new show, “LoveTown USA,” have named the town a finalist for the Oprah Winfrey Network and BBC Worldwide television series. The next step is a visit with residents in a Town Hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 13.

Community and Economic director Annette Stone said the producers wouldn’t say how many other towns are in the finals, too. Kingsland, Ga., officials said they are still in the running, but officials in Reidsville, Fuquay-Varina and Culpeper, Va., said their towns were rejected. There’s no word yet from Newton or Clayton, N.C.
The show’s casting directors will make a final decision in January.

The show will take over a small American town for 30 days, bringing in professional matchmakers to pair up local singles and see how the relationships develop and affect the town. Filming could happen in February or March.

Could Carrboro be "LoveTown" USA?; town in running for Oprah matchmaking show

From correspondent Tammy Grubb:
 
Could love be just around the corner? Maybe Oprah can help you find it.
 
Interested Carrboro residents are asked to come out this week for casting calls for the new Oprah Winfrey Network show, “LoveTown, USA.”

Today's giveaway will make you feel like you're on another planet

You gotta admit it: We steal some good television from the Brits. Among our quality grabs: "Life on Mars," the short-lived ABC series.

But today we're offering the source material, the BBC version of "Life on Mars." You'll get 8 episodes of the show that chronicles the life of Sam Tyler, a police detective who gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973. It takes him back to a time when police were, to put it bluntly, hard-drinking thugs, and that was fine with everybody. And let's not talk about the forensics tools.

With this collection, you'll also get audio commentary, an hour-long documentary with behind-the-scenes footage, a featurette on the show's composer, and an outtakes reels.

It's a neat little treat for your Anglophile friends or if you watched the American version, you can compare and contrast.

Send that email by 8 tonight (9/22) with your address in the body and our random drawing will show who's in for a bloody good time.

Today's giveaway needs to get a clue

And now something extra special: "Great Detectives Anthology."

We're not talking Columbo and Monk, This set of 12 DVDs features 18 classic capers featuring Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes, as portrayed by Brits David Suchet, Joan Hickson and Peter Cushing.

You'll get familiar mysteries like "Death on the Nile," "Murder at the Vicarage," and "The Hound of the Baskervilles." And included in the more than 26 hours of viewing are bonus features: "Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective" documentary, Agatha Christie biography, a David Suchet biography, and complete indexes of all the Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot stories.

This is courtesy, by the way, of the BBC and A&E.

There's no mystery in how to get your hands on this set: Just send in an email with your address in the body by 9 tonight (12/10). A random drawing will determine the winner.

What to Watch on Saturday: "Dr. Who" returns with new lead

Dr. Who (9pm, BBC America) - It's the fifth season premiere of the popular U.K. sci-fi show, and Matt Smith (right) replaces David Tennant in the lead role. In the first episode, the 11th Doctor (Smith) must save the world in 20 minutes, even though the TARDIS is wrecked and his sonic screwdriver is disabled. Tune in at 8pm for a special "Ultimate Guide to Dr. Who" and that last sentence might make sense to you.

The Front (9pm, Lifetime) - It's the second part to last week's so-so "Patricia Cornwell's 'At Risk'" Lifetime movie. Adrienne says this one is better. Starring Andie MacDowell, Daniel Sunjata and Diahann Carroll

Strikeforce: Nashville (9pm, CBS) - There's a big Mixed Martial Arts match. I don't get it, but there you go. 

The Wanda Sykes Show (11pm, Fox) - Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") and Laila Ali are guests.

Saturday Night Live (11:30pm, NBC) - Tonight's host is Ryan Phillippe, who incidentally co-stars in the new film version of "MacGruber." So it's pretty much a given that we'll be treated (ugh) to at least one MacGruber sketch. Ke$ha is the musical guest. 

UNC-TV hosting "EastEnders" Twitter party

Attention all British soap opera enthusiasts: UNC-TV is pairing with the North Carolina EastEnders Fan Club (yes, there is such a thing) to host an "EastEnders" marathon and Twitter party on Sunday night.

The Festival 2010 EastEnders marathon begins at 9pm on UNC-TV, and participants are asked to follow @UNCTV on Twitter and to use the #unctveastenders hashtag in all their Eastender tweets. You can use TweetGrid (or your favorite Twitter app) to “Party” along. While you all watch the episodes on TV, of course. 

Members of the NC EastEnders Fan Club will be live in the UNC-TV studios moderating the Twitter discussions, answering questions, and giving away prizes. The virtual party lasts from 9pm to midnight.

You can contact Jen Jones (jenjones@unctv.org) at UNC-TV for more information. You can also get more information at The NC Eastenders Fan Club Facebook page.

Brits hear from Flywheel-for-Obama

Flywheel Design, a downtown-Durham marketing company, says its benefit bash for Barack Obama raised more than $1,000 — what’s more, it made news overseas.

Cars View All
Find a Car
Go
Jobs View All
Find a Job
Go
Homes View All
Find a Home
Go

Want to post a comment?

In order to join the conversation, you must be a member of newsobserver.com. Click here to register or to log in.
Advertisements