Franklin Avenue

For Sale: The "American Horror Story" House

2012-05-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Got $12 million sitting around? The beautiful house seen in FX's "American Horror Story" is on the block -- and don't worry, a homicidal clown baby doesn't really live in the basement -- that we know of. The house will be featured in an episode of Syfy's "Hollywood Treasure," airing next Tuesday, May 29 at 10 p.m. Here's some detail on the house, which is being marketed by Profiles in History and Beverly Hills' Rodeo Realty:

Construction of the house began in 1904 and was completed in 1908. The Catholic Church added a chapel addition in 1954. The house sits on approximately 3/4 an acre and is around 12,000 square feet. The home was built by renowned architect Alfred Rosenheim and is currently a designated historic monument. The house will be going on the market for $12,000,000.00.

The house is located in the Country Club Park/Arlington Heights section of the city. When Curbed LA wrote about the house back in January 2011, before its superstardom, it was on the market for $4.5 million. That's quite a markup.

Retro Friday: Atari Edition

2012-05-25T00:47:00.000-07:00

A 1983 Elizabeth Shue turns you on to a very special Atari deal.

From 1982: Everybody enjoys Atari, because Atari has so many video game cartridges to enjoy!

From 1981: Even aliens love playing Asteroids on their Atari 2600 system!

Target ad from 1981 -- $129.99 for an Atari 2600 system. TV not included.

KABC Continues Local TV Dominance; KCAL Wins 10 p.m.

2012-05-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

KABC Channel 7 ended May with another dominant month-long win, leading the L.A. market and winning in every time slot the station produces news. At 11 p.m., on a Monday through Friday basis KABC's "Eyewitness News" led with 381,000 viewers, followed by KCBS Channel 2 (278,000), KNBC Channel 4 (212,000) and KCOP Channel 13 (34,000 -- behind "The Simpsons" on KTTV Channel 11 and "Friends" on KTLA Channel 5).

KABC also won at 6 p.m., with 277,000 viewers, followed by KNBC (116,000), KCBS (97,000) and KTLA (39,000). At 5 p.m., the story was nearly the same: KABC (216,000), then KNBC (102,000), KCBS (96,000) and KTTV's "Studio 11 LA" (34,000).

In the morning, KABC won 5 a.m. (109,000, followed by KTLA at 66,000) and 6 am. (223,000, then KTLA's 162,000).

CBS-owned independent KCAL took home the competitive 10 p.m. news race, with 185,000 viewers, followed by KTTV (170,000) and KTLA (123,000). (KCAL and KTLA don't include the last 15 minutes of their newscasts, however, which are coded as sports coverage and is usually the lowest-rated).

The "KTLA Morning News" (164,000) continued to beat out longtime rival "Good Day LA" on KTTV (112,000), although KABC's "Good Morning America" (221,000) wins the 7 a.m. spot.

It's probably worth repeating: With the advent of local people meters, stations now can get demo info on a daily basis -- making sweeps pretty much a relic of time past. But old habits die hard, and the rush by our local TV news operations to compete in sweeps is still high.

My Evening with the Teen Wolf

2012-05-24T11:14:00.001-07:00

Whatta blast I had moderating last night's "Teen Wolf" panel at the Paley Center. The cast were all in great spirits, and we had fun cracking wise about the MTV drama's upcoming season 2. Executive producer Jeff Davis gave a few hints about the new season -- someone dies (natch), the first female werewolf appears, and Allison (played by Crystal Reed) turns into a bit of a bad ass. We even found out that Derek, the newly crowned Alpha werewolf (played by Tyler Hoechlin) doesn't look as big and menacing (compared to season one's Alpha) in CGI because, well, the CGI was too expensive.

Above, that's me with series star Tyler Posey, who plays Scott, the show's Teen Wolf. And below, I moderate with the cast.

Here's video of me introducing the panel and cracking wise:

And here's the fan Q&A portion at the end of the panel. Still waiting for someone to post the actual panel -- when they do, I'll include it here.

Memorial Day Flags Return to the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge

2012-05-24T08:28:00.002-07:00

Just in time for Memorial Day, the flags are back on the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge between Silver Lake and Atwater Village. There was no guarantee they'd be there; The Eastsider LA has the whole back story here.

"Teen Wolf" Panel at the Paley Center Tonight; Give Me Your Burning Questions

2012-05-23T09:16:00.003-07:00

Got questions about MTV's "Teen Wolf"? I'm moderating tonight's panel at the Paley Center kicking off season 2 of the show. (Because, when you think of "Teen Wolf" and teenage heartthrobs, you think of me, right?) More info at the Paley Center site here.

Among the stars and producers set to hit the stage:

Tyler Posey, "Scott McCall"
Crystal Reed, "Allison Argent"
Dylan O'Brien, "Stiles"
Tyler Hoechlin, "Derek Hale"
Holland Roden, "Lydia Martin"
Colton Haynes, "Jackson Whittemore"
Jeff Davis, Executive Producer

Post your questions below, or go to the Paley website. And watch the web stream LIVE here starting at approximately 7:45 p.m. PT.

Chris Nichols' History of Denny's

2012-05-23T09:10:00.002-07:00

Interesting history of how Denny's came to be, as reported by our pal and Los Angeles magazine's own Chris Nichols (who recently wrote about the restaurant chain in his "Ask Chris" column).

License Plate of the Day: Latin Spice Edition

2012-05-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

"Latin Spice" on the streets.

Johnny Carson's Final "Tonight Show," 20 Years Later

2012-05-22T13:57:00.001-07:00

Has it really been 20 years? Johnny Carson took to the "Tonight Show" stage one last time on May 22, 1992, for a subdued look back at his nearly 30 years hosting the late night franchise. (The big farewell had been the night before, a legendary episode featuring Robin Williams and Bette Midler). Here's the last hurrah. (The show starts 45 seconds into the clip above.)

Below, Johnny closes the show and says farewell.

Last Remaining Seats Starts Next Week; Tickets Still Available

2012-05-22T07:36:00.002-07:00

The L.A. Conservancy's 26th Annual Last Remaining Seats event begins next weekend, and good news: There are still some tickets left for most of the screenings.

Here's what's on tap:

Wednesday, May 30 - Paper Moon (1973)
Los Angeles Theatre (1931), 615 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Introduced by director Peter Bogdanovich

Wednesday, June 6 - Tootsie (1982)
Orpheum Theatre (1926), 842 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Former Los Angeles Times film critic Kevin Thomas interviews Geena Davis

Wednesday, June 13 - The Big Sleep (1946) [SOLD OUT]
Los Angeles Theatre
Introduced by Alan Rode, director of the Film Noir Foundation

Wednesday, June 20 - Cantinflas in Los tres mosqueteros (The Three Musketeers) (Mexico, 1942)
Million Dollar Theatre (1918), 307 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
co-presented with the Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles
Pre-show panel discussion moderated by Laura Isabel Serna, USC Professor of Film and Critical Studies

Wednesday, June 27 - Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (1922)
Orpheum Theatre
Introduced by film critic Leonard Maltin; accompanied live by Robert Israel on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ On display in the Orpheum will be costumes from the 2012 Best Picture Oscar winner The Artist, which was filmed at the Orpheum and whose Oscar-winning Best Actor performance by Jean Dujardin was based on Fairbanks.

Saturday, June 30 - The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Saban Theatre (1930), 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Matinee and evening screenings
Vintage costume show and vintage theatre stage curtains
Special guest Aljean Harmetz, author of The Making of The Wizard of Oz at matinee screening Last Remaining Seats makes its first-ever visit to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, which opened as the Fox Wilshire in 1930 and has been beautifully renovated.

Advance tickets cost $20 ($16 for Conservancy members).

Mike in New York: Final Day in Gotham

2012-05-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

After a week of eating and drinking more than my share of New York goodies, I spent my last morning in New York on Saturday jogging. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to get to the High Line from 37th and Madison (where I was staying). I dig the High Line, where you can take a leisurely stroll above the city without fear of being hit by a cab.

More from the High Line.

Art along the High Line -- "Carson," by Japanese artist Tomoaki Suzuki. Read about it below.

More of "Carson."

The Flatiron Building.

Spotted in the window of the Erotic Museum: "Dickchicken Soup."

Empire State Building.

Mike in New York: Upfront Roundup

2012-05-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

And so ends another crazy, non-stop week in New York, as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and The CW (plus TBS/TNT, USA, Univision, ESPN and more) pimped their new shows to advertisers. I wrote about some of the presentations last week; here are a few more moments from later in the week. Above, "2 Broke Girls" stars Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings, in their diner costumes, opened the CBS upfront.

And then, "NCIS: Los Angeles" star LL Cool J -- oh yeah, you might remember his late 80s hip-hop career -- rapped about CBS' dominance ("CBS is a phenomenon... something like a phenomenon") along side an opera singer.

Possibly the best part of the CBS upfront: A look at what CBS boss Leslie Moonves' Pinterest page might look like. Notice the Julie Chen pics. And lots of cute puppies.

Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy appear on stage at the CBS upfront -- but in character, which is one of my big upfront pet peeves. It never works. Partly because they reference being on a show while acting like they're in character. Turner thankfully stopped doing that this year.

T.I. performs at the Adult Swim upfront.

The following day, Flo Rida hits the stage at the CW's morning upfront presentation.

The new stars of the CW join the stage with network boss Mark Pedowitz.

The CW's top execs, with the fall 2012 schedule above them.

Erykah Badu and Mark Ronson at the USA Network upfront.

More stories from upfront: ABC To Bring Back TGIF with Tim Allen and Reba McEntire

Network Q&A: TBS/TNT's Michael Wright On Why He Saved Cougar Town And Plans For Next Season

Network Q&A: CBS' Nina Tassler on Her Fall Schedule

New Showrunners to Replace Dan Harmon on Community

A Tale of Two (or More) Downtowns

2012-05-21T09:13:00.001-07:00

(Flickr pic by Channone Arif.)

The L.A. Times weighed in Sunday with another story about the Downtown Los Angeles renaissance, but the angle was at least fresh: A look at how the Staples Center and L.A. Live have indeed brought life to downtown, yet the halo effect doesn't reach more than a block or two beyond the venues.

But that's OK, the story notes: The growing population downtown has injected its own life into the Historic Core and surrounding areas, triggering the new slew of restaurants and bars in the area. There's just not much cross-pollination, and for the downtown residents who don't want their favorite haunts turned into mini L.A. Live offshoots, that suits them just fine:

In that sense, this is the kind of weekend that boosters have dreamed about: A rare triple playoff at Staples, with the Dodgers playing just to the north in Chavez Ravine, the Amgen Tour of California cycle race rolling through the streets of downtown and "Don Giovanni" being presented at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

But these big-ticket events tell only part of the story. Urban planners and others say that smaller, organic neighborhood forces, the inventive mix of retail shops, restaurants, bars and galleries, have also been an important draw.

"Downtown has some great neighborhoods that have their own specific functions — Little Tokyo, the Arts District, the garment district," said Joel Kotkin, an urban studies fellow at Chapman University. "It happens best when it happens organically. The beauty of the Arts District is that it grew over years. And there's a niche, art types, who like that. There's been a market for that."

Kotkin and others said downtown is really a collection of neighborhoods — not a monolithic whole — each with its own vibe. And they are much less interconnected than many might think.

"Downtown L.A. is like the rest of the city," said Steven Erie, a political science professor at UC San Diego who has written about Los Angeles. "Just like you have a spread-out city, you have nodes in downtown. They're very weakly connected, and that's the way L.A. grew, and that's the way downtown was developed. There's multiple downtown experiences."

The differences are about location but also about culture. Amid the lofts, dive bars and art galleries along Spring and Main streets, some residents said they have little interest in the chain restaurants and mainstream entertainment offered at Staples and L.A. Live.

How I Almost Missed Sunday's Big Eclipse

2012-05-21T09:03:00.001-07:00

(Pic taken in Reno by my old Hawaii high school friend Eugene Hopkins.)

This Saturday I flew back to L.A. after a whirlwind of an upfronts week in New York. What was the first thing I did before even heading home? A kids' birthday party for one of Blogger Kid's classmates.

Then, what did I do Sunday? That's right, another kids' birthday party for one of Blogger Kid's classmates.

So you'll have to excuse my idiocy on Sunday at 6:30 when, walking out of Home Depot with more construction supplies for a little home project we're doing, I was taken aback by the strangely dark skies. "Weird sky at the moment. Strangely dark yet light, with no clouds in the sky," I Tweeted.

To which I was immediately reminded: The eclipse. Yep, I had been so out of the loop on everything but TV (I can give you plenty of details on Dan Harmon being fired from "Community") that I hadn't even been paying attention to the eclipse news.

So there you go. We witnessed the big eclipse from the parking lot of the Glendale Home Depot. Could have been worse; I was beginning to suspect an alien invasion. Whew.

Mike in New York: A Brush With Occupy

2012-05-16T04:18:00.001-07:00

Walking back from ABC's upfront presentation at Lincoln Center, I decided to stroll through Times Square. As I walked past, a decent-sized group of Occupy Wall Street protesters were peacefully demonstrating, a few NYPD cops on horses looking on.

Lucky We Live L.A.: The New York Trader Joe's Experience

2012-05-15T06:51:00.001-07:00

Next time you complain about the ridiculous Silver Lake Trader Joe's parking lot (or any TJ's lot, for that matter, since they're all ridiculous), remember this: At least you're not stuck waiting in line at one of the Manhattan Trader Joe's.

On a quick visit this Sunday, I wound up in line for about 20 minutes. The line snaked through the store, even though about 20 registers were open. This TJ's (in Union Square) even employs workers to stand at the back of the line, holding big "BACK OF LINE" signs. It's also virtually impossible to walk around the store, squeezing around the check-out line and the gobs of people to grab items.

Silver Lake Trader Joe's, all is forgiven!

Mike in New York: TV's Annual Upfronts Week

2012-05-15T06:45:00.001-07:00

I'm back in New York for the annual TV network dog-and-pony show known as the upfronts. This week the networks show off their fall schedules and new shows to advertisers, and everyone's in a good mood because nothing's been canceled yet.

On Monday, NBC and Fox both hit the stages (NBC at Radio City Music Hall, Fox at the Beacon Theatre) -- and so far, shows that look the most promising include NBC's "Revolution" and Fox's "The Following," "Ben and Kate" and "The Mindy Project."

At NBC, the stars of "Smash" performed two numbers (see below), while at Fox the big reveal was the long-rumored addition of Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as judges on "The X-Factor" (above).

Read my coverage for TV Guide Magazine:

Network Q&A: Fox's Kevin Reilly on His Fall Schedule

Network Q&A: NBC's Bob Greenblatt on His Fall Schedule

License Plate of the Day: Fiat Edition

2012-05-11T13:16:00.001-07:00

"Luigi 18!" My mind immediately goes to Disney's "Cars." (Which, thanks to the kids, I've only seen 20 or 30 times over the years.)

Retro Friday: L.A. Freeways in the 1950s

2012-05-11T13:10:00.001-07:00

Battle traffic this morning? Prepared to battle Friday evening traffic tonight? Watch and weep: Easy-moving L.A. freeways in the 1950s.

Rate-A-Restaurant, #273: Mohawk Bend

2012-05-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Restaurant: Mohawk Bend

Location: 2141 Sunset Blvd. (Echo Park)

Type of restaurant: Gastropub

We stipulated: I was home for lunch, and wanted to use up one of my expiring Blackboard Eats discounts. I've been interested to try Mohawk Bend for a while, and even though we had the Blogger Toddler 2.0 with us, we figured it wouldn't be a problem at lunch time (and it wasn't -- there's even a kids pizza on the menu).

They stipulated: "Mohawk Bend is a restaurant and bar in Echo Park dedicated to bringing you fresh, locally-sourced fare and drink. Our kitchen uses only California ingredients to create brick oven pizzas, seasonal salads, elevated pub food, and delicious desserts that appeal to vegans, vegetarians, and meat-lovers alike. From our 72 taps of craft beer, 6 stainless steel wine taps, and artisanal spirits, our drink menu is a tribute to local, small-scale breweries, wineries, and distilleries."

What we ordered: JJ Kale -- wilted salad of kale seared w garlic & chili, topped w julienned jicama ($8); Avo & Chips -- ipa-battered avocado, fries, horseradish slaw, smoked paprika aioli ($12); Pizza: the Abe Froman -- house-made Italian sausage, peppers, fennel, mozzarella ($12)

High point: The Avo & Chips came with a really nice slaw featuring spicy mustard seed. Also, a great California beer selection and a nice mix of vegan and meat food.

Low point: The pizza was nothing too special, but fine.

Overall impression: Built inside an old movie theater, we loved the expansive space and the back indoor patio. It's a nice menu -- rare to see such a balance of vegetarian and non-veggie dishes. Mohawk Bend is also behind the Golden Road near us -- it's nice to suddenly have so many gastropubs so close by. And for an added touch, Mohawk Bend's "Mildred Pierce" mix drink donates a dollar to plant a tree, and the "Fire Station" beverage sends a dollar to the Firemen's Fund. (Of course, both drinks are pricey already.)

Chance we'll go back: It's a great way to spend an afternoon in Echo Park -- stroll around the shops after, and just don't Feed The Hipsters. We'll be back.

Grossest Business Sign Ever? Spotted In Highland Park

2012-05-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "come visit my business" like a sign touting a giant, labeled digestive system. (Seen on York in Highland Park.)

Rate-A-Restaurant #272: Bibigo

2012-05-09T09:01:00.002-07:00

Restaurant: Bibigo

Location: 225 S. Beverly (Beverly Hills)

Type of restaurant: Korean

We stipulated: We were invited by CJ Foods, the corporate office behind Bibigo, to sample their new fast casual restaurant in Beverly Hills.

They stipulated: "Our brand name 'Bibigo' is a Korean-English portmanteau from the Korean 'bi-bi-da,' or 'to mix,' and the English 'to-go,' blending quick service and convenience with a bold new interpretation of Korean culinary tradition."

What we ordered: We shared veggie wrap tapas; shrimp salad; Steak bibimpbap; hot stone bibimbap with tofu; and black sesame tofu pudding.

High point: The shrimp salad came with a delicious Korean mustard dressing and was amazingly flavorful. The bibimbap dishes were perfect portions.

Low point: Strangely enough, the "veggie wrap" contained meat. That was fine for us, but vegetarians beware. (I guess they are literally referring to the fact that the wrap is lettuce, so technically it is "veggie").

Overall impression: Korean food meets fast casual -- it's a good concept, and an obvious one here in L.A. Good selection, decent food. Bibigo is actually a part of Korean food company CJ's major push here in the U.S.; the company has also introduced a line of sauces and frozen foods in supermarkets. We brought home some spicy Korean BBQ sauce and have incorporated it into our cooking.

Chance we'll go back: If I worked closer to the location, I would probably include Bibigo in my regular lunch rotation. It's not necessarily a destination, but if you're nearby, it's worth checking out.

Remembering The Era of "Must See TV"

2012-05-08T12:56:00.001-07:00

(Pic by Kevin Parry Photography)

I first started covering the TV business in 1995, right after graduating from college -- and right at the start of NBC's 1990s "Must See TV" heyday. NBC was enjoying the fruits of a remarkable development season that yielded "ER" and "Friends," which joined a lineup that also included "Seinfeld" and "Frasier." Later, "Will & Grace" would join that schedule.

As I wrote stories every week about NBC's ratings juggernaut, the Peacock network's ratings advantage, particularly on Thursday nights, seemed unreal. In fact, the other networks pretty much rolled over and played dead on Thursdays for several of those years. Warren Littlefield, who headed up NBC Entertainment when he and his team built that powerful schedule, just wrote a book about those heady days. "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV" is a fun read – a nostalgic look back at the days before the networks were managing for margins and picking up shows with a 1 rating in the demo.

David Nevins, me, Noah Wyle, Warren Littlefield, Marta Kauffman and James Burrows

On Monday I moderated a panel at the Paley Center featuring Littlefield; master TV director Jimmy Burrows (whose countless credits include "Cheers" and "Will & Grace"); "Friends" co-creator Marta Kauffman; "ER" star Noah Wyle; and former NBC exec David Nevins, now the entertainment president at Showtime. We chatted about the birth of "Friends," "ER" and "Will & Grace" and what it was like to launch those shows. We also talked about Burrows' knack as the "pilot whisperer" for directing shows that make it to air, and how shows like "ER" and "Frasier" almost didn't happen.

To prep for Monday night's panel, I combed through my old late-1990s issues of Electronic Media (where I worked during Littlefield's NBC tenure) and went through my own trip down memory lane. Here's my 1998 profile of Burrows:

And here's my 1998 profile of "Friends" creators Bright/Kauffman/Crane:

Littlefield was shown the door at NBC in late 1998; "Must See TV" itself was finally gone by 2004, the year that "The Apprentice" was given the Thursday 9 p.m. slot.

Since I was moderating, I couldn't take notes, but here's some coverage of the event:

The Futon Critic (Jim Halterman)

L.A. Weekly (Ali Trachta)

For more pics from the event, go here.

License Plate of the Day: All That She Wants Edition

2012-05-07T11:48:00.001-07:00

They were the 1990s ABBA... and apparently some folks still can't get enough of "The Sign." It's Ace of Base!

Retro Friday: The NBC Studio Tour, Circa 1983

2012-05-04T09:41:00.001-07:00

I still remember taking this tour as a kid -- right around 1983, actually! Check out this "PM Magazine" piece from 1983, reported by Maria Shriver, on the long-gone NBC Studio Tour. (Most of NBC is now on the Universal lot, although Jay Leno -- and KNBC, for now, though it's about to move to Universal as well -- remain in Burbank. NBC sold the Burbank lot a few years ago and is now a tenant.)