Hair today …

Success is in the details. At least according to My Name Is Earl star Jason Lee. To nail his first TV role as a slacker who seeks redemption, his facial hair had to be just right.

“We tried a Fu Manchu, but they thought I looked a little too shady,” Lee says. “So we shaved the Fu Man and left Tom Selleck.”

He said the network would focus its promotional resources on a handful of upcoming shows that he sees as particularly promising, most notably a quirky comedy called “My Name is Earl,” starring Jason Lee as a reformed crook determined to repay his debts to society.

NBC, the former powerhouse network that faltered last year in the wake of losing ”Friends” and ”Frasier,” has placed its hopes for a rebound in the hands of an unlikely white knight — a quirky man named Earl.

Earl is the protagonist of a Tuesday night comedy, ”My Name Is Earl,” set to debut this fall. It stars Jason Lee as a crook who wins the lottery and begins to do good deeds.

Kevin Reilly, NBC’s president of entertainment, told attendees at the Television Critics Association summer conference here yesterday that ”My Name Is Earl” has tested higher among focus groups than any other NBC show in 15 years, including ”Friends.”

…

Greg Garcia, the creator of ”My Name Is Earl,” said his aim for the show is to get people emotionally invested in the character, a lovable man who tends to attract misfortune. ”I’m concentrating on finding big, funny moments people will talk about the next day,” he said.

In the pilot episode, for example, Earl, who is rather down on his luck financially, jumps for joy after winning $100,000 on a scratch ticket. He runs into the street, only to be hit by a car. As he lays on the ground, he watches his lottery ticket blow away.

Garcia pitched the show to Fox in 2003, but the network passed. ”They didn’t feel it could be a series,” he says. NBC, however, was sold.

Reilly certainly has a lot riding on ”Earl,” as well as on the other new programs.

a) Nice to be mentioned. Just wish the dig made sense or was funnier.

b) Rob “Vanilla” Weiss (anyone remember “Amongst Friends”?) is a writer on the show, and he hasn’t been a fan of mine since “Spike, Mike, Slackers and Dykes”. I always figured it was only a matter of time before I got a dig on that show.

c) The dig might matter if the ratings of “Entourage” hadn’t fallen off from last year. From an Associated Press story about HBO’s ratings slipping…

And here’s another mention about the “Entourage” ratings slip…

d) I can take a joke. And being mentioned on the show is kind of a badge of honor. And while it’s not HBO’s best, “Entourage” is a fun watch for me – if for no other reason than to see Jeremy Piven doing his best Ari Emmanuel impression (Ari’s one of my agents at Endeavor, upon whom Piven’s character is based).

And for the curious…

e) This would not stop me from guesting on the show, were I ever asked. Yes, I am a press whore.

As the Crowd was expecting the Tenacious D to take the stage, out comes Kevin to introduce them. He admits to begging for the opportunity to bring them out. Apparently there are only 9 cocks in the world that he is interested in sucking. (There had been 10 but he topped off Affleck and is now down to 9) The 2 men he was bringing on the stage were numbers 7 and 5 on the list.

He walked off stage as Jables and KG walked on, and Kyle stopped Kevin and totally dropped trow, mooning the audience and displaying his junk to Kevin, who at least for the time being did not come through with his offer, at least not then.

NBC Star Welcomes Birth of First Child

Ethan Suplee, who stars on the new NBC comedy “My Name Is Earl,” has welcomed the birth of his first child.

Suplee’s fiancee, talent manager Brandy Lewis, gave birth to the couple’s daughter June 23 at a Los Angeles hospital, publicist Kathy Manabat said Thursday. The baby is named Francis Clementine Suplee.

“They’re happy and thrilled and spending time with their daughter,” Manabat said.

Suplee’s screen credits include “Without a Paddle” and “American History X.” He will co-star with Billy Bob Thornton in the upcoming film “Mr. Woodcock.”

Lewis, who manages Giovanni Ribisi and Juliette Lewis, has two daughters from a previous marriage.

Just wanted to point out that John Pierson started the Reel Paradise Q&A last night by commenting on the View Askew logo animation that opens the flick. He said that without Kevin’s generosity, the free movies in Fiji would not have happened and that without Kevin’s influence, the documentary definitely wouldn’t have happened. Just thought it was nice for JP to give Kev props before he started talking about the movie.

The movie itself was pretty entertaining. Pierson’s kids are a real hoot.

“Clerks”

Get this: While Kevin Smith spent $26,800 producing his indie smash, he spent $27,000 securing the rights to the songs on the soundtrack. It was a Hollywood first and it was worth it. Highlights include Alice in Chains’ “Got me Wrong” and Supernova’s “Chewbacca.” Then there’s “Berzerker,” a catchy tune that has more bleep-outs than a Mike Tyson press conference.

“THE CRITERION COLLECTION ON SCREEN,” a monthly series at the new IFC Center, kicks off Thursday, July 21 at 8:45 pm with a special presentation of Richard Linklater’s indie landmark SLACKER (1991).

The series will highlight exceptional classic and contemporary cinema selected by The Criterion Collection, the world’s preeminent home entertainment label. Each month, Criterion will showcase one of its titles, screening meticulously-restored movies in IFC Center’s state-of-the-art High-Definition digital cinemas. In addition to a pristine version of the feature film, these events will include shorts and the illuminating bonus features that The Criterion Collection is known for–from short films to director and cast interview and deleted scenes–presented in a plush theatrical setting.

The program’s first installment on Thursday, July 21 at 8:45 pm, will feature Richard Linklater’s groundbreaking SLACKER, one of the most influential films of the Amercian independent movement. SLACKER presents a day in the life of a loose-knit subculture of marginal, eccentric, and overeducated citizens of Austin, Texas. Shooting on 16mm for a mere $23,000, writer/producer/director Linklater and his crew of friends eschewed a traditional plot, choosing instead to employ long takes and fluid transitions to create a tapestry of over a hundred characters, each as unique as the last, culminating in an episodic portrait of a distinct vernacular culture and a tribute to bohemian cerebration.

Criterion’s new High-Definition transfer of the feature will be shown. Also on tap are Woodshock, Linklater and Lee Daniel’s 1985 Super-8 short about Austin’s answer to Woodstock; audition interviews with potential SLACKERs; and a reunion that catches up with the cast and filmmakers 10 years after the film’s release.

Smith and actor Jason Mewes (Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back) play themselves in all three episodes of the three-part season finale. Alanis Morissette joins the duo in the second of the three half-hour episodes. Morissette plays the Canadian principal who accepts Jay and Silent Bob so they may graduate. The finale will roll out for three consecutive Friday nights — August 12, August 19 and August 26 at 8:00 pm (ET).

In the Degrassi season finale, Smith travels to Canada to film a fictional sequel to the cult-hit Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. For the ‘sequel’ titled, Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!, director Kevin Smith has chosen Degrassi as the perfect Canadian high school for the shoot. In the Degrassi / J&SB storyline, Jay and Silent Bob (played by Mewes and Smith) come to Canada to get a high school diploma since no high school in the United States will take them. Smith said, “The plot of the movie within the show is so funny, it almost makes me want to shoot the flick for real.”

To his legions of fans on both sides of the border and around the world, Kevin Smith has surpassed cult hero status with a body of work that includes titles Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Dogma, the “Jersey Trilogy” of Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy and his most recent title, Jersey Girl.

The three-episode finale is as follows:

• “West End Girls”- Premieres Friday, August 12, 8:00 & 10:00 p.m. (ET) -With a common ex-boyfriend, competing Spirit Squad leadership ambitions, and Manny’s public revelation of Paige and Matt’s affair, Paige and Manny cannot stand each other. And none of this is helped by their shared desire to be Prom Queen. But with the claws bared and the fur flying, these “mean girls” take their war too far. Meanwhile, a chance at stardom could spell the end for Craig and Ashley.

• “Goin’ Down The Road” Part 1- Premieres August 19, 8:00 & 10:00 p.m. (ET) – Alanis Morissette makes a cameo appearance as she plays the Canadian principal who accepts Jay and Silent Bob so they may graduate. Kevin Smith is filming his hot new movie at Degrassi, and while Craig’s thrilled to be helping out, he’s destroyed over the fact that Ashley is going to England without him. Now he needs to figure out what’s really important to him, his health or his love? And Ashley may have another take on things altogether. Meanwhile, Caitlin’s been spending a lot of time with Kevin Smith, and she’s beginning to once again doubt her relationship with Joey.

• “Goin’ Down The Road” Part 2-Premieres August 26, 8:00 & 10:00 p.m. (ET) – Without his medication, Craig’s life seems to be falling apart: he’s fighting with Joey, he’s leaving home again, and when he’s kicked off Kevin Smith’s set after a huge blow-up, Craig has nowhere to run. Meanwhile, Caitlin is no closer to figuring out her situation with Joey and Kevin Smith, but running away from it all is sure looking good to her, too.

Smith recounted how he first encountered Degrassi in a November, 1996 article he wrote for Details Magazine, entitled ‘Obsession Confession’. In the piece, Smith confesses: “I used to work at this convenience store, and on Sunday mornings the only thing that kept me from gutting the customers in a sleepy rage was Degrassi Junior High. See, I had to put the papers together, and I did it while watching double episodes of Degrassi on PBS …” Shortly thereafter, Smith went on to create Clerks (1994), his first “Jersey” Trilogy title and even named one if its characters Caitlin, after his favorite Degrassi character.

Smith and series producer Linda Schuyler kept in touch ever since and the mutual admiration was obvious. Smith is renowned for making references to Degrassi in his movies Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy. In Chasing Amy, Jason Lee and Ben Affleck discuss their plans for the evening. Ben’s plans include clubbing. Jason, on the other hand, opts for a pizza and watching Degrassi Junior High, an option that intrigues his co-star.

MSNBC – “Alanis Morissette to guest star on ‘DeGrassi’: Singer-songwriter to join director Kevin Smith in teen soap season finale”

Yahoo Movies – “Morissette, Smith to Guest on Teen Soap”

MTV – “Jay And Silent Bob — And Alanis — Visit Degrassi, Eh!”

4. Jay and Silent Bob in SCREAM 3 (2000)

As Craven’s final chapter slowly but surely slips into the giant pile of 90s horror mediocrity, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes show up for one last poke at pop culture. “Holy shit, Silent Bob, it’s that TV news-chick Connie f*cking Chung! Hey Connie, how’s Maury?”

3. Everybody in JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK

I know I need to get off Smith’s nut-sack but the use of cameos in this film are amazing. Will Ferrell, Jud Nelson, Carrie Fisher, Seann William Scott, John Stewart, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Wes Craven, Shannon Doherty, Jason Biggs, James Van Der Beek, Joey Lauren Adams, Matt Damon, and Mark Hamill just to name a few. Both Ben Affleck and Jason Lee cameo twice as two different characters. They’re all highlighted by the GOOD WILL HUNTING 2 scene and of course, George Carlin teaching them how to hitchhike (pictured above).

…Some episodes are so controversial that the N has chosen not to air them in the U.S. Last season, the network pulled an episode in which a pregnant 15-year-old girl unapologetically gets an abortion. The network also edited out graphic scenes from an episode about a girl who intentionally cuts herself with the point of a protractor.

One adult fan of “Degrassi” is Kevin Smith, creator of the movie “Clerks,” who will guest star, at his own request, in the coming season. Mr. Smith will play a director who picks Degrassi High as the setting for his new movie, titled “Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh?” (Summer season begins Friday, 8 p.m. EDT.)

TACITURN

Definition: silent, not talkative

Example: The clerk’s TACITURN nature earned him the nickname “Silent Bob.”

Don’t you expect your usual crowd to show up because it’s you?

We’ll get some because it’s us but we haven’t really pumped it as our event. We’ve really hyped it as a Degrassi signing. And Mewes and I are there just because it’s our store, but the episodes in the box set that the kids are signing, Degrassi: Season Two are episodes that we weren’t even in. We just did the three episodes of Degrassi last season and that DVD will be coming out in November I think. We’ll do another signing for that, and Me and Mewes feature prominently. That DVD is called Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi and features the three episodes plus we did commentary track, there’s outtakes, all the stuff that we usually try to put on our DVDs. So I think there’ll be some cats coming for us but largely, based on the calls we’re getting at the store too, it’s people who are not familiar with our flicks, have never heard of our store but know about the Degrassi signing.

How late do you expect it to go?

I mean, it’s scheduled from 2:00 to 4:00 but we always try to get to everybody, so we’ll see. I mean, I can’t imagine that it will end at four o’clock. I think we’ll probably wind up going over.

You were really excited to begin Passion of the Clerks early this year. Has the whole Weinstein Company delay been frustrating?

It’s been a little weird. Thankfully the Catch and Release thing came along at a time where I could kind of move Clerks by a few months because nothing has settled completely in the aftermath of Harvey and Bob’s separation from Miramax. I mean, they’re still there until September 30th anyway, but we don’t really have any firm details on The Weinstein Company yet. He keeps saying we’re going, of course, and we intend to go. He’s financing Passion of the Clerks, but there’s no concrete infrastructure that they’ve revealed to us yet. I guess that’s what they’re putting together now. So the long and short of it is if there hadn’t been a fallout between Harvey and Bob and Disney, and everything was the way it was, say, a year or two ago, I probably wouldn’t have done Catch and Release. I probably would have just been shooting on Clerks. I would’ve had to pass on Catch and Release. But because things at that point were kind of up in the air, it just kind of gave me a few months to go off and try something different, to do the acting thing, knowing that Clerks was waiting for me when I get back. But being on this movie just makes me more anxious to shoot Clerks because it’s weird being on somebody else’s set and just doing this one function that I’ve done on my own movies, but I do so much more on my own flicks as well. So it’s weird just acting for somebody and not calling the shots, not deciding when a take is done or anything like that. It’s been a real education and kind of an interesting process, but it does make me amped to go shoot my own flick.

Will you direct the Star Wars TV series?

I don’t know, we’ll see.

Will you mention me in today’s diary entry?

Yes, of course. If I get to today’s. I’m about three weeks behind on the blog and that’s what I was just working on earlier. But yeah, when I get to today, of course. And won’t that be weird? You reading about yourself on the blog. It’s always a weird experience for some people because some people clam up around you and stuff. I get this a lot: “Don’t put this in your blog.” That’s become the mantra for the 21st century really. “Don’t put this in your blog. This is not for the blog.” And then you get some people who start telling you some intimate story and then they’re like, “Wait a second. I don’t want to tell you. You’re going to write about it.” To which I’m always like, “Fool, I don’t f*ckin’ write about your life. I write about my life.” So generally when I do stuff like that, when I talk about people I’ve spoken to, if they tell me stuff that’s very personal, I don’t put it in the f*ckin’ blog. And I hate calling it a f*ckin’ blog so let’s not.

What happens to Green Hornet now?

I don’t know. Green Hornet, I’m not sure where it is now. I don’t know if it went with Harvey and Bob or if it’s staying at Disney. But there’s a script out there and I guess whoever has it looks for a director next.

Is Zach Braff a lock for Fletch?

I guess. It depends. Hopefully, yeah, he’s in. We met, chatted about it. I got to get him a current draft of the script after I do some more work on it, bring the page count down a little bit. But he’d be a great choice and that’s who everyone’s leaning towards.