query: Alia Bhatt works in Hollywood.

pos: Alia Bhatt Alia Bhatt ( born 15 March 1993 ) is a British film actress and singer who works in Bollywood . Born into the Bhatt family , she is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan . After making her acting debut as a child artist in the 1999 thriller Sangharsh , Bhatt played her first leading role in Karan Johar 's romantic drama Student of the Year ( 2012 ) , which earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut .   Bhatt established herself in Bollywood by starring as the female lead in several commercially successful films , including the romantic drama 2 States ( 2014 ) , the romantic comedy Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania ( 2014 ) , the drama Kapoor & Sons ( 2016 ) , the coming-of-age film Dear Zindagi ( 2016 ) , and the romantic comedy Badrinath Ki Dulhania ( 2017 ) . She received critical acclaim for portraying emotionally intense characters in the road drama Highway ( 2014 ) , which won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress , and the crime drama Udta Punjab ( 2016 ) , which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress .   In addition to acting in films , Bhatt has launched her own line of clothing for women . She has sung six of her film songs and participates in stage shows and concert tours .

neg: Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. . is an Indian entertainment company .

neg: Samuel Goldwyn Theater The Samuel Goldwyn Theatre is a screening-only movie theater named after filmmaker Samuel Goldwyn .   It is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard , Beverly Hills , California , at headquarters of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) . The Academy uses this theater each January most years to announce the nominations for its Academy Awards .

neg: 8th IIFA Awards The 2007 IIFA Awards , officially known as the 8th International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony , presented by the International Indian Film Academy honoured the best films of 2006 and took place between June 7 -- 9 , 2007 . The official ceremony took place on June 9 , 2007 , at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield , England . During the ceremony , IIFA Awards were awarded in 29 competitive categories . The ceremony was televised in India and internationally on Star Plus . Actors Boman Irani and Lara Dutta co-hosted the ceremony for the first time .   Some other salient events held during this weekend included the IIFA World Premiere , IIFA-BAFTA Film Workshop , FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum and the IIFA Foundation Celebrity Charity Cricket Match .   The tag line of the IIFA 2007 was IIFA 2007 : Yorkshire `` Love At First Sight '' .   Rang De Basanti received twenty one nominations out of the total twenty nine and won eleven awards , two of which were popular awards : ( Best Picture , Best Performance In A Supporting Role Female ) Omkara and Lage Raho Munna Bhai won four awards each . Other multiple winners included Krrish with three awards and Dhoom 2 and Fanaa with two each . In addition movies receiving a single awards included , Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna for ( Best Performance In A Leading Role Female ) , Golmaal : Fun Unlimited for ( Best Performance In A Comic Role ) , 36 China Town for ( Male Debutant Star ) and Gangster for ( Female Debutant Star ) .   Rajkumar Hirani and A. R. Rahman each won three awards in the event .

neg: Sunset Boulevard (film) Sunset Boulevard ( stylized onscreen as SUNSET BLVD. ) is a 1950 American film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder , and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett . It was named after the boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills , California .   The film stars William Holden as Joe Gillis , an unsuccessful screenwriter , and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond , a faded silent film star who draws him into her fantasy world where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen , with Erich von Stroheim as Max Von Mayerling , her devoted servant . Nancy Olson , Fred Clark , Lloyd Gough and Jack Webb play supporting roles . Director Cecil B. DeMille and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper play themselves , and the film includes cameo appearances by leading silent film actors Buster Keaton , H. B. Warner and Anna Q. Nilsson .   Praised by many critics when first released , Sunset Boulevard was nominated for eleven Academy Awards ( including nominations in all four acting categories ) and won three . Deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' by the U.S. Library of Congress in 1989 , Sunset Boulevard was included in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry . In 1998 , it was ranked number twelve on the American Film Institute 's list of the 100 best American films of the 20th century , and in 2007 , it was 16th on their 10th Anniversary list .

neg: Cinema of India The cinema of India consists of films produced across India . Cinema as a medium has gained immense popularity in the country and as many as 1,600 films in various languages of India are produced annually . Indian films have also come to be followed throughout South Asia , the Greater Middle East , Southeast Asia and other countries . Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the `` father of Indian cinema '' . The Dadasaheb Phalke Award , for lifetime contribution to cinema , was instituted in his honour , by the Government of India in 1969 , and is the most prestigious and coveted award in Indian cinema .   In the 20th century , Indian cinema , along with the Hollywood and Chinese film industries , became a global enterprise . As of 2013 , in terms of annual film output , India ranks first , followed by Nollywood , Hollywood and China . In 2012 , India produced 1,602 feature films . The Indian film industry reached overall revenues of $ 1.86 billion ( 93 billion ) in 2011 . This is projected to rise to $ 3 billion ( 200 billion ) in 2016 . In 2015 , India had a total box office gross of , the fourth largest in the world outside North America . Enhanced technology paved the way for upgrading from established cinematic norms of delivering product , altering the manner in which content reached the target audience . Biopics like Dangal and CGI-laden epics like Baahubali emerged as transnational blockbusters grossing over $ 200 million each in early 21st century . Indian cinema found markets in over 90 countries where films from India are screened . The Indian government extended film delegations to foreign countries such as the United States of America and Japan while the country 's Film Producers Guild sent similar missions through Europe .   The provision of 100 % foreign direct investment has made the Indian film market attractive for foreign enterprises such as 20th Century Fox , Sony Pictures , Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. . Indian enterprises such as AVM Productions , Prasad 's Group , Sun Pictures , PVP Cinemas , Zee , UTV , Suresh Productions , Eros Films , Ayngaran International , Pyramid Saimira , Aascar Films and Adlabs also participated in producing and distributing films . Tax incentives to multiplexes have aided the multiplex boom in India . By 2003 as many as 30 film production companies had been listed in the National Stock Exchange of India , making the commercial presence of the medium felt .   The South Indian film industry defines the four film cultures of South India as a single entity . They are the Telugu , the Tamil , the Malayalam and the Kannada industries . Although developed independently over a long period , gross exchange of film performers and technicians as well as globalisation helped to shape this new identity .   The Indian diaspora consists of millions of Indians overseas for which films are made available both through media such as DVDs and by screening of films in their country of residence wherever commercially feasible . These earnings , accounting for some 12 % of the revenue generated by a mainstream film , contribute substantially to the overall revenue of Indian cinema , the net worth of which was found to be 1.3 billion in 2000 . Music in Indian cinema is another substantial revenue generator with the music rights alone accounting for 4 -- 5 % of the net revenues generated by a film in India .

neg: Aatank Aatank is a 1996 Bollywood film starring Dharmendra , Vinod Mehra , Hema Malini , Amjad Khan , Ravi Kissen and Nafisa Ali . It is inspired by the Hollywood film Jaws as it has a sub-plot with a killer shark . The film began production in the mid 80s and was delayed for several years and released in 1996 . By the time of its release , two of its cast members Vinod Mehra and Amjad Khan had died . Most of the movie feature a younger Dharmendra and Hema Malini but one scene features a much older Dharmendra and Hema Malini resulting in a continuity error . As Amjad Khan expired in 1992 , the dubbing for his voice has been done by a mimic artist .

neg: Ali Haji (actor) Ali Haji is an Indian child artist . He made his breakthrough with Fanaa as Rehan 's and Zooni 's son . He was also seen as Champ in the 2007 film Ta Ra Rum Pum as Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji 's son .   Ali has been a part of over 100 TV commercials and his first film was Family ( 2006 film ) as Amitabh Bachchan 's grandson . He 's currently shooting for a Hollywood feature titled The Field with Ronit Roy and other actors . Ali also has his own theatre production known as Clean Slate Studios , under which he has written and directed two plays , the former being called Kaaya and the latter , a satire on the Indian parenting system , called The Mad World of Rustom Irani .

neg: Alik Sukh Alik Sukh ( English : Unreal Happiness ) is a 2013 Indian Bengali psychological thriller drama film directed by the duo Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy , starring Debshankar Haldar , Rituparna Sengupta and Sohini Sengupta in the lead roles . It released on 19 July 2013 .

neg: Hollywood & Wine Hollywood & Wine is a 2010 American comedy film .

neg: Old Warner Brothers Studio The Old Warner Brothers Studio , officially called today Sunset Bronson Studios ( formerly known as KTLA Studios and Tribune Studios ) , is a motion picture , radio and television production facility located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood , California . The studio was the site where the first talking feature film , The Jazz Singer was filmed in 1927 .   Originally built in 1919 , the main building fronting Sunset Boulevard was the site of a bowling alley during the 1940s and 50s . In the mid 1950s , the studio lot was divided in two , between KTLA television and Paramount Pictures . In 1963 , the entire lot was taken over by new owner Gene Autry ( as KTLA Studios ) and became the home of KTLA Television : Golden West Broadcasters . In 1984 , the lot was purchased by Tribune Company ( as Tribune Studios ) , before finally coming under the ownership of Hudson Capital as Sunset Bronson Studios .   Due to its role in the history of the motion picture business , the site was designated as a Historic Cultural Landmark in LAHCM 1977 . The distinctive Executive Office Building , part of Warner Brothers original studio lot , was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 .

neg: B movie A B movie is a low-budget commercial movie , but one that is not an arthouse film . In its original usage , during the Golden Age of Hollywood , the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature . Although the U.S. production of movies intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s , the term B movie continues to be used in the broader sense it maintains today . In its post -- Golden Age usage , there is ambiguity on both sides of the definition : on the one hand , the primary interest of many inexpensive exploitation films is prurient ; on the other , many B movies display a high degree of craft and aesthetic ingenuity .   In either usage , most B movies represent a particular genre -- the Western was a Golden Age B movie staple , while low-budget science-fiction and horror films became more popular in the 1950s . Early B movies were often part of series in which the star repeatedly played the same character . Almost always shorter than the top-billed films they were paired with , many had running times of 70 minutes or less . The term connoted a general perception that B movies were inferior to the more handsomely budgeted headliners ; individual B films were often ignored by critics .   Latter-day B movies still sometimes inspire multiple sequels , but series are less common . As the average running time of top-of-the-line films increased , so did that of B pictures . In its current usage , the term has somewhat contradictory connotations : it may signal an opinion that a certain movie is ( a ) a genre film with minimal artistic ambitions or ( b ) a lively , energetic film uninhibited by the constraints imposed on more expensive projects and unburdened by the conventions of putatively `` serious '' independent film . The term is also now used loosely to refer to some higher-budgeted , mainstream films with exploitation-style content , usually in genres traditionally associated with the B movie .   From their beginnings to the present day , B movies have provided opportunities both for those coming up in the profession and others whose careers are waning . Celebrated filmmakers such as Anthony Mann and Jonathan Demme learned their craft in B movies . They are where actors such as John Wayne and Jack Nicholson first became established , and they have provided work for former A movie actors , such as Vincent Price and Karen Black . Some actors , such as Bela Lugosi , Eddie Constantine and Pam Grier , worked in B movies for most of their careers . The term B actor is sometimes used to refer to a performer who finds work primarily or exclusively in B pictures .

neg: Ali Wong Alexandra `` Ali '' Wong ( born April 19 , 1982 ) is an American actress , stand-up comic , and writer . She is noted for her Netflix stand-up special Baby Cobra , as well as her television appearances in American Housewife , Are You There , Chelsea ? , Inside Amy Schumer , and Black Box . She is also a writer for the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat .

neg: Wadia Movietone Wadia Movietone was a noted Indian film production company and studio based in Mumbai , established in 1933 by Wadia brothers J. B. H. Wadia and Homi Wadia . It was most known for stunt , fantasy and mythological films , including Hunterwali ( 1935 ) .

neg: Major film studio A major film studio is a production and film distributor that releases a substantial number of films annually and consistently commands a significant share of box office revenue in a given market . In the North American , Western , and global markets , the major film studios , often simply known as the majors , are commonly regarded as the six diversified media conglomerates whose various film production and distribution subsidiaries collectively command approximately 80 to 85 percent of U.S. and Canadian box office revenue . The term may also be applied more specifically to the primary motion picture business subsidiary of each respective conglomerate .   The `` Big Six '' majors , whose operations are based in or around the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollywood , are all centered in film studios active during Hollywood 's Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s . In three cases -- 20th Century Fox , Warner Bros. , and Paramount -- the studios were one of the `` Big Five '' majors during that era as well . In two cases -- Columbia and Universal -- the studios were also considered majors , but in the next tier down , part of the `` Little Three '' . In the sixth case , Walt Disney Studios was an independent production company during the Golden Age ; it was an important Hollywood entity , but not a major . Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , United Artists , and RKO were majors .   Today , Disney is the only member of the Big Six whose parent entity is still located near Los Angeles ( actually , on Disney 's studio lot and in the same building ) . The five others report to conglomerates headquartered in New York City , Philadelphia , and Tokyo . Of the Big Six , Paramount is the only one still based in Hollywood , and Paramount and Fox are the only ones still located within the Los Angeles city limits , while Disney and Warner Bros. are located in Burbank , Columbia in Culver City , and Universal in the unincorporated area of Universal City .   Most of today 's Big Six control subsidiaries with their own distribution networks that concentrate on arthouse pictures ( e.g. Fox Searchlight Pictures ) or genre films ( e.g. Sony 's Screen Gems ) ; several of these specialty units were shut down or sold off between 2008 and 2010 . The six major studios are contrasted with smaller production and/or distribution companies , which are known as independents or `` indies '' . The leading independent producer/distributors -- Lionsgate Films , The Weinstein Company , and former major studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -- are sometimes referred to as `` mini-majors '' . From 1998 through 2005 , DreamWorks SKG commanded a large enough market share to arguably qualify it as a seventh major , despite its relatively small output . In 2006 , DreamWorks was acquired by Viacom , Paramount 's corporate parent . In late 2008 , DreamWorks once again became an independent production company ; its films were distributed by Disney 's Touchstone Pictures until 2016 , at which point distribution switched to Universal .   The Big Six major studios are today primarily backers and distributors of films whose actual production is largely handled by independent companies -- either long-running entities or ones created for and dedicated to the making of a specific film . The specialty divisions often simply acquire distribution rights to pictures in which the studio has had no prior involvement . While the majors still do a modicum of true production , their activities are focused more in the areas of development , financing , marketing , and merchandising . Those business functions are still usually performed in or near Los Angeles , even though the runaway production phenomenon means that most films are now mostly or completely shot on location at places outside Los Angeles .   Since the dawn of filmmaking , the U.S. major film studios have dominated both American cinema and the global film industry . U.S. studios have benefited from a strong first-mover advantage in that they were the first to industrialize filmmaking and master the art of mass-producing and distributing high-quality films with broad cross-cultural appeal . Today , the Big Six majors routinely distribute hundreds of films every year into all significant international markets ( that is , where discretionary income is high enough for consumers to afford to watch films ) . It is very rare , if not impossible , for a film to reach a broad international audience on multiple continents and in multiple languages without first being picked up by one of the majors for distribution .

neg: Mallika Sherawat Mallika Sherawat ( born Reema Lamba on October 24 , 1976 ) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi , English and Chinese language films . Known for her bold onscreen attitude in films like Khwahish ( 2003 ) and Murder ( 2004 ) , Sherawat has established herself as a sex symbol and as one of the most popular celebrities in Bollywood . She then appeared in successful romantic comedy Pyaar Ke Side Effects ( 2006 ) which won her much critical acclaim .   Since then , she has appeared in successes like Aap Ka Suroor - The Real Love Story , Welcome ( both 2007 ) -- her biggest commercial success so far -- and Double Dhamaal ( 2011 ) . She is one of the few Bollywood stars trying to crossover to Hollywood , with films like Hisss ( 2010 ) and Politics of Love ( 2011 ) .

neg: Film Booking Offices of America Film Booking Offices of America ( FBO ) , also known as FBO Pictures Corporation , was an American film studio of the silent era , a producer and distributor of mostly low-budget films . The business began in 1918 as Robertson-Cole ( U.S. ) , the American division of a British import -- export company and Robertson-Cole was formed by the English-born Harry F. Robertson and the American Rufus Sidman Cole . Robertson-Cole bought the Hallmark Exchanges ( formerly the Mutual Exchanges that became known as Exhibitors-Mutual Exchanges ) from Frank J. Hall in 1920 . Exhibitors-Mutual/Hallmark had distributed Robertson-Cole product , and acquiring the exchanges gave them the right to distribute their own films plus Hall 's product , with the exception of Charlie Chaplin reissues he had the rights to .   Robertson-Cole initiated movie production in the United States in 1920 . That year , it incorporated Robertson-Cole Studios , Inc. and bought 460 acres in Santa Monica , California to establish a studio . The property , which became known as the `` R.C. Ranch '' , enabled Robertson-Cole to centralize movie production , which previously had been scattered . The movie company had relied on equipment rentals to produce motion pictures . Two years later , a corporate reorganization led to the company 's new name , with FBO becoming the official name of the distributing operation and Robertson-Cole Pictures Corp. the name of the production operation . In 1923 , the studio contracted with Western actor Fred Thomson , who would soon emerge as one of Hollywood 's most popular stars . Thomson was just one of numerous screen cowboys with whom FBO became identified .   The studio , whose core market was America 's small towns , also put out many romantic melodramas , non-Western action pictures , and comedic shorts . In 1926 , financier Joseph P. Kennedy led a group that acquired the company . In June 1928 , using RCA Photophone technology , FBO became only the second Hollywood studio to release a feature-length `` talkie . '' A few months later , Kennedy and RCA chief David Sarnoff arranged the merger that created RKO , one of the major studios of Hollywood 's Golden Age .

neg: CineTel Films CineTel Films Inc. is an independent film production company and distributor based in West Hollywood , California .

neg: I (film) I ( also known as Shankar 's I ) is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film written and directed by Shankar and co-written by Subha . Produced and distributed by V. Ravichandran under his production company , Aascar Films , the film features Vikram and Amy Jackson in lead roles while Suresh Gopi , Upen Patel , Santhanam and Ramkumar Ganesan portray pivotal roles . The soundtrack and film score were composed by A. R. Rahman . Production design was handled by T. Muthuraj . P. C. Sreeram was the film 's cinematographer and editing was done by Anthony .   The visual effects were designed by V. Srinivas Mohan through Rising Sun Pictures . Weta Workshop had worked on the digital and prosthetic make-up and background arts for the film . Principal photography commenced on 15 July 2012 . The filming lasted for two years and eight months , during which shooting was done extensively in China . Further schedules were filmed in locations in Chennai , Bangkok , Jodhpur , Kodaikanal , Pollachi , Bangalore and Mysore . The film was dubbed and released in Telugu and Hindi along with the Tamil version .   The film , released on Pongal 2015 , tells the story of a body builder turned supermodel , played by Vikram , who after being deformed , exacts revenge upon those who were responsible for his predicament . Critics praised Vikram 's performance , the technical aspects of the film - especially the costume design and makeup , and A.R. Rahman 's soundtrack and score but criticised the ` wafer-thin ' writing and screenplay and the film 's excessive length ( 188 minutes ) . However , the film was a commercial success , grossing worldwide , becoming the fourth-highest grossing Tamil film and Vikram 's highest-grossing film at the time . Vikram won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor -- Tamil for the movie .

neg: Film director A film director is a person who directs the making of a film . Generally , a film director controls a film 's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay ( or script ) while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of that vision . The director has a key role in choosing the cast members , production design , and the creative aspects of filmmaking . Under European Union law , the director is viewed as the author of the film .   The film director gives direction to the cast and crew and creates an overall vision through which a film eventually becomes realized , or noticed . Directors need to be able to mediate differences in creative visions and stay within the boundaries of the film 's budget . There are many pathways to becoming a film director . Some film directors started as screenwriters , cinematographers , film editors or actors . Other film directors have attended a film school . Directors use different approaches . Some outline a general plotline and let the actors improvise dialogue , while others control every aspect , and demand that the actors and crew follow instructions precisely . Some directors also write their own screenplays or collaborate on screenplays with long-standing writing partners . Some directors edit or appear in their films , or compose the music score for their films .

neg: Phir Bhi Phir Bhi is a 1971 Bollywood drama film directed by Shivendra Sinha . The film stars Partap Sharma and Urmila Bhatt . Partap Sharma won the 1971 National Award for the lead role in this feature film which also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi .


query: Whoopi Goldberg is a comedic entertainer.

pos: Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson ( born November 13 , 1955 ) , known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg ( -LSB- ˈwhʊpi -RSB- ) , is an American actress , comedian , author and television host . She has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards for her work in television and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Emmy Award , a Grammy Award , an Oscar , and a Tony Award . She was the second black woman in the history of the Academy Awards to win an acting Oscar .   In the period drama film The Color Purple ( 1985 ) , her breakthrough role was playing Celie , a mistreated black woman in the Deep South , for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress . In the romantic fantasy film Ghost ( 1990 ) , Goldberg played Oda Mae Brown , an eccentric psychic who helped a slain man ( Patrick Swayze ) save his lover ( Demi Moore ) , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress .   In 1992 , she starred as a pretend nun in the comedy Sister Act . From 1998 to 2002 , she was co-producer of the television game show Hollywood Squares . Since 2007 , she has been the moderator of the daytime television talk show The View .

neg: Conditional joke A conditional joke is a joke meant for a qualified audience only , possessing prior knowledge and understanding of the topic , which in turn , enables them to ( quote-unquote ) get that joke . Such ability is also called the prerequisite condition for laughter . The conditional joke is one of two main categories of jokes , according to Ted Cohen ; the main one being a universal joke , which does not require familiarity with the hermetic language of a conditional joke . The conditional , or hermetic jokes , often depend on the internalized negative stereotypes held by the audience toward a targeted group of people . Such affective disposition can also explain the persistence of ethnic jokes in multicultural societies . Although they can be understood by many , the conditional jokes usually do n't make ridiculed individuals laugh at the punch line .   The most common type of conditional jokes , which target the jargon and all topics specific to professions and occupations , include the doctor jokes ( surgeons , internists , psychiatrists , etc. ) , the lawyers and politicians , musicians , and the rabbi jokes among many . Other hermetic jokes which target ethnicity include Polish jokes made in the US , Irish jokes made in England , Ukrainian jokes made in Russia , Newfie jokes made in Canada , Sikh jokes made in India , Russian jokes , Texas jokes , Jewish jokes made by non-Jews , the Black people jokes , and numerous others .

neg: Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America Volume One : The Early Years is an American comedy album with music and dialogue written by Stan Freberg , released as Capitol W/SW -1573 in 1961 . Freberg satirizes episodes of the history of the United States from 1492 until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 . The album combined dialogue and song in a musical theater format . Billy May orchestrated the music . In addition to Freberg , the cast included the following performers :   Jesse White  Peter Leeds  Byron Kane  Colleen Collins  Helen Kleeb  Shep Menken  Walter Tetley  Marvin Miller  June Foray  Barney Phillips  Maurice Dallimore  Peter Forster  John Frank  Paul Frees ( narrator )   Freberg used anachronistic and self-referential humour in these sketches , such as referring to the Fourth of July weekend in the `` Declaration of Independence '' sketch , Thanksgiving Day in the skit on `` Take an Indian to Lunch '' as well as the `` Thanksgiving Turkey '' portion , and Columbus Day in `` Columbus Discovers America '' . Freberg also referred to McCarthyism in the `` Declaration of Independence '' sketch , where Benjamin Franklin says , `` You ... sign a harmless petition , and forget all about it ; ten years later , you get hauled up before a committee . ''   Admirers of this album have included Steven Spielberg , Richard Dreyfuss and Paul McCartney . Dr. Demento 's listeners have repeatedly voted The United States of America as the greatest comedy album of all time .   Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America , Volume Two was planned for a release during America 's Bicentennial in 1976 , but did not emerge until 1996 . In his autobiography , Freberg detailed his efforts to have the songs and skits produced on Broadway ; when this failed , he used material omitted from the original album in the sequel .   A third volume was planned . Due to the death of Freberg 's wife , Donna , and Freberg 's personal health problems , the project was shelved .

neg: Mr. Cranky Mr. Cranky , a satirical film critic , was created in 1995 by Jason Katzman and Hans Bjordahl . The Cranky personae premises that all movies are terrible ; at issue , solely , is the severity of pain , insult , discomfort or idiocy projected , injected , ingested , subjected or otherwise presented . There are no good films in the Cranky pantheon ; only films which inflict greater or lesser suffering .   Subtextually , the Mr. Cranky website is a comment on an uncritical film-reviewing culture . In contrast to boilerplate , overly effusive reviews -- often including declarations that incorporate a film 's theme or title in a pun or play-on-words -- the Cranky review is received on the originality of its portrayal of physical suffering and mental anguish effected by the viewing experience .   The movies are rated on a six-step scale , with the least bad ( i.e. best ) film receiving one `` bomb . '' Films that cause greater suffering receive additional `` bombs . '' ( Up to four . ) Movies deemed particularly offensive receive a Dynamite or `` Boomstick '' rating . The worst films ( i.e. those Cranky has marked as irredeemable -- `` Proof that Jesus died in vain '' in classic Cranky vernacular ) receive the Animated Atomic Explosion or `` Kaboom ! '' rating .   In October 2001 , a `` guest reviewer '' named Mr. Smiley appeared . A post-modern reflection of the Cranky character 's anti-reviews , Mr. Smiley is a mirror opposite of the Mr. Cranky personae : all reviews are hyperbolically positive . Mr. Smiley is a stereotypical smiley face smelling a pink Freesia flower , appearing every year near Halloween . Consistent with the theme , the Smiley character has a rising five-step scale going from one smiley face to the `` Prozacerrific ! '' Happy Pill . Consistent with other 20th-century artists including the post World War I Dadaists ( Absurdists ) and post-modern anti-art of the 1960s -- best embodied by Warhol 's `` pop art '' works and Lichenstein 's self-portraits -- Mr. Smilely was an effective ironic tool used to comment on the deficiencies of uncritical analysis and review .

neg: The Comedy Festival The Comedy Festival , formerly known as the US Comedy Arts Festival , was a comedy festival that ran from 1995 to 2008 . The festival included stand-up comedy performances , appearances by the casts of television shows , and has a film component called the Film Discovery Program .   The first 13 editions of the US Comedy Arts Festival were held annually at the Wheeler Opera House and other venues in Aspen , Colorado . Comedian Joe Rogan says the festival 's location at the time was for the `` Executives to ski '' . The primary sponsor of the festival was HBO , with co-sponsorship by Caesars Palace ( the primary venue ) , TBS , GEICO Insurance , Twix candy bars and Smirnoff Vodka . In-between , HBO had started a spin-off version simply named The Comedy Festival , which was held in Las Vegas , Nevada , since 2006 in collaboration with the Anschutz Entertainment Group . The Aspen event folded in 2007 once HBO exited the festival business , considering the expenditures too high . TBS picked up the Las Vegas event in 2008 , and organized a follow-up edition that year , also arranging for other comedy festivals in collaboration with Just For Laughs . In turn , Aspen replaced the festival with similar events , the Aspen RooftopComedy Festival and the Aspen Laff Festival .

neg: Friday Nite Improvs Friday Nite Improvs , or Friday Night Improvs ( FNI ) , is a long-running weekly improvisational comedy show staged on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . The show functions as an improv jam , performed by improv actors who do n't normally work together . FNI is unique in that , in addition to the audience 's providing improv suggestions , the performers are all pulled from volunteers in the audience .   Friday Nite Improvs is the longest-running theatrical/comedic production in the city of Pittsburgh . The show regularly features actors from every improv group in Pittsburgh , and alumni have gone on to act , write , and produce for television and film .   Readers of the Pittsburgh City Paper ranked Friday Nite Improvs as the 3rd best place to see comedy in Pittsburgh in the 2004 `` Best of Pittsburgh '' survey behind the professional stand-up clubs The Improv and The Funnybone .   College Prowler ranked Friday Nite Improvs as the ninth best thing about Pitt .

neg: The Comedians (1971 TV series) The Comedians is a British television show of the 1970s ( later reprised in the mid-1980s and early 1990s ) produced by Johnnie Hamp of Granada Television . The show gave a stage to nightclub and working men 's club comedians of the era , including Russ Abbot , Lennie Bennett , Stan Boardman , Jim Bowen , Jimmy Bright , Duggie Brown , Mike Burton , Dave Butler , Brian Carroll , Frank Carson , Mike Coyne , Jimmy Cricket , Colin Crompton , Pauline Daniels , Charlie Daze , Vince Earl , Steve Faye , Eddie Flanagan , Stu Francis , Ken Goodwin , Jackie Hamilton , Jerry Harris , George King , Bobby Knutt , Bernard Manning , Mike McCabe , Paul Melba , Mick Miller , Hal Nolan , Tom O'Connor , Tom Pepper , Bryn Phillips , Mike Reid , George Roper , Harry Scott , Sammy Thomas , Johnny Wager , Roy Walker , Charlie Williams , Lee Wilson and Lenny Windsor .   Also featured on the TV show , were Shep 's Banjo Boys , a 7-piece band comprising ( for the first 5 series ) Charlie Bentley ( tenor banjo ) , John Drury ( sousaphone ) , Andy Holdorf ( trombone ) , John Orchard ( piano ) , John Rollings ( drums ) , Graham Shepherd ( banjo ) and Howard Shepherd ( lead banjo ) . In 1973 , the line up was Mike Dexter ( banjo ) , Tony `` Tosh '' Kennedy ( sousaphone ) , Ged Martin ( drums ) , Tony Pritchard ( trombone ) , Graham Shepherd ( banjo ) and Howard `` Shep '' Shepherd ( lead banjo ) .   The Comedians began as an experiment for Granada TV . Filmed before a live audience in Manchester , comics each performed 20-minute sets , which were then edited together into half-hour shows . Each edition featured up to ten stand-up comics .   Working men 's clubs are numerous in Britain , especially in North East England and have been a useful training ground for artists , especially comedians . Most of these clubs are affiliated to the CIU ( Working Men 's Club and Institute Union ) founded in 1862 by the Rev. Henry Solly . There are also political clubs , as well as Servicemen 's Clubs affiliated to the Royal British Legion .   It was remarkably popular during the earlier series . An LP recording of the show reached the best-seller charts , several sell-out national tours followed , including a season at the London Palladium , and the programme won the Critics ' circle Award .   The comedy frequently took the form of anecdotes or jokes and often involved racist or sexist stereotypes . Like other British comedy successes of the day , notably , Love Thy Neighbour , this kind of entertainment was acceptable on British television during this period but would not be so today . Viewing the series in retrospect it stands as a major social document of the times .   In recent years , the series has been repeated on the ( now defunct ) British satellite television channel Plus , and can now be bought on DVD , having been released by Network .

neg: Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy has been awarded annually since 1952 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ( HFPA ) .

neg: The Goldbergs (2013 TV series) The Goldbergs is an American sitcom that premiered on Tuesday , September 24 , 2013 on ABC . The series was created by Adam F. Goldberg and stars Wendi McLendon-Covey , Jeff Garlin , Sean Giambrone , Troy Gentile , Hayley Orrantia and George Segal . The show is produced by Goldberg , Seth Gordon , and Doug Robinson . It is based on Goldberg 's childhood and family in the 1980s , complete with a childhood version of himself . The fourth season premiered on September 21 , 2016 . In May 2017 , ABC renewed the series for a fifth and sixth season .

neg: Broad Humor Film Festival The Broad Humor Film Festival is a film festival that takes place every year in Los Angeles , California . It focuses exclusively on comedic films written and directed by women . Begun in 2005 , it is held yearly in the summer months and brings together female writers and directors for a weekend of screenings , readings and events with the aim of fostering greater opportunity for women as the creators of film content . The festival has film and screenplay competitions for both feature-length and short films . Projects can be narrative or documentary . In addition , the festival offers continuing support to festival filmmakers and writers through its Legacy Program , a series of initiatives encouraging alumnae to create and screen new work .

neg: Comedy rock Comedy rock is rock music mixed with comedy , often satire and parody .

neg: Inherently funny word Certain nonsense words may be inherently funny , according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Memory and Language . The study 's lead author , Chris Westbury from the University of Alberta , suggests that the inherent humor of certain non-words can be explained by the property of entropy . Entropy , in this case , expresses how usual the letters in the word appear to be : the less commonly they are used , the lower the total entropy and the more funny they are likely to be found . According to Westbury , `` Some non-words are funny , and they 're weird when they are -LSB- ... -RSB- But there 's actually a consistent relationship between how funny they are and how weird they are '' .   The idea that humor can be predicted by a word 's entropy corresponds to the incongruity theory of 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer , who posited that humor is a product of one 's expectations being violated . According to Westbury , `` One reason puns are funny is that they violate our expectation that a word has one meaning '' .   The vaudeville lore that words with the letter k are funny is recorded by the playwright Neil Simon in his work The Sunshine Boys . In the play , which is about a pair of aging vaudeville comedians , the character Willie lectures his nephew about funny words :

neg: Don "Creesh" Hornsby Don Hornsby ( December 6 , 1923 - May 22 , 1950 ) , aka Creesh Hornsby , was a comedian and novelty pianist who was slated to be the original host of Broadway Open House , American network television 's first late night program .   Born in Cooper , Texas , Hornsby attended Harding Junior College in Wichita Falls for a short time before joining the Marines . Originally a straightforward pianist , eventually Hornsby 's nightclub act , which Life described as `` a five-hour marathon of surrealist madness '' , incorporated rubber alligators , magic tricks , acrobatics , dry ice and a live donkey . Hornsby 's performance , a continuous set during which he was served meals onstage , also featured custom-made props , including a `` tickle-tickle '' machine , which a United Press article called `` a Buck Rogers contraption with red lights , blue dials and green knobs '' that fired `` a bombardment of tiny rubber cones '' , which Hornsby would then scoop up with a butterfly net . One of his specialties was playing the Warsaw Concerto while suspended by his heels above the piano .   His catchphrase `` creesh '' , which he shouted at frequent intervals onstage , is a portmanteau word meaning `` constructive escapism '' . As Hornsby explained it , `` creeshism '' in action meant that `` anything can be funny in the proper situation . '' Among his fanbase were veteran comedians Fred Allen , Phil Silvers and Groucho Marx .   On the strength of his act -- and an endorsement from Bob Hope -- Hornsby was signed to a five-year contract with NBC and was set to host the program that would become Broadway Open House , but he was diagnosed with polio the week before the series was originally scheduled to debut . The disease led to his death less than a week later at age 26 in Eastview , New York .

neg: IO Theater iO , or iO Chicago , ( formerly known as `` ImprovOlympic '' ) is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago , with a branch in Los Angeles called iO West . The theater both teaches and hosts performances of improvisational comedy . It was founded in 1981 by the late Del Close and Charna Halpern . The theater has many notable alumni , including Amy Poehler and Stephen Colbert .

neg: List of comedians A comedian is one who entertains through comedy , such as jokes and other forms of humour . Following is a list of comedians , comedy groups , and comedy writers .

neg: Entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience , or gives pleasure and delight . It can be an idea or a task , but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands of years specifically for the purpose of keeping an audience 's attention . Although people 's attention is held by different things , because individuals have different preferences in entertainment , most forms are recognisable and familiar . Storytelling , music , drama , dance , and different kinds of performance exist in all cultures , were supported in royal courts , developed into sophisticated forms and over time became available to all citizens . The process has been accelerated in modern times by an entertainment industry that records and sells entertainment products . Entertainment evolves and can be adapted to suit any scale , ranging from an individual who chooses a private entertainment from a now enormous array of pre-recorded products ; to a banquet adapted for two ; to any size or type of party , with appropriate music and dance ; to performances intended for thousands ; and even for a global audience .   The experience of being entertained has come to be strongly associated with amusement , so that one common understanding of the idea is fun and laughter , although many entertainments have a serious purpose . This may be the case in the various forms of ceremony , celebration , religious festival , or satire for example . Hence , there is the possibility that what appears as entertainment may also be a means of achieving insight or intellectual growth .   An important aspect of entertainment is the audience , which turns a private recreation or leisure activity into entertainment . The audience may have a passive role , as in the case of persons watching a play , opera , television show , or film ; or the audience role may be active , as in the case of games , where the participant/audience roles may be routinely reversed . Entertainment can be public or private , involving formal , scripted performance , as in the case of theatre or concerts ; or unscripted and spontaneous , as in the case of children 's games . Most forms of entertainment have persisted over many centuries , evolving due to changes in culture , technology , and fashion . Films and video games , for example , although they use newer media , continue to tell stories , present drama , and play music . Festivals devoted to music , film , or dance allow audiences to be entertained over a number of consecutive days .   Some activities that were once considered entertaining , particularly public punishments , have been removed from the public arena . Others , such as fencing or archery , once necessary skills for some , have become serious sports and even professions for the participants , at the same time developing into entertainment with wider appeal for bigger audiences . In the same way , other necessary skills , such as cooking , have developed into performances among professionals , staged as global competitions and then broadcast for entertainment . What entertainment is for one group or individual may be regarded as work by another .   The familiar forms of entertainment have the capacity to cross over different media and have demonstrated a seemingly unlimited potential for creative remix . This has ensured the continuity and longevity of many themes , images , and structures .

neg: Humour Humour ( British English ) or humor ( American English ; see spelling differences ) is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement . The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks , which taught that the balance of fluids in the human body , known as humours ( Latin : humor , `` body fluid '' ) , controlled human health and emotion .   People of all ages and cultures respond to humour . Most people are able to experience humour -- be amused , smile or laugh at something funny -- and thus are considered to have a sense of humour . The hypothetical person lacking a sense of humour would likely find the behaviour inducing it to be inexplicable , strange , or even irrational . Though ultimately decided by personal taste , the extent to which a person finds something humorous depends on a host of variables , including geographical location , culture , maturity , level of education , intelligence and context . For example , young children may favour slapstick such as Punch and Judy puppet shows or the Tom and Jerry cartoons , whose physical nature makes it accessible to them . By contrast , more sophisticated forms of humour such as satire require an understanding of its social meaning and context , and thus tend to appeal to a more mature audience .

neg: Joel Moss Levinson Joel Moss Levinson is a writer , comedian from Yellow Springs , Ohio . He often collaborates with his older brother , Stephen Levinson , as the Levinson Brothers .   The pair were a part of TedX Dayton 2014 , speaking about successful collaboration .   Along with their third partner , CONAN and former Daily Show writer Rob Kutner , the Levinson Brothers released `` 2776 '' a comedy/musical album benefitting the charity OneKid OneWorld . Featuring Aimee Mann , Patton Oswalt , Ed Helms , Ashanti , Reggie Watts , Ira Glass , Nina Totenberg , Will Forte , Rebirth Brass Band , Yo La Tengo , Margaret Cho , Neko Case , Kelly Hogan , Dick Cavett , Dick Gregory , k.d. lang , Will Arnett , Alex Trebek and more , the album appeared briefly on the Billboard Comedy charts . The album 's liner notes were written by George Saunders and appeared in the New Yorker Joel composed the music for all but two of the 28 tracks .   n 2012 , the Levinson Brothers and Rob Kutner released an EP called `` It 's OK To Do Stuff '' in celebration of the 40th anniversary of `` Free To Be You And Me . '' Made up of songs satirizing the original with songs about gender , childhood , equality and relationships . `` It 's Okay to Do Stuff is first and foremost meant to be funny -- and it is , most of the time . Here , the earnestness of Free to Be is replaced with satire , but irony is the ethos of our age , remember ? '' The album features Lizzy Caplan , Fred Willard , Jane Weidlin , Steven Page , Colin Hanks , Fred Stoller , Eddie Pepitone , Eugene Mirman and others .   Joel gained national attention in 2008 as an Internet personality who professionally wins consumer generated marketing contests , and earned more than money and prizes , by creating corporate jingles and short commercials .   Levinson grew up in Dayton , Ohio . His father Jim was a prosecutor and his mother was a writer . He attended George Washington University for a few semesters . He worked for the KIO ( Kentucky , Indiana , Ohio ) region for BBYO and traveled the country as a song leader for the organization .   In November 2008 , he appeared on The Tonight Show to talk about his contest winnings . Joel was named an Access Hollywood Rising Star on December 1 , 2008 . In 2009 he appeared on CBS News with Katie Couric .

neg: Gold Turkey Gold Turkey is an American album of sketch comedy that was first released as a vinyl record in 1975 . It was a spin-off from -LSB- -LSB- National Lampoon ( magazine ) | National Lampoon -RSB- -RSB- magazine . The album is a collection of `` greatest hits '' from the National Lampoon Radio Hour , a radio show that was broadcast on 600 radio stations and ran from November 17 , 1973 to December 28 , 1974 .   The sketches on Gold Turkey feature numerous National Lampoon actors including Christopher Guest , Bill Murray , John Belushi , Brian Doyle-Murray , Chevy Chase , Harold Ramis , Gilda Radner , Joe Flaherty and Ed Subitzky.Gold Turkey was also subsequently issued as a CD .  The title of the album `` Gold Turkey '' is a reference to the phrase `` cold turkey '' a phrase meaning to suffer sudden withdrawal from an addictive substance ; there is a John Lennon song Cold Turkey '' . `` Gold Turkey '' as shown in the cover photograph by Arky & Barrett is a visual pun on the golden statue awards for entertainment , such as the Oscars and the Emmy , and is simultaneously a verbal pun on the word `` turkey '' meaning a box office bomb or entertainment failure .

neg: American burlesque American burlesque is a genre of variety show . Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque , music hall and minstrel shows , burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy ( lewd jokes ) and female striptease . By the early 20th century , burlesque in America was presented as a populist blend of satire , performance art , music hall , and adult entertainment , featuring striptease and broad comedy acts .   The entertainment was presented often in cabarets and clubs , as well as music halls and theatres . Performers , usually female , often created elaborate tableaux with lush , colorful costumes , mood-appropriate music , and dramatic lighting ; novelty acts , such as fire breathing or contortionists , might be added to enhance the impact of their performance . The genre traditionally encompassed a variety of acts : in addition to the striptease artistes , there was some combination of chanson singers , comedians , mime artists , and dancing girls , all delivered in a satiric style with a saucy edge . The striptease element of burlesque became subject to extensive local legislation , leading to a theatrical form that titillated without falling afoul of censors .   Burlesque gradually lost popularity beginning in the 1940s . A number of producers sought to capitalize on nostalgia for the entertainment by attempting to recreate the spirit of burlesque in Hollywood films from the 1930s to the 1960s . There has been a resurgence of interest in this format since the 1990s , and it inspired a 2010 musical film , Burlesque , starring Christina Aguilera and Cher .

neg: Nieca Goldberg Nieca Goldberg ( born October 21 , 1957 ) is an American medical doctor , a practicing cardiologist , a senior executive in the health care industry , an associate professor in medicine , an author , and a weekly radio show host . The American College of Cardiology , describes Goldberg as a `` clinical innovator '' and `` a nationally recognized pioneer in women 's heart health . ''


query: Linda Schuyler helped create the Degrassi series.

pos: Linda Schuyler Linda Schuyler , ( née Bawcutt ; born in 1948 in London , England ) is a Canadian television producer involved in the creation and production of the Degrassi series and Instant Star series of teen programs .

neg: Landon Liboiron Landon Liboiron ( born March 10 , 1991 ) is a Gemini Award-nominated Canadian actor . He is best known for playing Declan Coyne in Degrassi : The Next Generation and his lead role as Peter Rumancek in Netflix 's original series Hemlock Grove ( 2013 -- 15 ) .

neg: Cashmere Mafia Cashmere Mafia is an American drama television series which ran on ABC from January 6 , 2008 to February 20 , 2008 . The series was created by Kevin Wade , who also served as executive producer alongside Darren Star , Gail Katz , Jeff Rake and Michael Pressman , with Susie Fitzgerald co-executive producing . Peyton Reed directed the pilot .   ABC decided not to renew the series for a second season .

neg: Girls (TV series) Girls is an American television series that premiered on HBO on April 15 , 2012 . Created by and starring Lena Dunham and executive produced by Judd Apatow , Girls is a comedy-drama following the lives of four young women living in New York City . The show 's premise and major aspects of the main character were drawn from Dunham 's own life .   The series has received a positive response from critics and consistent accolades , including the 2013 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Musical or Comedy .   Girls sixth and final season concluded on April 16 , 2017 , with a total of 62 episodes .

neg: Alison Schapker Alison Schapker is an American television writer and producer .   She is well known for her work on the ABC espionage series Alias and for the FOX science-fiction series Fringe .

neg: Scallywagga Scallywagga is a British comedy sketch show , written by Stuart Kenworthy , who has worked on Green Wing and Smack the Pony . The executive producer of series one was Kenton Allen , and the producer was Jon Montague . The pilot episode aired on 21 March 2007 when the show was known as Spacehopper . Sally Lindsey confirmed on The Paul O'Grady Show that there would be a second series which was also filmed in and around Manchester , bringing on board a new Director ( David Sant ) and new Producer ( Kristian Smith ) and several cast changes . The first series was broadcast on TV in 2008 and the DVD was released in early 2010 along with series 1 . Series 2 began broadcasting on Tuesday 23 February 2010 .

neg: List of Degrassi characters The following is a list of characters who appeared in the teen drama series Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High ( including the immediate follow-up made-for-television movie , Degrassi : School 's Out ) , which are part of the Degrassi universe . Hundreds of actors appeared the series throughout their run . There were distinct main youth characters among recurring youth characters , yet the latter were occasionally the central protagonists of episode plots . No plots centered on adult characters , though they were often important plot devices . Degrassi Junior High ran for three seasons , and was followed by Degrassi High , which ran for a further two seasons , and a made-for-television movie Degrassi : School 's Out . Seasons 1 through 3 refer to Degrassi Junior High , and seasons 4 and 5 refer to Degrassi High and School 's Out .

neg: Desperate Housewives Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama and mystery series created by Marc Cherry , and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions . It originally aired for eight seasons on ABC , from October 3 , 2004 to May 13 , 2012 . Executive producer Cherry served as showrunner . Other executive producers since the fourth season included Bob Daily , George W. Perkins , John Pardee , Joey Murphy , David Grossman , and Larry Shaw .   Set on Wisteria Lane , a street in the fictional town of Fairview in the fictional Eagle State , Desperate Housewives follows the lives of a group of women as seen through the eyes of their late friend and neighbor who committed suicide in the pilot episode . The storyline covers 13 years of the women 's lives over eight seasons , set between the years 2004 -- 2008 , and later 2013 -- 2017 ( the story arc includes a five-year passage of time , as well as flashbacks ranging from the 1980s to the 2020s ) . They work through domestic struggles and family life , while facing the secrets , crimes and mysteries hidden behind the doors of their -- on the surface -- beautiful and seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood .   The series features an ensemble cast , headed by Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer , Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo , Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp , and Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis . Brenda Strong narrates the series as the late Mary Alice Young , appearing sporadically in flashbacks or dream sequences .   Desperate Housewives was well received by viewers and critics alike . It won multiple Primetime Emmy , Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards . From the 2004 -- 05 through the 2008 -- 09 television seasons , its first five seasons were rated amongst the top ten most-watched series . In 2007 , it was reported to be the most popular show in its demographic worldwide , with an audience of approximately 120 million and was also reported as the third most watched television series in a study of ratings in twenty countries . In 2012 , it remained the most-watched comedy series internationally based on data from Eurodata TV Worldwide , which measured ratings across five continents ; it has held this position since 2006 . Moreover , it was the third highest revenue earning series for 2010 , with $ 2.74 million per half an hour . The show was ranked at number fifty-six on Entertainment Weekly `` New TV Classics '' list .   In 2011 , it was confirmed that Desperate Housewives would conclude after its eighth season ; the series finale aired on May 13 , 2012 . By the end of the series , it had surpassed Charmed as the longest running hour-long television series featuring all female leads by two episodes .

neg: Suzanne Martin Suzanne Moore Martin is an American television producer and writer . She is best known for creating Hot in Cleveland . Her writing and producing credits include Ellen , Frasier and The Soul Man . She also created the television series Maybe It 's Me and Hot Properties and Crowded ( TV series ) .

neg: Degrassi (franchise) Degrassi is a Canadian drama franchise that follows the lives of a group of teenagers who lived on or near De Grassi Street in Toronto , Ontario . The five main series are The Kids of Degrassi Street , Degrassi Junior High , Degrassi High , Degrassi : The Next Generation and Degrassi : Next Class .   The early Degrassi series were produced by the small production company owned by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler , Playing With Time Inc. . The recent version of Degrassi , produced by Epitome Pictures , aired on MTV Canada and on VRAK.TV ( dubbed in French ) in Canada and was simultaneously broadcast on TeenNick ( and in syndication ) in the United States . Degrassi : The Next Generations '' 's eighth season aired on BBC Switch in the United Kingdom .   The second incarnation of The Next Generation , Degrassi : Next Class '' , is jointly produced by Netflix and Epitome ( a subsidiary of DHX Media ) . The show began airing in January 2016 on Netflix internationally and on Family ( F2N ) in Canada .

neg: Nothing Sacred (TV series) Nothing Sacred is an American drama series that aired from 1997 to 1998 on ABC . The series was created by a Jesuit priest named Bill Cain and producer David Manson .

neg: Teen drama A teen drama is a genre or type of drama series with a major focus on teenage and young adult characters . It came into prominence in the early 1990s , especially with the popularity of the Fox series Beverly Hills , 90210 . After 90210 became a success , television writers and producers realized the potential for this new genre to reach out to a previously ignored demographic . In the past , most series that maintained a focus on teenagers had been sitcoms , while adolescents in drama series were usually part of a larger ensemble that included adults and children .   More often than not , teen dramas have soap opera elements , incorporating one or more ongoing story arcs spanning several episodes . The young characters must deal with the dramatic ups and downs of their friendships and romances while facing an array of issues thought to be typical of adolescence . There have also been many successful teen-based series with major science fiction , fantasy and action/adventure themes .

neg: L.A. Law L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC , from September 15 , 1986 , to May 19 , 1994 .   Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher , it contained many of Bochco 's trademark features including an ensemble cast , large number of parallel storylines , social drama , and off-the-wall humor . It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s , and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as capital punishment , abortion , racism , gay rights , homophobia , sexual harassment , AIDS , and domestic violence . The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff .   In addition to its main cast , L.A. Law was also well known for featuring then relatively unknown actors and actresses in guest starring roles , who later went on to greater success in film and television including : Don Cheadle , Jeffrey Tambor , Kathy Bates , David Schwimmer , Jay O. Sanders , James Avery , Gates McFadden , Bryan Cranston , C.C.H. Pounder , Kevin Spacey , Richard Schiff , Carrie-Anne Moss , William H. Macy , Stephen Root , Christian Slater , and Lucy Liu . Several episodes of the show also included celebrities such as Vanna White , Buddy Hackett and Mamie Van Doren appearing as themselves in cameo roles .   The show was popular with audiences and critics , and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run , four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series .

neg: The Secret Life of the American Teenager The Secret Life of the American Teenager ( often shortened to Secret Life ) is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton . It first season aired on ABC Family on July 1 , 2008 and ran until June 3 , 2013 . The show was renewed for four additional seasons .   The series received generally mixed reviews from mainstream critics when it began broadcasting , but was well received among female and teenage viewers . The pilot episode broke the record for the highest rated debut on ABC Family with 2.82 million viewers , a record previously held by Kyle XY . The season one finale brought in 4.50 million viewers , beating that night 's episode of Gossip Girl , which had less than half its usual number of viewers . Premiering to mostly positive reviews from critics and being well received among viewers , the second season of Secret Life opened with the largest audience for the series , posting a series high in total viewers with 4.68 million viewers ; in adults 18 -- 34 it was the number one scripted original premiere of Summer 2009 . Furthermore , the mid-season premiere became ABC Family 's most watched telecast of all time with viewers ages 12 -- 34 , with more than three million viewers watching .   The show earned the Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer TV Show during its premiere season , and spawned a book entitled The Secret Diary of Ashley Juergens .

neg: Testees Testees is a Canadian television series , created by Kenny Hotz ( of Kenny vs. Spenny ) and written and produced by Kenny Hotz and Derek Harvie ( of The Tom Green Show ) . Testees originally aired on Thursdays at 10:30 PM EST on FX and ran from October 9 , 2008 , to December 18 , 2008 . and debuted on October 14 , 2008 , on Showcase in Canada . The show is filmed in Toronto and Hamilton , Ontario . Testees is now showing on FX in the UK , I.Sat in Brazil and Comedy Central in Germany , Austria and the Netherlands . After one season , Testees was not renewed by FX .

neg: The Puppy Episode `` The Puppy Episode '' is a two-part episode of the situation comedy television series Ellen . The episode details lead character Ellen Morgan 's realization that she is a lesbian and her coming out . It was the 22nd and 23rd episode of the series ' 4th season . The episode was written by series star Ellen DeGeneres with Mark Driscoll , Tracy Newman , Dava Savel and Jonathan Stark and directed by Gil Junger . It originally aired on ABC on April 30 , 1997 . The title was used as a code name for Ellen 's coming out so as to keep the whole episode under wraps .   DeGeneres began negotiating with ABC in 1996 to have Morgan come out . When word of the negotiations got out , DeGeneres found herself at the center of intense speculation about when she or her character , or both , would come out . With DeGeneres hinting at her and her character 's coming out both off-screen and within the show , the rumors were confirmed when the episode went into production in March 1997 .   Despite threats from advertisers and religious groups , `` The Puppy Episode '' was an enormous ratings success , won multiple awards and became a cultural phenomenon . Nonetheless , DeGeneres and her show quickly garnered criticism for being `` too gay '' ; the series was canceled after one more season and DeGeneres and guest star Laura Dern faced career backlash .

neg: List of The Backyardigans episodes The Backyardigans is a Canadian -- American CGI-animated musical TV series created by Janice Burgess . It is a co-production of animation studio Nelvana and Nickelodeon Animation Studios . The series debuted on October 11 , 2004 and ended on May 31 , 2010 . Reruns currently air on the Nick Jr. channel in the United States . The show airs on Treehouse TV in Canada . In 2015 , the first season was included as part of Nickelodeon 's Noggin app , a mobile application featuring episodes of older Nick Jr. programs .   The series was based upon a live-action pilot produced in 1998 titled Me and My Friends . The episodes are listed below as ordered in the complete series collection on iTunes and not in their original broadcast order .

neg: Shortland Street Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera centring on the fictitious Shortland Street Hospital , first broadcast on TVNZ 2 on 25 May 1992 . It is the country 's longest-running drama and soap opera , being broadcast continuously for over 6,000 episodes and 25 years , and is one of the most watched television programmes in New Zealand .   The show was originally screened as five half-hour episodes each week and initially receiving mixed reviews on its premiere . After its launch it dropped in ratings and would have been cancelled if TVNZ had not ordered a year 's worth of episodes in advance . TVNZ renewed the production in early 1993 when the show 's rating had picked up , and it now has `` long-term public enthusiasm '' . Today , it is one of New Zealand 's highest-rated shows , frequently making AGB Nielsen Media Research 's top 5 programmes of the week .

neg: The Fosters (2013 TV series) The Fosters is an American family drama television series created by Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg which first premiered in the United States on June 3 , 2013 on the Freeform ( previously named ABC Family ) television network . It follows the lives of the Foster family led by lesbian couple Stef and Lena , a cop and a school vice principal respectively , who raise a multi-ethnic blended family that consists of one biological and four adopted children in San Diego , California .   The first season of The Fosters received generally favorable reviews from critics and also garnered particular acclaim for its portrayal of LGBT themes . It also earned two GLAAD Media Awards and one Teen Choice Award .

neg: Naomi Clark Naomi Clark , played by AnnaLynne McCord , is a fictional character from the CW primetime drama 90210 , the fourth series of the Beverly Hills , 90210 franchise . The character was created by Rob Thomas , Gabe Sachs , and Jeff Judah , with later developments by Rebecca Sinclair , and occasional input from McCord .   During early stages of production , Naomi was largely described as a privileged and popular teenager . Prior to the series ' premiere , Sachs and Judah would further develop Naomi into an antiheroine with a number of flaws , virtues , and familial issues . In the second season , Sinclair , the new show-runner , maintained the previous developments but presented a more comedic take on the character . McCord has expressed fondness for the multi-faceted nature of the role , citing it as a factor in her decision to accept the part .   Often regarded as the show 's central figure , Naomi has received critical acclaim from the Los Angeles Times , Entertainment Weekly , People magazine , and other media outlets . Reviews have praised AnnaLynne McCord 's performance and the complexity of the role . Conversely , Naomi has also been a recipient of criticism , particularly during the second season . For her work in the role , McCord was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in 2009 , and won a Breakthrough of the Year Award in 2010 .

neg: List of Melrose Place episodes Melrose Place , a primetime soap opera created by Darren Star , premiered on July 8 , 1992 on Fox network in the United States and ended on May 24 , 1999 . The show spans seven seasons of 226 episodes , and one special aired in 1995 . Each episode was approximately 45 minutes long ( without commercials ) though there were several double or two-part episodes that were shown as feature length 85 to 90 minute episodes   The complete series of Melrose Place has been released on DVD in the United States ( Region 1 ) from 2006 to 2012 , with the final season having been released on July 31 , 2012 .