‘A Very Gaga Thanksgiving’ couldn’t overtake the classic ‘Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.’ By James Montgomery “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” Photo: CBS Lady Gaga ‘s “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving” special may have been a triumph of overly-glammed performances, cooking segments with celebrity chefs and craft-time activities with third graders , but none of that was enough to overtake a time-tested Turkey Day classic, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” Yes, Charlie, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy et al. bested Gaga in the Thanksgiving ratings battle, though the race was much closer than you’d probably expect. (Both programs aired on ABC.) “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” — first broadcast in 1973 — was watched by some 5.8 million viewers on Thursday night, while “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving” was seen by 5.4 million, according to the Nielsen ratings . Both drew roughly the same audience share in the 18-49 age demo, though neither could compete with the big Thanksgiving-night winner: a repeat of CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory,” which was watched by more than 11 million viewers. Fox’s “Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas” was the most-viewed holiday special, watched by some 7.1 million folks. And though it couldn’t beat “Big Bang” or the animated “Ice Age” critters, “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving” did perform rather solidly. In fact, it managed to beat a whole lot of competing prime-time Thanksgiving programming, including NBC’s re-airing of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (3.7 million viewers) and another Charlie Brown special, “Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown,” which was watched by 5 million viewers. In the days leading up to her big Thanksgiving debut, Gaga took to Twitter to announce the release of a specially priced holiday EP, A Very Gaga Holiday. Then, again, Charlie Brown had her beat there, too: A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack was first released in 1965, after all. Related Artists Lady Gaga
‘We’re unified,’ Birdman tells MTV News of clip featuring Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. By Rob Markman Nicki Minaj, Birdman and Lil Wayne on the set of “Y.U. Mad” Photo: MTV News Birdman has every reason to smile, and in his latest video, for “Y.U. Mad,” the #1 Stunna puts his diamond-encrusted grill on full display. Not only is his YMCMB record label the biggest rap label of the year thanks to high-profile releases from Lil Wayne and Drake, but the camaraderie displayed in his new clip, which premiered on MTV2 on Sunday, is very real — both on and off camera. “We like this with each other on an everyday basis. It’s just fortunate that it’s a video and they get to see it in that way,” Birdman told MTV News from his trailer on set of the “Y.U. Mad” video shoot in Miami back in October. “It’s a family atmosphere, and we talk a lot and we work a lot, and when it comes down to the music, we do it together, we’re unified. It’s what Lil Wayne and Birdman and Young Money, Cash Money all about — working as a team.” The proof is in the Gil Green-directed video off Birdman’s upcoming solo LP Bigga Than Life . Nicki Minaj sets things off, in character as “The Female Weezy.” Dressed in a white wifebeater, camouflage pants, skater sneakers and a blond dreadlocked wig, Nicki embodies Lil Wayne’s persona as she prances on the screen rapping her verse. It wouldn’t be a Birdman video if the #1 Stunna didn’t flaunt his wealth. In one scene, Baby rides around M-I-A in a white convertible Mercedes Maybach, in another he sits with YMCMB execs Mack Maine and Cortez Bryant at a long dining table littered with vodka bottles and exuberant amounts of cash. Still, it’s the ear-to-ear grins that make “Y.U. Mad” stand out from previous Birdman videos like “Fire Flame” and “Always Strapped.” Wayne may have had the most fun on set, rocking a high-top, red fur hat, colorful shorts and a backpack containing his skateboard. The song was originally something that Nicki was working on but then gave to Birdman in order to keep it in the family. From the first listen, the Cash Money CEO was in love with what is now his latest single. “I liked it from the start,” he said. “Working with Nicki is just special anyway. It was something she gave me and I felt good about it so we rocked with it.” And apparently they had a blast doing it. Related Artists Birdman Lil Wayne Nicki Minaj
‘Twilight’ flick blew past ‘The Muppets,’ but faces formidable holiday-movie competition in the coming weeks. By Kevin P. Sullivan Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit Entertainment The box-office battle of Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” once again emerged as the victor. The penultimate entry in the vampire romance series pulled off an impressive haul of an estimated $62.3 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com . The weekend brought the film’s domestic total to roughly $221 million, and survived formidable competition from “The Muppets,” which earned a respectable $42 million. But what do the upcoming weeks hold for “Breaking Dawn – Part 1”? We consulted some box-office experts to find out. One of the biggest questions right now for “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” is whether it will continue to dominate the box office for a third week in a row. With only “Shame” — a small indie film by comparison — opening next week, the stage is set for another rematch between “Breaking Dawn” and “The Muppets.” Phil Contrino from Boxoffice.com said there is some potential for growth in the case of “The Muppets.” “It’ll be close between [‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1’] and ‘The Muppets,’ because [‘The Muppets’] has much better word of mouth,” he said, but he indicated that it was too soon to say which would come out on top. Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations , on the other hand, sees the weekend going to “The Muppets.” The fight for second place will be between “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” and “Hugo,” he said. ” ‘Breaking Dawn’ is performing almost identically to ‘New Moon’ and will likely dip another 60 to 65 percent next weekend and gross $14 million to 16 million,” Bock said. “That probably won’t keep it at #1, as family films hold exceptionally well during the holiday season. That means ‘The Muppets’ will jump to #1, and depending on how many screens ‘Hugo’ jumps to, it may be in a fight for second place.” Both Bock and Contrino expect “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” to finish its domestic run in the range of $300 million but say that we should expect a steep drop-off once more holiday films like “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” hit theaters. “It’s still going to fall fast,” Contrino said. “By the time ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ and ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ hit, the audience will have almost entirely disappeared.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV First: ‘Breaking Dawn’ Related Photos Twilight: Breaking Dawn
‘Glee’ actor taking over for ‘Harry Potter’ star in ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe Photo: MTV News After a very successful and critically acclaimed run on the Great White Way, Daniel Radcliffe will very soon be ending his run in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and passing the torch to “Glee” star Darren Criss , who will take over on January 3. When MTV News caught up with Radcliffe — who we named as the actor we’re most thankful for in 2011 — we asked for his thoughts on his successor and whether he had any decision or veto power in Criss being added to the cast. “Oh God, no. I don’t have any power over those things at all, nor should I,” Radcliffe said. “I think it’s fantastic. I’m actually kind of thrilled. He went to the same high school as a couple of the guys in our show did. I think he’s really talented. I’ve not met him yet, but I’m sure he’s very nice. He’s a very, very talented guy, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.” Radcliffe is bummed for Criss that he only gets to perform the “Succeed” role for three weeks, due to his busy “Glee” work schedule. “I feel slightly sorry for him in a way,” Radcliffe said. “I needed time with it to get it right, and you don’t have that, because obviously he has to go back to ‘Glee.’ I’m sure if it was up to him, he would have liked to do a longer run.” Although the two stars have yet to meet, they share a mutual admiration for each other. “I’ve seen a few episodes [of ‘Glee’],” Radcliffe admitted. “I haven’t seen [Criss] in it, but I’ve seen three or four episodes probably. I liked it. My girlfriend is really into it.” Related Videos Actors We’re Thankful For 2011
In honor of his High Flying Birds solo album, we asked the ertswhile Oasis songwriter to rate his fellow high-soaring avians. By James Montgomery Noel Gallagher Photo: MTV News Noel Gallagher has never been one to shy away from stating his opinions, whether about Katie Holmes ( “top Scientologist” ), his new solo album Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (“It’s just a good record, what can I say?”), social networking (“I don’t need a million friends; I’ve got six friends and I’m f—ing trying to get rid of one of those”) or innumerable other topics. This is just part of the reason why, in addition to being a genuine rock god, he’s also a bit of a New Age guru. So when Gallagher stopped by the MTV newsroom earlier this month to promote High Flying Birds — and dispel rumors that he was about to bury the hatchet with his brother Liam and re-form Oasis — in addition to talking all about the album, we had to ask him for his take on various other high-soaring members of the Avian family. And, of course, he didn’t disappoint. From his take on R
‘My nation of Barbz and I have come a mighty long way,’ the rapper says in a statement. By James Dinh Nicki Minaj Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images Take it from Nicki Minaj : Hard work pays off. From underground mixtape artist to platinum-selling superstar, the Young Money raptress has been named Billboard ‘s Rising Star of 2011. Alongside Taylor Swift, who was named Billboard ‘s Woman of the Year, the Harajuku Barbie will accept the Rising Star award at the sixth annual Women in Music event in New York on December 2. “I am deeply honored to be recognized by Billboard, ” Minaj said in a statement. “My nation of Barbz and I have come a mighty long way; yet we are nowhere close to where God will take us. Sit back and enjoy the ride.” And what a ride the past year has been. Since releasing her full-length debut album, Pink Friday, in late November 2010, the hip-hop darling has broken records, released a string of hit singles and toured with pop royalty. Most recently, the rapper nabbed a pair of American Music Awards , including Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album. Bill Werde, Billboard ‘s editorial director, echoed the starlet’s accomplishments, saying, “Nicki Minaj has established herself as a force in hip-hop and pop music, and we’re thrilled to recognize her accomplishments over the past year by honoring her as this year’s Rising Star. Her unique style and powerful sound will undoubtedly lead to a long and lustrous career, and we look forward to seeing where she goes and what she does next.” Minaj follows an elite group of Rising Star recipients, including Jazmine Sullivan (2010), Lady Gaga (2009) and Colbie Caillat (2008). Word of the MC’s achievement comes just a day after she announced her sophomore effort, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which is scheduled to drop on Valentine’s Day. In addition to the forthcoming LP, the superstar just wrapped up filming the clip for her David Guetta collaboration “Turn Me On,” which she also performed at the AMAs. ” *sigh* just wrapped the video for Turn Me On…. You’ll love it ;),” she tweeted early Wednesday morning (November 23). Send your congrats to Nicki in the comments! Related Artists Nicki Minaj
‘I feel lucky to be a songwriter that has an open mind to all different kinds of music,’ frontman Aaron Bruno says of Megalithic Symphony. By Rya Backer AWOLNATION’s Aaron Bruno Photo: MTV News AWOLNATION may be a play on frontman Aaron Bruno’s childhood nickname, but according to him, it’s far from a solo project. “It’s my vision, I suppose, but it’s sort of uncomfortable for me to take full responsibility for it, because nothing is possible without the support of a team of people,” said Bruno, formerly of such rock acts as Under the Influence of Giants and Hometown Hero. Still, he remains instrumental in crafting the style-bending and -defying melodies, hooks and choruses featured throughout the group’s debut album, Megalithic Symphony (listen to his singles, “Not Your Fault” and “Sail,” for perfect takes on pop-punk and prog industrial, respectively). “I feel lucky to be a songwriter that has an open mind to all different kinds of music,” Bruno said. “So I think because of that, I was able to make a record that is genre-less, and I’m very proud to not be able to tell you that it’s an alternative record or only a rock record, et cetera. … I’m just a huge music nerd/fan at the end of the day.” But how did they come up with that name? “I went with the name AWOL, because I’ve always enjoyed the option of leaving social circumstances without having to explain myself,” Bruno said. Less straightforward, however, is Bruno’s songwriting. “It’s important to me that people interpret the lyrics and the concept and the message for their own and not read too much into it literally. Because a lot of the lyrics are metaphors for life situations that I’ve been in, and I encourage people to create their own meaning for it out of it all.” Regardless of how the songs are taken in, Bruno is sincere in hoping whatever message is delivered holds meaning to the listener. His one great hope for Megalithic Symphony ? “Hopefully this record that I’ve made helps people through the struggles of life or helps them through the good times.” Have you checked out AWOLNATION? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Related Artists AWOLNATION
Black-and-white video showcases Bieber’s heartfelt singing with his idols. By Rob Markman Shawn Stockman and Justin Bieber Photo: LiveWire Entertainment Christmas is right around the corner, but the Biebs is already in the holiday spirit. On Wednesday (November 23), Justin Bieber dropped the video for “Fa La La” with Boyz II Men . There are no reindeer or presents under the tree; instead, Justin and the Philadelphia R&B outfit sing of a warm love that will endure through the holiday season. The black-and-white clip begins in an empty loft, where Bieber sings alone, with his arms flailing and face slightly scrunching every time he hits those heartfelt notes. Justin’s solo intro leads way to a collaborative bridge, where Boyz II Men join in. “Baby you de-serve eve-ry-thing you want/ It’s your night,” they all sing in harmony as the “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye” vocalists join the teenage star in song on the front porch of a brick house. No elaborate set needed. With an empty city as their backdrop, the four crooners throw down in an old-fashioned sing-off. As the track builds, BIIM’s Wanya Morris really gets into it, pounding his chest and kicking one leg up to accentuate his performance. Bieber, who is dressed in a white tee and slim-cut leather jacket, tugs on his collar to let you just how much his words mean to him. On November 1, Bieber teased the clip when he tweeted, “Killed it with @BoyzIImen on DWTS and then just shot a video for our song #FALALA with @colintilley – great night! living a dream. Thanku,” in reference to his appearance on “Dancing With The Stars” and the Colin Tilley-directed “Fa La La” video. Maybe some of Boyz II Men’s subject matter was a bit mature for the pint-size Bieber, but they influenced him nonetheless. “He told us his mom didn’t want him to sing ‘I’ll Make Love to You,’ so he’d sneak and go sing it somewhere,” Wanya Morris told MTV News. “It’s also good to know we’ve influenced such a good artist. It’s something that makes us feel we’ve accomplished [something and] we’re doing our job, [that] a guy so young and so into his craft [is] influenced by three guys from Philadelphia that love to sing.” Yes, “Fa La La” is the latest single from JB’s holiday LP, Under the Mistletoe, but Tilley and company didn’t overload the video with Christmas themes as to so implicitly tie it to December 25 — after all, true love should last all year ’round. What do you think of the video? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV First: Justin Bieber Related Photos A Very Bieber Christmas Related Artists Justin Bieber Boyz II Men
‘Harry Potter’ star refers to 2011 as ‘not a breakout year, a breakaway year.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe Photo: MTV News After our nods to rising stars Elizabeth Olsen , Michael Fassbender and Tom Hiddleston , MTV Movies’ Thankful Week continues with — drum roll, please — the actor we’re most thankful for in 2011: Daniel Radcliffe. Really, what’s not to like about this talented young man? He’s dazzled audiences for more than a decade as “the boy who lived” in eight “Harry Potter” films and has most recently been the talk of the Great White Way with his critically acclaimed work in the musical “How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.” We feel pretty confident in saying that the future looks bright for this guy. MTV News recently caught up with Radcliffe to get a sense of how he’s feeling post-Potter and where he wants to be in 10 years. MTV : This is your first full year working outside “Harry Potter.” How has it been? Daniel Radcliffe : It’s been a great first year away from “Potter.” It’s been very successful. I’ve done some work I’m really proud of in that time, particularly onstage in “How to Succeed.” Just the process of doing it and doing it and doing it, I’ve got so much better, I think, during the run, as is the way it should be. It’s been a great year, but I think next year is the big one for me. “The Woman in Black” is coming out, and I’ve also got a couple other things I’ll be doing. The next two or three years are going to be pretty important, I think, and if [2011] is not a breakout year, it’s a breakaway year. MTV : What was the highlight for you this year? Radcliffe : [Performing at] the Tony Awards, definitely. We were the first show to perform, and there is just that weird moment when you’re all standing there. I haven’t been that nervous in a long time. I don’t think I was as nervous on our opening night as I was at the Tonys. I was really, really nervous. Suddenly that huge LED screen goes up, and you’re all revealed like prizes on a game show, and Al Pacino is in the front row, sitting next to Bobby Cannavale, sitting next to Mark Rylance, all these brilliant actors, and you have to do your number. That’s probably a surreal, weird triumphant moment of that year, performing on the Tonys. That’s pretty cool. That’s something I will be able to tell my grandchildren that I did. MTV : What have you learned about yourself and your work abilities? Radcliffe : I think the most vital thing I’ve learned — and this is a thing I have to adapt and be able to find throughout my career, be it onstage or film in comedy or drama — is that the more I try and suppress my own natural oddness, the less successful I am. I have a slightly staccato way of moving and talking … the realization hit me that I’m working so hard to try and be something else, and actually, I just have to learn to be my most natural self onstage or onscreen, however that comes across. That is one of the biggest lessons there is: Don’t shy away from your own weirdness. Own your oddness. MTV : Would you consider taking a role in a movie musical? Radcliffe : Yeah, definitely. My hesitation about doing this one [“How to Succeed”] is that I’ve played parts for a long time, and I’ll have spent a long time with this, and I want my career to be about getting as many different characters under my belt as I possibly can. But yeah, I would love to, provided it was the right one, because they can go wrong. They can go spectacularly wrong, so we’ll see. MTV : Looking back at “Potter” and going through the huge promotional push surrounding the final film, was any of that surprising in any way even though you’d been through it so many times before? Radcliffe : It’s always what it is. I have a slight tendency when you’re doing these insane press days where you do a few interviews then the red carpet and it’s just mad, I have a slight tendency to shut down and go on autopilot just to get through it and not feel completely weirded out by the whole thing. What was strange to me was, in a way I felt slightly bad because I wasn’t getting upset like everyone else was. I’ve seen Rupert Grint cry once, on the last day of filming, when I was also in bits, but I’ve never seen Rupert get emotional like he did at the premiere … I cannot go on enough about how much I loved my time on “Potter.” It was the most amazing, happy time, but all good things must come to an end. We couldn’t have gone on forever. As much as people wanted us to, it would have been terrible. I’m glad to have done it and gone out on such a high note and now be moving on as we all are. MTV : Do you hope you’ll continue to have a relationship with J.K. Rowling? Radcliffe : I hope so, yeah, I really hope so. For somebody that was indirectly and directly such a huge influence on my life, I really hope so. I don’t know if she’s going to write anything else about Harry, but maybe I could direct something in years to come or something; we know each other. MTV : Looking ahead 10 years, what do you hope to be doing, best and worst case scenario? Radcliffe : My worst nightmare is that in 10 years, I will be not working and not doing anything. Even if in five years time I decide to leave the film industry and go off and become an archaeologist, even if I’m doing that, that’s great, fine. Best-case scenario is that in 10 years time, I’ll have got a good few films under my belt, I don’t know how many that would be … suppose we did eight “Potter” movies in 10 [years]; double that, maybe 16? Who knows. Hopefully I’ll do a few films with very different parts, very different directors, and ideally, I would have liked to direct something by then; that’s the ambition. I do feel having spent so much time on a film set, I would have a very good idea of how to run a film set, how to lead that set and, I don’t know, I love telling stories, so I would like that as a job. Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Actors We’re Thankful For 2011
