|  Tuesday,
January 6, 2009
"Mad
Men" studio buys TV Guide Network & TVGuide.com
Lionsgate, which also makes "Weeds," is shelling out $255 million
for the TV Guide properties in a surprising move that ends a previously
announced sale to another buyer.
Craig
Ferguson reveals he got secretly married
The "Late Late" host says of his marriage to longtime girlfriend
Megan Wallace Cunningham: "The wedding took place in Vermont, where
they have legalized gay civil unions – and I married a woman."
"Scrubs"
tones down the wackiness on ABC
 There's at least
one notable difference now that "Scrubs" is on a new network,
according to Alan Sepinwall: "As 'Scrubs' enters its first season
on ABC (after years of NBC neglect), its last season with Braff and probably
its last season, period, Lawrence and company have dialed back the wacky
and increasingly strained gags that typified the show's last few years
on NBC. The first two ABC episodes of 'Scrubs' ... more closely resemble
the series in its marvelous early seasons, and suggest that Braff's victory
lap will be a memorable one."
 It's
old!: "Scrubs" to ABC is like moving grandma to a new
apartment
Bill
Lawrence: We've had the finale with J.D.'s exit outlined for 4 years
HBO's
Pimp producers may use another city to portray Oakland
Allen and Albert Hughes are disappointed that Oakland city officials don't
want them to shoot "Gentleman of Leisure" on location. "It's
'The Wire' meets the 'Sopranos' set in Oakland in a crime element never
used before," says Allen Hughes. "It's not just about pimps
and prostitutes, but also about the history of a city that never got its
due. Much in the same way the producers of 'The Wire' dealt with Baltimore
or (New) Jersey with the 'Sopranos.' Like Oakland, they are both little
cities in the shadow of a big city."
"Homeland
Security USA" gives a positive spin on those who patrol U.S. borders
The ABC reality show from the former producer of "Big Brother"
has "the look and sound of a documentary without the pesky burden
of responsibility — it's homage, not reportage," says Alessandra
Stanley. PLUS: Think of its as "Cops"
with an international air.
NBC
will air the first 3-D Super Bowl ad
One night before "Chuck's"
3-D episode, NBC will air a 90-second Super Bowl ad for the new Dreamworks
animated movie "Monsters vs. Aliens." Dreamworks is spending
millions of dollars to give away 150 million pairs of 3-D glasses for
the event.
"Idol"
warns of mail fraud scam
Beware of any letter using "American Idol" letterhead to claim
that you've won money.
Lori
Loughlin disappointed with her "90210" storyline
"I'd hate to think this is it for her," she says of her character's
lackluster arc. "I'd love to see more conflict in her life."
HBO
promoting "Big Love" with secret-revealing talking billboards
Just plug your headphone into the street-level billboards to hear secrets
from people who aren't connected with the show.
"Superstars
of Dance" draws NBC's biggest ratings for a new show this season
About 10.4 million viewers watched what the Washington Post calls "swooping,
swirling and dizzying camerawork to sustain a blinding onslaught of glitz."
NBC
working on a "Soundtrack" in a man's head
The drama project revolves around a man who keeps hearing the same iconic
song over and over, until he figures out its meaning. Then he hears another
song.
"Nip/Tuck"
returns, no longer on the cutting-edge
"Story lines that used to be provocative and bold have become merely
grotesque and gratuitous," Tom Jicha says of tonight's premiere.
"The bizarre used to serve the plots. The plots now serve the bizarre."
"Medium's"
Patricia Arquette splits from hubby
She and actor Thomas Jane have are ending their two-year marriage, citing
"irreconcilable differences."
Nigel
Lythgoe: "Idol" may have made a mistake adding a 4th judge
Says the former "Idol" exec: "It's something that I fought
for a number of years simply because once you've been told you suck by
one judge, you don't need to hear it from another three."
"Psych"
stars to drive off in Kia ads
James Roday and Dule Hill will star in 30-second spots in which they try
to elude a gunman driving a Kia.
Sanjaya's
debut album is coming soon
The notorious "Idol" star's debut EP, "Dancing to the Music
in my Head," will be available for download on Jan. 20.
ABC
Monday has become "Pretty People Acting Afool Central"
"The Bachelor" and "True Beauty" both feature hotties
making fools of themselves. PLUS: Deanna
returns!
ODDS &
ENDS
"Yeah,
I'm scared. Yeah, I'm angry," Patrick
Swayze tells Barbara Walters
TLC gives "NASCAR
Wives" their own reality show
Jennifer
Love Hewitt splits with her fiancé
"Colbert & Colmes":
Fox News' Alan Colmes becomes Colbert's
sidekick
Watch Barack
Obama as a TV restaurant critic
"It's embarrassing,"
Oprah
says of her weight gain
Mario
Lopez is writing a children's book with his sister
Mark your calendar: Jon
Hamm's "30 Rock" debut is set for Feb. 5th
Rip
Torn pleads not guilty to drunk driving
"The L Word's"
Kate French bound
for "Gossip Girl" to romance Chuck Bass
Critics proclaim "Mad
Men" TV's best show and "Do
Not Disturb" as worst
"Keeping
up with the Kardashians" home for sale for $3.4 million
CBS buys part of the New
York Times front page
Christine
Lahti joins USA's "Operating Instructions" military hospital
series
"Celeb Big Brother"
tells Coolio
to stop using the N-word
Jerry O'Connell &
Rebecca Romijn name twin daughter after "The
Bachelor"
"Paranormal
Cops" coming to A&E
With "Ugly Betty"
now in NYC, America
Ferrera selling her L.A. home
Watch a "Battlestar"
sneak peek // Watch the "Kyle
XY" season premiere
"Lipstick Jungle"
hunk Robert Buckley becoming a "Privileged"
boss
Check out photos of "The
Wire's" abandoned soundstage
What does General Mills
hope to gain from its "Biggest
Loser" partnership?
PBS' "Old
Man and the Storm" is a must-see Hurricane
Katrina documentary
Monday,
January 5, 2009
A
whopping 71 shows will premiere in the next 4 weeks
Cable and broadcast networks are unleashing a barrage of fresh programming
in January, from "Nip/Tuck" to "Superstars of Dance."
"Seinfeld"
goes HD
Sony Pictures Television will debut high-def "Seinfeld" episodes
on Jan. 26.
Neil
Patrick Harris to host "SNL"
He'll be joined this weekend by musical guest Taylor Swift.
"Dancing's"
Karina & Maksim are engaged
Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy made their engagement official
on New Year's Eve. PLUS: Samantha
Harris wants Hugh Jackman on "Dancing."
How
will being a single dad affect "The Bachelor"?
Jason Mesnick says he'll keep his 3-year-old son, Tyler, in mind in choosing
a bachelorette. "I just knew that there was no way that I could truly
fall in love with somebody unless they saw my son," says Mesnick,
whose "journey" begins tonight.
HBO
is getting "Shameless"
"West Wing" and "ER" producer John Wells is penning
an American remake of the British family dramedy about a drunken
father and his 9 children who live in public housing. The original
"Shameless" currently airs on the Sundance Channel.
Is
TV suffering from Antihero Overload?
 From Jack Bauer to Don Draper
to Dexter Morgan, have Tony Soprano's spawns become too prevalent and
predictable? Joshua Alston thinks so: "Here's a really dark thought:
has this so-called golden age gone too gray? In the quest to avoid the
old black-and-white archetypes, has the pendulum swung too far toward
morally ambiguous characters? Remember how shocked—and thrilled—we
were when Tony strangled a mob turncoat in the middle of touring colleges
with his daughter? Now no self-respecting TV protagonist would flinch
at the prospect of shedding a little blood in the name of a greater good.
What once seemed daring now feels predictable."
"Grey's
Anatomy" & "Private Practice" are both freefalling
Is Shonda Rhimes stretched too thin?
Watch
Sharon Osbourne's "Charm School" fight
The fight with contestant Megan Hauserman led to a police complaint accusing
Osbourne of assault.
Bill
Lawrence: "Scrubs'" future will be a business decision, not
a creative one
"I don't think it'll be a creative decision," says Lawrence,
who points out that ABC makes $1 million in backend from each episode
produced. "I think if this show comes on and by February it's doing
a 3 rating (in the 18-49 demo), it'll be on for another year. And if it's
not, it won't."
Kristen
Wiig has assumed the "lady-comedy crown" on "SNL"
 The 35-year-old Wiig
has suddenly become the most veteran female on the "SNL" cast,
a position Amy Poehler says is a big deal. "I would like to send
Kristen Wiig a shiny new captain's hat because she's taking over the captain's
position," says Poehler, adding: "Even though Wiig plays a lot
of quirky, nervous characters, she's really like a very solid person,
like a real rock. I can depend on her personally, and onstage you just
never are not afraid that Wiig is not going to nail it." PLUS: What
it's like to be an
"SNL" newbie.
Joel
McHale, talk show host? "Soup" star would rather act in movies
Industry insiders would love to see "The Soup" host do a late-night
talk show, but McHale thinks that's a longshot. "If a show was available,
yeah, I'd like to throw my hat in," says McHale, who'd like to follow
in Greg Kinnear's career footsteps. "But it's not even worth thinking
about because there are so few jobs and there's no real audition process."
New
"Doctor Who" is "flabbergasted" he got the role
Meet Matt
Smith, the 26-year-old actor who has been confirmed as the 11th Doctor
Who. "I haven't slept," says Smith, who has already "bedded"
Billie Piper. "It's an iconic part of our culture… it has
the status of Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes and I'm taking it on. PLUS:
Will
Lily Allen join "Doctor Who"?
Can
3-D conquer TV?
The Consumer Electronics Show this week will unveil new TV technology
capable of displaying 3-D-like pictures.
David
E. Kelley's "Legally Mad" hires UK actress & Jon Seda
"Sense and Sensibility's" Charity Wakefield will play the lead
in the series about a 20-something lawyer who works for dad's firm. Seda
will play an "equal-opportunity offender."
ODDS
& ENDS
Michelle
Trachtenberg is returning to "Gossip
Girl"
Shatner
interviews Nimoy on this week's "Shatner's Raw Nerve"
"Celebrity Big Brother"
won't punish Coolio
for using the N-word
Al
Franken to be declared Senator
CBS gets Tom
Arnold to "Heckle-U" in Web college basketball series
Check out the trailer
for Israel's "Amazing
Race"
Joan
Rivers is coming out with a new book: "Murder at the Academy
Awards"
With little promotion,
TheWB.com
is attracting 250,000 unique viewers a month
USA picks up "Royal
Pains," starring Mark Feurstein as a Hamptons doctor
"Secret
Life of the American Teen" returns -- is it TV's
best teen drama?
Compared to "The
Hills" of L.A., "The
City" is no advertisement for NYC
PBS' 6-hour "The
Story of India" is an epic of color
TV Academy has more than
1,900
interviews with TV legends up on YouTube
"Batman"
Commissioner Gordon dies at 84
Friday,
January 2, 2009
Pregnant
"Gossip Girl" mom files for divorce
Life is imitating art for Kelly Rutherford, AKA Lily van der Woodson,
who cites "irreconcilable differences" in ending her two-year
marriage to Daniel Giersch. The couple already have a 2-year-old, in addition
to the child they're expecting.
Watch
Mini-Me, Coolio & La Toya enter "Celeb Big Brother"
Check out Verne Troyer,
who upon entering the house, told
housemates: "I may be short, but don't think I don't know how
to please a woman. I make up for it in other areas." PLUS: Watch
Coolio and La
Toya Jackson enter the house.
"Lost"
is out, "The Mentalist" is in for 2009
Washington Post writer Hank Stuever's annual "Out/In" list proclaims
complicated shows like "Lost" out for 2009, while easy TV shows
like "The Mentalist" are in. ALSO OUT: Jim and Pam, Hot dudes
from "Gossip Girl," "The Real Housewives of Orange County"
and dressing like "Mad Men."
Report:
CW is courting Heather Locklear for the new "Melrose Place"
"The CW is courting Heather Locklear," a source tells E! Online.
"I don't think anyone else from the original has been approached
yet." PLUS: Locklear's
DUI charges dropped.
Coolio,
Mini-Me & La Toya Jackson to enter the "Celebrity Big Brother"
house
Britain's Channel 4 is bringing "Celeb BB" back tonight following
a 2-year hiatus. The reality show was put on hold last year after the
racist bullying of an Indian Bollywood star in 2007 sparked international
controversy. The brand-new celeb contestants
have been coached to avoid a repeat of that race row.
"Live
with Regis" gets its first makeover in 15 years
"Live" will return Monday in HD with a new theme song, a new
logo and a new opening.
Conan
will tape his final show on Feb. 20
To catch one of Conan O'Brien's last "Late Night" shows, send
an e-mail to conangobyebye@nbc.com. PLUS: What if Conan was shot
with a single camera?
"Lost's"
big secret will be revealed in the season premiere
The opening minutes of the 5th-season premiere on Jan. 19 will allegedly
answer the big mystery of "Lost."
New
"Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi will sit between Paula and Randy
Producers didn't want to mess with the chemistry between Paula and Simon.
Kathy
Griffin drops the D-word on CNN
"I don't go to your job and knock the d---- out of your mouth,"
she said on New Year's Eve, as she stood next to a stunned Anderson Cooper.
Bill
Lawrence: A "Scrubs" spinoff "would have to be like 'Frasier'
was to 'Cheers'"
Even though Lawrence says "I desperately want to do something else,"
he wouldn't be opposed to "Scrubs" continuing on. Even Zach
Braff says he would be willing to continue doing voiceovers once he's
done with the show.
Police
have been to Gary Coleman's home 21 times -- for drugs, suicide attempt
Since Coleman moved to a small Utah town in 2005, cops have had to assist
or intervene with him 21 times, including a 2007 call where the "Diff'rent
Strokes" star told authorities he had taken dozens of Oxycontin pills,
was suicidal and "wanted to die."
"Gilmore
Girls" producer sues Warner Bros. over unpaid profits
Gavin Palone claims Warner Bros. has come up with "with a scheme
that rivals the greed and bravado of any story line defendants could script."
Warner Bros. TV counters that the show was running at a deficit.
"Trading
Spaces" star Doug Wilson arrested for DUI
Illinois cops charged the designer with aggravated DUI after failing to
yield to a cop car. Wilson was later released on $1,000 bond.
Will
"Brothers & Sisters" dump Balthazar Getty?
The actor has reportedly been rubbing his cast the wrong way with his
romance with Sienna Miller. Now comes word that he may be dropped as a
series regular.
Politicians
paid a record number of late-night visits in 2008
A new study has found that politicos visited late-night shows 110 times
last year, four times more than in 2004.
Chyler
Leigh's pregnancy won't be written into "Grey's Anatomy"
The 26-year-old actress is expecting her third child.
Is
Michael Cera up for a "Gilligan's Island" movie?
Sherwood Schwartz, the show's 92-year-old "Gilligan's" creator,
has inked a deal to put his hit '60s show on the big screen. Schwartz
wants Michael Cera, who has apparently declined the "Arrested Development"
movie, to star as Gilligan with Beyonce as Ginger.
NBC
has become adept at spinning its failures as "The New Broadcast TV
Paradigm"
The desperate Peacock network always finds a way to turn its low ratings
into plans that it claims represent the future of television. PLUS: NBC
is the best at producing
Webisodes.
Dr.
Corday checks back into "ER"
Alex Kingston will reprise her role in the Jan. 15 episode.
CBS
sued over "Two and a Half Men"
Warner Bros. TV claims CBS owes it more than $49 million to reimburse
the studio for losses stemming from the hit sitcom.
MTV
drops 50 Cent's reality show
"The Money and the Power" had poor ratings and lacked buzz.
ODDS &
ENDS
Dick
Clark is No. 1 on New Year's Eve
Time Warner agrees not
to cut off MTV, Nickelodeon and other Viacom channels
"Battlestar
Galactica's" return is brilliant and devastating //
Ron
Moore speaks
Watch the "United
States of Tara's" premiere episode
CBS dumps the Joe Rogan-hosted
"Game
Show in My Head" on a Saturday
"The
City's" fake reality is more real than you might think
It's "30 Rock's"
Nurse
Salma Hayek // Is Alec
Baldwin feuding with Tina Fey?
"Confessions
of a Teen Idol" humiliates has-beens // Scott
Baio's fave weekend
Here's a calendar of January
TV events
"Idol" alum
Gina
Glocksen weds on New Year's Eve
Bret Michaels "pretty
sure" the "Rock
of Love Bus" will be the last in the franchise
"Happy
Days" comes out with "A New Musical"
"90210's" AnnaLynne
McCord darkens her hair
Jay Mohr adds his wife
Nikki Cox's name to become "Jay
Cox Mohr"
"Gavin
& Stacey" star James Corden wants to conquer Hollywood
Why are "Chuck"
characters named after obscure former athletes?
"Next
Top Model's" Bianca Golden cleared of assault in "Hairspray"
case
Hotel strike temporarily
halts "Fringe"
filming
"Privileged"
loses best pal Michael Cassidy
HBO is giving
away free hugs on the streets of Manhattan
Check out the new Season
3 "Skins"
trailer
"Flight
of the Conchords'" Web premiere garnered 250,000 streams
"The Village"
star Michael Pitt joins "Boardwalk
Empire"
"Samantha
Who?" dates Duran Duran's John Taylor
Lifetime gives money back
to advertisers who committed to "Project
Runway"
RIP, Johnny
Cakes // Farewell, "Batman" Catwoman Eartha
Kitt
"Starsky
and Hutch" Capt. Bernie Hamilton dies at 80
Monday,
December 22, 2008
Fox
may order some hairy "Bitches"
The network is developing a dramedy called "Bitches" that will
follow four female friends in NYC who happen to be werewolves.
GSN
reviving "The Newlywed Game"
"Millionaire's" Michael Davies will produce a modern take on
the "Newlywed" format.
Jimmy
Fallon diversifies his writing staff with some "Chocolate News"
Unlike most late-night talk shows, predominantly staffed by white male
writers, Fallon's "Late Night" will actually have some diversity
with a female and several black male writers.
Time
to air Festivus TV Grievances
To Amy Ryan, to "Grey's Anatomy," to "Dexter" and
to HBO.
Oakland
mayor doesn't want HBO's Pimp series filming in his city
"Gentlemen of Leisure," a scripted Oakland-set drama based on
the 1999 documentary "American Pimp," wants to film on location
in the crime-ridden city. But Mayor Ron Dellums is willing to reject
the millions of dollars the show will bring in because it might damage
Oakland's already-troubled image. "While the mayor understands that
there are certain benefits to having a major film project in our city,
he is not willing to support this project at this time," says his
spokesperson "The people of Oakland have come too far to have our
city's name trampled upon in the name of entertainment." Oakland's
film coordinator is still pushing for the project, however, citing "The
Wire's" positive impact on Baltimore.
MTV
will roll out a grand total of 16 new reality shows in the next few months
The sheer number of reality programming is in response to the network's
23% fourth-quarter drop in its core demo of 12- to 34-year-olds.
LeBron
James: The Sitcom?
ABC is teaming with the basketball superstar and Ice Cube on a comedy
based on James' life. According to ESPN, "The series, described as
'Friday Night Lights-meets-Entourage,' will follow an inner-city 15 year-old
prep star who is transplanted to a small town school and forced to come
of age while dealing with media pressure, unscrupulous moneymen and the
jealousy of his peers."
Jimmy
Kimmel gets Tom Cruise to play "Touch the Head"
On tonight's show, Kimmel talks Cruise into playing a game of "Touch
the Head," in which celebrities compete to touch as many heads as
possible on Hollywood Blvd. (Watch
Cameron Diaz play "Touch the Head.")
Where
are TV's MIA shows?
Fox's "The Moment of Truth" and NBC's "American Gladiators"
are among shows that have dropped off the TV schedule with little or no
explanation.
Maria
Bello set to become an HBO star
The former "ER" doctor will play, as Variety describes it, "a
woman who's forced into a life of crime to support her three teenage sons
after her husband is killed. Bello's character employs her sons as henchmen,
leading them all down a destructive road."
Fox
execs talk January, "Idol" and "Dollhouse"
Why put "Dollhouse" on Fridays? "It's a night where there's
not a hell of a lot of competition," says Peter Liguori. "So
we're able to get the show on there. We're able to allow the show to grow.
The expectations may be slightly lower for its performance." PLUS:
Watch another "Dollhouse"
preview.
Naked
NYC "Real Housewives" star to pen a parenting book
Alex McCord, whose nude photos hit the Internet earlier this year, is
writing an urban parenting book with her husband.
Spike
Feresten: "Absolutely," I could handle a nightly late-night
talk show
The former "Seinfeld" writer, whose talk show is taking over
the "Mad TV" timeslot, says: "We think we can represent
the Fox brand: scrappy and loud."
Evel
and Robbie Knievel inspire a cartoon
Disney XD will air "Kid Knievel" about a 12-year old who aspires
to become the world's greatest daredevil.
Reality
TV School founder hardly watched reality TV before this year
In fact, before acting coach Robert Galinsky founded the school to make
a quick buck, he seemed to show disdain for the TV genre.
Travelers
are either Mr. Spocks or Homer Simpsons
So says a British professor, who found that people who travel fit in either
one of two character groups. "Mr Spock is the archetype of logic
– he wants to be in possession of all the facts so he can make the
best possible decisions when taking a trip," says Professor Glenn
Lyons of the University of the West of England. "Homer Simpson, on
the other hand, thinks that making trips is no big deal. As long as things
work out he has many other things on his mind besides 'optimising' his
travel.
ODDS &
ENDS
Check
out a roundup of Christmas
TV Marathons
Oprah
named PETA's "Person of the Year" // Oprah: I'm
not moving to D.C.
Here's a sneak peek of
HBO's Will
Ferrell "Bush" show
"Arrested
Development" movie might be Maeby's "film within a film"
From Mady Gosselin to
Mohinder: TV's Top
10 Most Useless characters
Brad
Garrett won't face charges in paparazzo shoving incident
Miley Cyrus will ring
in the new year with an MTV "Miley-Sized
Surprise"
"Brotherhood's"
season finale sure felt like a series finale
Next year's "Biggest
Loser" features the youngest, oldest, heaviest contestants
"CSI: Miami"
unites Diddy
& Horatio Caine
"Gavin
& Stacey" renewed for Season 3
Restaurant names hamburger
after Simon Cowell -- the "Simon
Cow Burger"
"The Mentalist's"
Simon
Baker downplays his sexual appeal
Why you should care about
"The
Hills" finale
TV's Top
14 trainwrecks of 2008
Presenting the Top 10
Most
Underrated Christmas Specials
"Gossip's" Chace
Crawford to star in Leona Lewis' next music video
"Coupling" and
"Doctor Who" boss Steven Moffat to remake
Sherlock Holmes
ABC unveils mysterious
"Lost"
postcards
Tracy
Pollan tapped for Lifetime's "Natalee Holloway Story"
Watch the first few minutes
of "The L Word"
season premiere
Reality TV's Lisa
Rinna to pose nude for Playboy
Friday,
December 19, 2008
"Idol"
sues "Stripper Idol"
A Texas strip club that is using "Idol's" logo for a $500 stripper
competition is being sued for for infringing on the show's name and trademarked
logo.
Michael
Chiklis is producing a Bernard Madoff-like series for FX
"House of Cards" will dramatize a similar investment scheme
to the Madoff scandal. In fact, Chiklis was the victim of a Ponzi scheme
earlier this year. "It really rocked our world," says Chiklis.
"Not so much from a monetary standpoint -- it didn't significantly
hurt us -- it was more the feeling of being betrayed and the ripple effect
it caused."
"Hole
in the Wall" blamed for ruining Amy Winehouse's singing career
The troubled singer is reportedly too addicted to the tetris-like game
show she has the inability to work on a new album.
Jay
Leno deal is a sign that broadcast networks are dying
 "As the audience shrinks
and the networks increasingly program for niches instead of the general
public, they resemble cable channels more and more," says Alan Sepinwall.
He adds: "To use a pop culture metaphor that everyone should (I hope)
understand, the networks are Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff. So long
as they pump their legs and assume there’s solid ground beneath
their feet, they get to keep moving. But as soon as one of them gives
up and looks at where it is, as NBC has with the Jay Leno deal, there's
nowhere to go but way, way down." PLUS: TV networks' decline has
resulted in better TV.
"The
Office's" Jenna Fischer & Rainn Wilson are each dabbling in TV
producing
Wilson and Zach Braff's brother are working on "Hump Tulips,"
about a lawyer who moves to Washington state to pursue the woman he loves.
Fischer, meanwhile, is developing a dramedy about a crime-solving lumber
salesman.
"Ugly
Betty" finds a new love interest
Will Daniel Eric Gould become Henry 2.0?
Kristin
Chenoweth goes "Legally Mad" with David E. Kelley
The former "Pushing Daisies" star will play Skippy Pylon, a
brilliant but flawed attorney who enjoys being mistaken for a teenager.
"I've wanted to work with her for a long time and can't wait to reveal
her as someone who's completely mad," says Kelley.
"Nasty"
Ryan Seacrest Gives Back
Jimmy Kimmel uncovers the evil side of the "Idol" host.
Why
is Oprah shopping for a home in Washington, D.C.?
The TV Queen is reportedly searching for a house in the D.C. area. Is
she trying to stay close to Obama?
"Survivor"
Bob greeted by bowtie-wearing students
When Bob Crowley returned to the classroom this week, he was greeted by
students wearing bowties and T-shirts with slogans proclaiming them "Bob's
Best Friend."
"Sons
of Anarchy" got way bigger ratings than "The Shield"
Newly released numbers that include DVR use show that the motorcycle gang
series averaged 5.83 million viewers to "The Shield's" 3.51
million viewers.
"Desperate's"
Gale Harold is reportedly still "majorly injured"
Is there any chance he might not return to work this season?
Spike
TV coming out with a college football sitcom
"Blue Mountain State" revolves around three freshman football
stars who must juggle girls, the gridiron and hazing.
Diddy
wants to visit "30 Rock"
"I'm definitely trying to holler at Tina Fey," says Sean Combs.
"Me and Tracy (Morgan), we've been talking, and we got a scheme up
our sleeves."
Tom
Cruise makes not 1 but 2 appearances on "Jimmy Kimmel Live"
One upon a time, Kimmel had trouble attracting A-list guests. But not
anymore. Following a cameo last night by Jim
Carrey, Kimmel subjected Tom
Cruise to an interview with Guillermo. And on Monday, Cruise will
become a full-fledged guest on Kimmel's couch.
Oxygen
to "Dance Your Ass Off" with Marissa Jaret Winokur
The "Dancing" alum will host the cable network's first-ever
dance and weight-loss competition series.
"Samantha
Who" replaces Timothy Olyphant with Billy Zane
Olyphant's "Damages" commitment is keeping him away from returning
to "Samantha." So Zane will take over as Sam's ex.
VH1
spins off "Celeb Rehab" with "Sober House"
Rodney King, Andy Dick and other "Rehab" alumni will move into
this new VH1 reality show starting Jan. 15.
Why
"It's a Wonderful Life" is a terrible holiday movie
Wendell Jamieson denounces the annual TV fixture: "'It's a Wonderful
Life' is a terrifying, asphyxiating story about growing up and relinquishing
your dreams, of seeing your father driven to the grave before his time,
of living among bitter, small-minded people. It is a story of being trapped,
of compromising, of watching others move ahead and away, of becoming so
filled with rage that you verbally abuse your children, their teacher
and your oppressively perfect wife. It is also a nightmare account of
an endless home renovation."
"Mad
Men" inspires Madison Avenue scaffolding ad
Life is imitating art as a a Madison Avenue building is copying the "Mad
Men" logo to promote its property.
HBO
gets in on "Cocaine Cowboys"
Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay are teaming up to remake the 2006 documentary
as a drama. The HBO project would the early days of cocaine trafficking
in Miami.
GM
won't do the Super Bowl, but sticks with commercial-free "Damages"
premiere
Despite its woes, Cadillac will sponsor the Jan. 7 premiere of "Damages."
"17
Kids and Counting" star gives birth to Child No. 18
TLC star Michelle Duggar delivered Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar early yesterday
morning by Caesarean section.
HBO
picks up 2 comedies, including Jason Schwartzman's "Bored to Death"
Joining "Bored," which stars Schwartzman as a struggling writer,
will be "How to Make it in America," revolving around two friends
hustling their way to the top in NYC.
"Gavin
& Stacey" remake jumps from NBC to ABC -- co-creator doesn't
like script
Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa on the BBC series, says NBC
is no longer interested in an American remake: "There was a script
written for NBC. They optioned it, but then that went away. I read the
script and it wasn't great to be honest with you. But now ABC are looking
into writing a pilot and hopefully that will work out. People claim that
we've signed some multi-million deal to sell the show, which is hilarious,
because I think we got £2,500 for signing over the rights."
"First
Lady of Star Trek" dies at 76
Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Gene's wife who appeared in all five "Star
Trek" series," died Thursday of leukemia. She first appeared
in "Trek's" pilot and made her final cameo in J.J. Abrams' new
"Trek" film by providing the voice of the USS Enterprise computer.
ODDS &
ENDS
Prepare
for an avalanche of midseason
shows
Paris
Hilton's house burglarized
ABC unveils yet another
"Lost" promo
Tiffani
Thiessen denies being pregnant
Fox sends media "Dollhouse"
& Jack Bauer action figures
Conan O'Brien beats up
on "30 Rock's" Kenneth
the Page
Phil
Keoghan vs. Julie Chen: CBS reality hosts do battle on "Password"
Disgraced evangelical
leader Rev.
Ted Haggard to star in HBO documentary
Ed
McMahon strikes a deal to stay in his foreclosed home
Ron Howard: How "The
Osbournes" helped inspire "Arrested
Development"
WWE has built up MyNetworkTV's
ratings 73%, but can it sustain its momentum?
Elisabeth
Hasselbeck's 25 most annoying moments of 2008
Presenting the Top 6 TV
show rip-offs of "A
Christmas Carol"
The most Awesome
Holiday Episodes // The Very
Special Holiday Episodes
"The
Closer" is heading to syndication on TNT and Fox affiliates
Watch a preview of "13
Fear is Real"
"Dr.
Horrible" DVD makes a perfect holiday gift
Report: Balthazar Getty
has alienated most of the "Brothers
& Sisters" cast
It's Whitney
Port in "The City"
Why do the "Battlestar
Galacticans" look so miserable?
"Pushing
Daisies" is so unpopular it's getting beaten by a telenovela
New book reveals "The
Complete History of 'Sesame Street'"
Thursday,
December 18, 2008
NAACP
complains of a "serious shortage of minority faces" in primetime
A report by the NAACP says network diversity is blacksliding, adding that
there's been a "virtual disappearance of black programming"
since UPN merged with The WB. The NAACP also says that the writers' strike
may have resulted in less minorities on TV. "There is anecdotal evidence
that the recent WGA strike and the economic concerns that it engendered,
have only entrenched members of the various guilds in the long held habits
of nepotism and cronyism, causing them to make sure that they take care
of friends and family," according to the report.
Nickelodeon's
to cover the inauguration for the first time
Phil Collins' daughter, Lily, will co-host live coverage of the Jan. 20
event.
Simon
Cowell "horrified" by stalker, says Paula Abdul "unfair"
to producers
 "Talking about the producers
in the way they've been betrayed is unfair," Cowell told reporters.
"It was their decision two years ago to do Idol Gives Back, which
raised $120 million for people. These aren't bad people. All they want
to do is make a successful show. I spoke to them after the incident and
they were absolutely horrified. But I can't point fingers at them and
say that they knew everything about this person, because I genuinely don't
think that was the case."
Simon
may exit "Idol," but says the show can go on 10 years without
him
Cowell
wants Britney to mentor, says Paul McCartney has refused to come on
Study:
Young people are watching less and less TV
A new survey has found that "millennials," the generation of
ages 14-25, watch just 10.5 hours of TV a week. That's compared to 19.2
hours a week for baby boomers.
HBO
picks up "Hung"
The series about a well-endowed basketball coach played by Thomas Jane
has been picked up for 10 episodes, with a likely June launch date.
Jack
Bauer's ex-"24" sidekick James Badge Dale lands an AMC thriller
The actor, best known for his role on "24" as Kim Bauer's girlfriend
Chase Edmunds, will star in the yet-to-be-titled series.
"How
I Met Your Mother" cast reenacts 2008's big pop-culture moments
From "Sex and the City" to "Indiana Jones" and Neil
Patrick Harris as Michael Phelps.
Fox
offers New Year's resolutions from its animated stars
Says Homer Simpson: "In 2009, I will finally get around to voting
for President."
Rob
Thomas' "Party Down" taps Jane Lynch and Lizzy Caplan
The Starz series, about a group of wannabe celebs, also stars Ryan Hansen,
who worked with Thomas on "Veronica Mars."
TV
Guide Network and TVGuide.com sells for $255M
That's $254,999,999
more than the actual TV Guide magazine was sold for.
ODDS &
ENDS
Jennifer
Aniston gives Letterman her naked GQ tie
"Law & Order:
CI" may write-in Julianne
Nicholson's pregnancy
"Momma's
Boys" is thankfully not a hit
History channel to probe
"Sex
in Space" this weekend
Meet "90210's"
new hunk, Liam
"Project Runway"
champ Jay
McCarroll documentary is coming to theaters
Here's a "Nip/Tuck"
sneak peek
Scarlett
Johansson is selling her used tissue given by Jay Leno on eBay
Comedy Central to remake
Web series "Secret
Girlfriend" for TV
Meet "The
Bachelor's" bachelorettes, including 4 single moms
Judge forbids "Full
House's" Jodie
Sweetin from seeing her baby alone
"Big
Love's" Season 3 looks mesmerizing
Why did Jeremy
Piven really quit his Broadway play?
"Survivor"
final 3 answer burning questioning
Here are TV
book suggestions for the holidays
"Gavin
& Stacey" star tries to woo "X Factor" winner with
a $6,000 watch
Wednesday,
December 17, 2008
CBS
may try to land the Olympics
CBS Corp. and Time Warner Inc. are talking about joining forces to compete
with NBC and ABC-ESPN for the rights to the 2014 and 2016 games.
Will
"The Office" overdose on guest-stars?
Next year's post-Super Bowl episode with Jessica Alba, Jack Black and
Cloris Leachman is beginning to resemble the 1996 "Friends"
episode "The
One After the Super Bowl," which featured Brooke Shields, Julia
Roberts and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
MTV
announces 8 new reality shows: Trump, Nick Lachey and freshmen Badgers
"College Life" -- about freshman at the University of Wisconsin
-- will join "Nitro Circus," "The CollegeHumor Show,"
"How's Your News?," "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory,"
"Daddy's Girls," the Donald Trump-produced "The Girls of
Hedsor Hall" and a Nick Lachey performing arts school show on MTV's
lineup next year.
Can
NBC repair its damaged brand?
The network's string of badly produced TV shows may become stuck to its
reputation if things don't change soon. As the Hollywood Reporter notes,
NBC's downfall is odd because entertainment boss Ben Silverman seemed
like a TV expert before joining NBC. Aside from the "Coupling"
disaster, Silverman has been responsible for creative hits like "The
Tudors," "Ugly Betty" and "The Office."
CBS'
Les Moonves says NBC made a "smart move" with Jay Leno
"I think at the end of the day, if I was Jeff Zucker I would have
done the same thing," says the CBS boss.
"Canadian
Idol" canceled for 2009
The show will be "resting" next season due to the bad economy.
Carly
Smithson is suffering from the post-"Idol" blues
The Irish singer is trying to establish herself away from the competition,
but will she succeed?
Did
Kanye West lip-sync on "SNL"?
Did he follow in Ashlee Simpson's footsteps, or was there some kind of
vocal glitch?
The
White House apologizes to Elisabeth Hasselbeck
"The View" co-host was supposed to be invited to the White House
Christmas party, but her invitation got lost
in the mail.
"Blush"
contestant dies mysteriously just before the finale aired
Todd Homme, 23, died in his sleep Saturday, one month after taping the
finale that aired last night. Investigators aren't sure exactly what happened
to him.
Tom
Fontana returns to "The Philanthropist"
The noted TV producer has been reinstated after being let go earlier this
year, while David Eick has left the show to concentrate on "Caprica."
Federal
judge tosses lawsuit against Ryan Seacrest's "Momma's Boys"
Turkish TV producers had claimed that the NBC reality show was a rip off
of their show, the "Perfect Bride."
Is
Chuck Lorre's TV's smartest man?
Forget Seth
MacFarlane: Lorre, creator of "The Big Bang Theory" and
"Two and a Half Men," is the last man standing from the '80s
and '90s sitcom explosion.
CBS
to battle Hulu with TV.com
The CBS-ownedWeb site may become a Web
video portal next year.
Will
the FCC become ease up on TV under Obama?
In the new administration, concerns over the economy may trump the concerns
of the Parents TV Council.
Jennifer
Beals is not thrilled with her role in "The L Word's" final
season
Beals says she was "a little off-balance by" the decision to
transform her scenes into flashbacks. "It seemed very different from
what we had done prior, but you kind of roll with the flow," she
says. "We'll see what happens."
Tiffani
Thiessen is pregnant
According to Star magazine, the "Saved by the Bell"/"90210"
alum had fertility treatments so she could finally be a mom.
"Idol"
is No. 1 and No. 2 in Nielsen's list of the Top 10 DVR'd shows
"Heroes," "Lost" and "Fringe" also got high
marks in Nielsen's list of time-shifted shows.
It's
a "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" reunion!
Will Smith was joined at his "Seven Pounds" premiere by Carlton,
Ashley and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Did
"The Hills'" Speidi really get legally married?
Their official nuptials supposedly took place in a Beverly Hills courtroom
after hours, which is out of the ordinary.
Elvis
Costello interviews Bill Clinton
Tonight's episode of "Spectacle" on Sundance Channel could be
described as Elvis meeting Elvis.
NBC's
"A Muppet Christmas" presents a Disney-fied version of the Muppets
Tonight's special loses the "essential Muppetness" of the Muppets
by apparently giving more airtime to all the celebrity guest-stars than
the actual Muppets. Another view: Muppets
remain unchanged.
ODDS &
ENDS
Watch
"Flight
of the Conchords'" Season 2 premiere
"I am now a citizen
of Sierra Leone," says Isaiah
Washington
"Gossip
Girl" breaks up with one of its most annoying characters
Man makes "Price
is Right" history by guessing the dollar amount exactly right
"Damages"
behind the scenes: What's up with William Hurt & Timothy Olyphant?
Too many ad agencies are
sending out "Mad
Men"-themed holiday messages
Jailed "Survivor"
Richard Hatch begs Howard
Stern for a job for when he gets out
Tom
Cavanagh to "Scrub" in for one final time
Broadway's Anne Camp takes
a bite out of "True
Blood"
Check out the "Fringe"
Christmas Carol
Pregnant "Gossip
Girl" star Kelly
Rutherford is still breastfeeding her 2-year-old
"Full
House's" Jodie Sweetin is in the midst of an emergency custody
war
Could the future of TV
be seen in 3-D
football broadcasts?
Coming to Russian TV:
Disney
Channel
Could the Screen
Actors Guild lose its grip on primetime TV?
What presents would be
perfect for a TV
Crank?
"Dexter"
& "Californication" finales draw record ratings
"It's funny, but I feel at peace," says "Biggest
Loser" winner
TCM to pay tribute
to Van Johnson next Tuesday
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