|  Saturday,
May 10, 2008
Jennie
Garth joins "90210" spinoff -- other West Beverly alums could
follow
 It's official: Garth will
reprise her role as Kelly Taylor, working as a guidance counselor at West
Beverly High. Her return, however, will only be on a recurring basis,
so she won't be listed as a series regular. Garth was wildly rumored to
be joining the CW show after recently dropping out of CBS' "My Best
Friend's Girl" pilot. Garth, in fact, may not be the only alum of
the original "Beverly Hills, 90210" cast to join The CW spinoff.
In its press release, CW notes that Garth is "the
first cast member to reprise her role."
Fox
picks up J.J. Abrams' "Fringe" & "Arrested" creator's
cartoon
Will "Fringe" be the next "Lost" or "Alias"?
The series, penned by several of Abrams' lieutenants, stars Anna Torv,
Mark Valley and Joshua Jackson. The animated series "Sit Down,"
meanwhile, is from "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz
and features the voices of "Arrested" alums Jason Bateman, Will
Arnett and Henry Winkler.
Friday,
May 9, 2008
"Idol"
bans David Archuleta's dad
 TMZ is reporting
(and the AP
is confirming) that Stage Dad Jeff Archuleta has been banished from
the show after all of his backstage antics. Says TMZ: "Jeff has been
a complete pain in the ass, interfering with the entire production. He
has badgered producers, the band, vocal coaches and even other contestants.
The final straw came this week, when Jeff wanted to change the lyrics
to David's first song, "Stand By Me." Jeff insisted on adding
a verse from Sean Kingston's hit, 'Beautiful Girls.'" Fox declined
to comment. Meanwhile, on Friday Utah celebrated David
Archuleta Day. PLUS: Amanda
Overmeyer butchers the National Anthem.
CW
cancels "Aliens in America"; "Reaper" close to renewal
Viewers ignored the comedy despite all the critical acclaim. Meanwhile,
"Reaper"
will likely be renewed.
"Back
to You" gets the ax
The Kelsey Grammer/Patricia Heaton sitcom has been canceled apparently
to make room for "The Inn."
"Greek"
to feature a gay kiss
The May 26 episode will show Calvin kissing his new love interest, Michael.
Justin
Timberlake, MTV team up for the "real-life Bourne Identity"
Based on a Dutch reality show, "The Phone" will also be sans
Timberlake.
It's
official: CW outsources Sunday night
Indie producers Media Rights Capital will take over the 7-10 pm block
with two comedies and two dramas. Earlier, it was reported that advertisers
would take over the slot.
CW
puts Sunday nights up for sale
In an unusual move, an advertising conglomerate is expected to take over
the low-rated 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday block from The CW, and develop its own
slate of programming. The deal, if it goes through, will allow The CW
to concentrate on Mondays through Fridays.
Simon
Cowell: We might see 14-year-old "Idol" contestants
The "Idol" judge tells his "Extra" girlfriend: "All
these shows, including 'Idol,' in the future are going to have to go younger.
We're going to have to drop the age from 16 to 14 soon." PLUS: Cowell
considered suicide as a a teenager.
"Weeds'"
big changes: New
theme song, Mexican border, no more Mary-Kate
 Malvina Reynolds' famous "Little
Boxes" will be replaced after the first episode of Season 4 as the
Showtime series moves to a rundown seaside California bordertown following
the destruction of Agrestic. "Weeds" also won't be bringing
back Mary-Kate Olsen, Matthew Modine and regulars Conrad (Romany Malco)
and Heylia James (Tonye Patano).
Portia
de Rossi lands an ABC comedy
The "Arrested Development" alum will co-star in an office comedy
about a moral guy trying to do right in an immoral world.
NBC
bypasses Apple to put "Office" & "30 Rock" on
the iPhone
iPhone users can go to NBC.com and download full Quicktime episodes without
having to visit the iTunes store.
Good
TV moms vs. Bad TV moms
Who are the best and worst
mothers in TV history?
"Lost"
gets 2 extra hours; producers plan to go into hiding when it all ends
 ABC announced yesterday
that, due to the strike-shortened season, the next two "Lost"
seasons will each add an extra hour, from 16 to 17 episodes. Meanwhile,
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are already preparing for the outrage
over the series finale in two years. Lindelof said he and Cuse plan to
"go into hiding for many, many months" at an "undisclosed
location." He adds: "David Chase set a great example when he
went off to Paris after 'The Sopranos' ending, which is great because
all these people are going to be asking, 'What does it mean? What is it?'
" he said. "The fact that there's no one really around to answer
that question, it forces people to come up with what they think it means."
Is
"SNL's" Kristen Wiig the new Dan Aykroyd?
Back in the '70s, Aykroyd was "SNL's" most versatile player
-- a role that Wiig has comfortably grown into on the sketch show.
"Eddie
Griffin Going for Broke" on VH1
The "Undercover Brother" actor will star in his own reality
show.
"Project
Runway" may follow Nina Garcia to Marie Clare
Rumor has it that "Runway" will ditch Elle for Marie Clare,
where Nina Garcia is reportedly about to be hired.
Isaiah
Washington not happy to see his face in "Anatomy" promos
"We were more than a little surprised," says the actor's rep,
who adds that Washington's attorney "has contacted the Screen Actors
Guild and ABC as to the appropriateness of that action."
How
did Rascal Flatts turn up on "Idol" & "Dancing"
on the same night?
For those who don't know, "American Idol" and "Dancing
with the Stars" are actually neighbors -- both shows are broadcast
from CBS Television
City, an historic
TV studio where Elvis Presley taped his first "Ed Sullivan Show"
appearance in 1956. Television City is also home to "The Price is
Right" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson." But
what are ABC and Fox's top shows doing on a CBS lot?
"Heroes"
dolls unveiled
For $17 to $20, you can soon buy "Heroes" characters as 7-inch
action figures. Check out Claire, Hiro, Peter and Mohinder. PLUS: Brea
Grant spills the beans on her new role as Hiro's sidekick.
L.A.
hip-hop radio station to star in BET reality show
"Radio Play at 93.5 KDAY"
will go behind the scenes of the urban station, which features Steve Harvey
in the morning.
NBC
launching an "American Gladiators" Facebook application
Users will be able to compete in interactive games.
Will
Alec Baldwin trade "30 Rock" for politics?
"There's other things I want to do," besides acting, the liberal
actor tells CBS' "60 Minutes." "There's no age limit on
running for office, to a degree."
Britney
Spears drops by another TV show: "Rock the Cradle"
She made a surprise appearance at last night's season finale.
Meet
the cast of VH1's "I Love Money"
They include Whiteboy, Toasteee and Pumkin.
Erik:
Dumbest "Survivor" contestant ever!
Thanks to him, the show will have its first-ever all-female Final Four
on Sunday night.
In
praise of the soapiness of "Brothers & Sisters"
"Soap operas," says Ginia Bellafante, "are defined by a
commitment to insularity — atmospheric, relational, with circular
narratives. Each week 'Brothers & Sisters' creates a look and mood
of butterscotch claustrophobia that permits the intrusion of a larger
world only to the extent that it might fuse the bloodlines at its center
more tightly."
 Kevin-Scotty
commitment ceremony will be a network TV first
What
if Jon Robin Baitz hadn't left? Would there still be far-fetched plots?
Thursday,
May 8, 2008
"SNL"
launches political site
NBC's new Web
site is packed with "Saturday Night Live's" brand of political
humor.
VH1
shacking up '80s/'90s male teen heartthrobs
Scott Baio and "The Wonder Years'" Jason Hervey, who produced
Baio's "Single" reality show, are behind the project in which
eight former teen idols will not only live together but receive life coaching
and advice on whether to stage a comeback. Names of the former stars have
yet to be revealed.
Jason
Castro: "I am a goofy person"
Says the latest "Idol" bootee in his exit interview: "I
am kind of an awkward conversationalist — I'm doing my best right
now! — but all my friends, they love it, because what you see is
what you get."
"Sideways"
director to helm "Hung" for HBO
Alexander Payne has signed on to direct the comedy about a well-endowed
man.
David
Chase joins Paramount to make movies for his "Sopranos" producer
Chase is joining Paramount Studios, where he'll work with Paramount CEO
Brad Grey, who served as executive producer on "The Sopranos."
So, does this mean that HBO won't be involved if there is a "Sopranos"
movie?
Comedy
Central revives "The Gong Show" with Dave Attell
Mark your calendars: "Gong Show" premieres July 17.
George
Clooney confesses to "Rock of Love" addiction
Of course, Clooney isn't biased against reality TV stars since he's dating
a former "Fear Factor" contestant.
Disney
rewards ABC's boss
Stephen McPherson is getting a new contract after reviving the network
with hit shows.
"The
Daily Show" a news show?
The Project for Excellence in Journalism thinks Jon Stewart & Co.
just might qualify as a news program rather than a comedy show. The journalism
organization also thinks that 48
million viewers watch "The Daily Show."
Al
Gore's Current TV goes Italian
Italy will get the first spinoff of Gore's TV channel.
Gary
Dourdan charged with murder on "CSI"
CBS has released a preview of Warrick getting arrested and charged with
a crime in the "CSI" season finale, just days after Dourdan
was arrested and charged with a crime in real life.
Veronica
Webb out at "Tim Gunn Guide to Style"
Gretta Monahan will be Gunn's new accomplice in Season 2 of the Bravo
series.
Whoopi
Goldberg to host the Tonys
"The view" host ends a two-year streak of hostless Tony broadcasts.
Laid-off
"Ugly Betty" workers blame Schwarzenegger for show's move to
NYC
Most of the LA-based crew are placing a full-page ad in Friday's Variety
to beg the California governor to stop runaway productions and lure TV
shows back to California.
Craig
Ferguson writing his memoirs -- from punk rock to suicide attempts
In "American on Purpose," the "Late Late" host will
recall his life as a dancer, bouncer, construction worker and drug user.
College
students like to get high watching "Yo Gabba Gabba!"
The spacey, frenzied Nickelodeon
kids show has become a stoner favorite, but the "Gabba Gabba"
creators declined to comment on why exactly that is.
Jessica
Simpson banned from HBO's Dallas Cowboys reality show
She may be dating Cowboys QB Tony Romo, but Simpson won't appear on "Hard
Knocks" this summer. "This is not the E! Television Network,"
says the president of HBO Sports. Meanwhile the president of NFL Films,
which is actually shooting the series, says Jessica won't be a major part
of the show "unless she's out there running 7-on-7 drills."
Watch
Britney's "Mother" return
She's holding hands with Barney!
MTV
pitches advertisers on "podbusting"
The cable network has fine-tuned its approach at blending ads with its
TV shows.
Is
Katherine Heigl dragging down "Grey's" ratings?
Are viewers getting sick of Izzy now that Heigl has become an A-list actress?
PLUS: Will Heigl quit
"Anatomy"?
Police's
arrest "Idol" Clay Aiken wannabe for sex chat with boys
"Idol" reject Colin
Leahy, the camp counselor/elementary school volunteer who wanted to
be the next Clay, was busted for allegedly discussing oral sex with two
10-year-old boys and sending sexually suggestive text messages to a 12-year-old
boy.
"Idol"
boots Jason Castro
But not before producers gave him the chance to re-slaughter "I Shot
the Sheriff."
Why
Fox rejected "Big Brother: Puppet Edition"
Fox reality guru Mike Darnell talks about the crazy pitches he's heard,
including a "Big Brother" edition, pitting humans versus puppets
and the "Left-Handed Awards"
Will
"Smallville" lose Chloe, too?
Allison Mack may be the next to follow Michael Rosenbaum out the door.
Why
stretching out "Scrubs" for ABC is a bad idea
The recent creative resurgence, written with a series finale in mind,
likely won't last when "Scrubs" departs NBC after tonight.
Has
"30 Rock" squandered its creativity?
Tina Fey's sitcom will be back next year after tonight's season finale,
but Robert Bianco argues that the show has been a disappointment as of
late: "Since the strike, this once-dependable sitcom has also lost
its way creatively, ditching plot and character in a desperate, scattershot
search for laughs, as if its new goal were to become a live-action version
of 'Family Guy.'"
Shannon
Elizabeth & Derek Hough: The Reality Show?
The "Dancing" lovebirds are said to be in talks with Mel B's
production company to star in their own reality show.
June
Cleaver voted the No. 1 TV mom
Claire Huxtable came in at No. 2 in a Harris Interactive Poll. PLUS: TV
children salute their
TV moms.
Dwight
Schrute as John McCain's running mate?
The Republican candidate joked about it on "The Daily Show."
Claim:
"Seinfeld" isn't all that funny 10 years later
"The 'Seinfeld' humor wears thin fast," says Marc Peyser, who
argues that the sitcom hasn't aged well. "It's hard to concoct four
storylines an episode that are simultaneously ordinary and over the top.
After all these years, the show's meticulous architecture creaks so loudly,
it drowns out the comedy."
ODDS &
ENDS
"Ellen"
is going HD
Coldplay
and ESPN team up for soccer marketing campaign
Scarecrow from "Scarecrow
and Mrs. King" is the latest to join
"Heroes"
"Gossip
Girl" will get a supersized 24-episode season next year
History Channel finds
that it's "Tougher
in Alaska"
"The Bachelor"
Andy
Baldwin breaks up with Marla Maples
Barbara
Walters "will not dignify" Star Jones' adultery comments
Will the "Two
and a Half"-written "CSI" outshine Monday's crossover?
Gordon
Ramsay's son has developed a filthy mouth at 8 years old
Meet "The
Bachelorette" men
HBO's "Hear and Now"
looks at the lives of deaf
parents
Wednesday,
May 7, 2008
"Breaking
Bad" earns a Season 2
AMC has ordered a full 13-episode season.
"CSI's"
Gary Dourdan charged with 3 felonies
The actor, arrested last Monday, is facing three felonies for possession
of a controlled substance. One charge each for heroin, cocaine and ecstasy.
"House"
spinning off ... a private detective?
NBC Universal is quietly developing a "House" spin-off for next
season, according to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello: "As I understand
it, producers are introducing a new male character for a multi-episode
arc and, assuming the actor they find really pops in the role, he may
be spun off into his own show. But there's a twist, and it's a big one:
Per multiple sources, this newbie is not a doctor, but rather a private
investigator!"
New
York lures "Ugly Betty" away from Hollywood with tax credits
 The hit ABC series is leaving
behind its Melrose
Avenue home for the Big Apple after New York's new governor signed
into law two weeks ago a bill that tripled the amount of the state's film
tax credit, which would mean substantial savings for a show that costs
$3 million an episode. Cast and crew first learned about the move on Monday,
according to the LA Times, which adds: "About two-thirds of the show's
150 crew members, including directors, set designers and carpenters, are
expected to lose their jobs."
Edie
Falco will date her "Sopranos" priest on Showtime
Actor Paul Schulze,
who almost romanced Carmela Soprano as Father Phil Intintola on "The
Sopranos," has joined Falco's Showtime comedy as her boyfriend, Eddie,
a pharmacy tech. Also joining the cast are Peter Facinelli and Anna Deavere
Smith, in a recurring role.
Has
"Gossip Girl" already jumped the shark?
 From Marisa Cooper to Serena
van der Woodsen, it seems like Josh Schwartz loves turning his leading
ladies into killers, as Vanity Fair points out: "My darling teen
nighttime dramas, hear my cry!" writes Lizzie Hurlbut. "Stop
having main characters murder people! Charges are never pressed, no one
goes to jail, and the whole thing is forgotten a few weeks later when
so-and-so sleeps with the hot history teacher. It’s unrealistic,
it’s an obvious ratings ploy, and it’s upsetting to dedicated
viewers like myself, who suffer through the ridiculous notion that a cute
blonde girl with a Balenciaga bag and a sunny smile would murder someone
in what may or may not turn out to be a snuff film."
Nick
at Nite's new image: Family TV
Nickelodeon's nighttime block is undergoing a transformation from a place
for adults to a home for family friendly television.
Esai
Morales joins "Caprica" as Adama's dad
The "NYPD Blue" alum will play Joseph Adama, father of William.
Also joining the cast is Paula
Malcomson, the former "Deadwood" hooker.
Independent
Film Channel owner buys Sundance Channel for $496M
Sundance's new owner, Cablevision's Rainbow Media, also owns AMC.
Sue
Johanson ends "Talk Sex"
The 77-year-old Canadian sexpert is retiring her show after six years
on the Oxygen network.
Lee
Pace: "Pushing Daisies" trying to be "a little less weird"
with ABC's input
"Look, (the network execs) still have opinions," says Pace,
comparing "Daisies" to his experience on Fox's "Wonderfalls."
"I think the idea of the show really works, and it makes people feel
good, and the executives have got really great ideas. Everyone's pitching
in and trying to let it be as good as it can be, and part of that is making
it maybe a little less weird. It doesn’t have to be so bizarre that
it turns people off. I mean, it’s a pie maker who touches dead things
back to life! It’s a weird idea already, so any way we can make
it palatable is good, I think."
"Extreme
Makeover" homeowner wants to sell, can't afford costly house
Victor Marrero's dream "Extreme Makeover" house has turned into
a financial nightmare. The father of five can't afford the property taxes,
utilities and other costs that came with the home. So Marrero on Monday
put the house for sale with the asking price of $499,900. "I gave
up," says Marrero. "I gave up out of desperation. I didn't want
to lose the house to the taxes. I felt like there was a lion coming after
me." But after two days, Marrero pulled the listing because the land
for the house was donated by Urban Promise Ministries, a faith-based group
that has the right to first refusal on buying the house.
Microsoft
to start selling TV show downloads
The company has partnered with NBC Universal to sell downloads for the
Zune player at $2 an episode.
"Hannah
Montana's" ratings continue to fall
Sunday's new episode was down 24% from the last fresh episode, which aired
nearly two months ago, long before Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair cover.
Jermaine
Jackson, Sean Young, Sebastian Bach have "Gone Country"
They'll join Irene Cara, "Idol's" Mikalah Gordon and Lorenzo
Lamas in Season 2 of the CMT reality show.
Is
this the "Idol's" worst season?
 "This," Alan
Sepinwall says of Season 7, "was supposed to be the rebound year
after the show's underwhelming sixth season. Instead, most of these people
have me longing for the days when Sanjaya changed his haircut and Chris
Richardson explained that 'nasally is a form of singing.'" This season,
Sepinwall points out, has had many, many problems: "The contestants
look unhappy, the songs and song choices are poor, and things have gotten
so dull that Paula Abdul's meltdowns -- last week, she either was reading
her notes from dress rehearsal or developed the ability to predict the
future -- are among the season's few highlights."
"Idol"
now an endurance test // David
Archuleta speaks!
Something's
just not right this season // Jason
Castro forgets the lyrics
Mormons
have colonized reality TV
There are so many Mormon reality stars it's as if they've been assigned
by Brigham Young himself, notes Newsweek: "They've won 'The Biggest
Loser,' 'The Rebel Billionaire" and 'Survivor' (along with two second-place
finishes on 'Survivor'). These days you can't turn on 'So You Think You
Can Dance' or 'Dancing With the Stars' without seeing at least one, and
often several, members of the church. And they're closing in on the biggest
reality TV prize of all: cherub-faced Mormon David Archuleta is one of
four finalists left on 'American Idol.'"
NBC
files an injunction to stop Lifetime from promoting "Project Runway"
NBC Universal wants to prevent the Weinstein Co. from marketing and promoting
their version of the show.
Report:
Ryan Seacrest in talks to replace Larry King
Last year, King said that Seacrest would be his No. 1 choice to replace
him.
Lindsay
Lohan on "Ugly Betty"
Here are the first pics from the set.
YouTube
divorcee may join "Real Housewives of NYC"
Tricia Walsh-Smith has reportedly been approached by Bravo to star in
the 2nd season.
Lawsuit
accuses "Merv Griffin's Crosswords" of stealing
A man is claiming that he came up with the idea for the game show and
proposed it to Merv's people back in 2001.
David
E. Kelley may depart "Life on Mars"
The ABC remake of the British series is expected to be picked up next
week, but will it be the same show without Kelley's involvement?
Product
placement has risen 39% on broadcast TV this year
All in all, according to Nielsen, there were 117,976 brand occurrences
on cable and broadcast networks in the first three months of 2008.
Was
Barbara Walters' Oprah interview full of lies?
"The View"-focused portion of Babs' interview with Oprah seemed
to have plenty of fibs. PLUS: Rosie
responds // Star
Jones slams Barbara.
Tough-Guy
TV has become a phenomenon
Gritty shows like "Ax Men," "Deadliest Catch" and
"Ice Road Truckers" are snatching away young men from network
television.
ODDS
& ENDS
Steve
Carell booked for "SNL" season finale
NBC is charging $3
million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad
"The
Hills" renewed for a 4th season
Coming to CW: "Judge
Jeanine Pirro"
"Dancing"
breakup: Sabrina Bryan, Mark Ballas split
UK mom isn't allowed to
use a Bart
Simpson gravestone for her 7-year-old boy
Movie titans Bruckheimer
& Bay may reunite for HBO's "Cocaine
Cowboys"
Elisabeth
Hasselbeck bares her bikini body for the cover of Fitness mag
Mario never got the "Dancing"
credit he deserved
It's Conan
O'Brien, the family man
Do you freak out when
"Wire"
actors are cast in other roles, like "90210"?
"Ghost
Whisperer" reruns are headed to Sci Fi Channel
HBO to feature the Dallas
Cowboys this summer on "Hard Knocks"
Presenting The 50 Greatest
Commercial Parodies of All Time
"Croc
Hunter's" widow settles lawsuit with debt collector
PBS' "American Masters"
delves into Marvin
Gaye's painful life
National Geo goes "Inside
a Cult"
Monday,
May 5, 2008
NBC
keeps "Project Runway's" producers from fleeing to Lifetime
Magical Elves, the production company behind "Runway" and Top
Chef," has signed a first look deal with NBC Universal that will
keep the producers from moving to Lifetime should Bravo lose its lawsuit.
It's
a girl for "The Office's" Angela Kinsey
Isabel Ruby Lieberstein was born at 12:50 p.m. Saturday, weighing 6 lbs.,
14 oz.
Here's
Britney back on "Mother"
Here's the first image of Abby in her return to "How I Met your Mother,"
which will air next Monday. "I had such a great experience the last
time I was on the show that I couldn't wait to come back," says Britney.
Sarah
Jessica Parker has a "Square Pegs" flashback
When she sees the new DVD set.
NBC
yanks "Monk" & "Psych"
After weeks of low ratings, both USA shows will be replaced by a two-hour
block of "The Office."
Hillary
Clinton presents the Top 10 reasons she loves America
No. 6: "TiVo." (Watch
the video)
"Men
in Trees" canceled after bad ABC scheduling
"I wish the show had not been moved six times and put onto two long
hiatuses," says show creator Jenny Bicks. "No show could survive
that."
Lindsay
Lohan begins filming 6-episode "Ugly Betty" stint
Starting with the season finale, Lohan will play Betty Suarez's former
schoolmate who was the "Queen
Bee." She'll appear in five episodes next season.
"The
Wire's" Tristan Wilds joins "90210" family
Last seen on HBO firing
a shotgun, Wilds will join the "90210" spinoff as Dixon
Mills, the adopted brother of the Mills family and brother to the "Brenda"
character.
"Family
Guy" creator signs megadeal, becomes TV's richest writer-producer
Seth MacFarlane will earn more than $100 million as part of a megadeal
with 20th Century Fox that keeps him under contract through 2012.
"Two
and a Half Men" + "CSI": A marriage of ha-has and murder
The lesson "CSI" showrunner Naren Shankar's learned from writing
a sitcom is "that puns are the lowest form of humor." "Two
and a Half" exec producer Lee Arohnsohn, for his part, says, "It's
probably one of the more dramatic 'Two and a Half Mens' and one of the
funnier 'CSIs' that you'll see." Adds his "Two and a Half"
partner, Chuck Lorre: "We managed to make a mutt out of both shows."
PLUS: On
the set // Behind the
scenes.
Gary
Dourdan apologizes in private message to his "Access Hollywood"
pal
 In an e-mail message sent
to Shaun Robinson that the "CSI" star's rep says "was
not intended for air or publication," Dourdan says: "I am
blessed that the Sgt. realized that the luggage carrying whatever they
found was not mine and that my tests have been coming back negative. I’ve
been happy to cooperate in any way to clear myself and go on with my blessed
life."
"Aliens
in America's" Muslim Raja
is actually from South Africa
Adhir Kalyan isn't Muslim and doesn't speak with a Pakistani accent --
something that he's used his advantage in front of casting directors.
"Once they realize that I'm actually a South African with a predominantly
British accent," says Kalyan, "I think it makes them more intrigued
to see what else I can do."
Craig
Ferguson as Letterman's replacement?
After his successful White House Correspondents Dinner performance, the
Times of London is touting the Scottish comic for the "Late Show"
gig.
How
to fix the TV mess
The networks have got a lot of cleaning up to do in preparation for next
week's upfronts.
Presidential
candidates invade late-night
Hillary does the Top 10 on Letterman tonight, while McCain will visit
with Jon Stewart on Wednesday.
Matthew
Fox's "Lost" chest hair explained
Jimmy Kimmel grills Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof on the burning question.
Cristián
de la Fuente will continue "Dancing"
Even though he needs surgery.
Is
"The Hills" the new "Friends"?
"Here's the simplest way to think of 'The Hills," says Maureen
Ryan: "It's the postmillennial 'Friends.'" Both shows, she points
out, share in common the aspirational fantasies of young attractive people
who don't have to struggle.
British
"Office" star says the show was a blessing and a curse
"The blessing," says Martin Freeman, the original Jim Halpert,
"was that it really helped me; the curse is I'm expected to not do
anything else."
"Medium":
TV's most frightful hour
Patricia Arquette's NBC series, says Ginia Bellafante, "creates a
mood of gothic foreboding from the first few seconds of its opening credits.
Its score recalls the tense chords of a Bernard Hermann soundtrack, and
the accompanying graphics look like the dark and unequivocally right answers
to a Rorschach test — mutating hands and faces and evocations of
dripping blood."
Fox's
"Bad Dads' under protest
One self-proclaimed men's advocate, Glenn Sacks, claims that thousands
of men have written to complain about the child support reality show:
"The worst part about 'Bad Dads,'" he says, "is the way
it publicly humiliates children of divorce by depicting their fathers
as not loving or caring for them. These children did not volunteer to
be humiliated on national television."
Bravo
launches a "Top Chef" cruise, calendar and cooking class
A 20-city "Top Chef" mobile tour featuring former contestants
and a "Workout" exercise DVD are also in the works as part of
Bravo's plans to take full advantage of its shows. "Viewers are often
fanatical about our shows, and many of these things are tactile versions
of who the viewers are and ways to extend their experience," says
Frances Berwick of Bravo Media. "We're all about being more Bravo
in more places more often, and this all speaks to that."
ODDS &
ENDS
Miley
Cyrus thanks fans for their support at Disney event
Affluencers, Generation
O: Enough with the cable
TV jargon!
Estate of Norman
Rockwell sues ESPN for using his painting in "Bronx is Burning"
Actress Brea Grant goes
from "Friday
Night Lights" to "Heroes"
Mike
O'Malley joins Christian Slater on NBC's "My Own Worst Enemy"
You can now download an
MP3 of Discovery Channel's "Boom
De Ah Da!"
Fox taps the
American on "MI-5" for "Courtroom K"
Why NBC chose not to show
horse's
death at Kentucky Derby
PBS reexamines the legacy
of former President "George
H.W. Bush"
Friday,
May 2, 2008
"Idol"
producer loved the Paula controversy, says she isn't going anywhere
"Why would we get rid of Paula?" wonders executive producer
Cecile Frot-Coutaz. She adds: "I love that everyone was talking about
it. It was so unexpected. It was something that took up 2 seconds of airtime.
You'd think there was no other news on television."
CMT
announces "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling"
Ten celebs will compete for the title of "Celebrity All-Star Wrestling
Champion" through challenges and elimination matches in this reality
show from "Wonder Years" star Jason Hervey.
CBS'
"Greatest American Dog" taps Jarod Miller as host
The youthful zoo director who's made more than 100 talk show appearances
will host the summer competition pitting 12 dogs and their owners for
a shot at $250K.
"Project
Runway" will only film part-time in Los Angeles
Fashion Week and the show's finale will still be shot in New York, says
a "Runway" spokesperson.
Andie
MacDowell & Catherine O'Hara each land ABC pilots
They'll star in "Prince of Motor City" and Rob Thomas' "Good
Behavior," respectively.
What's
Hulu doing with its own YouTube channel?
Hulu's CEO has ripped on YouTube, his chief rival, yet that hasn't stopped
him from putting up Hulu
promo videos on the popular video site.
"90210"
names another cast member
"The Winner's" Michael
Steger will play Navid, "producer of West Beverly Hills High's
closed circuit newscast and a consummate student politician."
Meet
Simon Cowell's first kiss
Tara McDonald-Smith, who made
Simon blush on Wednesday night, recalls playing spin the bottle when
they were kids.
"Gossip
Girl's" Leighton Meester returns to "Entourage"
She's reprising her Britney
Spears-esque role from Season 1.
"CSI"
and "Two and a Half Men": Behind the scenes of the crossover
PLUS: Check out Part
2.
Is
the "Brothers & Sisters" becoming idiotic with its "incest"
plot twist?
Sunday continues the "de-Walkering" of Rebecca so that she could
possibly hook up with her "brother" Justin.
ODDS &
ENDS
Did
"Ellen" try
to stop Rachael Ray's Rosie tribute?
FCC rules that "TMZ"
is a news show
"Desperate's"
Evil Kayla was inspired by "The Bad Seed"
Showtime renews Tracey
Ullman, imports British comedian Marc
Wootton
On
"Lost": Was that an homage to "Master and Commander"?
There will be no couch-jumping
in Oprah's
Tom Cruise interview
"This
American Life" loses the desk intros in Season 2
Check out the new "High
School Musical 3" poster
PBS' 3-part "Cranford"
is a "Masterpiece Classic"
E! investigates "Prom
Nightmares"
Peggy Bundy beats Lorelai
Gilmore in TiVo's list of TV's
Top Moms
Michelle
Trachtenberg blogs about her long hours on "Gossip Girl"
set
Nick launches "Speed
Racer: The Next Generation" with a 2-hour special
Thursday,
May 1, 2008
Jimmy
Kimmel will visit Letterman, his idol, for the 1st time as his competitor
 Four months after swapping
shows with Jay Leno, Kimmel is planning another trip to a late-night rival
when he visits "The Late Show" on Monday. The appearance will
mark Kimmel's first visit to Letterman since just before launching "Jimmy
Kimmel Live" in 2003, when he poked fun of the fact that he was going
to host a talk show. The folllowing week, Kimmel will return to New York
to do what he does every May -- host ABC's Upfronts, sit in on Howard
Stern's radio show and co-host "Regis & Kelly." PLUS: Kimmel
tonight reunites
the Stone Temple Pilots.
Lex
Luthor leaves "Smallville"
It's official: Michael Rosenbaum is moving on to other projects. "It
is time for me to start the next chapter of my life and career,"
the actor writes in a farewell letter to fans. "I hope that I gave
you some enjoyment over the years, and that you found my portrayal of
Lex Luthor to be satisfying. I am truly grateful, as Smallville fans are
the best fans out there. I sincerely hope that you will continue to follow
my career through my hair growth period and beyond." The producers,
meanwhile, said "we like to think that we haven't seen the last of
Lex Luthor."
Disney
had hoped to milk "Hannah Montana" for 2 more years
 Disney executives expected
Miley Cyrus to grow up -- but not this fast. As Portfolio magazine reports,
"What Disney had hoped to do was milk another year or two out of
Cyrus' tween fan base before repositioning her, like her merchandising
predecessor Hilary Duff, for a slightly older audience. That would have
meant winding up or drastically reengineering the Hannah Montana sitcom
and possibly launching her in a new vehicle -- a new TV show, a Disney
Channel original movie, or, more likely, trying to make her a good-girl
version of Britney or Christina, both of whom started out in the Disney
family but took much of their earning potential with them outside the
company as they grew into teen idols." PLUS: Cyrus
won't appear at Disney event.
Lindsay
Lohan resumes "Ugly Betty" talks
Will she or won't she guest-star in the May 22nd season finale?
Rachael
Ray transforms her talk show into "The Rosie O'Donnell Show"
Rosie talks about life after "The View" on Friday's show.
Barbara
Walters admits to affair with a married senator
U.S. Senator Edward Brooke, whom Walters had a relationship with in the
'70s, was "exciting" and "brilliant," she tells Oprah
for next Tuesday's episode.
Obama
presents the Letterman Top 10, pledges to stop fighting on "The Hills"
Curiously, Barack Obama neglected to mention his pastor
scandal that he's currently dealing with. (Watch
the video)
Gary
Coleman on "Divorce Court"
Watch highlights of today's show.
Brooke
White says "it is kind of a relief" to be off "Idol"
Though she was re-energized, White says in her exit interview: "Song
selection and the pressure has really increased with two songs and then
preparing for the finale. It's just an incredible amount of pressure.
And in that sense, it does feel kind of good to be done with that."
"Project
Runway" bound for L.A.
Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn and Co. are not only but are moving to the City of
Angels when they switch networks from Bravo to Lifetime for "Runway's
6th season. According to Entertainment Weekly, the 5th and final Bravo
season will still be shot in the Big Apple, but the show will have a new
home in Los Angeles for the 6th and 1st Lifetime season, which debuts
in November, to accomodate Klum.
Why
doesn't "Idol" just admit to viewers that Paula watched rehearsals?
 It's been widely reported
that the
judges check out rehearsals every so often before the show. But producers
chose to have Ryan
Seacrest address the controversy vaguely, saying "last night
the judges were thrown a curveball on the air, which is just part of a
live show, but it sparked a lot of gossip about Paula." "Why
not explain how things work?" writes Hal Boedeker. "I see no
problem with the judges listening to rehearsal performances to help form
their opinions. Wouldn't you prefer to have in-the-know judges rather
than some who talk off the top of their heads? Instead of sharing its
process, 'American Idol' has carried on as if it has something to hide."
Paula
Abdul said something crazy! Why is that shocking news?
Bye-bye
Brooke: Will she be able to shake off rejection?
Viewers
flee as dramas return
Serialized dramas have been especially hit hard in their post-strike comebacks.
Some theories by network execs claim that viewers were driven away by
the strike, or that they simply are confused by the return dates. Yet
another theory points out that the strike provided a great excuse to finally
quit a series. "Some viewers may have used the strike as a way to
get off the train of some serialized shows," said one executive.
Jason
Priestley: I'd be open to joining the "90210" spinoff
"They haven't contacted me about doing anything yet," says Priestley.
"But if it's the right thing, I'm certainly open to it. I loved working
on that show. I loved everything I did on that show. I had so many jobs
on that show, I loved it so." PLUS: "Reaper's" Jessica
Stroup joins "90210"
remake cast.
Damon
Wayans returns to ABC in Britcom remake
In "Never Better," Wayans will play a recovering alcoholic who's
determined to be a good family man.
Young
men to vie for a "Cougar" on TV Land
"The Bachelor" creator Mike Fleiss is behind the new dating
reality show, which comes on the heels of "The Cougar Den" on
"SNL" and "MILF Island" on "30 Rock," not
to mention NBC's "Age of Love."
Turns
out Miley Cyrus watches the sanitized TBS "Sex and the City"
According to People magazine, the Cyrus house doesn't even get HBO.
What
happened to the "Lost" ladies?
All the women seem to have taken a back seat to the men this season.
Report:
"CSI" staffers tried to help Gary Dourdan, who may be back next
year
One production member tells
the Chicago Sun-Times that there was talk on the set of an intervention
"We have been worried about Gary for some time It's just a shame
that he wasn't able to get the help he needs before this happened."
Gossip columnist Bill Zwecker also reports that Dourdan's Warrick character
will likely return on occasion next season, which could be "CSI's"
last.
"CSI"
will begin filming Season 9 immediately after Season 8 is finished
Microsoft
& "CSI" have become partners in crime
ODDS &
ENDS
"Boston
Legal" wins USA Today's annual "Save Our Show" campaign
Meet Selena Gomez: The
New Miley Cyrus?
Martha
Stewart snubs daytime Emmys
Are these the 50
greatest TV shows of all time?
Gary
Sinise to lend his voice to Discovery's "NASA Missions"
Cast of "Gossip
Girl" among People's "Most Beautiful"
Jamie
Lynn Spears is expecting a girl in June
We won't see Jennifer
Lopez's home life on her new TLC reality show
"Hills"
fan David Letterman chats with Heidi about Lauren's sex tape
Check out Naomi Campbell
filming "Ugly
Betty"
NBC's
Burbank studios will be converted into office buildings
Jon Stewart is taking
"The
Daily Show" on the road for the conventions
"Everwood's"
Tom Amandes to play a doctor again on ABC
Cartoon Network enlists
2
puppets to interview celebs on the red carpet
Edie
Falco adopts a little girl, her second child
Wednesday,
April 30, 2008
"24"
is heading to Africa for prequel
Africa was the original plan for Season 7, now writers have decided to
have the two-hour prequel movie film in Africa, with the storyline leading
into the seventh season. Jack Bauer is "a soul in turmoil and has
been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at
peace," says producer Manny Coto. "But he winds up in Africa
in the middle of a military coup."
Was
Paula Abdul drunk on last night's "Idol"?
Or was her big mistake a sign "Idol"
is scripted in advance? UPDATE: Paula blames blunder
on a mix-up from the new juding format: "We were freaking out."
"Arrested
Development" matriarch becomes a "90210" grandma
Jessica Walter has signed on to play Tabitha Mills, the former Hollywood
star whose alcohol problem brings Lori Loughlin's character and her husband
to Beverly Hills. She'll be joined by "Dirt's" Ryan Eggold,
who will play a "cool lit teacher."
Life
imitates art for busted "CSI" star Gary Dourdan
After battling addiction to pills on the small screen, the departing "CSI"
star on Monday morning was found by police to be "disoriented and
possibly under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs." Dourdan, 41,
was booked at the Palm Springs jail on possession of narcotics and possession
of dangerous drugs, and released on $5,000 bail at 10:30 a.m. PLUS: Dourdan
returned to "CSI" on Tuesday, according to his co-star Robert
David Hall.
"People's
Court" gets interactive with "Raw" Web site
The new site PeoplesCourtRaw
allows two sides in a disagreement to post their arguments, with voters
choosing who wins.
Amy
Ryan set to become an "Office" replacement worker
She'll appear in the season finale, titled "Goodbye,
Toby."
"Monk"
hires Hector Elizondo as his new shrink
Elizondo, who makes his first appearance in the 7th season premiere on
July 18, replaces Stanley Kamel, who died April 8.
Lisa
Loeb visits "Gossip Girl"
She'll make a cameo in the May 12 episode. PLUS: Check out Patty
Hearst's daughter, Lydia, and go behind the scenes of Michelle
Trachtenberg's first episode.
New
G4 show will make you want to "Hurl!"
Contestants on "Hurl!" will eat massive amounts of food, with
the best of the best advancing to carnival rides, belly flops and a mechanical
bull.
Hypocrites?
Disney ad features little girl in her underwear
Two days after Disney denounced Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair photos, an ad
featuring a girl posing in her underwear next to the Disney logo has surfaced.
Jason
Lee to become a dad again
"Earl" star is expecting with his girlfriend, Ceren Alkac. Lee
already has a son, Pilot Inspektor, with his ex-wife.
Anthony
Head may join the American "Little Britain"
Will the "Buffy" alum reprise his Prime
Minister role for HBO?
ODDS &
ENDS
Jimmy
Kimmel grills Derek &
Shannon on their "Dancing" romance
Robin
Williams drops by "SVU," his first TV cameo since "Friends"
in 1997
Wife stabs hubby after
arguing over "Dr.
Phil"
David
Blaine breaks world breath-holding record on Oprah
Check out "The
Wire" drawn "Simpsons"-style
Will "Big
Brother" winner Adam donate $100K to autism charity?
A&E brings Rocco
DiSpirito back to reality TV
"Daily
Show's" chief researcher is "vital link" in the show's
"comedic ecosystem"
"Cleveland,"
Fox's "Family
Guy" spinoff, is expected to arrive next spring
TCM planning a Frank
Sinatra tribute to mark 10th anniversary of his death
FX orders outlaw motorcycle
drama "Sons
of Anarchy"
The
Shins visit "Yo Gabba Gabba"
Coming to iTunes: BBC
America
"Brothers
& Sisters" is sure having fun with "incest"
Lots of idiocy on "Farmer
Wants a Wife," which boasts a genuine hunky
farmer | 
