Michael Jackson was the 1st pop star with a TV-shaped career
From Jackson's first appearance on TV in 1969 through the present day, Robert Lloyds says, "Michael Jackson was the first great pop star whose career was shaped by television — not merely showcased by it, like those of Elvis Presley and the Beatles, but inseparable from the medium. He was indebted to it and influenced it in turn. Across his four-decade career, he was often someone to listen to, but he was always — for better and sometimes for worse — something to see."
Remembering Jackson on TV: From "We are the World" to E!'s reenactments
"Nightline's" Martin Bashir reflects on his Jackson interviews
VH1 Classic to air non-stop Jackson videos Friday through Sunday

Noah Wyle agrees to take Spielberg's alien-fighting TNT role
The former "ER" star will reunite with Steven Spielberg in TNT's untitled alien-invasion pilot.

CBS unleashes "Project LENO"
That's the name of a new "tool kit" — which stands for "Late prime Enhanced News Opportunity" — that is aimed at combating "The Jay Leno Show."

U.S. Postal Service stamps to honor "Early TV Memories"
Rod Serling, "I Love Lucy," Alfred Hitchcock, Howdy Doody and "The Honeymooners" are among those getting their own stamps.

"Gossip Girl" grabs ex-"Privileged" star Joanna Garcia
She'll guest as Nate Archibald's new girlfriend.

Max Weinberg taking a 6-week break from "The Tonight Show"
He's going on a tour of Europe with Bruce Springsteen after tonight's show, while presumably James "The Worm" Wormworth — Max's "Late Night" fill-in who became a permanent part of the band this month — will sub on drums.

Jeri Ryan headed to "Leverage"
As Tara, a "smart-ass, street-wise con woman."

Jeff Goldblum did not die today
Rumors of his death on a movie setbegan circulating online soon after Michael Jackson died.

Despite divorce, Christian publisher will release Kate Gosselin's book
"Love is in the Mix: Making Meals into Memories," by Gosselin will be released in November.

Adam Lambert "disappointed" with the unauthorized release of his new album
The "Idol" runner-up said in a statement: "Like a rough draft that a writer does before finishing a book, I did not intend my work on these demos to be heard by the public. I was unaware that anyone intended to release these recordings until I heard about it in the press, and I'm very disappointed by this entire situation." PLUS: Watch the "Idols" sing "Don't Stop Believin.'"

Michael Jackson dies: TV networks scramble to pay tribute
CBS, NBC and ABC will all pay tribute to the King of Pop, who died this afternoon of a heart attack at the age of 50. ABC and NBC, both of which had been planning to celebrate Farrah Fawcett's life at 10 o'clock with a one-hour special, will expand their coverage with dueling Jackson specials at 9 o'clock. CBS will air its tribute to Jackson at 10 o'clock using footage from its coverage of Jackson's concert a few years back.
Jacko's death forcing MTV to return to its music roots // His music video legacy
Watch Michael Jackson and Ed McMahon on "The Jacksons Variety Show" (1976)
Jackson was King of TV ads // It's true: Celebrities die in threes
Watch The Jackson 5's 1st performance on "American Bandstand"
Jackson's Walk of Fame star can't be seen thanks to "Bruno"
"Britain's Got Talent" had Muslim Jackos // "Big Brother UK" did a "Thriller" task
Watch Martin Bashir's 2003 documentary "Living with Michael Jackson"
Fox to re-air "American Idol's" Jackson theme night next week

"True Blood" vamp calls "Twilight" vamp the P-word
"He's a p***y! He's the Slim-Fast, Diet Coke of vampires," Stephen Moyer says of Robert Pattinson.

NBC announces fall premiere dates
"30 Rock" returns Oct. 15, while "The Office" and the rest of the Thursday lineup (including "Weekend Update") will premiere Sept. 17. "The Jay Leno Show" kicks off Sept. 14, while "Saturday Night Live" returns for its 35th season on Sept. 26.

Farrah Fawcett dies at 62
The "Charlie's Angels" star died of cancer this morning at 9:28 a.m. PT. "She's gone. She now belongs to the ages," said Ryan O'Neal, who added, "I loved her with all my heart. I will miss her so very, very much. She was in and out of consciousness. I talked to her all through the night. I told her how very much I loved her. She's in a better place now." As The Guardian notes, Farrah was "the ultimate all-American pin-up of the 1970s. The sadness of her decline and the good-humored fortitude of her public battle with the illness were all the more poignant because the US – and fans around the world who watched her in Charlie's Angels – had fallen in love with the wholesome, healthy glamour she seemed to embody at the height of her fame.
ABC to air Farrah special tonight // Farrah was too weak to marry O'Neal

She was the poster girl for instant icon // Farrah was more than a poster
Lee Majors reacts // "Angels" speak out // She was a serious actress — seriously!Video: 10 most "Angel"-ic moments // An ad angel // Farrah's People coversWatch Farrah on "The Dating Game" in 1969 // NBC to pay tribute tonight
TV Land to re-air "Chasing Farrah" // Redefined beauty // Had a dignified 2nd act
ABC and NBC fight over Farrah; CBS won't air Farrah tribute

"Simpsons" and "CSI" command higher ad rates on the Web than on TV
Why the discrepancy? "The reason people are paying such a high premium for these ads on the Internet is they do have a captive audience," says CBS chief researcher David Poltrack. "You know you have eyes on the screen."

Kate Walsh's husband wants to grill ABC's president on her "Private" salary
ABC is trying to stop her hubby Alex Young's request to have ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson deposed about Walsh's "Private Practice" salary and earning potential.

New Jersey "Real Housewife" Danielle Staub mulling a run for congress
Apparently she isn't deterred by her sex tape and criminal past.

Letterman beats Conan in weekly viewers, but Conan is still No. 1 with the young
It was the first time since 2005 that Dave averaged more viewers than "The Tonight Show," yet Conan was dominant in every age category below 55. PLUS: Conan has the lowest "Tonight Show" ratings since 1993.

Late-night hosts have field day with disgraced Guv Mark Sanford
"If you're a guy who hosts a late-night talk show, even a crap one, it's one of these days where you go 'ah,'" said Craig Ferguson. David Letterman joked: "I have to be careful here, I haven't had much luck with jokes about governors."

Intel sponsors Conan 2 years after he mocked the company
"The Tonight Show" host will revisit Intel on Thursday, two years after spoofing the company (Watch Part 1 and Part 2) during his weeklong visit to San Francisco in May 2007. Intel said in a statement, "this partnership leverages O'Brien's unique ability to humorously convey to his viewers Intel’s unique personality, cutting-edge technology and futuristic innovations."

Oscars insist the Best Picture nomination change wasn't about the ratings
But despite what the motion picture academy says, the plummeting ratings of the Oscarcast must have raised concerns. As the LA Times points out, "The economics are simple: Without a large TV audience, ABC would be unable to continue demanding lofty prices for commercial time during the show. Those commercial rates in turn affect the licensing fee the network pays the academy, its principal source of income."

"Idol" stars interview each other
Scroll down to see Kris interview Adam, Adam interview Kris, Anoop interview Matt, Megan interview Lil Rounds….

School banning students from appearing on "NYC Prep"?
The Dwight School, which boasts "NYC Prep" stars P.C. and Jessie, warned the student body that there will be a "there is 'zero tolerance' for students who find themselves in a similar situation and violate the spirit of this rule." PLUS: 1.24 million watched "NYC Prep" premiere.

"X Factor" contestant threatens suicide after getting rejected
The Simon Cowell show now has a doctor on standby, who assisted in making sure the reject was OK.

Perez Hilton reaches out to Isaiah Washington
The fired "Grey's Anatomy" star — who became infamous for using an anti-gay slur — is now a staunch gay marriage supporter who is apparently helping Perez Hilton. "I have reached out to Isaiah Washington, someone I incorrectly labeled a homophobe in the past, despite his own public statements that he was not," says Hilton.

Reality TV casting directors keep an eye out for "pushovers" and the "devil"
Devilish contestants are more likely to stir up trouble, while pushovers are prone to having a meltdown.

"Fresh Prince's" Ashley Banks sues over Web TV show
Tatyana Ali claims she was screwed out of $45,000 for a Web series she invested in called "Buppies."

Court could put a halt to "Jon & Kate Plus 8"
A family attorney in the county where the Gosselins filed their divorce papers says the court could pull the plug on the show. The question for the court, she says, could be whether it's "in the best interest of these children to have their lives on TV as children of divorce — is that way too much emotional baggage for any minor to have in their lives as children of divorced parents on TV? I think so."
"J&K" used a different county to have sealed records // Kate goes out in a bikini