Thursday, August 20, 2009

VH1 reality star may have used a boat to flee to Canada
According to TMZ, Honduras may be the final destination for "Megan Wants a Millionaire" star Ryan Alexander Jenkins.

Shaquille stole "Shaq Vs." idea from Steve Nash, who's listed as a producer
It turns out Shaquille O'Neal lifted his reality TV idea from a conversation with former Phoenix Suns teammate Nash, who was working on his own reality show, according to the Arizona Republic. When Shaq stole his idea, Nash hired an entertainment lawyer to get money from the show. That's why Nash is listed as a producer. Nash wouldn't confirm Shaq, but a source close to him says: "Steve was pissed. He couldn't believe Shaq's lack of integrity."

10 o'clock Leno insists he's not taking time away from TV dramas
"I don't get that," he says of criticism that his five-night-a-week show will reduce the number of dramas, pointing out that 10 o'clock dramas have mostly failed on NBC. If there was no "Jay Leno Show," he says, NBC would fill the 10 o'clock hour with "Dateline" and reality shows like "The Biggest Loser." PLUS: "Leno Show" will be heavily dependent on young comics.

Nicole Kidman's "Project Runway" cameo is part of a Weinstein cross-promotional effort
She and other castmates will be promoting her upcoming Weinstein film "Nine" on the Weinstein-produced show.

Tom DeLay, in a lispy voice, complains about wearing high-heeled "Dancing" shoes
"It's a little pomp, with high heels," he tells Chris Matthews.

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Letterman reruns beat Conan for the 2nd week in a row
Dave beat "The Tonight Show" last week by an even bigger margin the week before.

FX orders "Louie" CK and fantasy football comedies
"The League" has been picked up for six episodes, while Louis CK's family comedy will get 13 episodes.

"Big Brother's" Chima: Sorry for calling Middle Eastern housemate a "terrorist"
"I used a phrase that was insensitive given his Middle Eastern descent and I apologize to all who are justifiably offended with my use of that racially charged term," she says.

Report: A&E is proceeding with Jackson family reality show
Episodes are likely to focus on how the brothers are coping with Michael's death.

"Scrubs" adds 2 more med students
Actor Michael Mosley will play a 30-something med student, while Kerry Bishe will play an attractive 22-year-old 1st year medical student.

"Ugly Betty's" nephew lands real-life fashion internship
Renowned designer Carolina Herrera was impressed with Mark Indelicato's sketches.

O.C. "Real Housewives" dad arrested for DUI
Former Oakl;and A's pitcher Matt Keough was busted at 1:30 on Saturday near his Coto De Caza home.

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"Octomom" special was the bottom of the reality TV barrel
"This was not cinema verite filmmaking, this was cinema slop sleazeball exploitation," David Zurawik says of the special, which only attracted 4.2 million viewers.

UK terrorist sitcom condemned
Not everybody is smiling at "Living with the Infidels," a new comedy on YouTube.

Bo Bice: "Idol" without Paula is like "Friends" losing Joey
"If you took away Randy or you took away Paula or you took away Simon, you're changing the dynamic of what made the show great," says the "Idol" runner-up.

Check out "The Simpsons" as Africans
An ad agency in the Republic of Angola have given Homer and his family an African makeover.

"Ugly Betty" replaces Paula Abdul with Kristen Johnson
She'll play Helen, the new office temp.

Why does the NBC Store sell Obama items, but not products featuring conservatives?
Does the Peacock have a left-wing bias?

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How "The Office" is dealing with Pam's pregnancy
Jenna Fischer plans to model her character's pregnancy after her sister, who's pregnant in real life. As for Jim, John Krasinski says, "He’s pretty aware of how great being a father can be … and how scary."

Watch CBS' video ad in a magazine
It takes five seconds for the ad to play when you open up the mag.

Did Tyra Banks wear a wig for her natural hair show?
She vowed to go weave-free, but apparently not wig-less.

Katy Perry's manager cuts power off during Aussie TV interview
He pulled the plug on the lights because he didn't like one of the questions.

Hot blonde conservatives to fill in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck on "The View"
While Elisabeth is on maternity leave, Meghan McCain and E.D. Hill will fill her spot.

"Small Wonder" finally coming to DVD
The late '80s comedy starred Tiffany Brisette as a Vicki the robot.

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"60 Minutes" plans Don Hewitt tribute Sunday night

Jerry Seinfeld to salute Bill Cosby with the Mark Twain Prize

"Dexter" season premiere has been leaked on BitTorrent

NFL and NBC extend "Sunday Night Football" through 2013

"Idol's" Danny Gokey is close to signing a record deal

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

It's a jarring to see "Project Runway" on Lifetime with "Real World" producers
"What's jarring is the marriage between the series and its new home," Ginia Bellafante says of tonight's premiere. "'Project Runway' is Barneys; Lifetime is Kohl’s," she points out. "The cable outfit that broadcasts 'Army Wives' and 'Reba' reruns maintains an ethos that says, 'Viewer, I see your cellulite; I’m down with your fibromyalgia; I know your menopausal misery.' Strikingly, however, while 'Project Runway' has been decidedly non-ageist in the past, drawing from designers at different stages in their careers, the current season is loaded with the unwrinkled: 9 of the 16 competitors are under 30, possibly a function of the fact that the casting is now conducted by Bunim/Murray, producers of 'The Real World.'"
Don't worry: The same ole Tim Gunn is still there — with his signature tough love
It's actually alarming that so little has changed with the move to L.A. and Lifetime
"Runway" makes full use of its new setting, milking L.A. for its self-perceived glamour
Gunn didn't want to watch "The Fashion Show" // Ex-designers: Where are they now?
Even construction workers were pestering Gunn about "Runway's" return
Bunim/Murray vowed not to mess with success // 7 things you didn't know about judges

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