Tuesday, October 27, 2009

It's confirmed: "Cougar Town" will reunite ex-"Friends"
Lisa Kudrow will guest-star as Courteney Cox's dermotologist.

Female Letterman ex-writer: Dave created a "hostile work environment"
Nell Scovell, who in 1988 became the 2nd female writer hired by "Late Night," blasts Letterman in Vanity Fair: "Did Dave hit on me? No. Did he pay me enough extra attention that it was noted by another writer? Yes. Was I aware of rumors that Dave was having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Was I aware that other high-level male employees were having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes. Did that create a hostile work environment? Yes. Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships? Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely. Did I say anything at the time? Sadly, no."

E! reality star accused of burglarizing Lindsay Lohan and other celebs
Alexis Neiers, 18, one of four teenage girls allegedly involved in a string of celebrity burglaries, was arrested last week on the set of her E! reality show. Neiers was filming a pilot about aspiring actresses with her family. E!, which has an exclusive interview with Neiers, says that the reality project might be "jeopardized" by her arrest. Meanwhile, her sister is stunned. "My family is in so much debt," she says. "If this TV show falls through, you don't know how bad this is going to be."

Oscars may pick multiple hosts, but will they be outshined by Ricky Gervais?
With Gerais set to host the Golden Globes — and possibly grab all the buzz from the Academy Awards — word has come that Hugh Jackman has rejected a 2nd stint hosting the Oscars. But the L.A. Times reports that "producers are leaning toward a multiple-host format, which would team a pair of hosts who would have different strengths and different generational appeal."

Ricky Gervais a terrible choice? Golden Globes may regret its host pick
As Julian Sancton points out, "Gervais has made his distaste for celebrity reverence patently clear. His humor is not Hugh Jackman chummy or Neil Patrick Harris slick. It’s biting and uncooperative. You get the feeling from his irrepressible giggle that he’s only out there to amuse himself, and his caustic barbs—while hilarious—can get under people’s skin and make them uncomfortable. After all, his biggest hit, The Office, draws its humor from awkward, cringeworthy silences—not exactly the ideal tone for an awards show."

Gordon Ramsay: I got a face job thanks to Simon Cowell and U.S. success
"Simon Cowell suggested that now I'm a success in America, I should do something, so I had a filler put under the deep crevices. It hurt," says Ramsay, who's showing off his new face in the Daily Mail.

NBC's "Age of Love" bachelor gets engaged to Jennifer Esposito
Two years after his cougars vs. kittens stint, Mark Philippoussis has found his true match in Esposito.

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Brian Williams will do his 1st Leno comedy bit from Afghanistan
The "NBC Nightly News" anchor is one of "The Jay Leno Show's" many "contributors."

"Lost" will take a break for the Winter Olympics
The final season will debut in March, air through mid-February, then it'll go on hiatus until March. UPDATE: ABC won't confirm "Lost's" scheduling.

Damon Lindelof won't spill the beans on the "Lost" final promo poster
But as he films Episode 6, Lindelof will say that the final episode will definitely be the end of "Lost" — there won't be a movie.

Another "SYTYCD" injury
Following Billy Bell leaving the show due to mono, Noelle Marsh won't be able to perform tonight due to an anke injury.

Study: Kids watch 28 to 32 hours of TV each week
Nielsen research has found that kids ages 2 to 5 watch more than 32 hours a week of TV, while children ages 6 to 11 watching more than 28 hours.

Barry Levinson: Why don't networks care about Saturday nights?
"Somehow the networks decided to forfeit Saturday nights," says the "Homicide" producer. "You have a massive audience, they're available and they can't find anything to watch."

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Why don't networks embrace the sci-finess of their sci-fi shows?
"Dollhouse," "FlashForward," "Fringe" — all three have suffered from their networks being hesitant to embrace their genre appeal.

"The Goode Family" gets a 2nd chance on Comedy Central
They'll rerun the original 13 episodes in January, with a possible pickup looming with good ratings.

David Spade defends using dead Chris Farley in DirecTV ad
"It is a clever homage to my friend and a movie ('Tommy Boy') that we loved doing," he says.

Richard Hatch tells "Today" he was the victim of a "witch hunt"
The "Survivor" champ described his recent imprisonment as "the worst time of my life in prison." The sheriff responds: He's a liar.

Bill Cosby saluted with Mark Twain Prize for humor
Jerry Seinfeld, who led the kudos for Cosby last night, called the comedian "the guiding light of my career." In fact, Seinfeld said he has all of Cosby's record albums on display at his home.

Kate Gosselin wants to do movies, says TV is a "normal, natural place for me to be"
The "Jon & Kate" star said in her Q&A special last night that she's not giving up on television — and that she'd love to do a movie, possibly voicing a cartoon character. PLUS: Kate spinning too much, plus Kate will sit for another Q&A for next week's episode.

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TNT greenlights "Delta Blues" from producer George Clooney

David Cross admits: I snorted coke while President Obama was nearby

Oprah sits down with Patrick Swayze's widow on Friday

Heather Mills wants to go "Dancing" again — "Dancing on Ice"

"Biggest Loser" tonight welcomes Derek Jeter

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