A weblog of TV news and criticism
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
Offended Microsoft yanks name from "Family Guy" special
The software just discovered that "Family Guy's" content included jokes about the Holocaust, the deaf, feminine hygiene and incest, so now Fox has to look for a new sponsor for "Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show."
"Little People" farm vandalized; $1,000 reward offered
Somebody stole 14 signs from the Roloff farm, while leaving a "Welcome" sign riddled with bullets.
"SYTYCD" loses Top 20 dancer Billy Bell
He'll be replaced by Brandon Dumbo after a doctor told him he couldn't continue.
100th "Bones" episode will flash back to Booth & Brennan's 1st assignment
“Events will conspire to make them come out of the case hating each other and vowing that they will never work together again," says a "Bones" producer.
Jennifer Aniston NOT hosting a talk show
Her rep say a report that she'll join the Oprah Winfrey Network "absolutely false."
Robert Loggia to play Ray Romano's dad
In the TNT series "Men of a Certain Age."
"Zoey 101" star gets her own Nickelodeon show
In "Victorious," Victoria Justice will play a teen at a performing arts high school in the Hollywood Hills.
Ricky Gervais to host the Golden Globes
Gervais will be the award show's first host since 1995. "I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don't turn down," he says.
Jennifer Aniston: Talk show host?
A British report claims that Aniston is going to host a weekly talk show on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
"24" Season 8 clips reveal Grandpa Jack Bauer
Check out Bauer and his new granddaughter!
Why did Fox quit making funny sitcoms?
While other networks have revived the genre, the once-groundbreaking Fox is floundering when it comes to comedy.
Report: Letterman walled off from his staff; "Late Show" is "like tribal warfare"
New York magazine takes us into the current "Late Show" environment, where Dave is barely connected to his employees. “The problem,” says a source, is that “they’re cut off from the outside world. They only have each other to hang out with. Dave has this very paranoid vision of the world where they shouldn’t be giving information to anybody else and they shouldn’t be associating with anybody else. And so they start to feel very, very loyal, and very trapped. When someone has seven assistants, each one of them does one thing. One presses the red button, one presses the green button, one presses the yellow button.” PLUS: Stephanie Birkitt vacationed with Dave and his wife.
"Glee" stars may get their own solo albums
Before Christmas, "Glee" will release two volumes of music plus a Christmas single. PLUS: Why does "Glee" hate its women?
TV Land is making its own sitcoms
The cable network hopes to have three new comedy entries by next summer. "It's a natural progression for us," says TV Land's president. "There's not that many (original) shows being made for the audience that comes to us for our classic sitcoms. It's a format that our viewers are very comfortable with."
How much does it cost to buy a 30-second ad on your fave show?
"Grey's Anatomy" charges $240,462, while "How I Met Your Mother" wants $145,106. The most expensive show, however, is "Sunday Night Football" at $339,700 per spot.
10 lessons from NBC's Leno debacle
Included in Ad Age's list is No. 2: "Allowing one outsize personality to hijack your brand identity is generally not a good idea."
Physics professors get a kick out of "The Big Bang Theory"
"We all think it is hilarious," says Steven Hsu, who teaches physics at the University of Oregon. "It is very clever, although sometimes in ways only a real scientist would get. I don't know anyone who hates the show."
Ivanka Trump weds
The "Celebrity Apprentice" star married the publisher of the New York Observer Sunda in New Jersey.
Yet another "Top Chef" spinoff: "Just Desserts"
Pastry chefs will battle it out in Bravo's 2nd spinoff of the "Chef" franchise.
"CSI: Miami" hooks L.A. Laker Pau Gasol
The native of Spain, where "CSI: Miami" is huge, has already appeared on "Numb3rs" but he's even more happy with this role because it offers "meaty dialogue."
"Arrested Development" movie will have a "heavy jail presence"
Mitch Hurwitz reveals he will not only be writing the film but directing it as well. PLUS: Hurwitz says, “I’m tempted to change the style for the film, but Ron Howard wants it to stay the same."
"Man vs. Wild" and "Deadliest Catch" are getting the video game treatment
The Discovery Channel shows will appear on such platforms as PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
Elisabeth Moss & Fred Armisen are now husband and wife
The "Mad Men" star and the "SNL"-er, who have a 16-year age difference, got married on Sunday. As Moss recounted last week on "The View," she first met Armisen last year when Jon Hamm hosted "Saturday Night Live" and she was called in at the last minute to play Peggy Olson when Amy Poehler went into labor.
"Mad Men" gets Conrad Hilton mostly right, says his grandson
Steve Hilton says the Connie Hilton on AMC looks just like his grandad. "I thought they captured his image — his style of speaking, of walking, of being — extremely well. They must have done their homework," he says. But not every aspect of Hilton is dead-on. "The part where I didn’t think they captured his personality is where Don walks into his office and Conrad is sitting in Don’s chair," he says, adding: "He was demanding, but not in the way they’re depicting it."
Matt Weiner hasn't heard from the Hiltons, plus Kevin Smith asks a gender question
How "Mad Men" does its research: Via Google and other sources
Behind the "Mad" music // Betty Draper was brilliant // A near knock-out
Will Kanye West surprise Taylor Swift on this week's "SNL"?
Watch the first 9 1/2 minutes of "V"
NYC public schools begin using Rachael Ray's recipes
Was "Law & Order's" abortion episode pro-life propaganda?
"South Park's" next target: "Whale Wars"
Michelle Obama does Leno's "Ten @ Ten"
What is President Obama's most annoying habits?
NBC picks up "Community," "Parks and Rec" and "Mercy"
All three will be around for the full season.
"Jeff Dunham" is Comedy Central's highest-rated premiere
Some 5.3 million viewers tuned in to last night's debut.
Jersey "Housewife" facing foreclosure
Teresa Giudice of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" could be kicked out of her home.
"HIMYM" fattens up Barney
Neil Patrick Harris dons a fat suit for an upcoming episode.
Kim Raver: "Grey's" is keeping my hair blonde
The former "24" star talks about her possible love triangle with Owen.
TNT poised to pick up "Southland"
The show may start from the beginning on Nov. 2.
Courteney Cox trying to recruit her "Friends" to "Cougar Town"
So far, Matthew Perry has turned her down, but what about Lisa Kudrow? PLUS: Matthew Perry picks this week's NFL games.
"Dancing's" Joanna Krupa gets naked for Playboy's December issue
This is the 2nd time she'll appear on a Hugh Hefner publication.
CBS will contact you when the NFL delays your Sunday shows
You can get precise starting times via CBS Eye-lerts.
"Dollhouse" will have 3 episodes left at year's end
Fox will double up on the Joss Whedon series in December, but will only air six episodes due to Christmas and New Year's.
Susan Boyle suffers a wardrobe malfunction
Her pants popped open before 65,000 football fans.
Jodie Sweetin: I drove drunk with my baby daughter
The "Full House" star also reveals in her tell-all that her mom was a drug addict and her dad was killed in a prison riot.
Kate Gosselin's lawyer: Jon hasn't returned the money
He still owes $151,500. PLUS: Jon won't do "Amazing Race."
Jon Gosselin on "Amazing Race" or "Survivor"?
The "Jon & Kate" star will reportedly meet with CBS next month about possible reality TV opportunities.
Benjamin Bratt returns to "Law & Order"
He'll be back next month for one episode only.
Legos get the reality TV treatment
Several Lego-themed are in the works, including one that might take place at Legoland.
"Survivor" Russell admits: "I was being a complete jerk"
"After seeing the promo, it was interesting to me because reality came crashing down," Russell Swan said yesterday before last night's episode aired. "As far as I knew, I was down for three minutes and they took me out and I was (ticked) off and that was pretty much it." (2nd item)
Jeff Probst: Russell passed out 3 times, then yelled, cried and prayed
"It was extremely emotional and simultaneously beautiful," Probst says of last night's "Survivor. "He was in a very vulnerable state and to be a witness as he processed the situation and made peace with it was an honor. I’m guessing that Russell had no idea how bad it was until he saw the episode last night. I think he will be surprised at how serious it was and will realize that he is not a quitter and there was no other decision to be made other than to pull him from the game." PLUS: Has "Survivor" become too brutal and less fun?
"Monk" instantly rekindled his chemistry with Sharona
"It was honestly like I never left," Bitty Schram says of tonight's reunion. Adds Tony Shalhoub: "We just looked at each other and laughed because it just felt like no time at all had passed."
British TV won't yank tonight's Balloon Boy "Wife Swap" repeat
While Lifetime has pulled one of the Heene family's episodes, the UK channel E4 is set to air the Ballooon Boy's family tonight in all their glory.
Happy 100 episodes, "Medium"!
The jump from NBC to CBS has been beneficial, plus Glenn Gordon Caron's picks his favorite guests.
"Lost"-ie warns "Mad Men" fans
"For anyone who has ever loved a great TV show," says Jim Windolf of once loving "Lost," "you have to stop a minute, at some point, and look in the mirror and ask yourself: 'How much more can I take, before I have to admit that I’m pretty much watching "Falcon Crest" in a cooler wrapping?'"
"Lost" co-creator offers "Mad Men" spoilers
Says Damon Lindelof: “I suspect massive emotional pyrotechnics and let’s see, I guess Don will probably cheat on Betty and someone from Sterling Cooper will be fired. Those are my big guesses."
NYC wants to charge TV shows $3,200 for filming on its property
The extra money could rake in $272,000 for the city.
"Law & Order" tackles abortion tonight for the 3rd time ever
It's been 14 years since "L&O" last had an abortion storyline. But the problem is this episode gives up on abortion about halfway through the episode.
Hulu downplays move to a pay model
Says a Hulu rep: "We continue to believe that the ad-supported free service is the one that resonates with the largest group of users and any possible new business models would serve to complement our existing offering. There are no details or timelines to share regarding our future product roadmap."
NPR makes Tracy Morgan cry for his mommy
In a "Fresh Air" interview (listen here), the "30 Rock" star broke down while recalling his rough childhood.
NBC: We want big-time shows, not just Jay Leno
"The goal is not to manage for margins," NBC's Jeff Gaspin says of the 10 o'clock Leno scheduling. "It is to put the best possible programs we can on the air."
It's official: "In Treatment" renewed for Season 3
"This is the kind of show that could only flourish on HBO, and we’re proud to bring it back," HBO says in a press release.
"Southland's" axing had 1 newspaper yell "Stop the presses!"
The 2nd season premiere would've aired tonight, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was actually printin its weekly TV book featuring "Southland" when it was canceled.
Johnny Knoxville to "SYTYCD"?
Adam Shankman says the "Jackass" star might guest-judge an episode: "Johnny Knoxville sends me critiques after every show, emails me these crazy critiques."
Fox will start casting pilots via video tape instead of in-person
That means no more awkward moments for actors vying for the same role while sitting together in a waiting room.
What an outstanding "Office" episode!
Six seasons in, and "The Office" is still producing half hours that feel fresh even "while relying on characters that have been doing the same things for years now."
"White Collar" looks formulaic, but it's one of the best new shows
"On the surface, there’s nothing special about 'White Collar,'" says Matthew Gilbert, pointing to the long line of light-hearted USA crime shows. "But beyond the formulaic outline, 'White Collar' … is actually one of the best new shows of the season. The tone is effortless and agile, as it toggles from comedy to intrigue and back."
USA hopes to get in on the fall action with "Collar"
Smart and sophisticated fun // "White Collar" is forgettable
Pilot was written using Google's Street View
With steely blue eyes, Matthew Bomer is "televised hottitude"
Jon Bon Jovi promotes USA characters as part of his NBC "Artist" deal
Celebrities will start asking questions on "Millionaire"
Bill Maher: Letterman got off easy
Coming to Style Network: "What I Hate About Me"
Do TNT's Rainn Wilson ads rip off MTV's Jimmy the Cab Driver?
Soupy Sales is dead at 83
The comedian made 5,000 live TV appearances and had 20,000 pies to the face, according to the AP. Soupy was so famous in the '50s and '60s that "if President Eisenhower would have walked down the street, no one would have recognized him as much as Soupy," said his former manager Dave Usher. Soupy, who was an inspiration for Pee-wee Herman, wrote in his memoir, “Our shows were not actually written, but they were precisely thought out." PLUS: Watch "The Soupy Sales Show" from 1965.
"Survivor" Russell: The day after
Russell says that being evacuated was "the worst thing that could happen for a guy … It is one of the most demoralizing things I've ever felt in my life." If it wasn't for his family back home, he says, "I would've rather died that day."
ABC's "Obese" will document extreme weight loss
From "The Biggest Loser" producer comes a reality show that captures an obese person losing 50% of their body fat over the course of a year.
TNT brings Angie Harmon back to crime TV
She'll play Boston detective Jane Rizzoli in the pilot "Rizzoli."
Fired "Melrose Place" star: "I had a multiyear contract"
Colin Egglesfield got the news from producers this morning: "They said it was a network decision, and they said the network thought Auggie was a little too dark, with his alcoholism," he said.
NBC signs up Adam Carolla, Don Cheadle, Aaron McGruder
Jimmy Kimmel will co-exec produce an NBC comedy in which Carolla plays a contractor and father. Meanwhile, Cheadle and "Boondocks" creator McGruder are teaming up to create a comedy about two mismatched brothers who open a private security company.
Joss Whedon not "as depressed" about yanked "Dollhouse"
"We weren't about to rock sweeps anyway," he said on the Whedonesque fan site devoted to him, adding, "and though there's a chilly November, December is CRAZY. It's like an Advent calendar of episodes!"
"Melrose Place" dumps Ashlee Simpson and Colin Egglesfield
The struggling CW spinoff is being revamped for the spring, with Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield getting the boot by January while the "Who Killed Sydney?" will get wrapped up. With Heather Locklear and several other new characters coming aboard, "Melrose" will take on a more fun, more upbeat tone during the 2nd half of the season. Exec producer Todd Slavkin says it was always the plan to get rid of Ashlee. "Because we felt that once the murder mystery was resolved," he says, "the tone of the show was going to shift into a much more fun, romantic, sexy upbeat kind of show, and (her) character would move on."
"Party Down" bringing back Jane Lynch & Kristen Bell
Despite their busy careers, both blondes will return to the Starz series.
Trent Reznor helps promote "Fringe"
The Nine Inch Nails frontman is lending his voice and music for a new "Fringe" promo.
"The Hills" has lost 1/3 of its viewers since Lauren Conrad left
Apparently Lauren was the lynchpin for the MTV reality show.
Jeff Probst: Tonight's "Survivor" scared me like never before
Spoiler: Probst says "I'm still affected by it this day" after this episode's shocking turn of events.
Check out Wisteria Lane, destroyed
Here are the results of the "Desperate Housewives" plane crash.
"Full House's" Jodie Sweetin writes tell-all: "Unsweetined"
At age 14, Sweetin recalls, she got drunk at Candace Cameron's wedding and passed out in the restroom. The next day, she realized, "I was Jodie Sweetin and I was an alcoholic."
Hulu to begin charging in 2010
A News Corps exec says that Hulu "needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business."
A 3rd season for "In Treatment"?
The creator of the original Israeli version of the show says HBO has just renewed the therapy show for Season 3.
FCC hires "Survivor" champ Yul Kwon as a "deputy chief"
The "Survivor: Cook Islands" winner has been appointed deputy chief of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, where he says his job will be to make the commission more consumer-friendly and to educate the public on "why telecom issues are relevant to their lives."
How did "FlashForward" screw up its genius premise?
Rather than offer a compelling drama with fantastic details, "FlashForward" has been "utterly casual about the particulars of its speculative time-tripping and post-catastrophe atmospherics," says Troy Patterson. "Where it should be riddling, it is merely opaque. Where it should be eerie, it is contentedly bland. In the gentle acoustic-guitar moments, I hear the sounds of artistic compromise. Instead of slipping tantalizing clues into the dialogue, FlashForward gives us in-jokes about the stars' resumes." PLUS: "FlashForward" has devolved from an "eerie big bang of a pilot into a big sopping mess of nothingness."
"Fight Club" director David Fincher is making a political drama
"House of Cards" will be based on the British book and miniseries.
Why didn't "Lost" invite Harold Perrineau to return for the final season?
Perrineau says he "would love to go back and hang out a little bit," but he hasn't been asked back.
Spice Girls to star in UK reality show to find their stage show counterparts
They'll select five girls to star in a Spice Girls Musical.
"SYTYCD" is wooing Tom Cruise
After his wife Katie's performance, would Cruise be willing to sit in as a guest judge?
"The Jeff Dunham Show" isn't for automatonophobes
If you fear humanoid figures, or just doing get Dunham's comedy, his new Comedy Central show isn't for you. PLUS: Dunham puts puppets into real-world situations.
"South Park" is addicted to abortion
USA taps Sarah Shahi for "Facing Kate" pilot
Ex-"Daily Show" star Rob Corddry signs rich TV deal
Neil Diamond tweets his love for "Glee"
Should Catholics be offended by "The Simpsons"?
End of "Dollhouse"? Fox yanks Joss Whedon drama for November sweeps
The likely final episodes will be burned off in December in back-to-back Friday airings.
"Glee" DVD due before New Year's, splitting season in half
"Glee Season 1: Road To Sectionals" will be released Dec. 29 with the first 13 episodes.
"Glee" to pen an episode inspired by the Macy's Thanksgiving brouhaha
Ryan Murphy is getting even with a storyline about the Glee Club being denied their own float.
Madonna gives "Glee" rights to her catalog; Adam Lambert may visit
The plan, at least so far, is for Dianna Agron to cover "Papa Don't Preach."
Pauley Perrette crossing over to "NCIS: LA"
The "NCIS" star will drop by the spinoff on Nov. 24.
Katee Sackhoff surfaces on "The Big Bang Theory"
The "Battle" star will play herself in the Nov. 23 episode.
Jerry O'Connell will join his wife on "Eastwick"
He'll appear on a multi-episode arc as the new hot neighbor.
Carrie Ann Inaba disappointed in Natalie Coughlin's "Dancing" ouster
“We haven’t had a female dancer who moved with such strength and flexibility and fluidity in a while," she says. "And she hasn’t had any performing experience — I was really excited to see how far she could grow throughout the ten weeks of our show.”
"Smallville" star busted in drug deal
Sam Jones was allegedly the "Hollywood connection" in a plot to purchase and distribute more than 10,000 pills of oxycodone.
CW gives "Vampire Diaries" and "Melrose Place" full seasons
For "Melrose," a full season will equal, for the moment, 18 episodes compared to 22 for "Diaries."
Carnie Wilson goes "Unstapled" for GSN
The Game Show Network is doing a reality show, "Carnie Wilson: Unstapled," that will delve into "The Newlywed Game" host's life after gastric-bypass surgery.
Lifetime pulls Balloon Boy's "Wife Swap" episode
Their episode was scheduled to be repeated next Thursday.
Is Oprah interviewing Sarah Palin to win back conservative viewers?
Ratings have declined for the Oprah Winfrey show since she endorsed Obama.
Introducing the TV set inside a bra
The specially made "Boob Tube Bra" is being auctioned off in Texas to benefit breast cancer services.
Did "Glee" go overboard flooding the Web with 8 previews of tonight's episode?
Fox has posted nearly a whopping 10 minutes of footage from tonight's show, or nearly a quarter of the episode.
"Addams Family" song writer's death is a reminder that TV theme songs are dying
As the Wall Street Journal notes, many of today’s TV themes are absent, completely forgettable, or painfully brief.
Television — not the Internet — is responsible for worldwide social change
Thanks to TV, poor people in small villages can watch soap operas that empower women, as Charles Kenny points out: "In our collective enthusiasm for whiz-bang new social-networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, the implications of this next television age — from lower birthrates among poor women to decreased corruption to higher school enrollment rates — have largely gone overlooked despite their much more sweeping impact. And it's not earnest educational programming that's reshaping the world on all those TV sets. The programs that so many dismiss as junk — from song-and-dance shows to 'Desperate Housewives' — are being eagerly consumed by poor people everywhere who are just now getting access to television for the first time. That's a powerful force for spreading glitz and drama — but also social change."
It's a girl for Amy Ryan
The 39-year-old veteran of "The Office" and "The Wire" gave birth to Georgia Gracie Slovin on Oct. 15.
Simon Cowell was 5 when he uttered his 1st insult
Julie Cowell, 82, says her son was 5 when he mocked her hat: "I bought a new hat and asked him if I looked nice in it. He replied, ‘You look like a poodle."'
Rosie: My relationship is on the rocks
She and Kelli Carpenter "are working on our issues."
Paul Shaffer leads Jimmy Kimmel's band
Watch Letterman's bandleader repeatedly interrupt Kimmel's monologue on last night's show.
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