Thursday, November 19, 2009

Tyra Banks apologizes to those offended by "ANTM's" "blackface" photo shoot
She says on her talk show that "It's my number one passion in my life to stretch the definition of beauty."

"Grey's Anatomy" spins off Webisodes
"Seattle Grace: On Call" kicks off the first of six episodes tonight, featuring the characters in a documentary-style setting in Joe’s Emerald City Bar.

Watch Cloris Leachman in "Saber-Tooth Tiger Town"
What if Leachman had her own "Cougar Town"?

"How I Met Your Mother" does a Slapsgiving sequel
Watch a preview of "Slapsgiving Two: Revenge of the Slap!" PLUS: Stacy Keibler gets ready for "Mother" hood.

Coors Light strikes deal with TiVo to infiltrate your NFL viewing
In a first-of-its-kind deal, the Coors Light brand will appear whenever you delete, pause or fast-forward NFL programming.

"Lost" producer reveals big spoiler on Twitter
"We are very happy to welcome (name redacted) back to LOST," Carlton Cuse wrote on his Twitter page.

"Idol" oil rigger Michael Sarver signs record deal
The Season 8 tenth place finalist will release his first single, "You Are," in a few weeks.

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"Trauma": Uncanceled?
The San Francisco-set NBC series, which last month failed to earn a pickup, will apparently film new episodes beyond its 13-episode order, according to Nikki Finke, who writes:  "I've learned that NBC has told the show this week the network not only will produce all 13 episodes from its current order but also order more. What helped to earn a pickup? A recent ratings rise."

It's time to declare "CSI's" Laurence Fishburne experiment a failure
It's not his fault, says Robert Bianco, but "CSI" has become far less interesting and less balanced since he joined the cast. "Fishburne's performance might be good enough and the character strong enough to function as a member of the ensemble," says Bianco. "But what CSI needs in the still-roiling wake of William Petersen's departure is a lead character and a charismatic star turn, and Fishburne's Ray Langston is not filling either bill."

NBC's "United Plates of America" will award its winner a restaurant chain
Whoever wins this cooking competition will get not one, but four restaurants.  "Not only will viewers get to watch the competition unfold, they'll be able to eat at the winning restaurant immediately after the show's finale," says NBC's reality boss.

Donald Glover: From "30 Rock" writer to "Community" star
The actor, who plays Troy, admits he was a "fan boy" when he first met Tina Fey.

Jay Leno, Jeff Dunham, Howie Mandel: The unfunniest comics
Newsweek's list also includes Pauly Shore, Larry the Cable Guy and Carlos Mencia.

"Slumdog Millionaire" inspires Indian reality show that sends rich kids to the slums
"The Big Switch" — a takeoff on "Secret Millionaire" — sends rich Indians to the live for a month in the slums of Mumbai.

Fox characters give thanks for Thanksgiving
Says Dr. Walter Bishop: "I am thankful that I still have wonderful LSD flashbacks."

"Glee" episodes keep bouncing between good and bad
Each episode is like a bungee jump, boinging up and down in quality, says James Poniewozik. "It's amazing how Glee can career from excruciating to transcendent within a single episode. Hell, within a single scene." PLUS: Do the musical numbers hurt or help?

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Happy 50th birthday, "Rocky & Bullwinkle"!
"Rocky and His Friends" premiered on ABC on Nov. 19, 1959, introducing the world to Rocket J. Squirrel, Bullwinkle J. Moose, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. "We knew at the time how brilliant it was," said June Foray, who did the voices of Rocky and Natasha and is the last living member of the cast. "When we were canceled, we thought, ‘How could they do that?' But we never thought it would grow to be the cult that it is." PLUS: Jay Ward's daughter says: "My dad was just cutting-edge. To him, it was all about the writing."

And "The Simpsons'" character contest winner is…Ricardo Bomba
The ladies man was created by Peggy Black, a hospital worker who beat out 25,000 other entries. "Rrrri-carrr-do Bomba," Black said,rolling the "R's" in Spanish-language fashion. "He's someone that all the women love and all the men want to be."

"Project Runway's" dull season comes to an end
Lifetime's first season was dated, awkwardly set in L.A. and finishes off tonight with nobody to root for. PLUS: It's all L.A.'s fault and Did Christian Siriano spill the beans?

Watch Martha Stewart's Rachael Ray-bashing interview
On tonight's "Nightline," Martha also says prison cost her $1 billion.

Conan responds after Kirstie Alley bashes him on Twitter
In a Twitter conversation with Star Jones, Kirstie Alley wrote: "I'll tell you ONE BITCH I'm gonna knck out next time I see her is CONAN O'BITCH O'BRIAN..that guy acts like I bit his d*ck off."

Check out Britain's "Survivor" for the disabled
Channel 4's new comedy "Cast Off" spoofs "Survivor" and "I'm a Celebrity" with "contestants" who are blind, deaf and in wheelchairs. "This is going to be Lord of the Flies on crack," says one of the stars.

August airdate plus tape delay could really hurt Emmy ratings next year
The TV Academy's insistence on not airing the Emmys live across the country might add to the damage of a Summer broadcast, particularly with news being more immediate than ever.

How did "Parks and Rec" suddenly become so hot?
Kudos goes to series creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, sitcom veterans who knew how to steer the show in the right direction. "I knew Greg was great at self-assessing and evolving a show, and comedies take longer to catch on. . . . Also, I have to say, the cupboards were bare," says NBC entertainment boss Angela Bromstad. "We really needed to stick with it, and I think it's paying off."
Amy Poehler picks her 10 fave moments // Rashida Jones is "super grateful"

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"The View" stars gasp at Sofia Vergara's rape joke

Is "Glee's" Puck dating Audrina Patridge?

Coming in 2010: Jane Krawkowski's album

Conan gives Speidi a condescending interview, then they were booed off the stage

What's the view like outside Stephen Colbert's window?

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