November 2009

November 3, 2009

Half-black/half-Chinese contestant raises eyebrows on China's "Idol"
"Go Oriental Angel" finalist Lou Jing, 20, (watch her here) is a product of an African-American father and a Chinese mother. According to the Guardian, she has "provoked a storm of abuse on the internet, a rare debate on racism in the media, and a bout of self-examination in a country where skin colour is a notoriously sensitive subject."


Apple proposes unlimited TV downloads for $30 a month

The iTunes-like service would use a revenue-sharing model while simultaneously annoying the cable companies.


Is Joanna Krupa playing the sex card to stay on top of "Dancing"?

The "overrated" Playboy model and Derek Hough seem to be coasting on their sex appeal.


Joanna Krupa once starred in a fetish video with "Joe Millionaire's" runner-up

Check out "No Shoes No Mercy," starring Krupa and Sarah Kozer.


"Murphy Brown" cast reunites

Heather Locklear was originally CBS' first choice to play Murphy, Candice Bergen sad on "The Early Show."


Adam Arkin: It's ironic that I'm playing a "Sons of Anarchy" white separatist leader

"We talked about my own ethnicity and the irony of having someone with a Jewish background playing a white separatist, nationalist character," says Arkin, who gave his character a slight European accent.

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November 3, 2009

NBC News throws a "pity party" for teary Kate Gosselin
Last night's TLC special from NBC News threw softball questions at Kate in a very sophisticated way. In the interview with Natalie Morales, Kate admitted that she was hard on Jon. "I was wrong to treat him that way. Was it good, healthy and wonderful? No. Am I proud of those moments that were captured? No." PLUS: Kate ticketed for speeding while kids were aboard.


"Vampire Diaries'" Kevin Williamson: "We will kill main characters"

"I want the show to have an unpredictable quality to it," he says, "and I think that's going to come now and the audience will realize I will kill them — we will kill the main characters. This is a show that will go there."


Blair Underwood returning to "Old Christine"

He'll reunite with with his old flame for one episode.


Meet the D.C. "Real World" cast

They include a “Portuguese beauty," a jock and a "hillbilly" from Texas who interns at a gay newspaper.


Edward Norton's HBO Obama documentary tells us little we don't already know

"By the People: The Election of Barack Obama" gives us few unguarded moments, while providing little insight to our current president. PLUS: "By the People" has a texture of reality missing from TV news.

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ODDS & ENDS

November 3, 2009

Kiefer Sutherland spends $700 on "24" drinks at 7 a.m.

"True Colors" and "Jump" featured on "Glee" Vol. 2 soundtrack

Ex-Windows spokesman Jerry Seinfeld used a Mac on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Fake smile! Nervous Taylor Swift gets "SNL" advice from Jimmy Fallon

"Monty Python" demands New Jersey guv candidate take down video

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November 3, 2009

"V" somehow managed to get everything right
ABC's remake of the 1983 miniseries could easily have been "Knight Rider" or "Bionic Woman." Instead, as Robert Bianco notes, "writer Scott Peters, whose 'The 4400' was one of TV's best recent alien-invasion dramas, hits all the right chords. He adds just enough modern media twists and political/sleeper-cell parallels to contemporize the story without drowning it in paranoia. The clothes and hair have changed, no doubt for the better, but the essentials are all in place — including, we can only hope, the visitors' legendary fondness for hamsters."
"V" a barbed commentary on Obamania // Can "V" avoid "FlashForward's" problems?
Storytelling is too sladash and formulaic // It's terrific, with a masterpiece beginning
Will "V" fail like most genre shows? // Original "V" creator happy with remake
New "V" is shinier than the original, but somehow less frightening
Laura Vandervoort: "I'm a horrible person" // Morena Baccarin freaked out by 1st "V"
How did Elizabeth Mitchell end up becoming an action hero?

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November 2, 2009

George Eads gets engaged
The "CSI" star revealed to Craig Ferguson he popped the question to Monika Casey, his longtime galpal.


NBC bringing "Doctor Who" star to America

David Tennant is set to play a panic attack-suffering attorney in "Rex Is Not Your Lawyer."


Will TNT air "Southland" bleep-less?

The cable network hasn't decided yet saying via Twitter that "we’re still working on our plans," and adding that "TNT does air shows with a TV MA rating, which covers certain language for mature audiences." PLUS: Can "Southland" take down Leno?


Jerry Seinfeld hires his opening act as "The Marriage Ref"

Comedian Tom Papa will host Seinfeld's marriage dispute reality show.


U.S. Speedskating team finds a new sponsor: Stephen Colbert

"Colbert Nation" will be emblazoned on the team's uniforms after Colbert came to the rescue after its primary sponsor backed out.


Jimmy Fallon gets his own Macy's Thanksgiving Parade float

Forget Leno or Conan or even  the cast of "Glee": NBC is giving Fallon and his band The Roots their own float for the Thanksgiving parade.


Fox and Gordon Ramsay plan a U.S. "Masterchef"

The long-running British reality cooking competition (watch here) will mark Ramsay's 3rd series on Fox.


Jim Belushi plots TV comeback

The "According to Jim" star is working with Diane English and Barry Levinson to play a lawyer based on noted defense attorney Mickey Sherman.


Naveen Andrews heads to "SVU"

The "Lost" star will take a break from Hawaii to film a guest spot.

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November 2, 2009

Report: "Heroes" dumps Adrian Pasdar
Is Nathan Petrelli gone for good? UPDATE: How will he exit?


U.S. Army: Sorry about Ryan Seacrest's alleged stalker

Chidi Uzomah, the man accused of stalking Seacrest, is currently a member of the special forces of the U.S. Army reserves.


Brett Favre beats the World Series

A regular season NFL game between the Packers and Vikings attracted 29.8 million viewers last night, compared to 22.3 million for the Yankees and Phillies.


Robert Wagner joins "NCIS"

He'll guest as Michael Weatherly's dad.


Less than 5,000 watch "30 Rock's" debut in Germany

That's lower than the lowest expectations for the digital cable channel that broadcasts the Tina Fey comedy.


TNT "Southland" may pad Season 1 episodes with extra footage

Each episode should have more airtime on TNT.


Listen to "Big Brother" champ Adam's alleged drug deal

Adam Jasinski was caught on tape trying to sell 2,000 oxycodine pills to an FBI informant.


"HIMYM" sneak peeks "Bro on the Go" book

Watch a preview of Barney's "Bro Code" book.


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November 2, 2009

About half of DVR owners sit through the commercials
Turns out DVRs aren't killing television. As Nielsen reports, 46% of network viewers 18-49 sit through the ads because, as one media analyst points out, TV is "still a passive activity." So hitting the fast-forward button is too much of a hassle. Or as a The Atlantic points out, "In a sense, many people's laziness outweighs their hatred for ads."


It's official: TNT agrees to burn off "Southland"

Starting Jan. 12, TNT will begin airing the six episodes NBC shot for Season 2, as well as Season 1. It remains to be seen if TNT will make its own "Southland" episodes.


Katee Sackhoff originally rejected "The Big Bang Theory"

The "Battlestar" babe turned down the role last season that eventually went to Summer Glau. But thanks to Sackhoff accompanying Tricia Helfer to her cameo on "Two and a Half Men," Chuck Lorre was able to snag Sackhoff for another "Big Bang" role.


Leno: I'd be willing to return to 11:35; I wouldn't trade with Dave

"If it were offered to me, would I take it? If that's what they wanted to do, sure," says Leno. "That would be fine if they wanted to." As for Letterman, Leno says, "I wouldn't trade places with Dave now for anything! I don't think he's getting a free pass."


Is Conan copying Leno's comedy correspondents?

Conan O'Brien did something rare on Friday's show — he sent a comedian in his place to do a comedy bit. Comic Deon Cole was tasked with finding the funny in Universal Studios' Halloween Horror show.


"Family Guy's" live special lands "Sherlock Holmes" as a sponsor

The Warner Bros. movie will replace Microsoft.

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November 2, 2009

"24" brings back President Logan
Gregory Itzin will return to his Emmy-nominated role when President Taylor reluctantly enlists Logan to assist with an escalating international diplomatic crisis. "The opportunity for these two remarkable actors to share the stage was simply too compelling to pass up," says "24's" Howard Gordon.


Oprah to narrate "Life," Discovery's "Planet Earth" sequel

Each of "Life's" 11 episodes will tell "mind-blowing stories of survival with drama, humor and suspense" from the animal kingdom.


"Sesame Street" coud've been "123 Avenue B"

NY Mag runs down some "Sesame" facts, pointing out that Kermit the Frog has hosted "The Tonight Show."


"Criminal Intent" taps Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as the new captain

Joining Saffron Burrows as a new face on the cast, Mastrantonio will  replace Eric Bogosian on the "Law & Order" spinoff.


Jon Gosselin: I'm misunderstood, I'm not a fameseeker

Calling himself the "ninth child," Jon said in a public conversation with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach that he doesn't get his fame. "Everyday I look in the mirror and I wonder (why I'm famous)," he said. "I don't sing. I don't dance. I'm not a Nobel Peace Prizewinner. I just had eight kids and I had a show on TLC."

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November 2, 2009

Jessica Simpson: "Melrose Place" is "crap"
Jessica blasted the CW on her Twitter page for firing Ashlee: "thank God my sister is amazing and got you some press." PLUS: Watch the newest Heather Locklear promo.


British TV lampoons "Survivor" using disabled people

Channel 4's "Cast Off" will strand real-life disabled people on an island in a scripted comedic take off on the reality franchise.


How will Bob Dylan impact the final season of "Lost"?

Is there any special meaning in "Visions of Johanna," the song that makes Damon Lindelof think about the show?


"Ally McBeal" cast reunites on "GMA"

Seven years after cancelation, how is the cast looking?


Letterman's ratings are up thanks to sex scandal

Overall, Dave's ratings have increased 13% among all viewers.

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ODDS & ENDS

November 2, 2009

Watch "Glee" sing at the World Series

Denis Leary wants to make a "Gattaca" TV series

British talk show gets Christopher Walken to read Lady Gaga

Donny Osmond is going shirtless for tonight's "Dancing"

Gossip Girl" Leighton Meester performs on stage with Weezer

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