Wednesday, March 10, 2010

March 10, 2010

It's official: Betty White will host "SNL" on May 8
The Facebook campaign is a success, but Lorne Michaels says he "always wanted" the 88-year-old White to host. Finally, White accepted his offer. "Years ago, I turned it down three times," says White. "It's so New York, and I'm not New York at all. "But my agent said he'd divorce me if I didn't do it, and I love my agent." To help shoulder the load, the Mother's Day "SNL" will also feature a reunion of six former "SNL" ladies: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch.


ABC orders "Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host"

The Mark Burnett game show will have a studio audience try to guess which one of two hosts is telling the truth.


Corey Haim dated the star of VH1's "Daisy of Love" before his death

Haim was introduced to Daisy de la Hoya by Corey Feldman. "I'm sooooooo devastated right now," de la Hoya tweeted this morning. "This is the worst day ever I can't believe this."


Elisha Cuthbert nabs ABC sitcom role

She'll play the bride in "Happy Endings."


Heidi Montag replaces her manager, Spencer Pratt

After nearly five years, Montag is opting for a change, hiring a psychic to manage Team Heidi.


Coming to CW: Flashmob reality show "One Mass Dance" and "Shed to Wed"

One reality show will have couples lose weight together, while the other will have unfurl flashmob-like dances on various cities.


Pilots go to Traylor Howard, "The Wire's" Sonja Sohn and David Gallagher

Also landing roles: Lyndsy Fonseca and Will Sasso.

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March 10, 2010

Corey Haim: 1980s NBC sitcom star
Check him out in the short-lived "Roomies" from 1987.


"Mad Men's" Bryan Batt lands on "Ugly Betty"

Hell guest-star as a soap actor who is set up with Marc. PLUS: Check out Betty without braces.


Jay Leno bounces back to edge Letterman in all ratings categories

Letterman's blackmailer pleading guilty wasn't enough to propel Dave over Jay on Tuesday night.


Conan outraged his Twitter pal was bumped tonight from Larry King

Sarah Killen says, though, that she'll appear on "GMA" on Thursday.


Mario Lopez will become a dad

The 36-year-old Lopez is expecting his first child with his Broadway dancer girlfriend, Courtney Mazza.


"FlashForward" star Joseph Fiennes becomes a father

He and his former Miss Switzerland wife welcomed a daughter on Monday.

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March 10, 2010

Corey Haim turned down "Celebrity Rehab"
According to TMZ, when casting producers called Haim, he was "extremely defensive and insulted, saying, 'It's the last show I'd ever do.'" Haim died this morning of a drug overdose. UPDATE: Haim was approached by "Celebrity Fit Club," not "Celebrity Rehab," according to "Access Hollywood."


Prediction: Barbie will damage the "Mad Men" brand

The $74.95 dolls of Don, Roger, Joan and Betty are an awful idea, says Viv Groskop. "This is a terrible, compromising thing for the Mad Men team to have done," she says. "'Mad Men' – encompassing the characters of Don, Betty and Joan in particular – is a superb brand: super-cool, uncompromising, ironic and iconic. How on earth is it going to sustain its cult appeal if it resorts to the merchandising route? Merchandising is the curse of any televisual brand."


Pal of Letterman's blackmailer: This was a "win" for Robert Halderman

Dr. Bob Arnot, the former NBC correspondent, says Halderman waited until Manhattan got a new D.A. before getting a better plea deal. He adds that Halderman getting only six months in jail is a "win" for him. "This guy had the chutzpah to go up against David Letterman when Letterman stole his girlfriend," he says.


Everybody "South Park" pissed off will reunite for the 200th episode

"What if we bring back the biggest moments and revisit them – basically, we bring back everyone who’s pissed off at us," says Trey Parker. "All the people that are pissed off at 'South Park' the town are going to file a class-action lawsuit against the town. So basically it’s going to be an all-star, who’s who. Tom Cruise and everyone’s going to be back."


"20/20" to devote 2 hours to examining "The Bachelor"

"Inside The Bachelor: The Stories Behind The Rose" will air next week featuring past contestants, including Bachelor Bob and Charlie O'Connell.


"Buffy" turns 13

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the TV series, is officially a teenager. "Buffy" premiered on the WB on March 10, 1997. "WOW! I feel old," says Alyson Hannigan.


Planet Green shifting its focus away from the environment

The two-year-old Discovery channel will introduce a new programming block about "conscious living and provocative storytelling."

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March 10, 2010

"Big Love" co-creators: We'll learn from our mistakes
Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer realize that this was a frustrating season, especially since it took place within a span of just nine episodes. Both plan to "re-tool" their writing process and whittle down their humongous cast, each of whom had juicy storylines. "We think the show has been the richer for having such a large ensemble," says Scheffer, "but we also feel we're at a breaking point. We've got to pare it down and refocus." But Scheffer wants to point out that, "We're an ensemble show. We love our franchises — teens, wives and Bill, Juniper Creek and Greenes, etc. — and we love our actors." PLUS: "Big Love" is still addictive despite messy season.


"Dating Game" killer: Ex-Bachelor No. 1 killed 4 women, plus 1 child in the '70s

Rodney Alcala, 66, who was convicted of the three decade-old killing spree in February, appeared on the game show in 1978.


Bravo adds 5th night, orders "Mia Michaels," Bev Hills "Housewives,"  4 new shows

Among the new shows on tap at Bravo are "Around the World in 80 Plates," "Commander in Chef," "Fashion Masters" and "Hitmakers."


Boss of "Undercover Boss" insists show isn't staged — plans to add female CEOs

Exec producer Stephen Lambert insists "Undercover Boss" can't be staged: "The idea that ordinary people are capable of that level of acting is insane," he says, adding that workers are vetted beforehand. Lambert adds that for Season 2, getting a female CEOs will be a "priority."


Jimmy Kimmel's "Handsome Men" shot their parts separately, over 2 weeks

The "Handsome Men's Club" skit even used stand-ins, says Kimmel's girlfriend/co-head writer Molly McNearny: "One day we shot with [John] Krasinski, [Tony] Romo and Taye Diggs. One day we shot with [Josh] Hartnett and Gilles Marini. Everything else was shot individually. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner came here one day. Matt Damon shot his last piece on Saturday, the day before [the Oscars]." She adds that it was Lenny Kravitz who came up with the "punk ass bitch" line. PLUS: ABC will re-air Kimmel's Oscar special on Saturday in primetime.
"Handsome" outtakes: "This is like my worst nightmare," said Jennifer Garner


"Idol" girls: Siobhan emerges as the dark horse

Of her "House of the Rising Sun" performance, Ann Powers writes: "Learning that her father is a singer … explains a lot: Siobhan's swagger is the sort displayed by kids whose parents fed them the rock canon before they could chew solids. Her possible victory (possible, not probable: Simon's surely not alone in thinking the formerly mohawked glassblower 'strange') would be a nice first for 'Idol,' the endorsement of a female star standing for a new chapter in the rock and roll continuum."
Do the girls need to get laid? // Kara keeps acting like Ryan Seacrest


"Lost's" flash-sideways: An epilogue in advance?

After last night's episode, Alan Sepinwall says, "I'm sticking with my theory that the flash-sideways are an epilogue in advance – that this is where and when the characters all wound up in the aftermath of the war between Smokey and Jacob's forces. (I have no idea if I'm right, nor will I be upset either way when the reveal comes, but right now it's important for me to have some idea of what the alt-timeline scenes mean, even if it turns out I'm completely wrong. Otherwise, there's no weight to them this late in the 'real world' timeline.)"
Michael Emerson: "It’s almost like I’m playing a different character this season"
"Directed by Mario Van Peebles" // Ben Linus, humanized // Hurley's hair, brushed
"Lost" isn't exactly sci-fi, but it's not fantasy, either // Ilana = Jack's estranged wife?

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ODDS & ENDS

March 10, 2010

"24's" end is a sure sign that the the big network dramas of 2000s are over

Happy 70th birthday, Chuck Norris!

Jimmy Fallon injured during martini race with Chelsea Handler

Thanks to "Parenthood," Asperger's syndrome Google searches go up

Seth MacFarlane wanted "Family Guy" to replace Cleveland with Mr. T

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

March 10, 2010

Corey Haim dies at 38 — Watch him in "The Two Coreys"
Haim, who was found dead this morning of a drug overdose, spent his final years filming an A&E reality show with a slovenly unemployed Corey Feldman that lasted from July 2007 to August 2008. It was canceled after its 1st season. Watch the first three episodes of that show. PLUS: Watch The Two Coreys in a "Nightline" interview.

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