A weblog of TV news and criticism
"Glee's" return gets an unusual start time: 9:28 pm, April 13, after "Idol"
New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez has turned down "SNL" multiple times this season
Paula Abdul is Broadway-bound as star of "In The Heights"
What if "Lost" had a 1960s opening sequence designed by Saul Bass?
With "Marriage Ref," has Jerry Seinfeld become a joke?
Don Johnson: ABC sitcom star
Johnson is returning to network TV as the star of "Southern Comfort," playing a dad whose grown kids move back in.
White House gatecrashers will indeed be part of D.C. "Real Housewives"
Tareq and Michaele Salahi are expected to star in the newest Bravo spinoff.
Shonda Rhimes: "Grey's" season finale a "GAME. CHANGER"
"I’m not gonna tell you anything about it," she writes. "Because I’m scared to."
Nigel Lythgoe: "SYTYCD" partners will change every single week
Lythgoe adds that on Friday he'll announce a rule change that "will shock you."
Bill Cosby remembers Robert Culp
"Bob was the answer to my dreams," Cosby says of his former "I Spy" co-star. "No matter how many mistakes I made on 'I Spy,' he was always there to teach and protect me."
French company buys Bunim-Murray
The maker of "The Real World" and other reality shows has been acquired by France-based Banijay Entertainment in a deal worth eight figures.
Fox entertainment boss Kevin Reilly gets 3-year extension
The executive behind "Glee," "The Shield" and "The Office" has been at Fox since NBC dumped him in 2007.
"The Office" promotes Craig Robinson
Darryl Philbin is poised to get a lot of screentime from now on.
"Dancing" recruits The Beach Boys with John Stamos
Honorary Beach Boy Stamos will be sitting in on guitar and drums when the legendary band performs on next week's results show.
Paige Miles: "I've been struggling with laryngitis for three weeks now"
"I have a swollen vocal cord," says the ousted "Idol." "There's a lot of inflammation, and singing and rehearsing as much as we do, I had very little time for it to heal."
Could a "Lost" wooden ship really take out a stone statue?
And would it leave the ship largely intact? "The short answer is yes—if the ship were carried by a proper wave," according to Popular Mechanics.
Kim Zolciak admits to being a lesbian
The "Real Housewives" star had denied earlier that she was gay.
Jeff & Jordan: "Amazing Race" bolstered our relationship
"The 'Race' helped us learn more about each other," says Jordan. "A lot of things I didn’t understand about Jeff going in, I understand now."
Fox promises a geezer-free Super Bowl halftime show next year
The head of Fox Sports is tired of aging rockers, like everybody else. Since next year's Super Bowl is in Dallas, he'd like to see country music divas perform, pointing out that "it's kick-ass country down in Texas."
TLC picks up "Sarah Palin's Alaska," denies it is a reality show
TLC is characterizing the eight-episode Alaska travelogue as a "documentary series about the remarkable Governor Palin and her home state of Alaska."
Coming to Comedy Central: "Patrice Oneal's Guide to White People"
The comedian will star in a show that has him playing a professor of whiteness teaching a Whitey 101 class at an adult school.
Chloe Sevigny admits "Big Love" was "awful" in Season 4
"It was awful this season, as far as I’m concerned," she tells The A.V. Club. "I’m not allowed to say that! (Gasps.) It was very telenovela. I feel like it kind of got away from itself. The whole political campaign seemed to me very farfetched. I mean, I love the show, I love my character, I love the writing, but I felt like they were really pushing it this last season. And with nine episodes, I think they were just squishing too much in."
CBS has "Got to Dance" — with Paula Abdul?
The Eye Network is eyeing Paula for its own entry into the dance competition genre. "Got to Dance," from Britain, promises to be "the most inclusive talent search on television, (where) dancers of any age, group-size and style will compete to become the country's favorite dance act." (Watch UK's "Got to Dance" promo)
Paige who? "Idol" boots Paige Miles before we got to know her
The surprising thing about Paige's ouster last night is that she lasted so long. PLUS: Next week's theme is soul and R&B with mentor Usher and Tim Urban topless.
Katherine Heigl knows she's percevied as an ungrateful diva
"The ungrateful thing bothers me the most," she tells EW. "And that is my fault. I allowed myself to be perceived that way because I was being whiny and I was griping and because I made these snarky comments. So much about living life, to me, is about humility and gratitude. And I’ve tried very hard to have those qualities and be that person and I’m just so disappointed in myself that I allowed it to slip. Of course, of course I’m grateful. How can I not be grateful?" PLUS: Heigl is blonde again.
Spain comes out with possibly the 1st truly Twitter TV show
Check out "Twision."
Lindsay Sloane and Melissa McCarthy land pilots
In addition, ex-"24" star Marisol Nichols and Rhona Mitra have joined ABC's "The Gates."
"24" alum Eric Balfour surfaces on Syfy
He'll star in the Stephen King series "Haven."
Roger Ebert explains why "At the Movies" was canned — and his own TV plans
"It isn't only 'At the Movies' that died Wednesday," writes Ebert, who's still planning his own movie review show. "It was whole genre of television," he explains, referring to the problems with syndication nowadays.
"Glee" sings the Beatles
Watch the latest promo.
"Nurse Jackie" and "United States of Tara" earn renewals for Season 3
Showtime was apparently impressed with their season premiere ratings on Monday.
"Survivor" Russell outsmarts Boston Rob — they were like 2 chess grandmasters
Has there ever been a greater intellectual battle in "Survivor" history than Rob against Russell? PLUS: PLUS: Tyson says: No. 1 dumbest-move in "Survivor" history and Jeff Probst says: Russell "went for broke and it worked.
"FlashForward's" problem: Good actors who are miscast
Joseph Fiennes and Dominic Monaghan are fine thespians who don't belong in their roles, says Robert Bianco. Can tonight's John Cho-centered episode saved the series?
From UK to MTV: "Skins" character changes revealed
Some characters will retain their names, some will not. But the Baltimore-set remake appears to be a faithful adaption to the British original. Here's a look at the rumored cast photo of MTV "Skins."
"Vampire Diaries" is back and plans 5 major cliffhangers for rest of season
Tonight's episode will also reveal a real live phone number that you can call to get spoilers. PLUS: "Aunt" Sara Canning is only 22 years old.
Why would the New York Jets do a reality show?
The colorful Jets head coach Rex Ryan says of starring in HBO's "Hard Knocks" this summer: "We're going to be ourselves. We won't hide anything."
Michelle Obama will appear at Kids' Choice to receive Big Help Award
"D'oh!" beats "introubulate" as the best "Simpsons" catchphrase
Is "South Park" losing its edge when it comes to topical parodies?
Terri Schiavo's familiy calling for a "Family Guy" boycott
Introducing the "True Blood" coffee maker
MTV cancels "The Hills"
Season 7, premiering April 27, will be the hit MTV show's last. I think we’ve told the story of struggle and of finding yourself in L.A.," "The Hills" creator Adam DiVello tells EW. "A lot of these kids have found themselves and have certainly embarked on different careers and different paths." The last season, which will feature Spencer Pratt, will run 12 episodes, with Audrina Patridge dating singer Ryan Cabrera and Kristin Cavallari dealing with rumors of drug abuse. The season will also focus on Heidi Montag's plastic surgery.
"At the Movies" canceled
The movie review show once hosted by Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel is fading to black after 24 seasons.
"Miss You Coco": Watch this Conan tribute video
Sung to Puff Daddy's "I'll be Missing You."
TV Guide Network picks up "Weeds"
Reruns of the Showtime drama will begin airing on TV Guide in January.
"I Spy's" Robert Culp dies at 79
The actor who co-starred with Bill Cosby in the groundbreaking '60s series, died after falling during a walk this morning. He reportedly died of a heart attack.
"Lost's" series finale title revealed
Team Darlton reveal it in an EW podcast. If you're too busy to listen, you can read it here.
"Real World's" Puck was driving drunk, say cops
Police intend to arrest the "Real World San Francisco" star, who claims he and his 8-year-old son were injured while trying to avoid hitting a dear.
"Buck Rogers": The 3-D movie
Director Paul WS Anderson has been tapped to remake "Buck Rogers," which inspired two TV series.
Ryan Seacrest going on Oprah Friday
He'll talk about his busy "Idol"/E! schedule in his first-ever studio interview with Oprah Winfrey.
NBC documentary will look back at "SNL" in the 2000s
The April 15 primetime doc will examine the recent past with Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon, Alec Baldwin, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Tracy Morgan, Justin Timberlake and, of course, Tina Fey.
Carrie Fisher & Cheryl Hines team for ABC's "Wright vs. Wrong"
Hines will play the liberal rival to Debra Messing's right-wing political pundit, while Fisher will play her manager.
Ex-girlfriend: Cash-strapped Jake Pavelka went on "Bachelor" for money, not love
According to Tanya Douglas, Jake was having financial problems and told her he'd receive $500,000 to be on the reality show.
ABC struggling to find a "Lost" successor
"FlashForward" and "V" are the last chances to capitalize on "Lost's" sci-fi appeal, after ABC failed with "Invasion," "The Nine" and "Life on Mars."
2 "Jersey Shore" stars team up to write a book
Jwoww and Ronnie's "Never Fall in Love at the Jersey Shore" explains how to balance work, love, and partying, while properly taking care of hair, nails, and skin.
"Glee" promo offers a taste of the Madonna episode
Watch Lea Michele sing "Like a Prayer."
Alyssa Milano's sitcom gets "Dancing" premiere date
"Romantically Challenged" will air after Monday's "Dancing with the Stars" episodes, starting April 19.
Judge: Dr. Phil is a "terrible, terrible man"
A San Diego judge criticized Phil McGraw yesterday for not helping a shoplifting couple who confessed on his show. Both husband and wife are heading to jail.
"Modern Family's" Eric Stonestreet is straight but he gets hit on by men
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, meanwhile, is gay but he gets hit on by women. "It's really funny," says Stonestreet, who adds: "Jesse and I are going to be friends forever. This show has put us together." PLUS: Rico Rodriguez is like Antonio Banderas.
Academics love teaching "The Wire"
From Berkeley to Duke to Harvard, "Wire" classes have become all the rage in academia with courses as wide ranging as media studies to film studies to sociology. "You want to talk about it being fiction, call it fiction," says famed Harvard sociologist William Julius Wilson, who will offer a course this fall, "but it shows incredible imagination and understanding about the way the world works, and for me that's enough."
Jonny Fairplay: "Survivor's" heroes and villains both suck
"I think the heroes are lame," says Fairplay who does a Web show with Richard Hatch these days. "But the villains are even more painful. The first three episodes, it was, like, in their contract that everyone had to say the word 'villain' at least three times during their confessionals. I think Coach is good TV. I don't think he knows it, which is what makes it good TV. I liked Cirie. That's someone I respected as a player."
Jamie Foxx writing "Laverne & Shirley" movie for Jessica Biel & Jen Garner
"Jamie and I are trying to do it," says Garry Marshall. "He’s writing it. It’s a whole different modern day take on how they came up on the streets during difficult times. Laverne would be this very tough girl with a big ‘L’ tattooed on her arm. Jennifer Garner would play Laverne and Jessica Biel would play Shirley."
Watch Showtime's "The Big C" trailer
The cancer series starring Laura Linney.
Fox hasn't started pressuring affiliates on a Conan late-night show
Says the head of the Fox affiliates: "To the best of my knowledge, no pressure has been asserted on any Fox affiliates (by the network), There's nothing definitive on Conan right now."
Some New Orleans residents are annoyed by "Treme"
Not everybody is happy with the HBO series. About 40 residents in the Black Pearl neighborhood signed a petition asking the HBO crew to leave. "'Treme’ is causing a lot of pressure. We’re already too congested," said one neighbor. PLUS: Why neighbors should quit complaining.
"Lost's" Nestor Carbonell talks about the wig, the beard and Richard's story
"It was so beautiful," he says of last night's episode, "because what I love is that the Alpert character is connected to the mythology of the island, but what I love about how they connected him to the island was something very personal and something everyone can relate to — just pure love of someone. So what his whole dilemma is, everything he’s lived for his whole entire life and agonized over, really boils down to the love of his wife. Every single decision he’s made — a good one or a bad one — has come down to that."
Editing, music, framing were all different for this episode // Is the island a Hellmouth?
Love song for Richard Alpert // Is Hurley the new Richard? // 9 million tune in
So "Lost" is a religious-supernatural-mystical-morality play, instead of sci-fi?
Most important episode ever? // Team Darlton have always denied the island is hell
This was both a great character piece and a white-knuckle thriller
Miley Cyrus shined amid boring "Idol" performances
"I groaned when I saw her," Mary T. Kelly says of Miley mentoring the Top 11. "To be perfectly honest, this was a knee jerk reaction. I'm not a big fan of Miley Cyrus, but then again I'm not 13 years old. As Miley was being interviewed I was thinking, 'Who can take advice from someone with turquoise nails?' But I was humbled. As the show went on, I was impressed with Miley's confidence, composure, encouragement and wisdom. Poor Miley. A 40 year old trapped in a 17-year-old body. Wait: I want to be Miley!"
Miley gave decent advice, but the "Idols" didn't respect her opinions
Miley was horrible, talking like Mike Teevee from "Willy Wonka"
Monday's "Dancing" beat Tueday's "Idol," 23.9 million to 23.8 million
Hard to believe any of these "Idols" will be No. 1 // "Idol" stylist tells all
"Idol" boosts sales of Rolling Stones albums and songs
Why Jennifer Love Hewitt chopped off her hair // Love to guest in NBC pilot
EA Sports: We're not suing "South Park" over Tiger Woods video game spoof
Sheryl Crow begins "Cougar Town" stint — watch her flirt with Grayson
Nigel Lythgoe: "SYTYCD" changing rules — only 1 dancer will leave each week
Thanks to "Dancing," "Nightline" beat Leno and Letterman on Monday
Katherine Heigl: My last "Grey's Anatomy" episode aired in January
Heigl confirms to EW that she won't return to "Grey's" for the final five episodes of the season, and that she's leaving the show permanently. "I am done," says Heigl, citing her desire to be with her newly adopted child. "We just finalized our agreement. Everyone had been working really hard to find an amicable and gracious way of letting go and moving on. It’s sad but it’s what I wanted."
"Real World's" Puck seriously injured with his son in car accident
The "Real World: San Francisco" star swerved to avoid hitting a deer and lost control of his car. Fortunately, he and his 8-year-old son were able to escape from the wreck.
HBO renews "Ricky Gervais" despite low ratings
"The Ricky Gervais Show" will be back for Season 2.
Jennifer Beals, John Laroquette and Keith David land pilots
They'll star in, respectively, Shawn Ryan's "Ride-Along," Fox's "Pleading Guilty" and NBC's "The Cape."
ABC heading back to reality TV hospital
The team behind 2000's "Hopkins" and the 2008 follow-up "Hopkins 24/7" will follow the action at "Boston Med."
"Glee's" Sue Sylvester goes on a "Sneaky gays" rant
Watch her latest WOHN commentary.
"Good Wife" promotes Alan Cumming
He'll become a series regular in Season 2.
"Nurse Jackie" has big premiere
But "United States of Tara's" season premiere ratings weren't up to par.
HBO releases Kevin Kline from jail
He'll play a cardiac surgeon who is released from prison after serving 15 years for killing his wife.
"Big Bang" recruits Judy Greer
She'll play a famous physicist who spends the night with Sheldon.
"Lost" fight scene goes awry, Michael Emerson gets a black eye
The show makeup department has to work overtime after Emerson's co-star connected with his face.
Paula Abdul may be NBC-bound with a dance show
She and Kenny Ortega of "High School Musical" and Michael Jackson's "This is It" fame are teaming up for a dance competition featuring highly choreographed dance numbers that may take place in public places.
Zach Braff confirms: "Scrubs" is dead
Braff confirmed the news on his Facebook page: "Many of you have asked, so here it is … it appears that 'New Scrubs', 'Scrubs 2.0', 'Scrubs with new kids', 'Scrubbier', 'Scrubs without JD' is no more. It was worth a try, but alas… it didn't work. zb"
Atlanta "Real Housewives'" newest star revealed?
Celebrity attorney Phaedra Parks is expected to edge out one of the housewives.
"SNL's" Seth Meyers to help raise money for Al Franken
The "Saturday Night Live" head writer will help the "SNL" alum raise money for his political action committee.
Chad Ochocinco selling "Dancing" shirts
The shirts read: "If you don't vote for me on DWTS…..GIRL YOU TRIPPIN." PLUS: Ochocinco dieting on McDonald's.
Hayden Panetierre taps Jai Rodriguez for her CW Harvard med school drama
The "Queer Eye" alum will play a sassy gay Latino med student in "H.M.S." from producer Panetierre.
"'Til Death" canceled, for real this time
Fox won't renew the Brad Garrett sitcom that has managed to survive all these years.
Season 1 "Idol" Tamyra Gray is pregnant
This is the first child for Gray and her Color Me Badd hubby.
Charlie Sheen's rehab forces "Two and a Half Men" to cut 2 episodes
"Instead of doing 24 shows this year, we’ll be doing 22," says Chuck Lorre. "But 22 is a full order. They had asked us to produce two additional episodes, which we normally do. But we won’t do it this year."
Judging "Idol" judges: Simon sounds like Randy, Ellen's a waste of time
Kara DioGuardi, meanwhile, has been surprisingly good, says Matthew Gilbert. "This season, she has been remarkably on point, focused, and articulate during her comments to the performers," he says. On the other hand, he says Ellen DeGeneres" "takes on the performers seem irrelevant, unfounded, and a waste of time in a show that already kills too much time manufacturing drama and cutting to commercials. When the cameras zoom in on her, she looks like a startled raccoon and says something unengaging and positive like, 'What’s not to love about that?'"
Teen sues "Wife Swap" for $100M, claiming she was forced to act like a spoiled brat
Beauty queen Alicia Guastafarro, who is now 18, appeared on "Wife Swap" as a 15-year-old (watch here), where she claims that producers told her to act like a spoiled brat. The result, the lawsuit says, "ridicule, mockery and derision" from her peers, forcing her to switch schools.
Letterman's Tiger Woods joke mocks his own affair
"That's exactly what happened to me," said Dave.
Terri Schiavo's family infuriated by "Family Guy's" "Terri Schiavo: The Musical"
Schiavo's brother said of Sunday's episode: "My family was astonished at the cruelty and bigotry towards our beloved sister, and all disabled people that we witnessed in this show."
Maury Povich's ratings jump 44%, thanks to younger audience
The move to Connecticut has re-energized "Maury," especially because his audience these days is mostly made up of college kids.
Virgin flight attendants' union buys CW "Fly Girls" ads questioning the show's reality
"It's difficult to imagine many Virgin flight attendants affording multi-level apartments with ocean views on wages under $30,000 per year," says the Transport Workers Union, which is paying for tomorrow night's ads.
Michael Rapaport, Bridget Moynahan and Will Estes land pilots
Rapaport will star in ABC's "The Line," while Moynahan and Estes are headed to CBS.
Why are the "HIMYM" gang even friends? They're unbearable!
That's according to James Poniewozik, who explains: "Ted, for instance: who is this tiresome marshmallow who keeps inflicting 'the one' on his friends? Lily: who is this controlling princess who insists on her birthday being a freaking holiday of tribute? Marshall: what is this oversolicitous dude compensating for? Does no one get tired of Barney's preening? And Robin: did she not have a single other friend before she met these other four people?"
"Jersey Shore" debuts in 30 countries this week
With the simple tagline: "Muscles + gel + tanning bed = sex."
Walton Goggins almost rejected "Justified" white supremacist role
Timothy Olyphant had to talk Goggins in to taking the role as a Southern white supremacist. "I certainly don't want to participate in perpetuating a stereotype of the racist Southern person," says Goggins. "I think that's trite and over-explored and boring."
Pam Anderson made "Dancing" watchable again
"There are some people who just captivate you," Tonya Plank says of Pam's "Dancing" debut. "And it's not about the obvious; it's about how she uses her body, sometimes in rather humorous ways. I'm not familiar with Damian Whitewood. He looks like a fine dancer, but I think he's too short for her. Honestly, with her larger-than-life persona, her literal height, her hair all ratted up like that, her makeup, and the way she carried herself and did her thing to the utmost, she seemed a bit like a drag queen, no? And I don't mean that in a bad way! She was a really hot drag queen!"
Record 23.9M watched; can "Dancing" beat "Idol"? // ABC's best 2-hour ratings in 10 years
Kate Gosselin: "I blanked out" // Why were Erin Andrews' breasts two different sizes?
Craig Ferguson: I'm no late-night talk show host — I don't want Letterman's job
The "Late Late" host doesn't ever want to follow in Conan O'Brien's path. "Look at the terrible thing that happened to Conan when Conan tried to do what Jay Leno does," says Ferguson. "Conan shouldn't do that. He doesn't do what Jay Leno does. Jay Leno does what Jay Leno does. And then when (Conan) started doing what Conan does, it was too late."
Sissy Spacek signs on for her 1st regular TV gig
The "Big Love" guest-star will join John Well's CBS mobile medical drama.
Letterman starst a weekly segment with a booted-off "Idol"
Every Monday night, the previous week's "Idol" bootee will get an interview and perform with Paul's band. (Presumably, next year Conan will get the "Idols'" first late-night interview.
Dr. Phil hires Kelly Osbourne
She'll work as a special correspondent, beginning Wednesday.
What made Kristen Wiig cry?
"When I first started on 'SNL,' I made the mistake of googling myself," she says. "Oh, everybody does. I was like, I wonder what people are saying? It was the worst thing. I was crying. A lot of it was nice, but it doesn’t matter: You remember the bad, not the good."
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