August 2010

August 31, 2010

Letterman gives Michael Douglas a hug
Watch Douglas talk in detail about battling throat cancer.


Chicago Bears QB won't comment on rumor he's dating Kristin Cavallari

Did Jay Cutler hook up with "The Hills" star?


Kelsey Grammer would like to spin off "Frasier"

Featuring Frasier Crane's son.


Jack Coleman: From "Heroes" to "The Mentalist"

Coleman will play a wealthy murder suspect this fall on the CBS drama.


Sharon Lawrence joins "One Tree Hill"

She'll play another CW mom, this time as Austin Nichols' character's long-lost mom. Kawrence last appered on the CW last year as a "Privileged" estranged mom.


"Glee" unveils Slushie commercial

Set to classical music.

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August 31, 2010

Art imitates life: Maura Tierney will battle cancer on "Rescue Me"
Tierney's real life will be mirrored on the FX series when she gets a "buzz cut" as her character battles cancer next season.


Bristol Palin won't be wearing skimpy "Dancing" outfits

"I think I will be the most dressed (contestant and have) the most modest outfits for sure because that’s who I am," she says.


"America's Got Talent" renewed for Season 6

NBC boasts: "This is the fifth consecutive year that 'AGT' has ranked as the #1 summer series in total viewers."


How Obama's address will affect tonight's network lineup

For East Coast and Central time zone viewers, "Shaq Vs." will start at 9:20, "Minute to Win It" will be cut short and "America's Got Talent" will air in its usual 9 o'clock timeslot.


Bravo renews "Real Housewives" of New Jersey and New York

The Jersey cast will be back for its 3rd season, while the NYC cast will return for Season 4.


Letterman name-drops Conan in his 17th anniversary Top Ten

Dave celebrated the 17th anniversary of his move to CBS with "The Top Ten Reasons I Still Love Hosting 'The Late Show with David Letterman." No. 1: "Conan tells me to just be thankful I have a show."


Kelsey Grammer talked his soon-to-be-ex-wife into joining "Real Housewives"

So says Camille Grammer, who initially didn't want to join "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Will their divorce become a storyline? "You'll have to stay tuned," she says.

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August 31, 2010

Bethenny Frankel quits "Real Housewives"
After starring in her own spinoff, Bethenny has decided not to return to "The Real Housewives of New York." "Last season was scary and painful," she says. "It took all of the joy out of it."


Stan Lee's latest TV guest stint: "Nikita"

The comic book legend, who's already slated to appear on "Eureka," will pop up on the CW series this fall.


Snooki rejects boyfriend's proposal via magazine cover

"Just want to set the record straight," she wrote on Twitter after her boyfriend's "Will You Marry Me?" cover appeared. "I'm single and I'm not going to get married!"


"Deadliest Catch" boss: I can't believe we lost to a boring Ken Burns doc

"I don't know what the hell my show is even doing in a category that basically every year is a PBS category," says Thomas Beers, whose Discovery reality show lost an Emmy to Ken Burns' "National Parks."  He adds: "That was the most boring show Ken Burns ever made and when I think that my show should lose to the most boring, the dullest show Ken Burns has ever made, it’s an abomination."


Chuck Lorre reveals his secrets to sitcom success

The man behind "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" says sitcoms should never use pop-culture references, ad-libbing or laugh tracks. Plus, he says, humor should always be secondary: "If you start with a joke, it never can rise above glib."


Ryan Seacrest has a "Beverly Hills 90210" past

Check him out in an episode from the final season in 2000.


Watch David Letterman compete on "$20,000 Pyramid" in 1978

Dave was 31 years old when he appeared on the Dick Clark game show (Watch Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4)


Kurt Warner: I'm trying not to think about the "Dancing" costumes

"That’s the thing that you try and keep way in the back of your mind," the first-ever "Dancing with the Stars" quarterback said on ESPN this morning. The likely future Hall of Famer adds: "I think this presents me with the opportunity to do that with a completely different audience. It gives me a chance to show a different side of me than a lot of people have seen underneath the helmet as a competitor."
Ranking the "Dancing" competitors // Chris Jericho turned down "Dancing"
Bristol Palin moving to L.A. for "Dancing," but she won't pursue an acting career
David Hasselhoff's kids pestered him into "Dancing"
"Dancing" announcement didn't boost "Bachelor Pad's" ratings

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TUESDAY ODDS & ENDS

August 31, 2010

Stars of Emmy's "Glee" opening number each spent 14 hours rehearsing

Conan's TBS show name will be unveiled Wednesday

Claim: Jeff Probst stole Mark-Paul Gosselaar's wife

2010 was the most racially diverse Emmys in years

It's "Mad Men" Season 10! // Rolling Stone's "Mad Men" cover: Is it photoshopped?

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

August 31, 2010

"Dancing" casting director: This is my "dream team"
Head of casting Deena Katz says she's been "stalking" David Hasselhoff and Jennifer Grey since "Dancing with the Stars" launched in 2005. As for the decision to cast Bristol Palin, she says, "I can tell you this, she's the only one that when I asked her to join the show, she packed up her truck and drove all the way from Alaska. I always try to have people you'd never expect… And this season, some of the names make you chuckle, others you're surprised about, and others you think you know, but you're going to see them in a different light."
Bristol Palin: "I want people to see this side of me, my work ethic"
Is ABC sending the wrong message: "Teen motherhood as Cinderella fantasy"
Jennifer Grey: Why she's the season's most intriguing contestant
The Situation: I'm the "underdog" because of "Jersey Shore" conflicts
"Entertainment Tonight's" Kate Gosselin questions "Dancing" stars
Audrina Patridge's partner already followed her on Twitter


Will Forte: Lorne Michaels' wanted me to stay on "SNL" for 1 more year

But, ultimately, Forte says he felt he had to leave after eight years, but not to pursue a movie career. "I just wanted to be close to my family," he says, adding part of leaving was also the result of turning 40 in June and becoming "introspective." Forte, who already has moved out to Los Angeles, adds, "I will cherish that experience for the rest of my life."


"Grey's Anatomy" wedding couple revealed

Says Shonda Rhimes: "There was something really hopeful and beautiful about" these two characters getting married.


Guess who might return to "Mad Men"?

The cast is currently shooting its top-secret finale, possibly with a special surprise.


Beverly Hills "Real Housewives": Kelsey Grammer's ex, Paris Hilton's aunts

In addition to Camille Grammer, Bravo has announced a "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast that includes a member of the Maloof clan.


Nigel Lythgoe: "Idol" is keeping Randy Jackson

When asked at the Emmys if Randy will return, Lythgoe responded: "I hope so."


Check out pics from "Glee's" season premiere

Including the new female football coach. PLUS: Here's Jane Lynch on iCarly."


Joan Cusack gets "Shameless" on Showtime

She replaces Allison Janney (now on "Mr. Sunshine") as a Chicago housewife who befriends the drunken William H. Macy.

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August 30, 2010

"Dancing" stars unveiled: The Hoff, Bristol Palin, The Situation
"We're all about keeping it low-key," Tom Bergeron jokes in announcing the new "Dancing" cast during tonight's "Bachelor Pad." The females competing include Brandy, Jennifer Grey, Audrina Patridge, Florence Henderson, Margaret Cho and Bristol Palin. The men include Michael Bolton, The Situation, recently retired NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, Kyle Massey from "That's So Raven," former L.A. Laker Rick Fox and David Hasselhoff. PLUS: Edyta Sliwinska quits "Dancing" after spat with producers.


Eddie Izzard joins "United States of Tara"

In his first major role since FX's "The Riches," Izzard will appear all next season as Tara's psych professor.


Emmys may dump TV movies and miniseries from primetime ceremony

If a new contract with the networks is negotiated, those two categories, the eight miniseries and TV movie categories, which have annoyed many, may become a goner.


"Desperate Housewives" unveils Western-themed promo

Watch the official trailer for Season 7, featuring Vanessa Williams.


"Around the Horn" tackles Jay Mariotti's arrest

The ESPN debate show starring Mariotti ended with a question about the reaction to his arrest for domestic violence.


Reminder: Obama to address the nation in primetime on Tuesday

The president's Oval Office address on the Iraq war begins at 8 o'clock ET, though it's unclear which networks will be carrying it.

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August 30, 2010

2010 Emmy ratings are about the same as last year's
About 13.5 million watched, up 32,000 over last year's broadcast, which, unlike this year's ceremony, was broadcast in late September and not repeated on the West Coast.


Letterman returning to Ball State University to chat with Twitter's co-founder

The "Late Show" host is returning to his alma mater, where he has a building named after him, on Sept. 17 to host the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series and interview Twitter's Biz Stone.


Super Bowl will likely clash with Winter Olympics

An expanded 18-game NFL schedule will likely mean that the two heavyweight sporting events will go head to head, beginning in 2014. PLUS: NFL vs. World Series on Halloween night.


Paul Giamatti signs on for "30 Rock"

Tina Fey also reveals that Jon Hamm will star in the live episode.


Piers Morgan: No Auto-Tunes on America's or Britain's "Got Talent"

"Complete baloney," he says of allegations that Susan Boyle's voice was sweetened, as well as other singers. PLUS: Mogan confirms CNN talks.

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MONDAY ODDS & ENDS

August 30, 2010

Al Pacino open to visiting pal Jesse Tyler Ferguson on "Modern Family"

After Emmy stint, Kate Gosselin wants to try acting

Glenn Close says Emmy no-show Martin Short is struggling to "readjust"

January Jones on Jason Sudeikis: "He's never seen me naked…"

CBS' NFL games will use the "five-0" yard line to promote "Hawaii Five-0"

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

August 30, 2010

Woman sues claiming "Jersey Shore" security assaulted her
The lawsuit by the New Jersey woman identified only as "J.P." alleges that "MTV and 495 Productions are actively engaged in a criminal enterprise because it is making money off of advertising sales for a television show promoting criminal behavior," according to The Daily Record. PLUS: Snooki's boyfriend proposes via magazine cover.


NFL Network enlists Brad Pitt for New Orleans Saints documentary

He'll narrate the newest edition of "America's Game," which recounts the Saints Super Bowl-winning season. It premieres on Sept. 8.


Some "Glee" stars gripe about their lack of royalties

Mark Salling has seen "not a dime" for the "Glee" soundtrack, while Cory Montieth complaints he's only received "400 bucks."


Jerry Seinfeld makes up with Howard Stern 17 years after the "Seinfeld Song"

Seinfeld called into the Stern show this morning and made up with the shock jock 17 years after Stern sang "Seinfeld's Girl is 17," a duet with Janis Ian mocking Seinfeld's relationship with then-17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein that led to a falling out between Seinfeld and Stern. Up until 1993, Seinfeld was a frequent guest on the Stern show.  (Scroll down to 8:00)


"Idol" still wants Elton John to replace Simon

John remains the No. 1 choice of Nigel Lythgoe.


"The Bachelorette's" Jesse Csincsak weds his pregnant "Bachelor" fiancee

Csincsak and Ann Lueders tied the knot over the weekend in Las Vegas.


New York "Real Housewives" want "Jersey Shore" money

Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon and Alex McCord reportedly are demanding a hefty raise from their current $4,000 an episode. They want to make as much as Snooki and their "Jersey Shore" counterparts, who rake in $30,000 an episode. "It's a full-time job without the full-time pay," a source tells Page Six. "That's why a reality star with any sense does a book line or jewelry line to support being on the show."
Cat Ommanney's ex-husband has huge regrets over D.C. "Real Housewives"
Andy Cohen: How I cast "Housewives," why I don't play favorites

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August 30, 2010

Emmys shockingly good as Jimmy Fallon plays to his strengths
"There was a spring in the step of the 62nd Emmys," says Mary McNamara, "that's been missing from awards shows so generally and for so long that some of us had begun to believe it had been permanently unsprung. Ambitious, energetically hilarious, and, most important, almost seamlessly constructed, this year's telecast actually did what the Emmys are supposed to do — celebrate television."
The year's best awards show // A refreshingly light and speedy night
Finally, an Emmy ceremony where justice is served — with not many reruns
It felt rushed and flustered: Frenetic graphics were too distracting
Producers pressed the pedal to the metal — and lost any "moments"
"Who took the Emmy awards away and replaced them with this?"
5 Emmy shockers: From "Top Chef" winning to Conan losing
Most refreshing Emmy winners in years // Aaron Paul's Emmy victory diary
Fallon sings farewell to "Lost," "24" and "Law & Order"
How the "Glee" opening number came together — Springsteen gave his OK
Complete list of winners // Fallon was mediocre — knock off the singing!
"The Daily Show" wins its 8th straight Emmy // Hugh Laurie was robbed!
Edie Falco "dumbfounded" // Jim Parsons: "This feels absolutely dream-like"
"Lost" a loser // John Hodgman: 2-time failed Emmy experiment
Watch Conan's brief Emmy moment // NBC was nearly shut out
George Clooney joins "Modern Family" // Fallon's Twitter idea bombs
"Top Chef" host hits "Amazing Race" host // "Chef" ends "Amazing" streak
Sofia Vergara: I ran down Sunset Blvd naked, as promised
Jane Lynch: "This is outlandish!" // Jon Hamm "humbled and thankful"
Watch "Community's" Infinit Emmy ads // Emmy winners and losers

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August 28, 2010

Paris Hilton's defense: It wasn't my purse
According to TMZ, that will be her defense for being in possession of cocaine. PLUS: Check out her mugshot.


Conan unveils a brand-new TeamCoco.com website

Complete with a countdown clock to his TBS show.


Coolio booted from "Big Brother" UK after arguing with transsexual housemate

The 47-year-old rapper had been rubbing housemates the wrong way for four days on "Ultimate Big Brother." And Coolio's argument this morning with transsexual housemate Nadia, which kicked off after he hid her shoes, was apparently the final straw.


"Jersey Shore" will delay The Situaton's "Dancing" instructions

Lessons are to begin Monday, but The Situation's MTV obligations means he can't begin learning to dance until Sept. 8 — less than two weeks before the season premiere.

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August 28, 2010

Police catch Paris Hilton with cocaine
Las Vegas police arrested Paris this morning with a more sinister substance than marijuana.

August 27, 2010

London theater airing all 121 "Lost" episodes in a 3-day marathon
"Lost" fans will have to survive more than 80 hours of viewing to set the record for the longest continuous cinema sitting.


"Jersey Shore" breaks yet another record

About 5.8 million tuned in to this week's episode. PLUS: Restraining order issued against Snooki's boyfriend.


See "Glee" and "Flight of the Conchords" stars "Simpson"-ized

Check out the cartoon versions of Lea Michele, Amber Riley and Cory Monteith, as well as Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie.  PLUS: "Glee" throws more slushies.


"Twilight's" Jackson Rathbone heads to "No Ordinary Family"

He'll play a high school student, a home invasion robbery victim whose plight prompts a call to action for the superhero parents.


"Real Housewives of Orange County" star defaults on her $4.6M home loan

Jim and Alexis Bellino are facing foreclosure after failing to pay $83,856.92 as of April 26 on their home loan.


Lifetime developing a Craigslist killer movie

The cable network is proceeding with the film even though suspected Craigslist killer Philip Markoff killed himself in jail.


Betty White submits to "Inside the Actor's Studio"

What will be her favorite curse word? We'll find out this fall on Bravo.


Olivia Munn on "Chuck"

Check her out as a member of the Nerd Herd.


Evil clown scares the hell out of "Big Brother" UK housemates

Watch what happens when "Mr. Snuggles" enters "Ultimate Big Brother" ("Oh my god there's a f*cking clown in the diary room!")


Anne Heche: I was a victim of a burglary

She tells Letterman that an intruder broke in and took many items, including computers and a Nintendo Wii.

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August 27, 2010

Future of Emmys depends on the number of broadcast network wins
Another year of cable dominance may lead to ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox giving up on sharing the annual trophy show. As Lisa de Moraes explains, "Remember how Scarlett O'Hara spent the better part of "Gone With the Wind" chasing that moody pest Ashley Wilkes and figured out only in the final minutes that Ashley was all wet and her husband, Rhett Butler, was her Mr. Right — except it was too late because Rhett had decided he'd had enough and told her so snappily as he headed out the door? It's kind of like that. The broadcast networks find themselves in a Rhett-like position."
NFL, "Mad Men," "Big Brother," "Entourage," "True Blood" could harm Emmy ratings
Stop the reruns!: No more "30 Rock"! No more "Mad Men"!
10 most competitive Emmy races // West Coasters can watch Emmys twice


Jimmy Fallon planning to tell NBC-Conan-Leno jokes at Emmys … with Conan?

"They haven’t restricted me in any way," Fallon says of the Peacock. "If it's funny, they don't care. And they’ve always been that way. No one’s telling me anything like, don't go here, don’t talk about Conan (O'Brien). We'll touch on the stuff the network's gone through. We’ll probably have a couple of jokes in there about all of the late-night stuff. You can’t not talk about it. And we have a couple of ideas with Conan…" PLUS: Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Ricky Gervais will assist Fallon in Emmys skits.


2 guys and a girl: Are these the 3 new "SNL"-ers?

Sports Action Team's Paul Brittain, Second City's Vanessa Bayer are expected to join "Scrubs: Interns" star Taran Killan — the fiance of "HIMYM's" Cobie Smulders — as "Saturday Night Live" featured players next season.


Super Bowl could make Presidents' Day weekend a permanent home

The NFL wants to take over February as part of its new proposed 18-game schedule, and according to the LA Times, the likely result is a Super Bowl in late February.


Margaret Cho is poised to go "Dancing"

The comedienne is the latest reported "star" to join the "Dancing with the Stars" cast.


Homer Simpson offers his Top 10 Emmy Awards tips

No. 1: "Emmys are sharp. If you steal one, don't put it in your pants."


"Mad Men" actors must "get their mouth around a lot of words"

Laura Schiff and Carrie Audino, who just won Emmys for their "Mad Men" casting, say they are looking for realism in the audition process. "I think a lot of people are surprised by the level of naturalism we’re looking for," says Schiff. PLUS: What happens when "Mad Men" promos get applied to "The Simpsons," "Curb Your Enthusiasm"…

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FRIDAY ODDS & ENDS

August 27, 2010

Whoopi Goldberg's mom suffers a stroke, forcing her to quit "Sister Act" in London

In defense of "Hurt Locker" reality show: It will renew Americans' interest in Afghanistan

Oprah's final show could be filmed at Soldier Field // Looking back at Oprah surprises

Toys R Us defends selling "Dexter" dolls

Dr. Drew films a "Glee" parody // "Glee" cast "died by the AC hose"

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

August 27, 2010

Report: "Britain's Got Talent" used Auto-Tune 0n Susan Boyle's voice
Simon Cowell's "Britain's Got Talent" is being accused of sweetening the voice of its biggest star. According to the London Evening Standard, "Susan Boyle's audition was smoothed out in post-production to give it the best possible sound." PLUS: Simon yanks this week's "X Factor" to take out the Auto-Tune.


Washington, D.C. getting its own "The O.C."

Josh Schwartz, the man behind "Gossip Girl" and "The O.C.," is planning an "O.C."-like series about D.C. 20-something roommates who work in politics in the nation's capital.


Joey Lawrence injured by a "Meliissa & Joey" script

The actor's cornea was ripped when somebody accidentally jabbed him in the eye with the script.


William Hurt will star in HBO's 2008 financial crisis TV movie

He'll play Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson in the Curtis Hanson-directed film.


"Grey's Anatomy" bloodbath musical scene to be included on DVD

In last season's finale, a scene featuring Sara Ramirez singing was cut due to the number of characters who were shot.


"Canadian Idol" reject arrested in terror plot

Khurram Syed Sher, who auditioned singing Avril Lavigne's "Complicated," allegedly tried to make and use bombs.


"Terra Nova" casts its female lead

Actress Allison Miller will play Skye, opposite Jason O'Mara.


"Modern Family" co-creator: Why I hate online viewing

Steven Levitan has been lobbying ABC to remove his show from Hulu and ABC.com.

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August 26, 2010

"American Idol": We've never, ever used Auto-Tunes
"Idol" producers felt they needed to make a statement in wake of Simon Cowell's "X-Factor" scandal.


Final Emmy presenters announced: Lauren Graham, Nathan Fillion…

Emily Deschanel, Clarie Danes, Ted Danson, Mariska Hargitay, Maura Tierney, Tom Selleck, Christopher Meloni, Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are all expected to present on Sunday.


Maury Povich a "Real Housewives" peacemaker

Danielle Staub, NeNe Leakes and Ramona Singer were guests on "The Maury Povich Show" on Thursday, and no serious incidents happened.


TLC pulls the plug on "Little People, Big World"

Matt and Amy Roloff and their four kids will say goodbye after their 6th and final season.


"HIMYM" taps Nicole Scherzinger as Robin Sparkles' nemesis

The "Dancing" champ will play Jessica Glitter, Robin's ex-BFF.


Watch Conan's newest promo

Are those chips?


"Doctor Who" police box lands on MIT building

"What the heck is that blue box on top of the Small Dome at MIT?"


Rick Fox is the latest rumored "Dancing" star

The former Laker is the current boyfriend of "Dancing" fan Eliza Dushku.


Check out the new "Bones" Seaosn 6 poster

"Chemistry keeps them together."

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August 26, 2010

Blue Power Ranger reveals he's gay, says "Power Rangers" set was homophobic
"I was called 'faggot' one too many times (by the show's) creators, producers, writers, directors," says David Yost, who played Blue Ranger Billy Cranston on the show from 1993 to 1996 and starred in the 1995 feature film.


Spy meets spy: Timothy Dalton joins "Chuck"

The former James Bond will play a "mysterious stranger" in a multi-episode arc who is linked to "Chuck's" mom, as played by Linda Hamilton. Dalton's last American TV role was in "Charlie's Angels" in 1979.

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August 26, 2010

Rachel Maddow decries "Hurt Locker" reality show — is it like a snuff film?
"Certainly the prospect of … American casualties is what they think is going to make people tune in, and is already what they are marketing about the show," she says of G4's "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan." Her guest, New York Times columnist, Frank Rich, adds that it has a "snuff-movie quality that's depressing."


Larry King may end up working for Ryan Seacrest

Seacrest is interested in relaunching King's radio career as part of the multi-media empire he's creating.


"SNL": Will 3 newbies replace Will Forte?

Rumor has it that Lorne Michaels is hiring three featured players for next season, including "MADtv" alum Taran Killam.


"Modern Family" stars tweet about their gay kiss scene

Says Jesse Tyler Ferguson: "Sorry about my beard!" PLUS: Manny dating!


"The Net" may become a TV series

Director Irwin Winkler wants to turn his 1995 thriller starring Sandra Bullock and Dennis Miller into a modern Internet drama.


Watch Nina Dobrev's "Vampire Diaries" audition

Dobrev was a controversial choice because she didn't have the blonde hair that her character had in the books.


Matt Damon is spending this week back on the "30 Rock" set

That"s according to Sherri Shepherd, who spotted him on the "30 Rock" set with Tina Fey.


FCC appeals indecency ruling

The FCC and the Justice Department have asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its tossing of the commission's indecency rules.

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THURSDAY ODDS & ENDS

August 26, 2010

Betty White's "Community" promo: Watch me on "Glee"!

Who's sitting where? Presenting Emmy seating charts

Chris Isaak jokes about his "Idol" audition // Randy Jackson will help open Emmys

Did "Mad Men" go too far with Sally's masturbation? // What was she watching?

Matthew Fox confesses: I never watched "Lost"

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]