October 2010

Report: Randy Jackson has "rebranded" himself as the new Simon Cowell
Not only has Randy taken over Simon's seat, but "It's been like Randy has stepped up his game and is being more blunt and bottom line," an Idol insider tells E!. "He's definitely not wishy-washy. He's, like, rebranded himself a little."

Discovery announces "Deadliest Catch" Season 7 with Capt. Phil's sons
But there was no mention of the three departed captains Johnathan Hillstrand, Andy Hillstrand, and Sig Hansen, who left the series last week over a dispute over Discovery's lawsuit.

"Kourtney and Kim" — but not Khloe — are taking New York
Khloe will stay with her husband in L.A. as "Kourtney and Kim Take New York," starting in January.

"Big Bang" won't give Penny a broken leg
Exec producer Billy Prady tweeted a photo of Kaley Cuoco in a cast with crutches.

The Top 3 DVR'd new shows: "Hawaii Five-0," "Blue Bloods," "The Event"
"Hawaii Five-0" had an additional 2.4 million DVR viewers, followed by 2 million for "Blue Bloods" and 1.8 million for "The Event."

"Sons of Anarchy" creator: "DUMP DISH"
Kurt Sutter is siding with his Fox bosses after they yanked FX from Dish Network in a dispute over carriage fees. "Echostar are whores," he tweets. "Get out now."

Claim: NYC "Real Housewife" slapped a producer
Ramona Singer allegedly struck a producer as filming began on the new season. PLUS: Danielle Staub settles defamation suit with ex-husband.

Fox orders a drama about a prosecutor who is also on trial
"Splitting Adams" will follow a woman who is caught between two worlds.

NBC partners with Adam Sandler and Ricky Blitt
In separate projects, NBC will make Sandler's doctor's office comedy "Beverly Hills Pediatrics" and Blitt's project about a single male who is 40.

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Conan O'Brien washes his desk in new "Conan" promo
"Who says that a talk show host can't sexily wash his desk in his driveway?"

"Big Brother" winner Adam Jasinski pleads guilty to federal drug charges
Jasinski admitted to possessing oxycontin pills with intent to distribute and dodging taxes.

John Slattery to run for Congress on "30 Rock"
He'll become the latest guest star from "Mad Men."

CBS: We have the wealthiest viewers
Among viewers making more than $100,000 a year in the 25-54 age range, CBS was tops among the broadcast networks during premiere week.

Logo picks up "Will & Grace" reruns
All eight seasons and 194 episodes will air on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender network, starting in September 2013.

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Federal government is shoppng a scripted "ATF" drama series
The proposed cable show would follow a fictional team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Mitch Hurwitz: Watch "Running Wilde" or don't expect an "Arrested" movie
"It’s very much the next thing that’s going to happen," Hurwitz says of the long-awaited "Arrested Development" movie. But he points out that in order to get the movie made, he needs to have a "series going, and put all the pieces in place so that it can continue to be successful, and then have the means to take the year and make this movie. So that’s what I’m trying to do." PLUS: "Running Wilde" cast realizes they can't win over new viewers.

"Beverly Hills 90210" turns 20
On Oct. 4, 1990, Fox launched one of the most groundbreaking shows in TV history. But as Rich Heldenfels notes, it took a summer run in 1991 for "90210" to establish itself as a breakthrough hit after a ratings-challenged 1st season. Says Heldenfels: "It had begun as an often serious exploration of issues such as sex and alcoholism in the lives of its young characters; the earliest episodes all seemed to involve a girl with a problem. Such issues remained part of the show's fabric, and part of the show's appeal rested on its belief that its audience wanted to be taken seriously."

"Modern Family" cast tweets Haloween episode pics
Check out Claire and Phil, Luke, Gloria and Manny, and more.

New shows aren't hitting it big in the ratings
For the first time in five years, not one new show has cracked the Top 10. PLUS: Why is the new crop of sitcoms so terrible?

Starz announces it is looking for Andy Whitfield's "Spartacus" replacement
A casting notice has been sent out looking for a new actor for the title role.

ABC Family cancels "Huge"
The drama starring Nikki Blonsky as an overweight teen won't return for Season 2.

How could "SNL" waste Bryan Cranston?
With Cranston's acting chops, the "Saturday Night Live" writers couldn't find much for him to do. "How can 'Saturday Night Live' be out of ideas in only its second episode of the season?" asks Roger Catlin. "Even with Emmy-winning Bryan Cranston, a master of comedy and drama, on board, they couldn't find much for him to do except rock a series of wigs and have him wear white undershorts (the only part of 'Breaking Bad'  the writers had apparently seen)." PLUS: "Miley Cyrus" was the night's highlight, plus Kanye West's epic performance.

Logo's "The A-List: New York" basks in gay stereotypes
The gay version of Bravo's "Real Housewives," starring "Amazing Race" winner Reichen Lehmkuhl, is like "dissociative gay-bashing." PLUS: "A-List" is just Grade A Trash TV.

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Google TV hooks up with Twitter and HBO, but no major networks

Oops!: "Outsourced" promo wrongly quotes from NBC's press release

Nearly $30K in gear stolen from NYC "Real Housewives"

Michael Bolton hopes Bruno Tonioli comes to a "personal epiphany," and apologizes

ABC reunites with Damon Wayans for a new comedy

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

E! orders Lara Flynn Boyle reality show
The crazy celeb will be followed as she splits time between Texas and Hollywood.

Butch Patrick slams "The Miunsters" remake
The original Eddie Munster says: "Honestly, it should be left alone. I think it shows they are desperate for content. Unless they get (comic) Brad Garrett to play Herman, it's not going to do well."

Peter MacNicol joins "Grey's Anatomy"
The former "Ally McBeal" star will play a doctor in a multi-episode arc.

Facebook founder makes "Simpsons" cameo
A friendlier, yellow-skinned version of Mark Zuckerberg just happened to appear on "The Simpsons" the same weekend as the opening of "The Social Network."

Amber Tamblyn heads to "House"
Playing a med student, she'll fill the void left by Olivia Wilde.

Jon Stewart & David Letterman mock Rick Sanchez
The two late-night comics made an appearance at Comedy Central's "Night Of Too Many Stars."

Hurricane to strike Fox's Sunday animated block
The November sweeps crossover event will affect "The Cleveland Show," "Family Guy" and "American Dad."

"The Daily Show's" John Oliver gets engaged
He first met girlfriend Kate Norley two years ago while covering the Republican National Convention.

Watch a  preview of A&E's "Breakout Kings"
The escaped prisoners drama, from the producers of "Prison Break," was originally passed over by Fox.

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David E. Kelley remaking "Wonder Woman"
After trying and failing to make a big-screen "Wonder Woman," Warner Bros. has tapped Kelley to reboot the franchise for the small-screen.

CNN fires anchor Rick Sanchez after he called Jon Stewart a bigot
Sanchez was a frequent target of "The Daily Show."

"My Generation" becomes the season's 2nd cancelation
Production was halted today after a steep decline from last week's already low season premiere ratings.

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Kaley Cuoco returning to "The Big Bang Theory" after missing 2 episodes
She's expected to be back on the set in time to film an episode on Oct. 13, but it has yet to be determined how her broken leg will be incorporated in storylines. Meanwhile, Mayim Bialik will be back for additional episodes this season.

Smithsonian celebrates the 60th birthday of "Peanuts"
Sixty years ago Saturday, Charles Schulz unveiled Charlie Brown and his gang, and to mark the occasion, the National Portrait Gallery is unveiling a photograph of Schulz at work. "He's at his drawing board, and on his board you can see a comic strip well enough to identify it," says Jean Schulz, his widow. "He's smiling and wearing a wonderful red sweater." PLUS: Read a brief history of "Peanuts."

"NCIS" star Michael Weatherly OK after car crash
His BMW ran into a cement wall this morning near Universal Studios.

Joey Fatone pushes for an 'NSYNC-themed "Glee" episode
"I think my ass needs to get on that show a be a teacher," he says.

WWE "Smackdown" jumps to Syfy tonight
After stints on UPN, The CW and MyNetwork TV, "Smackdown" has found a new home on cable amiid sci-fi shows.

"Law & Order: UK" makes its American debut on Sunday
Starring Jamie Bamber from "Battlestar Galactica," "L&O: UK" feels a lot like the New York original.

Episode No. 2 is the most crucial for new TV shows
As the Wall Street Journal points out, "It's one of the most dreaded tasks in TV—creating the second episode. Show No. 2 requires all the pizzazz of a pilot but with much tighter budget and time constraints. A good one can hook viewers and solidify a new series. A bad one can get you cancelled."

IFC's "Todd Margaret" is the best David Cross/Will Arnett show currently on TV
In "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret," Cross plays an Ugly American in Britain. PLUS: Warning: "Todd Margaret" quickly becomes tiresome.

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"The Andy Griffith Show" premiered 50 years ago Sunday
"At 9:30 p.m., Oct. 3, 1960, 'The Andy Griffith Show' debuted to so-so reviews and terrific ratings," says Mark Washburn, in commemorating the anniversary. "Mayberry," he adds, "is carved into the national lexicon, a synonym for simple and genteel living. Its bug-eyed deputy, Barney Fife, is still popular shorthand for bumblers behind a badge. It was set in a Southern paradise free from the emotional turmoil of its age. While war, riots and racial strife battered the nation’s psyche in the 1960s, Mayberry moved at a rocking-chair pace, projecting a come-sit-in-the-parlor mentality little known beyond its fictional ramparts.
Mount Airy, NC is still cashing in on Mayberry 50 years later
Watch the original sponsored "Andy Griffith" opening // Mayberry vs. Mount Airy

A&E's "Teach: Tony Danza" would be better off without Tony Danza
"In 'Teach,' we're not so much waiting for Superman as we're waiting for Danza to shut up," says Hank Stuever, who adds: "What makes 'Teach: Tony Danza' worth watching are the teenagers themselves and the glimpses of other teachers who make the place work. Danza, meanwhile, becomes an irritating, whirling, self-aggrandizing bundle of nerves."
Danza: "I wasn't pimping Philadelphia's kids" // It deserves an Incomplete
Episode 1 is hard to watch, but it gets better // Principal wants "10 Tonys"

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How much "hi-def makeup" will "Idol" apply to J.Lo & Steven Tyler?

"American Dad" turns 100 episodes on Sunday

Candice Bergen's 2nd memoir will cover her "Murphy Brown" years

Miami "Real Housewives'" drag queen will appear as both a male and female

J.J. Abrams' star power, black stars may save "Undercovers" from cancelation

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

Stephen J. Cannell is dead at 69
The prolific TV producer responsible for "The Rockford Files," "21 Jump Street," "Wiseguy," "The Commish" "The Greatest American Hero," "Silk Stalkings" and "The A-Team" passed away last night from complications from melanoma. Cannell produced more than 1,500 episodes of television and helped give "The Sopranos" creator David Chase his start in the TV business as a writer on "Rockford." PLUS: Watch a comprehensive TV interview with Cannell and the history of Cannell's famous production logo.
Cannell was a strong voice for independent TV producers

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Snooki may get her own "Bachelorette"
The "Jersey Shore" star is set to star in her own dating show, according to In Touch. PLUS: Canada slaps "Jersey Shore."

In Week 2, viewers flee "Outsourced" and "$#*! My Dad Says"
"Outsourced" and "$#*!" lost 22% and 20% of their premiere week ratings, respectively. Meanwhile, "My Generation, which debuted to bad ratings, lost an alarming 31% of last week's viewership.

Lou Diamond Phillips is becoming a TV chef
The "La Bamba" star and his wife are developing their own cooking show.

Watch Rush Limbaugh's "Family Guy" debut
Here's a preview of Sunday's episode, titled "Excellence in Broadcasting."

Oprah admits: We did a "crazy check" on Rosie O'Donnell
When Oprah visited Rosie's house last June, she tried to assess if Rosie was competent enough to do a talk show. "Rosie said, 'I know you’re here to assess how crazy I am.’ I said, ‘Basically, yes. I’m doing a crazy check,'" Oprah tells Fortune magazine.

Will Smith's "Hitch" is set to become a TV series
The 2005 hit romantic comedy also starring Kevin James is in the midst of a bidding war by the networks.

Check out a preview of "Bones" on the Jersey Shore
"We thought it would be a lot of fun to kill someone in the 'Jersey Shore,'" says exec producer Stephen Nathan. "We're doing what America wants."

Jennifer Lopez is making a Latina nanny comedy for ABC, not Fox
The "Idol" judge's project, which is being dubbed "Nannyland," follows three generation of Latina nannies in what is being described as "Modern Family" meets "Maid in Manhattan. "Friends" writer Alexa Junge is on board as exec producer.

"Melissa & Joey" poised for more episodes
ABC Family is about to order 10 to 12 additional episodes of its surprise hit.

Dish Network loses FX, National Geo and Fox Sports channels
News Corp yanked the cable channels in a dispute over carriage fees.

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