January 2011

"Skins" is not the most dangerous show ever on TV, says its creator
Bryan Elsey, 49, who created "Skins" with his 20-something son, says that despite steering away from morality, the MTV series is actually beneficial to teens. "In the U.K., 'Skins' is part of drug training programs, it's used in films about gay teenagers coming out, and it's used in a public health context," he says. "It might be worthwhile reminding people that the first episode of "Skins" is about a boy who sets out to lose his virginity and realizes later in the episode that he's not ready."
"Skins" is the anti-"Gossip Girl" // A sassy, gritty tour through teenage wasteland
"Skins" is repugnant to adults, and a vicarious thrill for teens
It's old-fashioned drama // This is "Gossip Girl" on unemployment
"Skins" is much tamer than the UK version, but way more racy than anything on CW
Comparing the British vs. American casts: Gay Maxxie is lesbian Tea
MTV wanted to make "Skins" a social-media hit before it's a TV hit

Syfy's "Being Human" remake suffers from "rampant Americanization"
The original has energy and interesting characters, the remake is bland, says Mike Hale. "You know you’re in trouble right from the start when the premiere episode begins with a 'Grey's Anatomy'-style voice-over narration by the brooding vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer). It's the first sign of rampant Americanization: the underlining of every theme and emotion, the explanation of every plot point, the thorough predigestion before the gruel is spooned into our mouths."
Syfy exec: The 2 versions will eventually look each other's cousin // Q&A with cast
Skillful writing, wry humor elevate "Human" // Pilot is a shot-for-shot remake

David E. Kelley's "Harry's Law" is cringe-inducing
The NBC drama from the legendary producer is cringe-worthy in a bad way, says Matthew Gilbert.  "Harry's Law," he says, "is yet another legal farce from the creator of 'The Practice,' 'Ally McBeal,' and 'Boston Legal,' but with none of the charm, humor, or originality of those earlier shows. It’s an hour of quirk, tics, and bluster, all merely a setup for Kelley to debate political and cultural issues through the mouths of characters in the courtroom. Even Kathy Bates as a lawyer who finds a conscience can’t rise above, as she, too, becomes little more than a rhetorical instrument for Kelley."
What a mess!: Kelley's vision disagrees with the actual premise of "Harry's Law"
Kathy Bates makes "Harry's Law" worth watching // "Law" is quite likable

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Anne Hathaway joins "Glee" as Kurt's lesbian aunt
Her guest stint was sealed last night, after the Golden Globes. "She came over and talked to ('Glee's creator) Ryan (Murphy) about wanting to come on the show. And there you have it!" says exec producer Brad Falchuck. PLUS: Coach Beiste will sing.

"Boardwalk Empire" star gets drunk, exposes herself outside a Golden Globes party
Paz de la Huerta was so intoxicated she was forbidden from entering one afterparty. She was so drunk that she fell on the sidewalk.

Derek Hough to try acting on "Better With You"
The "Dancing with the Stars" pro will play a dancing instructor.

Happy 89th birthday, Betty White!
And what a year it's been for the former "Golden Girl."

Charlie Sheen spent the weekend back in Vegas
But this time he was hanging with Drew Carey.

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Ricky Gervais uses the Golden Globes to attack Hollywood, then disappears
His "mean-spirited" put-downs of Hollywood royalty, as Robert Downey Jr. put it, apparently led to the "Great Disappearance," where Gervais was unseen for at least an hour. As Caryn James put it, "If you were watching Ricky Gervais host the Golden Globes on Sunday, for the first hour you could tell you were watching a go-for-broke performance that would become —and I‘m not exaggerating – legendary, a benchmark by which other flameout hosting gigs are measured.  In his opening monologue Gervais took on Scientologists and accusations of bribery in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group that hands out the Globes."
Watch Gervais' blistering opening monologue // Don't expect Gervais back
Gervais: "Did I think twice about any of (the jokes)? No I didn't"
Top 10 zingers // Watch Gervais' clips // Gervais thanks God for being an atheist
The TV winners: From Al Pacino to Jane Lynch to Jim Parsons
Watch Chris Colfer's touching acceptance speech // January Jones' dress steals show

Diane Sawyer to interview Gabrielle Giffords' husband
Astronaut Mark Kelly sat down with Sawyers for a special "20/20" airing on Tuesday night.

Report: How Caroline Kennedy "blackmailed" Disney into scrapping "The Kennedys"
According to the New York Post, "Caroline Kennedy had leveled an ultimatum to the companies (behind the miniseries) — dump the reportedly warts- and-all miniseries or lose her cooperation in the planned fall release of never-before-heard conversations with her mother."

Piers Morgan: I'm talking to the White House about a possible Obama interview
Morgan reveals that he recently visited the White House, but didn't meet with the president. "As a big fan of the West Wing TV series, it was just like being in that," he says.

Larry David is "King Kong"
Check out HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Season 8 "New York" promo.

Amber Riley: "Glee" cast expects to sing 2 Justin Bieber songs, including "Baby"
The other? "Somebody to Love." "I think … those are the two songs," she says.

"SNL" mocks "The Cape"
"Get ready for 'The Scarf.'"

See the newest "Game of Thrones" teaser
As shown Sunday on HBO.

Miss America pageant ventriloquist fails to capture the crown
Miss Arkansas' apparently unusual talent helped her climb to 1st runner-up.

Justin Bieber recruits The Situation
The "Jersey Shore" star was invited to shoot a promo for "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," the teen star's upcoming 3-D movie.

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Drunk Pee-wee Herman beats up Anderson Cooper on "SNL"
Watch Pee-wee and Andy Samberg's drunken adventure. Incidentally, Paul Reubens was rejected as an "SNL" cast member in 1980.

Christina Aguilera to sing the Super Bowl National Anthem
It'll be her first appearance at the Super Bowl since performing at the 2000 halftime show.

FX blames "Lights Out's" low ratings on "Teen Mom 2," "The Game," "Tosh.0"
"It's obviously an intensely crowded field," FX president John Landgraf told critics, adding: "Maybe we should have made a show about a zombie or a  sexy vampire who's trying to regain the heavyweight title of the world."

Italy's "Big Brother" removes 3 contestants for blasphemy after the Vatican complains
Swearing by three male contestants — "Damn the Virgin Mary" and "God pig" — infuriated the Catholic Church.

"Rescue Me" will end on 9/6
FX wanted to set the series finale the week of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"No Ordinary Family" nabs a "Battlestar" babe
Tricia Helfer signs up as a guest star.

Illeana Douglas drops out of "Gossip Girl"
Scheduling conflicts have prevented her from playing Lily's sister.

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CBS orders Sarah Michelle Gellar back to TV
The former "Buffy" star, after a failed HBO project, has joined the greenlighted pilot "Ringer," in which  she plays a pair of twin sisters on the run from the mafia.

Marissa Jaret Winokur: I'm leaving "The Talk"
Why? Because she wants to devote time on launching her own cable show and clothing line.

Simon Cowell's "X Factor" accused of begging talented singers to compete
According to The Daily Mail, "While some who attend have applied by queuing up for hours at auditions across the country, others have been 'scouted' by the show's researchers, who almost begged them to appear. Acts which have been invited on tto the show are promised they won't have to queue like the rest of the hoi-polloi — and are given time slots."

"Hannah Montana" ends this weekend without any fanfare
The show that made Miley Cyrus a a star goes out with a whimper on Sunday.

"30 Rock" plans to shoot around Jane Krakowski's pregnancy
"Because," says Tina Fey and exec producer Robert Carlock, "no child should have Jenna Maroney for a mother."

Barney finds his "HIMYM" daddy: John Lithgow
Lithgow is close to signing a deal to play Barney's dad in at least one episode. PLUS: Check out Katy Perry on the "HIMYM" set.

David Duchovny would like to end "Californication" after Season 6
But Duchovny isn't calling for the Showtime series' cancelation, especially after today's Season 5 pickup. PLUS: "Californication" is NOT porn, its creator insists.

"Castle" releases footage of the big kiss
Watch Booth and Brennan finally lock lips.

"Shameless" journeyed from NBC to HBO to Showtime
Before it landed on Showtime, the British remake was "casually at NBC for a while" under Ben Silverman, who brought Britcoms "Coupling" and "The Office" to NBC.

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Michael Scott's "Office" replacement: Dwight, Darryl or Andy?
The race to become "The Office" boss appears to be down to three.

"Real Housewives of Orange County" returns March 6
Lynne Curtin won't be back, but Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Barney, Gretchen Rossi and Alexis Bellino will return — with a Brazilian bisexual personal trainer.

Robert Wagner joins "Charlie's Angels" as Charlie
The 80-year-old Wagner says isn't sure if the new Charlie will use Twitter or cell phones to communicate with the Angels.

"Vampire Diaries" stars film a Funny or Die spoof
Being snowed in in Atlanta for four days forced the cast to make fun of themselves. PLUS: Klaus is coming.

Robert Redford's TNT family drama gets picked up
Redford's foray into TV follows three generations of a Southern family by going back and forth through time.

It's another record-breaking week for "Jersey Shore"
This week's episode topped last week's with 8.6 million.

"Parenthood" lands Michael Emerson for his 1st post-"Lost" gig
He'll play a bug shop owner with Asperger's Syndrome.

Watch a preview of CBS' "Chaos"
The series about rogue CIA agents stars Eric Close, Tim Blake Nelson, Freddy Rodriguez and Kurtwood Smith.

MTV picks up "I Just Want My Pants Back"
Doug Liman is behind the project about a group of early 20-somethings in NYC.

Brenda Strong files for divorce
The "Desperate Housewives" star and her husband, Tom Henri, have been married since 1989.

CW plans "Nikita" changes
Look for Alex to team with Nikita out in the field later this season.

Eliot Ness' "The Untouchables" right-hand man dies
Actor Paul Picerni, who starred on the early '60s ABC series as Agent Lee Hobson died Friday at age 88.

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Coming to "SNL": Dana Carvey, Nicki Minaj, Jesse Eisenberg
Carvey will return to "Saturday Night Live" to host for the 4th time (he last hosted in October 2000), joined by Linkin Park, on Feb. 5. Eisenberg will host on Jan. 29 with musical guest Nicki Minaj.

There's a lot of life left in "Dexter," says Showtime boss
"Dexter," Showtime's David Nevins points out, "was up up 11 percent in its 5th season which defies the usual ratings decline. The audience is still coming to it, and it's not a plot driven show." Nevins expects to renew "Dexter" after next season.

Showtime renews "Californication," announces "Tara" and "Jackie" premiere dates
"The United States of Tara" and "Nurse Jackie"  will be back March 28, while "The Borgias" launches on April 3.

Fox bringing back the Super Bowl celebrity red carpet — without Ryan Seacrest
Michael Strahan and Maria Menounos will greet celebrities on Fox's Super Bowl pregame red carpet at the Dallas Cowboys stadium. They replace Seacrest, who hosted the first-ever Super Bowl red carpet when Fox last aired the Super Bowl, in 2008.

TV One renews Trump's "Ultimate Merger" — without Omarosa
For Season 2, "Celebrity Fit Club" and "America's Top Model" alum Toccara will replace Omarosa as the bachelorette looking for Mr. Right.

Showtime: "The Kennedys" didn't feel "Showtime" enough
"What it really came down to was that it didn't feel Showtime. It didn't feel like premium cable," says Showtime boss David Nevins. "I have great respect and love for ('Kennedys' producer) Joel Surnow. He’s got a great cast. It didn't fundamentally feel us. My vow coming in was to focus on renewable resources and series are renewable resources." UPDATE: DirecTV in talks to show "The Kennedys."

Showtime orders San Francisco Giants reality show
Major League Baseball will produce the baseball project, but Showtime's boss expects an "honest story" to be told about the World Series champs.

CBS expects "Big Bang Theory" to do "okay" vs. "American Idol"
"'Idol' is 'Idol,' it's a force of nature," says CBS entertainment boss Nina Tassler. "It's a powerhouse. The good thing is Big Bang is a super star and we're thrilled with how well it's done on Thursday."

At last, watch Gwyneth Paltrow's "SNL" promos
With Cee Lo Green and Jason Sudeikis.

"SportsDome" beats "SportsCenter"
The Onion's Comedy Central parody pulled in 1.5 million viewers on Monday, compared to 900,000 that same night for "SportsCenter," according to the Sports Business Journal.

Courteney Cox: "Thank God" for "Cougar Town"
"Thank God for the show," Cox says of the escapism work provides from her marriage problems. "There have been times when (Executive Producer) Bill [Lawrence) has said, 'Are you all right? Do you need to take a break?' And I’m like, 'Are you kidding? This is my saving grace.'" PLUS: Cox jokes that there are no "Cougar" rehab plans.

Report: "Dancing" targeting Lorenzo Lamas and Donna D'Errico
Lamas, the former star of ABC's "Are You Hot?" and dad to "Bachelor" winner Shayne Lamas, is in negotiations with the show, according to TMZ. So is ex-"Baywatch" babe Donna D'Errico.

"30 Rock" accountant accused of stealing $13,000 from the show
Matthew Rudolph has been charged with 22 counts of larceny, falsifying business records and criminal possession of a forged instrument. His lawyer says he's innocent.

Will "Big Love's" final season suffer from the success of "Sister Wives"?
Season 5 follows the Henricksons as they live out in the open. Problem is TLC's "Sister Wives" has already been there, done that. As Linda Stasi notes, "If you're a fan of 'Big Love,' you're going to have to pretend that 'Sister Wives' never happened -- or this season's 'Big Love' just won't make sense because most of it hinges on the horror wrought by their public exposure."
It feels less ripped from headlines // Producers seem to have listened to criticism
Season 5 address sexism, voyeurism that's always been at its center
Chloe Sevigny: Season 5 is a "hard blow" because we thought we'd get 6 seasons

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Ricky Gervais: NBC "banned" my Golden Globes Hitler opening

CBS sees many more years of "CSI:NY" and "CSI: Miami"

Howard Stern is impressed by Piers Morgan's interviewing skills

CBS hasn't given up on a John Mayer variety show

Donald Rumsfeld turned down "The Good Wife"

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

CBS: "We have a high level of concern" about Charlie Sheen
CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler was asked this morning about the "Two and a Half Men" star's recent problems. "I personally have thought a lot about this," she told TV critics. "We have a high level of concern; how could we not? On a basic human level, this man is a father, he has children he has family."

CBS boss talks Mark Harmon's "NCIS" future, and hints at a "Criminal Minds" shakeup
Entertainment president Nina Tassler expects Harmon to return, and "Flashpoint" to be back this summer. Of "Criminal Minds," she says: "Across the board there are discussions about cast members. It is the nature of the creative evolution of any show."

MTV "From G's to Gents" contestant charged with murder
Baron "Dirty" Colon, a finalist on the MTV reality show, is being accused of a January 2006 murder and burglary. Police say that Colon was a suspect in the case even as he began competing on the reality show in 2009.

"Greek" episode will tackle the Morning-After Pill
The ABC Family show's creator consulted with the network as well as nonprofit groups in preparation for the controversial 6th episode of the season.

Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross each want a "Desperate" raise
Teri Hatcher has already signed a new contract, but her three main co-stars — and their contract demands — are standing in the way of a renewal for Season 8.

"Off the Map" picks up an additional 6 million viewers on Thursday
ABC reran the pilot episode Thursday because of Obama's Tucson speech Wednesday night.

Bill Engvall to host a revived "Lingo" on GSN
"Lingo" was originally hosted by Chuck Woolery in 2002.

Watch "Raising Hope" beg for a Golden Globe
"Don't suck up to these a–holes!"

NFL Network stars turn into adolescents over the word "Woodcock"
Joe Theisman was supposed to say "Dannny Woodhead," but he made an innocent slip-up.

"Parenthood" bringing back Jason Ritter
Lauren Graham's character's former love interest will appear in a few scenes this spring.

Check out the "Celebrity Apprentice" cast, in pictures
This year's batch includes Jose Canseco, LaToya Jackson, David Cassidy, Richard Hatch, Meat Loaf and Mark McGrath. PLUS: Trump says he rejected Lindsay Lohan.

Oprah will give the Octomom a financial makeover
With the help of Suze Orman.

Watch Michael Gondry direct a surreal "Jimmy Kimmel Live"
The "Green Lantern" director is Kimmel's 3rd guest-director, following in the footsteps of J.J. Abrams and Quentin Tarantino. (Watch Part 2 and Part 3)

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Steve Carell will depart "The Office" in late April
Michael Scott will leave Dunder Mifflin weeks before the season finale so that viewers will get used to "The Office" life without him, according to exec producer Greg Daniels.

David E. Kelley isn't optimistic about "Harry's Law"
The former TV kingpin's children begged him not to do another legal drama. But Kelley couldn't resist, and now he's facing an uphill battle in a terrible NBC timeslot. We're not kidding ourselves, we know this will be tough sledding," he says. "It's a very tough timeslot and it's not conventional and we have a 60-year-old lead."

"Six Feet Under's" Lauren Ambrose joins "Torchwood"
She'll appear in seven episode as a "sweet-talking PR genius."

Oprah Winfrey Network acquires "Becoming Chaz" featuring Chastity Bono
The documentary follows Cher's daughter as she transforms into Cher's son.

ABC orders Carrie Ann Inaba's dance drama, plus a female detective series
"Dancing with the Stars" judge Inaba is trying producing with "Grace," which follows a dysfunctional family in the professional dance world. ABC has also bought a pilot from "Criminal Minds" producer Ed Bernero, which follows two female police detectives.

Camille Grammer meets Kelsey's fiancée
"It was uncomfortable. And Kelsey looked shocked!" says Camille, who's trying to postpone her divorce from Kelsey.

"Community" will devote an episode to Dungeons & Dragons
"They’re just sitting at a table playing," creator Dan Harmon says, differentiating it from the paintball episode. "But it’s stylized to make it interesting and people are going to like it a lot."

Cincinnati's mayor becoming an "Undercover Boss"
Mayor Mark Mallory, who's famous for throwing one of the worst pitches ever, is sparking controversy in Cincinnati by agreeing to appear on the CBS reality show.

Donald Trump handicaps, reveals his "Celebrity Apprentice" cast
Watch him go through all 16 on Jimmy Fallon.

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Poll: Mark Harmon is the most popular TV star, edging out Oprah
A new Harris Poll of the public has Harmon surging from No. 8 last year to No. 1, displacing last year's No. 1, Oprah Winfrey, who now has to share No. 2 with Hugh Laurie. Conan O'Brien was ranked No. 4, while Jon Stewart and Charlie Sheen are tied for No. 5. Ellen DeGeneres is No. 7, Bill O'Reilly No. 8, David Letterman No. 9 and Steve Carell No. 10.

"The Kennedys" now being shopped to AMC and the new Epix channel
As of this afternoon, the canceled History channel miniseries has yet to find an American cable home.

Kara DioGuardi refuses to talk about "Idol" — you'll have to buy her book
While promoting her new Bravo reality show "Platinum Hit," DioGuardi was booed for dodging questions about her former show, adding that all will be revealed in her new book "Helluva High Note: Surviving Life," due out April 26.

Justin Bieber taken to the hospital from the "CSI" set
The 16-year-old teen sensation reportedly had an allergic reaction, and was treated at the hospital for 30 minutes.

Bravo: We're not doing a "Real Gay Housewives"
Countering a report last month of a rival to Logo's "The A-List," Bravo exec Frances Berwick says: "It would not be wildly outside of our milieu to do something that focused specifically on gay characters. But as to doing 'Real Gay Housewives,' we're not going there. Or something like The A-list, although I never saw a full episode, we wouldn’t do that."

Carson Daly may host "The Voice"
The "Last Call" host could become NBC's Ryan Seacrest, hosting Mark Burnett's new singing competition.

Ryan Murphy signs up for Oxygen's "Glee Project" reality show
Murphy wasn't supposed to be part of the spinoff, but now he's fully committed. More than 40,000 auditioned for the "Glee Project," but only contestants 18 and older and high school age-looking can earn a spot on the show.

Kathy Bates: I'll be back on "The Office" this spring
She says that "Harry's Law" has wrapped, freeing her to film "a couple more episodes."

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Pac-Man: The reality show?
Merv Griffin Entertainment is looking to make a Pac-Man reality show that's a "big, crazy Wipeout-type event with a lot of energy."

Matt LeBlanc: I made "F**k you money" on "Friends"
"You know there's that saying that you make your f*** you money in Hollywood? I made that," LeBlanc tells Details. "My daughter's education is paid for. Her grandchildren's education is paid for. My mother's house is paid off. My father's house is paid off. My house is paid off … I come from a blue-collar background, and there's nothing in my upbringing that prepares you for that."

Jerry Rice to co-host a "Catch" game show on NBC
The "Dancing with the Stars"/NFL Hall of Famer will co-host a game show in which contestants play a complex version of "Catch."

Gwyneth Paltrow turns up on the "SNL" set after being delayed in London
She and Cee Lo Green look like they're ready for Saturday night.

Oxygen reality show will capture Paris Hilton as she turns 30
"The World According to Paris" will follow Paris when she turns  the Big 3-0, which will happen on Feb. 17.

Letterman asks Kelsey Grammer about his divorce
Grammer would only say that he's planning to marry "my new girl" Kayte Walsh in February. PLUS: Camille is trying to slow down her divorce.

JWoww offers a peek at her new advice book
The official title for the book, due out Feb. 8: "The Rules According to JWOWW: Shore-Tested Secrets on Landing a Mint Guy, Staying Fresh to Death, and Kicking the Competition to the Curb." PLUS: DJ Pauly inks T-shirt deal.

Charlie Sheen returns to the "Two and a Half Men" set
His assistant drove him to work today after he missed yesterday with a ear problem.

"90210" hooks up Teddy with "Smallvile's" Aquaman
Freddie Smith will play Teddy's new beau, Marco.

"Touched by an Angel" star John Dye is dead at 47
Dye, who died Monday of a heart attack, played Andrew, the "Angel of Death" on the CBS series.

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IBM computer defeats "Jeopardy!" all-stars in a warmup match
Today is the historic battle between IBM supercomputer Watson and "Jeopardy!" alums Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter.

"Charlie's Angels" gets ABC greenlight to make a pilot
Ex-"Smallville" masterminds Miles Millar and Al Gough will now proceed to cast the remake of the '70s classic.

Obama's Arizona speech causes mass network rescheduling
"Off the Map" will get an encore tonight, while last night's 2-hour "Human Target" will be broadcast on Friday. Other shows affected by the speech include "Better With You," "Cougar Town" and "Chase."

USA to air a 9/11-themed film on the 10th anniversery of the World Trade Center attacks
"The Space Between," starring Melissa Leo as a flight attendant whose plane is grounded in Texas on the morning of 9/11, will be shown on the night of Sept. 11.

HBO planning a "Garfunkel and Oates" comedy series
Riki "Garfunkel" Lindhome and Kate "Oates" Micucci are developing a TV show based on their hit musical comedy group, "Garfunkel and Oates."

Bravo announces 2011 plans: Jewel & Kara DioGuardi, "Pregnant in Heels"
Jewel and Kara's songwriter reality show "Platinum Hit" will premiere this summer, while Bravo has also lined up "Million Dollar Decorators" and "Pregnant in Heels" for April, and "Rocco's Dinner Party" for later this year. Bravo also will air a one-off Donny Deutsch "Love Calling" special in which he dispenses love advice. PLUS: Bravo has renewed "Flipping Out," "The Rachel Zoe Project," "Work of Art," and "Bethenny Ever After."

"Top Chef Masters" gets a new host: Aussie chef Curtis Stone
Curtis replaces Kelly Choi.

In defense of NBC
Sure, the Peacock is always the butt of jokes. But what other networks would've stuck with "Chuck," "Community," "Friday Night Lights" and "Parks and Recreation"?

Is "Survivor" jumping the shark with Russell & Boston Rob's return?
Why it's a bad idea to let them "hijack another season.

Amber Tamblyn leaving "House"
Tamblyn is opting to leave the series this spring. "I wish she was sticking around, because she's wonderful," says "House" creator David Shore.

Police respond after man smashes photo of A.C. Slater from "Saved by the Bell"
A Chicago bar that had A.C. Slater's photo hung up above a urinal had to call the cops when a man smashed it on the floor. "I jusdt don't like Slater," the man said before departing prior to the cops arriving.

Martha Stewart's bulldog hits her in the face, sending her to the emergency room
"I must have startled her," Martha says of her bulldog Francesca, "because she bolted upright with such force that she hit me in the face like a boxing glove hitting an opponent’s face." As a result, she had to see a plastic surgeon.

"Glee" boss Ryan Murphy's inspires movie character played Eddie Izzard
In "Every Day," Izzard plays the self-obsessed boss of a "Nip/Tuck"-like show (which Murphy also created). The movie is written by a former "Nip/Tuck" writer who informed Murphy about the project beforehand.

Jimmy Kimmel hosts a gathering of TV's funny women
Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Alyson Hannigan, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele and Martha Plimpton traded war stories last night during a Twentieth Century Fox panel. PLUS: Hannigan slams Jay Leno for his pre-interviews.

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"Off the Map" has a weak debut on Obama-disrupted night // ABC will rerun "Map" tonight

Where's the outrage over "The Kennedys'" cancelation? Is there "liberal media bias"?

Howard Stern's "Howard TV" renewed for at least 5 more years

Dita Von Teese: "CSI" forced me to cover up my "offensive cleavage"

"Southland," racist?: Why are so many Latinos, blacks being arrested?

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

Jeff Probst: "Survivor" fans won't be sick of Russell for 3rd time in 2 years
"I'm not concerned at all about any Russell fatigue — that people have had too much,” says Jeff Probst. "If you've had too much of Russell, I dare say you're not really a Survivor fan. He embodies Survivor. He's polarizing. You hate him or you love him." Probst also says that Boston rob could win, but Russell will never win. PLUS: Russell says "This is what god made me for," while Boston Rob says "I'm gonna kick his a**, I'm gonna make him pay."

"Prison Break's" Dominic Purcell may become a "Spartacus" gladiator
Will the 40-year-old Australian actor replace Andy Whitfield?

A Latina "View"?
"Extra" is quietly working on a "View"-like show called "Chit Chat" that would star George Lopez's ex-wife, Ann Lopez, and his sitcom wife, Constance Marie.

Parents TV Council calls "Skins" the "most dangerous show for teens"
As expected, PTC president Tim Winter is outraged ahead of Monday's premiere: "The marketing campaign itself makes light of lying to parents and participating in all manner of harmful, irresponsible, illegal and adult-themed behavior."

"Modern Family's" 3 kids were born in 1998, yet they're in separate grades
During their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel last night, it was revealed that Nolan Gould, born in October 1998, is a "super genius" who is in the 9th grade. Ariel Winter, born in January 1998, is in 7th grade. And Rico Rodriguez, born in July 1998, is in 6th grade. PLUS: Watch them "swagger."

Harrison Ford boycotting "Piers Morgan Tonight"
"He's promoting his show largely by professing to be looking for the truth from his subjects," Ford said while promoting "Indiana Jones. "So I shall have nothing to do with him."

Oprah will acknowledge the Australian floods during her Aussie shows next week
The "Oprah" show has been monitoring the Queensland floods closely as it preps to roll out four episodes devoted to Australia next Tuesday through Friday.

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It's official: Boston Rob & Russell Hantz will be back on "Survivor"
CBS says of their casting on "Redemption Island": "They will each join a separate tribe of all new castaways at the start of the game, but it is the tribe who will ultimately decide if they will welcome the knowledge of an experienced veteran, or view these former castaways as a threat."

NBC puts "The Rockford Files" remake on hold
"House" commitments is keeping exec producer David Shore from writing a new "Rockford" script, which means the remake is scrapped for at least next season.

Nicollette Sheridan drops part of her "Desperate Housewives" lawsuit
The wrongful termination suit continues, but Sheridan is dropping her claims of discrimination and harassment based on sex, age and sexual orientation against Marc Cherry, the show and ABC.

Justin Bieber will present at the Golden Globes
The teen pop sensation joins a prestigious lineup of actors and actresses presenting at this year's Globes.

"Law & Order: L.A." transforms Alfred Molina into a police detective
Following the shakeup of three actors departing the show, Terrence Howard will become the sole Deputy District Attorney as Molina's character, suddenly, decides to move to the police force.

Report: Ear infection prevented Charlie Sheen from working today
After taking the day off due to illness, Sheen is expected on the set of "Two and a Half Men" on Thursday.

Fox boss endorses Cheryl Cole as "X Factor" judge
Fox chairman Peter Rice says of Cole — the British "X Factor" judge who's dating "Dancing's" Derek Hough — "If Cheryl was to be on the show, I think she’s proved that she’s a terrific judge."

Fox orders "I Hate My Teenage Daughter"
The multicamera sitcom follows two mom who have daughters who are just like the girls who picked on them in high school.

Nick Stahl joins "Locke & Key"
The Fox series will be Stahl's first major TV role since HBO's "Carnivale."

Watch a preview of "Hogs Gone Wild"
Is the Discovery Channel show, debuting Sunday, the most ridiculous reality show yet?

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A "Dynasty" movie prequel is in the works
The planned film will be set in the 1960s. According to E!, "The story will focus on Blake's discovery that he's heir to the Carrington empire and his love affair with Alexis."

ABC begins airing "promercials"
"Promercials" is the new term for ads that promote TV shows with product placements. For example, "Cougar Town" ads last week ended with the words "unbelievably satisfying, like Diet Dr Pepper."

"Lights Out" debuts to disappointing ratings
Just 1.5 million tuned in to watch the boxing drama, which is low for the FX network.

San Francisco Giants may star in a Showtime "Hard Knocks"-type reality show
The producer of ESPN's "Bonds on Bonds" is in talks to go behind the scenes of the World Series champions.

"Glee's" Super Bowl episode is its most expensive — requiring 2 ambulances
Intricate pyrotechnics made the Super Bowl episode very costly. "It's by far the most expensive episode we've ever done," says Chris Colfer. "There was one scene where they were filming and they had two ambulances on standby, which is two more ambulances than they usually have. It's a big one."

Alyson Hannigan would "crap on" a Joss Whedon-less "Buffy" movie
"A 'Buffy' movie without Joss, I would crap on that," says Hannigan. "Joss was Buffy."

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Showtime turns down "The Kennedys"
The pay cable network was considered the best shot for airing the canceled History channel series.

ABC, CBS, NBC will interrupt primetime for Obama's remarks at Tucson memorial
The memorial service airs tonight at 8 pm ET. As a result, CBS is shifting Paula Abdul's "Live to Dance" to 9 o'clock.