April 2011

Rep denies Regis Philbin is shopping his own talk show

After one month behind bars, "The Wire's" Snoop freed on bail

Check out pics of "Family Ties" and "Facts of Life" reunions at TV Land Awards

"House" celebrates 150 episodes — Producer: "I fully expect there to be a Season 8"

Man gets probation for shooting his TV over Bristol Palin

[Click to read the rest of Odds & Ends]

Steve Carell's "Office" farewell will run 50 minutes
The April 28 episode will air from 9:00 to 9:50, which means that "Parks and Rec" will also be super-sized to 40 minutes that night. "30 Rock" will follow at 10:30.

ABC launches a website for "Castle," the author
Introducing RichardCastle.net.

TV Land taps Cedric the Entertainer for a potential "Hot in Cleveland" spinoff
He'll guest-star as a minister, a role that could lead to a spinoff from the hit TV Land series.

Katie Couric returning to "Today" this week
She'll promote her new book, "The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives," on Wednesday amid speculation that she and Matt Lauer are reuniting for a daytime talk show. PLUS: Could Chris Cuomo replace Lauer?

USA will air 8 scripted shows this summer
"Suits" and "Necessary Roughness" will join a lineup that includes "White Collar," "Covert Affairs," "Burn Notice," "In Plain Sight," "Law & Order: CI" and "Royal Pains."

Michael J. Fox backs Charlie Sheen
Fox says of his "Spin City" replacement: "Charlie Sheen should go back to work and they should let him go back to work and he should do his job. He's a talented man and a good guy and I'd like to see him go back."

Regis Philbin is set to star in a TV special from producer Kelly Ripa
Ripa and hubby Mark Consuelos are producing a special that would showcase Reege as a storyteller.

Randy Quaid may open for Charlie Sheen in Canada
"I think it’d be a hoot," says Quaid, now a refugee from the law in Canada.

"Welcome Back, Kotter" cast has a "GMA" reunion
Even John Travolta showed up for the reunion, which comes a day after the cast reunited for the TV Land Awards.

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Katie Couric & Matt Lauer may reunite for a daytime talk show
Former NBC president Jeff Zucker, who ran "Today" overseeing Matt and Katie, may also reteam with the duo for a syndicated talk show.

Report: Regis Philbin wants his own daytime talk show
The soon-to-be 80-year-old Philbin is in talks, according to Page Six, to star in a newsier version of "Regis & Kelly."

Nigel Lythgoe: Pia Toscano was never an "Idol" frontrunner
"I know the (voting) results, so I know she was never a frontrunner," he says. "The fact of the matter is, it appears that Pia didn't connect with the audience the way we maybe think she did." PLUS: Does Pia have a record deal?, and how Pia pursued Mark Ballas, and Jason Castro is becoming a daddy.

Inaugural Reality Rocks Expo bombs
Few reality TV fans bothered to show up for the L.A. convention that aspires to be a reality version of Comic-Con.

Tina Fey: Alec Baldwin is not leaving "30 Rock"
"Him saying he’s officially done is the first indication that he’s staying," Fey said while promoting her book "Bossypants" over the weekend.

Charlie Sheen rebounds, again, in Connecticut and NYC
After bombing again on Friday night, Sheen won the crowd over in Connecticut Saturday and back at Radio City Music Hall Sunday, where James Lipton asked his favorite curse word. PLUS: Jon Cryer in NYC is too busy for Sheen.

Danny Glover signs on for a "Leverage" cameo
Not only will he guest-star, but Glover will actually narrate his episode.

"Sister Wives" baby is on the way
Kody Brown and his 4th wife are expecting a baby in October.

"SNL" sends up "The Kennedys" with "The Roosevelts"
"We take down another Democratic dynasty."

"Glee" and "Modern Family" tie for GLAAD Award
Both on the best comedy award for their portrayal of gay and lesbian characters.

"Partridge Family" reunion: David Cassidy & David Bonaduce sing together
Their performance in Atlantic City (watch here) was only the 2nd time in 40 years they've performed together on stage.

Happy 85th birthday, Hugh Hefner!
Hef's 85th year is poised to be a big one, with an engagement to a "Girl Next Door" and the potential of a "Playboy" TV show on NBC.

"Boardwalk Empire" star to play Superman villain
Michael Shannon is joining Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" as General Zod.

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Sidney Lumet, TV-influenced movie director, is dead at 86
Before "Network," "Dog Day Afternoon" and " "12 Angry Men," Lumet honed his skills as a prolific director of live TV in the 1950s, including "The Iceman Cometh" with Jason Robards and a TV version of "12 Angry Men." Lumet, whose last TV show was the 2001 series "100 Center Street" for A&E, was part of a "new generation of television-nurtured talent" that brought their TV eye to the big screen.

Pia Toscana goes on a date with a "Dancing" star — and gets a hug from Paula
Mark Ballas, whose show is neighbors with "American Idol," took Pia out for dinner last night. After their date, they ran into Paula Abdul, who quickly gave Pia a hug.

"The Bachelorette" filming in Hong Kong
Chris Harrison this morning tweeted a view of "my office" in Asia.

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In New York City, Charlie Sheen bombs again
Friday's Radio City Music Hall crowd was much tougher on Sheen, heckling him through much of the show. They greeted him with a standing ovation and booed him off-stage, 30 minutes early. "I've had better conversations with crackheads in the Tombs," said one concertgoer. PLUS: Betty White blasts Sheen.

Report: Obama won't get Oprah's support in 2012
Oprah Winfrey doesn't want to polarize her cable TV audience by publicly endorsing a candidate during next year's election.

"Jersey Shore" gang will make at least $100,000 an episode for Season 4
The "Shore" cast has come along way. It was just a year ago that they were demanding $10,000 an episode

"House" won't be making the leap to NBC
If Fox can't come up with a deal for a new "House" season, a clause in "House's" contract prevents NBC Universal from shopping the show to any network it owns. So "House" could end up on any non-NBC network like CBS or ABC.

Adult Swim picks up Bob Odenkirk's live-action comedy
Odenkirk will star in "Regal Productions," a comedy he created about a strip mall videotaping business.

Amber Tamblyn to play a teacher on Fox
She's teaming with "House's" Katie Jacobs and "The Wire's" Edward Burns on a public education drama.

Tina Fey will indeed host "SNL" while pregnant
May 7 will mark her 3rd time hosting. She last hosted in April of last year.

Claire Forlani joins "NCIS: Los Angeles"
Will she replace Hetty as the new operations manager?

Is Emmy Rossum dating her "Shameless" co-star?
She and Tyler Jacob Moore have reportedly gone out on a few real-life dates.

"Entourage" guys may become co-owners of the New York Mets
Kevin Connolly and Kevin Dillon are joining creator Doug Ellin is attempting to own a piece of the Major League Baseball team. PLUS: Jeremy Piven ticketed during a live interview.

Don Johnson's pilot stars "Leave Britney Alone" sensation and a drag queen
NBC's hairdresser series "A Mann's World" stars Chris Crocker and Shangela from "Ru Paul's Drag Race."

ABC did approve of Karina Smirnoff posing for Playboy
In fact, Karina shot her nude photos before the season began, and before she was hooked up with Ralph Macchio.

Why Pia deserved the boot: She was a "robo-Idol"
Pia Toscano, says Ken Tucker, "was a perfect example of what has long made 'Idol' so prone to vapid tedium: With her emphasis on hitting the 'perfect' note, her excessive emotionalism, and her clueless phrasing, Toscano was an ideal robo-'Idol' contestant, custom-designed to fit the aesthetic of this show — as it existed a few years ago." PLUS: Pia says, "So many doors are gonna open for me. They already have."

"The Judds" arrives without much music
The Oprah Winfrey Network reality show, debuting Sunday, follows Naomi and Wynonna as they struggle to create a farewell tour.

Spike TV's "Coal" leads to mining citations
The Mine Safety and Health Administration found two mining violations in the season premiere.

"Six Feet Under": A cure for depression?
How one person found solace in the Alan Ball HBO series.

John Oliver describes "The Daily Show" as a "sausage factory"
"It's hard to feel it’s not some anti-British agenda," he says of his "Daily Show" job. "Yeah, so I’m either writing headlines or working on field pieces. I can get sent away with almost no notice. There's no fireman’s pole, and it’s not like the Batcave."

Norm Macdonald will "normcast" the Masters
In preparation for his new Comedy Central sports show, Macdonald promises something "supercool" on Sunday.

Watch another clip from HBO's "Talking Funny"
Featuring Ricky Gervais' over-the-top laugh.

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A medic had to escort Pia off the "Idol" stage
"I wasn't feeling so good," she says of last night's results show, adding: "I was really emotional, sad. It's scary being up there. You lose years off your life. Oh my God, its' terrifying. It was a hard night for me."

Katherine Heigl returning to TV with an HBO movie project
The former "Grey's Anatomy" star will produce and star in a TV movie based on the book "The Knitting Circle."

Gary Busey recounts Meat Loaf's "Celeb Apprentice" blowup
Watch Busey's Meat Loaf impression on Jay Leno's show.

truTV gets Hulk Hogan to coach little people wrestlers
The Hulkster will train them for the new reality show "Micro Wrestling."

Mark Feuerstein get a "Royal Pains" raise
His salary for Season 3 will go from $70,000 an episode to somewhere between $140,000 and $160,000 an episode.

Jeff Probst in 2033
Check out the "Survivor" host's future reality TV show.

New Jersey politico wants to sponsor "anti-Snooki" legislation
State Sen. Joe Kyrillos says student money shouldn't have been used to pay for the "Jersey Shore" star's speaking fees.

"Real Housewives of NJ" star Dina Manzo gets her own HGTV show
Her event planning company will star in "Dina's Party."

NBC News takes on Donald Trump
After NBC and Meredith Vieria were accused Thursday of sponsoring Trump's birther claims against President Obama, "NBC Nightly News" sent investigative reporter Lisa Myers to fact-check his claims. PLUS: Bill Cosby slams Trump.

Elmo struggles to impress Sofia Vergara
Watch Vergara's cameo on "Sesame Street."

"How To Make It In America" recruits a pair of HBO stars
"Treme's" Jason Ransome and Mike Zegen, "Boardwalk Empire's" Bugsy Seigel, have landed recurring roles on the HBO series.

Alec Baldwin vs. John Krasinski
Watch the NBC Thursday stars trash-talk Yankees vs. Red Sox for a new ad.

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Tina Fey's pregnancy won't be part of "30 Rock"
In fact, the pregnancy isn't expected to postpone next season.

Report: Matt Lauer wants $25 million/year to stay on "Today"
Is all the talk of Lauer leaving just a well-timed negotiating ploy? UPDATE: NBC denies Lauer wants $25M/year.

Chuck Lorre stops using his vanity card to comment on Charlie Sheen
"My lawyer ate my vanity card," read last night's "Big Bang Theory" vanity card. PLUS: Lorre is profiting from Sheen's tour, thanks to the "Two and a Half Men" theme.

Drea de Matteo welcomes a baby boy
Dad Shooter Jennings announced the birth of their son Waylon Albert 'Blackjack' Jennings on Twitter.

Julianne Hough and Jesse McCartney are latest to audition for "The X Factor"
Will Simon Cowell hire Ryan Seacrest's girlfriend? PLUS: Gloria Estefan says she's not going to be an "X Factor" judge.

Michaele Salahi: "Real Housewives of D.C." couldn't go on without me
"The other women didn't want me back on the show, and Andy (Cohen) stood his ground and said there wouldn't be a show without me on it," she says of the show's cancelation. "I'm grateful to him for that."

Sean Bean joins ABC's "Missing"
"The Lord of the Rings" star will play Ashley Judd's husband in the series about a single mom whose son disappears in Europe.

Watch Will Ferrell's "Office" debut
Presenting two new clips of the new boss.

HBO renews "The Ricky Gervais Show"
The animated comedy will return for a 3rd season. PLUS: Skinny Gervais looks like he's wasting away.

Joe Namath's life will become an HBO documentary
The New York Jets Hall of Famer was last seen on HBO last summer, when he briefly appeared on "Hard Knocks."

Guy Fieri replaces stolen Lamborghini with a "bitchin' Camaro"
His new car: a bright yellow convertible.

Conan "apologizes" for hijacking his Facebook followers' news feed
Not everybody appreciated his "100 nuggets of pure gold." PLUS: Conan recalls gang members beating him up as a kid, and breaking his nose.

Watch Helen Mirren's newest "SNL" promos
Featuring Andy Samberg and musical guests, The Foo Fighters.

Jon Stewart buries Glenn Beck
Watch last night's satirical "Daily Show" send-off.

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Why Pia was booted: Blame "Idol's" gender problem and a lack of Simon
Pia Toscano's exit goes with the "Idol" trend of the past few years that favors men over women. When was the last time a female won "Idol"? Another factor is the lack of a judge like Simon Cowell, who would really critique and scare the "Idols." As Alan Sepinwall notes, " Simon would not have tolerated Pia's long run of technically-proficient but mind-numbingly similar ballads, nor would he have treated Wednesday night's performance of 'River Deep, Mountain High' like some brave journey out of Pia's ballad box, when (once you factor out the idea that Pia is capable of movement) it wasn't markedly different from any of her previous vocals. The judges let Pia coast for a long time, which made Pia and her fans complacent, and which led to this."
Does "Idol" have a woman problem? // Should "Idol" protect the remaining 2 girls?
5 reasons why Pia left: Girls don't like girls, presumptive winner syndrome…
Tom Hanks, Alyssa Milano, Ashton Kutcher express outrage on Twitter
J.Lo tries to explain Pia's ouster // Iggy Pop shocks // Pia speaks
Let's face it: Pia was boring and lackluster — with a great singing voice
Next week: "Idol" tackles songs from the movies

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"Jersey Shore" cast on board for Season 4
The entire cast has signed their contracts, and MTV will begin shooting in Italy in May.

Bravo cancels its first "Real Housewives"
"The Real Housewives of D.C." today became the first "Housewives" franchise not to be renewed for a 2nd season.

Simon Cowell says he's considering Fergie for "X Factor" — and Gloria Estefan?
Cowell confirmed Fergie as one of the names, but Estefan may have put her name in the running by showing up unexpectedly at today's Miami auditions.

What will "The League" do if there's no NFL this fall?
Producers may have to do a "League Something Else."

"Smallville" will use the original "Superman" movie music
CW is reviving John Williams' classic score to promote the final episodes.

FX buys "HIMYM" reruns
FX will become the 2nd network to air "How I Met Your Mother" reruns, after Lifetime.

"Lights Out" hopes to be saved by another cable network
"People express 'maybe' kind of interest," says creator Warren Leight.

"Ugly Americans" gets a video game
MTV has created a division to release video games based on Comedy Central and Spike TV shows.

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MTV greenlights 2 "Jersey Shore" spinoffs
Pauly D's DJing and Snooki & JWoww's adventures will be part of "fun, fresh" new shows coming to MTV in 2012.

Showtime picks up 2 shows: "Homeland" and "House of Lies"
CIA thriller "Homeland" stars Claire Danes, Damien Lewis and Mandy Patinkin, while Kristen Bell and Don Cheadle star in management consulting comedy "House of Lies."

NBC Universal changes Sleuth's name to "Cloo"
The crime-and-mystery focus will stay the same, but the new Cloo TV — instead of "Clue TV" — is part of NBC Universal's attempt to be in complete control of the brand.

Is "Idol" addicted to will.i.am?
The Black Eyed Peas star has become a mainstay on "American Idol" with his 3rd consecutive appearance on the show. PLUS: Scotty was most impressive on a weird night where everybody was touchy-feely. PLUS: Russell Brand to advise contestants, Ryan Seacrest is on the master cleanse diet, and are "Idols" hooking up with "Twilight" stars?

"Breaking In" boasts big ratings, thanks to "Idol"
The once passed-over Christian Slater comedy scored 9.9 million viewers, the highest ratings for a Fox comedy in three years. Meanwhile, "Mr. Sunshine" and "Off the Map"
ended their first seasons with not-so-great ratings.

"The X Factor" creates a state-of-the-art audition booth for singers in smaller cities
At least six cities will allow aspiring "X Factor" contestants to audition without any judges.

Danny McBride is becoming a dad
"I got married last October. I wasted zero time – three months later I knocked my wife up," says the "Eastbound and Down" star.

ABC may put the kibosh on Karina Smirnoff posing for Playboy
Karina getting naked may not fit in with the wholesome image of "Dancing with the Stars," even though one of the "stars" is Playboy's Kendra.

HGTV to publish a magazine
HGTV Magazine debuts in the fall, featuring the cable channel's stars offering lifestyle tips.

Fox renews "Bob's Burgers"
The animated comedy will be back for Season 2.

Lady Gaga wants a "Modern Family" cameo
Nothing has happened yet, but Jesse Tyler Ferguson reveals that an upcoming "Modern" storyline will revolve Mitchell going to a Gaga concert.

Forbes' 15 richest fictional characters include Chuck Bass and Jed Clampett
Richie Rich, "The Office's" Jo Bennett and C. Montgomery Burns also made Forbes' annual list.

2 suspects arrested for killing DJ Megatron
Police say the BET star was stalked before he was shot to death.

"30 Rock's" Katrina Bowden voted the sexiest woman alive
GQ readers crowned Liz Lemon's assistant over reigning champion Brooklyn Decker.

For $2,500 a night, you can stay in the "Jersey Shore" house
The Seaside home is available for rent, sans hot tub deck.

Melinda Clarke jumped at the chance to return to "CSI" for a 6th time
"Am I a corpse?" she asked when first approached to return as dominatrix Lady Heather for tonight's episode.

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Robert Sean Leonard may leave "House"
With no contract for next season, he says, "This is my last season of 'House'" — though he's open to coming back.

"My So-Called Life" coming to Sundance Channel
Reruns of Claire Danes' 1994 high school drama is joining "The Comeback" on Sundance.

Eric Bana wants to be on "Sons of Anarchy"
"I'm the hugest fan," says the Aussie movie star.

"The Daily Show's" Aasif Mandvi signs book deal
In a series of autobiographical essays, he'll write about being a young Indian boy who aspired to become The Fonz.

Matt's odds for winning "Survivor" are huge — if he survives "Redemption" again
That's according to Jeff Probst, who says Matt could win it if he makes it back to the game for the final. "At this point he is one of the biggest underdogs in Survivor history," says Probst. PLUS: What a sweet little dummy!

Showtime turns "Gigolos" into "Real Housewives"
The reality show premiering tonight about male prostitutes is more like "The Real Man Whores of Las Vegas."

"Justified" boss explains last night's shocker
"We needed something to set off the final act of the season," says Graham Yost.

Simon Helberg calls tonight's "Big Bang" proposal "simple and sweet"
"Somehow it feels logical and earned because I think the writers have paced everything so brilliantly and the dynamic between everybody — it just makes sense at this point," he says.

Jay Leno digs up Matthew Morrison's "gay boy band" past
"It was the gayest thing I've ever done in my life, literally," the "Glee" star says. "I was in a gay boy band in the movie ('Marci X') called Boys R Us."

"Cosby Show" stars: Where are they now?
What happened to Rudy, Theo, Denise, Vanessa …?

Watch Charlie Sheen do improv
Here's a preview of "Drew Carey's Improv-a-Ganza," filmed in mid-January. PLUS: Sheen back in NYC, checks into Trump's hotel.

Annabeth Gish joins "Pretty Little Liars"
She'll play a therapist who will try to find out what's happening with the girls.

Tyra Banks causes "mean" "Top Model" to have a panic attack
Said Tyra: "Just as ugly as fake is saying whatever is on your mind because it's the truth."

Jimmy Fallon & Paul Simon perform "Cecelia"
Watch their performance with special guests Stomp.

"The Vampire Diaries" returns with "The Klaus Chapter"
What can we expect from the Original vampire?

"Real Housewives of NYC" returns with a new housewife
Cindy Barshop, who owns a spa empire, says she immediately got in involved in a lot of drama as part of the "brunette tribe." PLUS: NYC "Housewives" are still insufferable.

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WWE drops "wrestling" from its name as it hopes to launch a cable channel in 2012
From now on WWE won't stand for Word Wrestling Entertainment. Vince McMahon is giving his brand a makeover, and that means WWE will just be WWE from now on.

Chris Medina going on tour with 2 "Idol" rejects
Medina, Rob Bolin and Tim Halperin will perform in five cities to benefit Medina's disabled fiancée. The tour has no connection to "Idol."

Alec Baldwin: I hope "30 Rock" lasts 5 seasons after my departure
"Next year hopefully won't be the last," Baldwin writes on The Huffington Post, adding: "Here's to five more seasons."

Eva Longoria almost suffers a wardrobe malfunction on Letterman
"Oh lord," said Dave as the "Desperate" star's button popped out. "We're going to lose our liquor license, I know it."

Kate Gosselin sued by marriage counselors
A marriage counseling company wants more than $10,000 over unpaid fees from flying out to L.A. to help with Gosselin's marriage in 2009.

Dr. Drew and "The Kennedys" bleed viewers
Drew Pinsky's HLN show lost nearly 50% of its premiere night viewership on his 2nd night, while "The Kennedys" dropped from 1.9 million viewers on Night 1 to 841,000 on Night 2.

Larry King now pitching breath mints
Check out his ad for BreathGemz, with his wife.

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Tina Fey is 5 months pregnant — and hosting "SNL"?
Fey revealed on Oprah today that she is expecting her 2nd child. The news comes amid a report that Fey is hosting "Saturday Night Live" on May 7 to promote her new book "BossyPants."

YouTube plans to spend $100 million on "Channels" and original TV shows
Google hopes to compete with the networks with its own low-cost programming.

"United States of Tara" may face backlash over its Japanese earthquake storyline
Showtime wants to point out this entire season was filmed before last month's Japan earthquake.

"Dancing's" Karina Smirnoff to pose naked for Playboy
Hugh Hefner announced she'll appear on the cover and nude inside.

Mary McDonnell joins "The Closer" full-time — will she star in the spinoff?
There's a possibility that McDonnell"s Captain Sharon Raydor character will join "The Closer" spinoff, titled "Major Crimes."

"The X Factor" will indeed have 2 hosts
Rumors have been going around that the show will have one female and one male host.

HBO partners Hope Davis with Tea Leoni
They'll play fashion partners in "Spring/Fall."

"Teen Mom" star to write her memoir
Farrah Abraham is also planning to go on a book tour.

Check out pics of the "Bones" spinoff
"The Finder" will air as part of a "backdoor pilot" on "Bones" on April 21.

NBC will burn off "Chase's" 5 remaining episodes
They'll air on Saturdays, starting April 23.

Oops! West Coast "Conan" fans treated to 23 straight minutes of ads
Conan addressed last night's snafu on tonight's show.

Mariska Hargitay adopts a baby girl
The "SVU" star now has a sister for her son.

Don't expect to see Glenn Beck as a syndicated talk show host
The Fox News host is considered to polarizing for daytime syndication.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson pranked by "Modern Family" partner
Watch Eric Stonestreet pull an "Ellen" on his co-star.

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Report: Matt Lauer is leaving "Today," too
Lauer, 53, who has been with "Today" since 1994 and has co-hosted since 1997, won't re-up when his contract expires on December 31, 2012, according to "ET." The news comes in wake of Meredith Vieira's reported exit this fall.

Will Ferrell pitched himself for "The Office" stint
Ferrell was watching an episode on an airplane when he came up with the idea of making a cameo. "I just thought, God, that’d be fun," he said. But Ferrell admits he got "cold feet" because of his appearance on Steve Carell's last show. PLUS: Yankee prospect Gary Sanchez shares name with Ferrell's production company.

Grammys get revamped
The voting process has been changed, 31 categories have been dropped.

J.J. Abrams becomes a novelist
The honcho behind "Lost" and "Alias" will write his first book, a thriller, as part of a deal with Little, Brown and Company.

How should "30 Rock" go out? (if it is ending next year)
There are four ways "30 Rock" should end, including the cancelation of "T.G.S." PLUS: Alec Baldwin's comments called "total nonsense."

"Titanic" cast will be headed by Linus Roache
The "Law & Order" alum will star in the miniseries that will commemorate the sinking ship's 100th anniversary next year.

"Dog the Bounty Hunter's" daughter charged with 2 misdemeanors
"Baby Lyssa" faces charges for criminal property damage and harassment of a police officer.

Check out Brad Garrett's new reality show
TLC's "I Kid with Brad Garrett" features Garrett interacting with children.

"SYTYCD" reruns are coming to cable
Ovation will start airing the repeats, beginning with Season 6, in August.

Speed Channel orders Adam Carolla's "The Car Show"
Premiering in July, "The Car Show" will be hosted by Carolla, who will be joined by Pulitzer-winning car journalist Dan Neil and ex-NBA star John Salley.

"Glee" confirms 90-minute Lady Gaga episode
New Directions will sing "Born This Way" on April 26.

Ellen sends "Modern Family's" Eric Stonestreet off a plank
Watch him take the plunge at Universal Orlando.

"Dancing" and "Body of Proof" suffer big ratings drops
Was the "No Ordinary Family" finale to blame for ABC's bad numbers?

Take a tour of the "Justified" set
With Timothy Olyphant and Natalie Zea.

Christopher Noth & Kiefer Sutherland bare their behinds
Check them out at last night's "Dressed to Kilt" fundraiser.

Matthew Morrison is not romancing Gwyneth Paltrow
The "Glee" buddies were recently spotted in London having drinks.

After 2 TV flops, Christian Slater hopes to score with "Breaking In"
The former star of "My Own Worst Enemy" and "The Forgotten" hopes the third time is a charm with the Fox comedy. "With the other shows, it was like all eyes were on me," he says. With ('My Own Worst Enemy'), I couldn't walk down the street without a bus going by with my face on it. They promoted the crap out of that. This one feels right."
"Breaking In" is a "masturbation fantasy" for network suits and rich producers
Finally, Slater has found a TV project that serves his "Jack Nicholson Jr." persona

"Extreme Couponing" is a revenge fantasy plus a heist flick
The TLC series, debuting tonight, "exists at the intersection of several recent reality themes — obsessive behavior, hoarding, thrift — all delivered with the punch of a game show," says Jon Caramonica. "First the number on the register climbs sky high. Then, one doubled coupon at a time, it free falls to single or double digits. It’s never not satisfying." PLUS: How "extreme" is it?, and "Couponing" leaves you with a sense of remorse and shame.

Revamped "Top Chef Masters" feels just like a regular "Top Chef" season
The new changes, including Curtis Stone, make the Bravo reality series less special.

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MTV delays "Jersey Shore's" Italy trip
A standoff over cast pay is just one of the reasons MTV is having trouble with bringing the production to Italy. It turns out, that Florence businesses don't want anything to do with "Jersey Shore" filming.

NBC hasn't decided if "30 Rock" is ending next year, as Alec Baldwin claims
Baldwin has talked repeatedly about leaving the show, but last night he said it was ending in 2012. An NBC rep says, however, there has been no discussions about the future of "30 Rock."

Watch Helen Mirren dance in her "SNL" promos
To electric boogaloo. PLUS: Oprah hosts "SNL" living legends.

Ryan Seacrest is the most powerful person in reality TV
Seacrest knocked off Simon Cowell in this year's Reality Power List from The Hollywood Reporter.

Fox News ending Glenn Beck's show
His show will exit later this year, but Fox News plans to "work together" with him on future projects.

"No Ordinary Family" ends its first season looking like bad "Heroes"
Where did the ABC series go wrong? By looking like the awful Season 3 "Heroes."

Conan pisses off Facebook users with a live-blog of his show
Conan O'Brien was called a "troll," a "spammer" and an "as*hole" last night by his Facebook fans who had no idea he was doing a live-blog.

Bravo developing a scripted makeup artist series and "Women of Wall Street"
They are among six new projects, including "Gallery Girls," that are on Bravo's slate.

"Larry King Live" revived — in Conan's rafters
Larry King surfaced last night near Conan's ceiling.

Syfy renews "Scare Tactics" with Tracy Morgan
Morgan will be back for Season 5.

Adult Swim orders "Black Dynamite"
Debuting in 2012, "Black Dynamite" is based on the 2009 movie.

Jeff Beck bows out of tonight's "Idol"
Beck was too ill to work with the "Idols," says Nigel Lythgoe, so he was replaced at the last minute by Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham. Lythgoe explains why the girls are leaving in droves — the guys are too unique. (Mp3 link) PLUS: Elton John sales skyrocket.

Kelly Ripa unveils her wax figure
Does the Madame Tussauds look like her?

James Franco goes on Colbert as "Frank Jameso"
Meet James Franco's arch nemesis.

"Parenthood's" Erika Christensen breaks her arm
She suffered the injury during a recent bike accident.

Behind the scenes of the "Modern Family" Got Milk ad?
Watch the Dunphys don milk mustaches.

Wendy Williams satisfied with her "Dancing" experience
"I wish the judges could have scored us better," she says. "But on the other hand, I have another life to get back to. A full family and a talk show that I've just neglect for the past six weeks doing this."

WE tv adding "Frasier," "Roseanne," "Will & Grace" reruns
"Frasier" reruns begin this Friday.

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Cleveland cheers on Charlie Sheen
Sheen's 3rd stop tonight included chants of "F*ck Detroit."

"The Office" season finale adds James Spader, Ray Romano, Catherine Tate
All three will appear in the season finale, in the running for the boss job, though Romano doesn't stand a chance. Spader's arc includes a "Secretary"-like storyline between him and Will Arnett, according to Mindy Kaling.

Richard Hatch begs for $300,000
"I can prove my innocence if someone will loan me three hundred thousand dollars," the jailed "Survivor" writes in an open letter to the public.

"Desperate" Brenda Strong joins "Dallas"
The "Desperate Housewives" star will play Bobby Ewing's newest wife, Ann, in the TNT reboot.

Sandra Lee to begin selling her own "Sandra" home product line
New York's first girlfriend will begin offering Sandra by Sandra Lee, a collection of cookware, utensils, gadgets, bakeware, small kitchen appliances that will be available at Kmart and Sears.

"Family Guy" getting the comic book treatment
The series from Titan Comics debuts in July.

VH1 is behind the Jake Pavelka, Danielle Staub, Heidi Montag reality show
All three, plus more reality stars, will come together to revamp a restaurant from the ground up.

MTV nominates Rebecca Black
The YouTube sensation is up for one of the first-ever O digital music awards.

Damon Lindelof: My "Game of Thrones" feud isn't much of a "feud"
"I'm not entirely even sure that George Martin knows that he's in a feud," says the former "Lost" boss. "When someone says something in an interview, the beauty of Twitter is that it’s a platform for instantaneous response. Unfortunately, he's not on Twitter, and therefore, it's not entirely a fair fight."

Netflix buys "Mad Men" reruns
Netflix will play between $750,000 and $900,000 per episode for the rights to stream old episodes of the AMC series.

A.C. Slater & Jessie Spano have a "Saved by the Bell" reunion
Elizabeth Berkley stopped by "Extra" today so that Mario Lopez can interview her about her new book.

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"Today" may lose Meredith Vieira
With her contract up later this year, it's expected that Vieira will depart after five years, though NBC hasn't given up on the negotiations. If she does leave, Ann Curry is the leading candidate to replace her.

Fox sends "Idols" to TMZ to learn "paparazzi etiquette"
This morning, all nine toured the TMZ studio and got to meet the tiny Harvey Levin. PLUS: Steven Tyler's twin?, and Constantine Maroulis returns this week.

Charlie Sheen trying to trademark 22 catchphrases
The catchphrases he's trying to trademark include "Sober Valley Lodge," "Sheen's Goddesses, "Duh, Winning," "Vatican Assassin," "Tiger Blood" and "Rock Star From Mars."

E! working on "Sarah Palin: The E! True Hollywood Story"
The Palin special will air on April 24. PLUS: Bristol Palin earned $262,000 for her teen pregnancy work in 2009.

Judge Judy expected to return to work 1 week from today
The TV judge is said to be feeling better after last week's hospitalization for intestinal discomfort.

Jason Lee's Adult Swim comedy adds Molly Simms, "Lost" kid
In "The Jon Johnsenson Story," ex-skater Lee plays a skater who comes out of a coma after 25 years. He'll by joined by "Lost's" Malcolm David Kelly, Faizon Love and Kevin Pollak.

Lauren Conrad signs deal to write another 3 books
The new trilogy, "The Fame Game," is set in the reality TV universe. PLUS: "Dancing's" Chelsea Kane is dating Conrad's "Laguna Beach" ex.

"Big Brother" UK is officially coming back — with Charlie Sheen?
The canceled Channel 4 series is returning on Channel 5 with a celebrity edition in August and a regular edition in September. No. 1 on the producers' wishlist for "Celeb Big Brother" is Charlie Sheen.

"Smallville" shows Clark Kent's "phone booth moment"
Check out pics of Clark in a phone booth.

VH1 doubled Evelyn Lozada's "Basketball Diaries" salary
Producers reportedly also apologized for her portrayal in the Season 2 finale.

Introducing Klaus from "The Vampire Diaries"
Here's you first look at the Joseph Morgan villain.

Kendra upset that "Dancing" forced her to use a smoke machine
"What happened was exactly what I thought was going to happen," she says. "I didn't know where I was. I freaked out."

"Game of Thrones" creator doesn't want to "pull a 'Lost'"
The comment from George RR Martin in the New Yorker so upset Damon Lindelof that the former "Lost" boss took to Twitter to vent. "I don't take issue with his opinion," Lindelof wrote, "I take issue with the fact that he coined 'Pulling a LOST' as empirically 'f*cking up the ending." PLUS: 720,000 watched HBO's "Game of Thrones" preview.

"Deadwood" doctor joins "Fringe" season finale
Brad Dourif will play the mysterious Moreau.

HBO's "Too Big To Fail" debuts May 23
The Wall Street film with a star-studded cast is from Curtis Hanson.

CBS isn't paying Jeff Probst to live-tweet "Survivor" twice a week
Probst is doing his live-tweets for the Pacific and Eastern broadcasts for free.

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