October 2011

"Pan Am's" ratings continue to tumble, "Desperate Housewives" ties its worst ratings
After falling to 6.4 million viewers, is it time to start the "Pan Am" death watch?

Randy Jackson to give "A-Listers" a high school "Aptitude Test" on VH1
The "Idol" judge's new reality show will send celebrities into the working world, with the help of a high school aptitude test. PLUS: VH1 also orders "House of Consignment."

Hank Williams Jr. is writing a song about ESPN and Fox News
The former "Monday Night Football" star will talk about his new song "I'll Keep My …" and the Obama/Hitler debacle Tuesday on "The View" and "Hannity."

"Idol" reject arrested after crashing audition
Brittany Acosta, 21, had been flying to cities all over the country to try to get an audition before her arrest last week.

David Boreanaz: My affair has helped strengthen my marriage
The "Bones" star says cheating on wife Jaime Bergman with Rachel Uchitel ended up becoming a "a bonding experience, in the long run" with his wife.

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"Breaking Bad" boss: Season 4 finale could've been the series finale
With negotiations with AMC taking place during the season, Vince Gilligan says he was comfortable with last night's finale serving as the last time we'd see Walter White. Says Gilligan: "I think an argument could be made that the end of episode 13 of season 4 is, in essence, everything – but one thing, perhaps – that we promised the viewer, or implied to the viewer from day one, which is the idea of taking Mr. Chips and turning him into Scarface. Walt is pretty much as bad as one could imagine at the end of episode 413."
"The Walking  Dead's" effects crew helped with the season finale
Closing many story points, this felt like a perfect ending to the series
What a tense, balls-out season-ender // Did twist make character and logical sense?
"Lily of the Valley" twist: Too unbelievable? // Too implausible?
Did being "super picky" and over-analyzing everything ruin the season finale?
Giancarlo Esposito recalls filming that "top-secret" scene // When did he know?
"The show was an absolute joke. It jumped the Gus."
Gilligan: We never expected Gus Fring to become a big character
Vince Gilligan delves into every "Breaking Bad" Season 4 episode

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NBC buys Roseanne Barr's family sitcom
Set in a mobile home community, "Downwardly Mobile" was created by Roseanne and her boyfriend, plus a "Roseanne" executive producer.

CBS officially cancels "How To Be A Gentleman"
Production on the Thursday comedy was halted one day after it was moved to Saturdays.

Noah Wyle recalls Steve Jobs calling him after "Pirates of Silicon Valley"
"My heart started beating through my shirt," Wyle says of the surprise call that came after the TNT movie aired in 1999. "And he said—and I've memorized this—'I'm just calling to tell you I thought you did a good job. I hated the movie, I hated the script, I think if you had spent a little more time and a little more money and maybe a little more attention to detail, you could have had something there. But you were good.'"

Eddie Murphy a no-show on "SNL"
The rumors weren't true, but Hugh Jackman did pop up, and so did Zoolander, as well as "Hank Williams Jr." PLUS: "SNL" ratings drop with Ben Stiller.

Rosie switches her show from taped to live
"The Rosie Show" will air live starting Monday after Rosie O'Donnell felt uncomfortable pre-taping her show seven hours early.

"The Simpsons" boss: We're not approaching the next 2 years as the end
Exec producer Al Jean says: "We just want to keep fighting and go as long as we can…. We really feel this isn't an end but a beginning. It’s a cliché, but it’s the truth."

Kate & Pippa Middleton get "E! True Hollywood Story" treatment
"THS: Kate & Pippa" debuts on Wednesday.

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Fox renews "The Simpsons" for 2 more seasons
The cast salary dispute is over, with cast members possibly taking a 30% cut in pay. As the Fox press release says, "In the words of Homer Simpson, 'Woo Hoo! I outlasted Andy Rooney!'"

CBS dumps "How to be a Gentleman" on Saturdays
"Gentleman" hasn't yet been canceled, but it will be replaced on Thursdays with "Rules of Engagement" starting Oct. 20.

Report: "The Simpsons" cast agrees to a pay cut, but not as steep as 45%
It looks like "The Simpsons" will be back next season, though nothing is yet official. PLUS: Rest of "Simpsons" cast didn't know of Harry Shearer's 70% "Simpsons" cut proposal.

"How to Be a Gentleman's" cancelation is imminent
According to E! Online, the Kevin Dillon comedy is losing much of its "Big Bang" lead-in, and should be canceled today.

"Monday Night Football" taps Barry Sanders to sub for Hank Williams Jr.
The Detroit Lions legend will open Monday's Bears-Lions game.

Why padded 2-hour reality shows won't go away
As one network exec points out, viewers are likely to stick around for two hours, rather than stay for a whole new show. "Something has to be really bad for the ratings to go down. And it makes some of these shows feel bigger," says the exec.

Could NBC cancel "Community" after this season?
New NBC comedies "Whitney" and "Up All Night" have bigger audiences than "Community," and the Peacock may decide to go in a different direction in May.

Billy Dee Williams will play himself on "Man Up!"
One character will get to meet his "Star Wars" hero.

When does ABC cancel "Charlie's Angels"?
The rebooted drama has been especially disappointing in the key 18-49 demo.

Without Steve Jobs, can Apple give TV a makeover?
Television remains a tantalizing target for Apple, despite failing to gain ground with the Apple TV.

"Parks and Recreation" cast makes a short documentary
About eating candy. PLUS: Amy Poehler doesn't want to do hubby's "Up All Night," and the 11 greatest pieces of Ron Swanson fan art.

Giancarlo Esposito delves into "Breaking Bad's" Gus Fring
Esposito talks about taking on the role, and his own personal 18-karat gold-framed glasses that he uses for the show. "For me," he says, "the uplifting part of 'Breaking Bad' and what it sheds light on is where we're at right now in our world, where people would do something so desperate to save their families or provide. For me, that’s the essence of Gus. He has a family. Yes, they’re in an illicit business, they’re making blue meth, but this is his family."
Video: Esposito on being mistaken for Gus // This was the season of  Gus
Bryan Cranston talks season finale // Vince Gilligan wanted satisfying season-ender
"Breaking Bad" vs. "Mad Men": Which has the better cast, writing cinematography?

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Charlie Sheen is this year's most popular Halloween costume

Alternate ending: What if "Entourage" killed Vince Chase?

Was "Cougar Town" name-change talk a publicity stunt?

Steve Jones: Simon Cowell offered me "The X Factor" hosting job 2 years ago

Why Zooey Deschanel is not a dork

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A "Cheers" reunion: Rhea Perlman joins Kirstie Alley's ABC comedy
"Carla" will play "Rebecca's" mother-in-law in the pilot "The Manzanis."

Stephen Colbert pays tribute to "close friend" Steve Jobs
Colbert once got a one-word "Sweet!" e-mail from the Apple co-founder. PLUS: Colbert releases a new Colbert Super Pac ad.

Regis Philbin reveals his final dream guest: Barbra Streisand
The problem is Streisand doesn't do talk shows.

Report: ABC "babysat" Amanda Knox's teenage sisters
Elizabeth Vargas' producer supposedly helped watch out for Knox's 13- and 16-year-old sisters in hopes of landing an exclusive interview.

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"Simpsons" star Harry Shearer offers 70% pay cut if Fox shares profits
"To make it as easy as possible for Fox to keep new episodes of 'The Simpsons' coming," he says in a statement, "I'm willing to let them cut my salary not just 45% but more than 70% – down to half of what they said they would be willing to pay us. All I would ask in return is that I be allowed a small share of the eventual profits."

"Parks and Rec" star's aunt wins the Nobel Peace Prize
The aunt of Retta (last name: Sirleaf) happens to be the first female president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who today won the Nobel Peace Prize.

VH1's "Famous Food" restaurant shuts down
Lemon Basket on Sunset Blvd has closed after five months of operation.

"Charlie's Angels" continues to decline, "Prime Suspect" is steady
"Angels" was the lowest-rated show on a major network this week, dropping 20% from last week.

Bravo's next reality show may be set in Silicon Valley
The cable network is looking for Silicon Valley professionals who live life in the "fast lane."

Next week, Letterman has Bill Clinton, Bill O'Reilly and Artie Lange
The former president returns to "The Late Show," as well as former Howard Stern sidekick Lange in his first TV interview since his attempted suicide in January 2010.

Check out T.R. Knight's TV return
The former "Grey's Anatomy" star plays an "SVU" suspect.

Watch the "Beavis and Butt-Head" trailer
The boys are back on Oct. 27.

AMC strikes deal with Netflix on "Walking Dead" and other shows
Previous seasons will of "The Walking Dead" will be available for streaming.

Keith Carradine joins TNT Western
He'll star in "Gateway," set in 1880s Colorado.

USA buys "White Collar" creator's drama about an undercover house
The show focuses on a house used by DEA, FBI, LAPD and other law enforcement agencies.

Nancy Grace blames "Dancing" partner for farting on live TV
It's Tristan MacManus' fault. PLUS: "Fart fetish group" asks ABC for rights to Nancy Grace's alleged fart.

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CW cancels "H8R"
The Mario Lopez celebrity reality show from "The Bachelor" creator Mike Fleiss will be replaced by "Ringer" reruns.

Watch the trailer for Kiefer Sutherland's new Fox drama
"Touch" from Tim Kring debuts in the spring.

CBS to tell "Amanda Knox: The Untold Story"
Saturday's "48 Hours" will delve into the Amanda Knox case from her perspective.

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 Noah Wyle salutes Steve Jobs: I'm glad I got to portray him
"Portraying him in 'Pirates of Silicon Valley' was as challenging and as fulfilling of a role as I will have in my career," says Wyle, who got to also portray Jobs in front of Jobs. I had the honor of meeting him shortly after the movie aired and was struck by his sincerity and self-deprecating sense of humor. We have lost a visionary whose innovations will continue to impact our society forever."

How TV parodied Steve Jobs
Everybody from "30 Rock" to "SNL" to "The Simpsons" poked fun at the Apple visionary. PLUS: Mindy Kaling pays tribute, Ryan Seacrest recalls dealing with Jobs for "Idol," and "Cake Boss" bakes a Steve Jobs cake.

Letterman beating Leno in 18-49 demo — thanks to 2 shows on Thursday?
Dave not only topped Jay Leno in the all-important 18 to 49 demo, but he barely beat "The Tonight Show" among 25- to 54-year-olds. Leno still beats Letterman among total viewers, but Dave's ratings rise may be attributed to shifting the pre-taping of Friday's show from Monday to Thursday, to make it less stale.

Syfy's "Face Off" shuts down by unionization effort
The reality show's crew yesterday walked off the job.

Are all the new female-centric TV shows actually aimed at women?
The new batch of shows starring females seemed to be more geared toward giving women acting jobs.

"Ringer" hosting a "Buffy" reunion
Amber Benson will reunite with Sarah Michelle Gellar for one episode.

Dyan Cannon has turned down Cary Grant TV movie offers
Cannon, who was 28 when she married the 61-year-old Grant — a marriage that lasted less than three years — says she's rejected offers to turn her new new book "Dear Cary" into a movie on cable or broadcast.

Netflix may revive "Reno 911!"
Netflix is in talks to revive the Comedy Central series, but it might be a long shot.

Amanda Knox's dad: Lifetime movie is B.S.
The movie, says Curt Knox exploited her and contained several "implausible" scenes. His attorney is reviewing it.

Introducing the bendable TV remote
A Japanese company has created a remote control that you can twist to change the channel, and the electricity generated from the twisting means you don't need batteries.

Fox orders "SYTYCD" Season 9
Says Nigel Lythgoe: "HOORAY!"

Watch Ben Stiller's new "SNL" promos
Featuring Foster the People.

Is NBC undergoing a personality transplant?
Will Snoop Dogg, Dane Cook, Chelsea Handler and Whitney Cummings sweep away "post-graduate" shows like "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Community"?

Demi Moore gave Ashton Kutcher an orchid for his "Two and a Half Men" debut
The actress seemed to indicate nothing was wrong with their marriage this morning on "GMA."

"Breaking Bad's" Dean Norris: I got frustrated that Hank wasn't walking
Norris admits he began to internalize his character, adding "because it was frustrating for Hank, obviously, and it was frustrating for me as an actor, too, because I was not able to do the kinds of things I got to do in the first couple seasons."

SiriusXM to launch "Real Housewives Radio"
The two-day limited run channel will air audio from every episode of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," plus extra footage from the New York, Atlanta and Orange County editions.

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Why ESPN was right to boot Hank Williams Jr.

"Today" is losing ratings to "GMA"

Seth Rogen was "The League's" No. 1 choice to play a "believable" porn location scout

TLC to introduce us to "The Brides of Beverly Hills"

Why "South Park" wasted a big opportunity with last night's return

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Another "Bachelorette" breakup?
Ali Fedotowsky's relationship with Roberto Martinez is on the rocks, according to Us Weekly. If Ali & Roberto do split, they would become the 5th "Bachelorette" couple (out of 7) to call it quits.

"American Horror Story" debuts to solid numbers
About 3.2 million tuned in for the FX drama series from the "Glee" team.

Sharon Osbourne returns to "The Talk," tells how she got her breast implants taken out
"One morning I woke up and one of my boobies was kind of much longer than the other," she said on today's show. "So I'm thinking, this isn't right." PLUS: Sharon & Ozzy are having trouble unloading their Malibu mansion.

Lee DeWyze dropped by RCA Records
The 2010 "Idol" champ has lost his record deal, but still plans on recording music under the management of 19 Entertainment.

Hank Azaria thanks NBC following the "Free Agents" cancelation
"we had so much fun!!" he writes on Twitter.

"HIMYM" bringing old guests back
Chris Elliott, Frances Conroy, Wayne Brady and Bill Fagerbakke will return for the Oct. 24 episode.

"Gossip Girl's" Penn Badgley joins protesters at Occupy Wall Street
"I mean, listen, it's cheesy," he said of joining protesters. "But I want to do whatever I can. Let's be honest: I'm on f**king Gossip Girl… It's absurd that celebrity power is what it is, but, like, use any tool you have, you know?"

Introducing "America's Supernanny"
Childcare specialist Deborah Tillman will become the American version of Jo Frost for the new Lifetime reality show, which debuts Nov. 29.

NBC's "Smash" books Nick Jonas and Bernadette Peters
They'll sing on the Steven Spielberg-produced musical series.

Fox renews "MasterChef"
The Gordon Ramsay reality show will be back for Season 3.

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"Free Agents" becomes the season's 2nd cancelation
The NBC Hank Azaria comedy last night averaged just 3.3 million.

Discovery to shell out $15 million to promote Oprah Winfrey Network
That number exceeds the $10 million spent promoting the launch of OWN.

TNT will pay tribute to Steve Jobs tonight by re-airing "Pirates of Silicon Valley"
The 1999 TNT movie (watch it here) featured Noah Wyle as the Apple co-founder, a role Wyle would reprise before the real Steve Jobs. PLUS: Stephen Colbert pays silent tribute to Jobs.

"Glee's" Harry Shum Jr. danced in the 1st iPod ad — and almost opened for Steve Jobs
Shum recalls on his blog that he almost opened up for Steve Jobs at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference, but he ended up being silhouette in the first iPod commercial (watch it here).

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Rosie Perez to guest on "Nurse Jackie"
He won't be playing himself, while she'll play a patient in one episode.

"Chuck" nabs "White Collar's" Tim DeKay
He'll guest as Sarah's handler.

"X Factor" stays the same, "Suburgatory" drops 9%
Simon Cowell has promised ratings growth, but so far his show has stayed steady.

Argentina's "Dancing with the Stars" causes controversy with complete female nudity
The dancing on "Bailando por un Sueño" (watch here) was considered to risque by even Argentina's standards.

Connie Britton: "Friday Night Lights" movie is "happening for realsies"
"I think it's really a matter of…getting everyone's busy schedules aligned and making it happen," she says. "It kind of feels like there's a lot of commitment to it."

Surviving "Real Housewives of NY" stars get a big pay bump
LuAnn de Lesseps and Ramona Singer will reportedly earn $500,000 per season each, up from $275,000.

What if the women of "Mad Men" covered Playboy?
Check out mockups of Betty Draper, Joan Holloway, Trudy Campbell and even Ida Blankenship.

Cinemax renews "Strike Back"
Season 2 will air early next year.

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ESPN dumps Hank Williams Jr.'s "Monday Night Football" theme permanently
"We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams, Jr," the network said in a statement. "We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue." PLUS: Williams says HE yanked his song from "MNF": "By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It's been a great run."

"The Simpsons" actors receive an ultimatum: Noon Friday
The voice actors must decide by tomorrow if they're going to take 45% pay cuts. Meanwhile, an executive says that if "The Simpsons" is renewed, next season would likely be the last.

Oprah and Rosie's new shows will premiere across 5 Discovery networks
"The Rosie Show" and "Oprah's Lifeclass" will debut Monday on TLC, Oprah Winfrey Network, Investigation Discovery, Discovery Fit & Health and Planet Green.

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Conan O'Brien returns to NBC and "Late Night" to retrieve his dog Triumph
A bearded Conan "surprised" Jimmy Fallon tonight by visiting Jimmy's "Late Night" studio, which is actually across the hall from Conan's old "Late Night" studio (now occupied by "Dr. Oz"). Conan stopped by to pick up an old friend — Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who was hidden behind a couch. "You're a good man, Jimmy Fallon," Conan said before he left.

Steve Jobs leaves a legacy of TV product placement
Apple products were ubiquitous on television, from Michael Scott's iPhone on "The Office" to Carrie Bradshaw's MacBook on "Sex and the City."

"The Simpsons" actors fight back, claiming the show made $1 billion in profits
A study commissioned by the voice actors found that 20th Century Fox will eventually earn $2.8 billion from "The Simpsons." PLUS: "Simpsons" producers agree to pay cuts.

Jon Hamm: Thomas Jane was AMC's top choice to play Don Draper
"I started, literally, on the very, very bottom — I couldn't have had less heat on me," said the "Mad Men" star, who was basically an unknown, tells Marc Maron. "Nobody knew who I was. The casting directors didn't know who I was. I wasn’t on anybody’s lists. … The funny thing was, I think they went to Thomas Jane for it, and they were told that Thomas Jane does not do television. Now starring in 'Hung,' by the way."

How "Parks and Rec" staved off cancelation to become an NBC sensation
At one point "Parks and Recreation" was supposed to be a "Modern Family"-esque comedy starring Ed Helms that was supposed to debut after the Super Bowl. But, says co-creator Michael Schur, "We gave up the post-Super Bowl spot in exchange for Amy."

"Growing Pains" cast reunites
Kirk Cameron and his TV family appeared on "GMA" this morning.

Watch Ben Stiller as an "SNL" cast member
Still spent the 1989-90 season as a featured performer on the cast.

Oprah is the No. 14 most powerful woman in the world
Diane Sawyer is No. 47, Ellen DeGeneres is No. 55 and Ann Curry is No. 66 on Forbies' annual list.

"Top Chef" sues to keep details of Texas' $400K payment a secret
Gov. Rick Perry's tourism office agreed to pay $400,000 for "brand integration" for the upcoming season, but producers don't want to reveal what exactly that money is being used for.

Jeff Probst: I want Neil Patrick Harris on "Survivor" after he was "talking sh*t"
The "How I Met Your Mother" star is the one celebrity Probst would like to see on "Survivor."

ESPN had considered dumping Hank Williams Jr. before his Hitler remark
Some at ESPN believed that the "Monday Night Football" theme had grown stale.

Fox to adapt the fantasy novel "The Magicians"
"X-Men: First Class" will tackle Lev Grossman's popular novel.

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RIP Steve Jobs
The Apple co-founder, who revolutionized TV, has died at 56.

 NBC buys Snoop Dogg's family sitcom
"My Wife and Kids" creator Don Reo, who also created "Blossom," will produce the comedy poking fun of Snoop as a dad.

Hank Azaria using Twitter to save "Free Agents"
"Watch Free Agents tonight!!" Azaria wrote on Twitter. "Be part of TV history by saving this funny smart show! Then if you like it call Universal PR at 818 777 3030… Tell NBC you think the show is worth it– 8:30 tonight after Up All Night…"

James Marsden lands "30 Rock" arc
Will the "X-Men" star romance Liz Lemon?

Kristin Davis to star in a Lifetime film about mental illness
The "Sex and the City" alum will also produce the film in which she plays a woman whose sister, played by Tammy Banchard, suffers from schizophrenia.

George Lopez finds a new job — as Carnival Cruise's director of comedy
Lopez, who has never been on a cruise, will search for top comic talent as Carnival rebrands each cruise ship's comedy club as "Punchliner Comedy Clubs Presented by George Lopez."

"The X Factor" begins "boot camp"
Simon Cowell & Co. will whittle down 152 acts to 32 this week. "You will see 60 people cut on Wednesday and another 60 approximately cut on the Thursday show," says Simon. PLUS:  Cowell changes his voice for Jimmy Fallon's "Other" talk show.

David Cassidy sues claiming he was screwed out of "Partridge Family" money
Cassidy claims Sony owes him 15% of net merchandise revenue for using his likeness.

Lizzy Caplan signs on for "New Girl"
She'll guest in three episodes.

Peggy Tanous: I'm leaving "Real Housewives of Orange County"
"After months of negotiation and soul searching, I have declined their offer to return to the show," she writes on Facebook.

Charles S. Dutton headed to "Criminal Minds"
He'll appear in an episode playing a boxing trainer.

Eric McCormack taps some big names for "Perception"
Tom Sizemore, Edward Furlong and Roger Bart will guest on the TNT series.

Ryan Seacrest interviews girlfriend Julianne Hough
Hough was in studio this morning to talk "Footloose" and Seacrest's dance moves, while dodging questions about whether her brother, Derek, is dating Lauren Conrad.

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Robert Downey Jr. will play "Perry Mason" on the big screen

"SNL's" Abby Elliott sings about balls

Who should play Lady Gaga on Lifetime? Her first choice: Marisa Tomei

ABC buys a comedy about a Dominican-American from Will & Jada Pinkett Smith

How would Joel McHale react if "Community" actually got big ratings?

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