Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Letterman downplays his 30th anniversary: No late-night clip packages
David Letterman has declined any interviews and an anniversary special, but there won't be any clip packages. "It will most likely be the subject of the Top 10 list and probably represent a chunk of the monologue," says exec producer Rob Burnett.

NBC threatening "Fear Factor" contestants who speak about donkey semen
One contestant violated the show's confidentiality agreement by describing the stunt to TMZ.

CW names Stephen Amell Green "Arrow"
The "Hung" star will play the title role in the new Green Arrow series from Greg Berlanti.

"SNL" inspires a comic book
The history of "Saturday Night Live" will be documented in comic book for, with comic versions of Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Dana Carvey and Eddie Murphy.

"Live!" doesn't have a shortlist for Regis replacements, but …
Gelman has already announced his first batch of callbacks — Jerry O'Connell, Dana Carvey, Seth Meyers and Michael Strahan.

NBC going to a women's prison for "Bad Girls"
"ER," "Third Watch," "West Wing" and "Southland" producer John Wells returns to NBC with this project about a group of women in federal prison.

"American Judy": Judy Greer lands on an ABC pilot
She'll play a cosmopolitan woman who gets married and moves to the suburbs.

"SNL's" Paul Brittain: An appreciation
The departed "Saturday Night Live" cast member seemed to be overshadowed by Taran Killam.

Sunday is NBC's 17th Super Bowl
That ties with CBS for most Super Bowls aired.

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"The X Factor's" problem: It wasn't fun to watch
The firings of Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones were justified, says Peter Larsen and Michael Hewitt, but Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid weren't that much better. "Paula and Nicole were terrible as judges/mentors," the say, adding: "Steve was stiff and cold as the host. His main focus was to make the judges stop talking, and he wasn’t very good at that. The contestants he treated as warmly as his cue cards." PLUS: Is this Rachel Crow's revenge?, and Paula was a better fit for "Idol."

Vivica A. Fox is headed to "Raising Hope"
She'll play a church goer who butts heads with Garret Dillahunt.

Showtime's "Shameless" beats HBO's "Luck"
Both "Shameless" and "House of Lies" have seen their numbers rise.

CW picks up 3 drama pilots, including one from J.J. Abrams and "One Tree Hill" creator
J.J. Abrams and Mark Schwahn's "Shelter," "The Selection" and "Joey Dakota" are among CW's newest pickups.

Check out "Breaking Bad," the role-playing game
The only game that's also a controlled substance.

"Justified": The many emotions of Raylan Givens
Check out a chart showing 18 of Raylan's emotions. PLUS: Walton Goggins on "Justified" Seasons 1, 2 and 3.

Courteney Cox shares a cuddle with her "Cougar Town" son
Cox has been documenting what could be her final day on the "Cougar Town" set, on Twitter.

"Freaks & Geeks" co-creator wants to create a "coming of middle age" drama
Paul Feig, who saw success last year as director of "Bridesmaids," is working on a TV project based on his life.

"New Girl" in 1965?
Check out a Zooey Deschanel lookalike from Life magazine in 1965. PLUS: "New Girl" creator is a big Woody Allen fan.

Check out 10 bizarre Ellen DeGeneres portraits
From her 58th birthday portrait gallery.

Tracy Morgan's mom: My rich "30 Rock" son won't give me $25K to save my home
Alicia Warden, Morgan's mother, says all her son would give was $2,000. According to Forbes, he's worth $18 million.

Jimmy Fallon zips across Indianapolis
See his latest Super Bowl stunt.

Louis CK used Usenet to explain how TV works
Six years ago, as "Lucky Louie" launched on HBO, Louis CK detailed the TV-making process on a comedy newsgroup.

Watch the trailer for HBO's "Game Change"
The HBO film examines the VP candidacy of Sarah Palin.

Struggling soap actor commits suicide after putting his dog to sleep
Nick Santino, 47, was found dead last week. He appeared on "All My Children," "Guiding Light" and "Gossip Girl."

Introducing the Puppy Bowl Starting lineup
Plus, for the first time ever, the Piglet Pep Squad.

David Hasselhoff denies engagement
What looked like an engagement on the Sydney Harbour Bridge actually wasn't.

"MADtv" alums team for "Key & Peele"
Stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who are both half-black and half-white like the president, produce some genteel comedy in their new Comedy Central series.

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Simon says thanks to ex-"X Factor" stars, expects to work with Paula again
"I want to say a massive thank-you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of 'The X Factor' last year," says Cowell in a statement. "We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars." Cowell also singled out Paula Abdul, saying "I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future."

Paula Abdul reacts to her "X Factor" exit
"I've learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations," she says in a statement. "Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation." She adds that Simon will continue to be a "dear friend of mine."

HBO renews "Luck"
Despite modest ratings after airing the pilot twice, "Luck" will be back for Season 2.

Hoboken rejects MTV's "Jersey Shore" spinoff permit application
The MTV reality show starring Snooki and JWoww won't be filming in Hoboken after objections from its mayor, who said it would be "degrading" to quality of life.

Stephen Colbert's Super PAC donors include "Ibin Yerkinoff" and "Harry Ballsagna"
Others include "Pat Magroin" and "Frumunda Mabalz."

Adele will perform at the Grammys — her comeback from throat surgery
She'll make her first post-throat surgery appearance on Feb. 12.

Was "Gossip Girl's" gossip girl revelation a big disappointment?
Last night's surprise reveal didn't make much sense.

Watch the trailer for "Eastbound & Down" Season 3
The HBO comedy returns Feb. 18.

A "Two and a Half Men" rerun was last night's most-watched show
Meanwhile, "Alcatraz" slipped 10% in Week 3.

David Hasselhoff, 59, apparently gets engaged to his 32-year-old girlfriend
Did he really pop the question on Sydney's Harbour Bridge?

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Report: Simon Cowell sent an "X Factor" lawyer to fire Paula Abdul
Meanwhile, TMZ found Nicole Scherzinger laughing from her "X Factor" firing. PLUS: "Idol" boss Nigel Lythgoe is "shocked."

TLC orders "Preacher Wives"
The reality show will follow the lives of female preachers.

Paul Brittain abruptly leaves "SNL" after 1 1/2 seasons
The nephew of Bob Newhart, Brittain was  known  for his impersonations of James Franco, Ron Paul and Johnny Depp.

Madonna's Super Bowl set revealed
Check out her Indy halftime show stage. PLUS: How long will it take for Kelly Clarkson to sing the national anthem?

Kristen Bell breaks down
Over a sloth.

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