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Mister Rogers Redux
December 29, 2006
The media company behind the PBS hit ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' is working on a new children's television series, but are being very clear to say that it won’t be an updated version of the old “Mister Rogers.”
Kevin Morrison, chief operating officer of Family Communications Inc., said the company is in talks with producers of several children's TV shows about a new program. ''We're taking our time. We want to get it right,'' Morrison told the Pittsburgh Gazette.
Production of ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' ended in 2000, and Fred Rogers, the show's star, died in 2003, at age 74. The show still airs on most PBS stations around the country.
Rogers' widow, Joanne, who also serves as Family Communications' board chairwoman, said it's a good thing the group is pursuing other projects.
Taxicab Confessions
Occasionally, news rolls around that requires us to toot the horn of our parent company, Bravo TV. And this one made us all giddy here at BrilliantButCancelled.com.
Bravo has acquired the Emmy-nominated “Taxicab Confessions” from HBO and will begin airing episodes tonight! And, get this, they’ll be showing a marathon of the entire series on on New Year’s Eve.
Said our SVP of Programming, Frances Berwick, (who also happens to be a supernice lady) "'Taxicab Confessions' was ground-breaking as one of the original reality series. This award-winning show was raw, moving and shocking while at the same time poignant in its portrayal of urban lifestyles." And she’s not kidding.
Using hidden lipstick cameras, “Taxicab Confessions” allowed viewers to watch unsuspecting taxicab passengers unveil their (usually drunken) vulnerable sides, revealing stories of love, life and loss.
Memorable rides include a French cabaret singer who's determined to be a survivor; a veteran pilot of the Spanish Civil War who remembers losing his best friend; and a pair of lesbian strippers headed for a drive-thru wedding.
We begged the folks down the hall for DVDs of our own, but we’re just going to have to waith and watch the entire day. Seriously. If you haven’t seen it, mark the date. What else do you have going on?
Little Music on the Prairie
December 28, 2006
The way Laura Ingalls Wilder used music to help weave her stories of life on the American frontier struck a chord with Dale Cockrell as he and his son read the ''Little House'' series nearly a decade ago.
Now, the Vanderbilt University professor has his own record label, Pa's Fiddle Recordings, and is in the midst of recording a 10-CD set that brings to life all 126 songs mentioned in Wilder's books.
Oh man, people are crazy. And we love them for it! This is going to rock. Seriously.
HDTV's Knife-Sharp Focus
The holiday shopping season sharply boosted the number of U.S. homes with high-definition televisions to nearly 33 million. In the eyes of a growing number of image-obsessed on-air personalities, though, that's 33 million clear reasons to be concerned.
Oldies but goodies are afraid of folks seeing their wrinkles.
Besides spectacular vistas and shockingly real playing fields, hi-def clarity puts any and all pimples and pores on display in well-lit bathroom-mirror detail.
Some TV types say big-screen HDTV could lead to the end of the extreme close-up as we know it. Others predict hi-def fears could soon be reflected in artists' contracts.
Survivor Host, Vanuatu Lady Go Shopping at Target
December 27, 2006
The shenanigans on “Survivor: Vanuatu Islands of Fire” must have been steamy … since that’s where host Jeff Probst met his girlfriend “after shooting.” Well, they started dating after shooting, he says. Of course they met on the island-set.
Nicely, the ''Survivor''-ettes Probst and Julie Berry served Christmas dinner at a soup kitchen and were spotted the following day shopping at a Target store.
Keeping it real. Keepin’ it real.
Probst said the experience of volunteering to serve meals at the Wayside Soup Kitchen was a chance to bring some perspective to the ''frantic'' holiday season. ''It's a chance to remember how fortunate you are,'' he said Tuesday.
CBS Wins Pre-holiday Week
When a five-minute football postgame show qualifies as the most-watched prime-time program of the week, you know people have other things to do besides watch television.
The networks recognized this, filling the week before Christmas with reruns and the occasional holiday show. One perennial, ''Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer,'' hit Nielsen Media Research's top 10 list for the week.
The movie classic ''The Sound of Music'' did well for ABC, finishing No. 21 for the week despite being shown on Saturday, normally a dead zone for TV.
Trump v. Rosie, Round 834
December 22, 2006
Slow news day? Tired of hearing about Darfur and/or the blizzard in Denver? Or was there just not a new Britney crotch shot available to set our collective minds-a-waggin?
Instead we must try to make sense of this Rosie O'Donnell versus Donald Trump feud. First Rosie said Donald wasn't a moral arbiter and should make such a fuss about Miss USA. Then Donald called Rosie a piggy face. Then Barbara Walters got involved -- defending both of them as friend!
The CBS Shuffle
Does it mean the Net’s line-up is in trouble or that the suits upstairs know what they’re doing to make their shows last?
Broadcasting & Cable, an industry bible for TV geeks of all ages (and income brackets) has the dish today:
“Rules of Engagement will bow at 9:30 p.m. Mondays in February – after heavy promo during the Ad Bowl, er, Super Bowl.
Post script: that’s the spot previously occupied by “The New Adventures of Seinfeld”, er, “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” That show will take February off and return in March in place of “The Class” which ends for the year.
Still with us?
Viewers Don't Care 'bout Gays
December 20, 2006
According to a poll conducted by OUTzoneTV.com (yes, a sister/brother site of BBCancelled), television watchers don't care about gay characters.
And we mean that in a good way. They don't care if an actor is gay, straight or in between. 75% of respondents said that knowing an actor's sexual orientation would not change their opinion.
Courtney Cox Loves Dirt
It's the name of her new TV show, silly! We're not being mean!
In the opening scene of Ms. Cox's seductive new FX series, the actress is seen as a red satin-swathed titan dominating the Hollywood landscape.
In fact, Cox's beautiful character is in the gutter as the editor of tabloid magazines whose mission is reflected in the show's title: ''Dirt.''
Turns out, though, Lucy has company: The stars and executives who publicly scorn her include those who also use her. She rubs that in a producer's face in the debut episode, 10 p.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 2.
More of "My Boys"
“My Boys” – TBS’ new (and first) original comedy, received such excellent praise for it’s first few episodes that the cable network has extended a full order to 22 episodes.
Said Michael Wright, head of original programming at TBS, "It's understood that comedy is one of the most difficult forms of entertainment to do well, so it's a great feeling to know that our first attempt at creating an original scripted comedy series has been so well-received. We're very proud to continue our relationship with 'My Boys'' outstanding cast and gifted production team, and we look forward to following this very funny show."
Joe Barbera, 1911-2006
December 19, 2006
Joe Barbera was a giant among cartoonists, along with his partner Bill Hanna. You know them as Hanna-Barbera, the guys who invented the cat and mouse team of Tom and Jerry.
Barbera died Monday of natural causes at his home with his wife, Sheila, at his side, said a Warner Bros spokesman. He was 95. His longtime collaborator, Hanna, died in 2001.
''When we started, people said, 'Cat and mouse? That's old stuff,''' Barbera recalled in a 1993 AP interview. Citing characters such as Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse, he added, ''They said it had been done by everybody. But I felt that in any country you wouldn't need dialogue to understand the plot. All you needed was a cat and mouse, and everybody knew what was going to happen.''
Simple enough. What happened was several decades of entertainment by Hanna-Barbera studios, which included animated series such as ''The Flintstones,'' ''Yogi Bear,'' ''Huckleberry Hound and Friends,'' ''Scooby-Doo,'' and ''The Jetsons.''
Update: Miss USA
Miss USA Tara Conner keeps the crown.
She came under criticism amid rumors she had been frequenting bars while underage -- rumors because we weren't there with her, so we're not even sure any of it's true. Anyway, she's be allowed to keep her title, Donald Trump announced Tuesday.
Why? Because he’s “a believer in second chances.”
Your TV is on Fire
December 18, 2006
One of the best things about Christmas Day in NYC is the WPIX-TV “Yule Log.”
For those of you that don’t know, a lot of New Yorkers live in small apartments, and the idea of a fireplace strikes us all as generally hilarious. So, for three hours on Christmas morning, WPIX shows video of a burning fireplace. It’s cozy. It’s a classically New York attempt to make our cramped apartments more homey.
And kitschy.
Judith Regan Fired
O.J. Simpson's would-be publisher, Judith Regan, and would be host of the TV show that was to feature an interview with Mr. Simpson, has been fired from HarperCollins Publishing, and presumably, from Rupert Murdoch’s Newscorp (owner of HC).
The head of HarperCollins, Jane Friedman, who has been famously at odds with Regan sent a simple statement late Friday afternoon: ''Judith Regan's employment with HarperCollins has been terminated effective immediately. The REGAN publishing program and staff will continue as part of the HarperCollins General Books Group.''
Friedman offered no reason for the decision or details of any kind. But her statement comes just weeks after Murdoch's cancellation of Simpson's hypothetical murder confession, ''If I Did It,'' a planned book and Fox television interview that Regan vehemently defended but was greeted with instant and near-universal disgust.
“Show Me the Money” Cancelled
ABC has pulled the plug on its Wednesday night line-up, shutting down both ''Day Break'' and ''Show Me the Money.'' The low-rated series airing back-to-back on Wednesday nights have both been pulled by the network.
''Show Me the Money,'' hosted by William Shatner, was designed to compete with the success of NBC's ''Deal or No Deal,'' except the scantily-clad ladies on “Show Me the Money” actually jiggled and danced instead of just holding suitcases. By last week, the ratings for the show had fallen to a 1.6 in the 18-49yo demographic.
ABC said that the show will be replaced in the short term by sitcom reruns. On Jan. 3, the sitcoms ''Knights of Prosperity'' and ''In Case of Emergency'' will debut in the 9-10 p.m. EST Wednesday time period. When ''Lost'' returns Feb. 7 with 16 new episodes it will move to 10 p.m. EST Wednesday.
Tara Connor (Miss USA) Has Behavioral Issues
December 15, 2006
Not counting that she joined the beauty pageant circuit – which is just crazy, and surely a sign of temporary insanity – Tara Conner is being accused by the Miss USA pageant for ''behavioral and personal issues'' and will decide her future within a week.
So is this some Vanessa Williams naked photos scandal?
No. It’s about getting drunk.
Pageant officials and Donald Trump, who co-owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, would not say what Kentucky native Tara Conner, 20, had done to prompt the serious evaluation.
Wow. That makes Mr. Trump the new George W. Bush. “Keep Everything Secret!”
Rosie Apologies … In English
Rosie O'Donnell says she's sorry for mocking spoken Chinese on ''The View,'' but an association that represents journalists from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, including Chinese American, says it wasn't enough.
In a Dec. 5 segment, O'Donnell joked about how Danny DeVito's recent -- and seemingly drunken -- appearance on the ABC daytime talk show had become international news.
''You know, you can imagine in China it's like 'ching chong, ching chong chong, Danny DeVito, ching chong chong chong, drunk, ''The View,'' ching chong,''' the 44-year-old comedian said.
Golden Globe Nominations 2006
December 14, 2006
Ladies and Gentlemen! Start your office betting pools! The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has released it's list of the 2006 Golden Globe Television nominations. (There were some movie nominations too, but really, who cares about those?)
We've compiled the list here for you. Be sure to leave us a comment and tell us which shows/actresses/actors YOU think will win.
Best Series, Drama: ''24'' (Fox); ''Big Love'' (HBO); ''Grey's Anatomy'' (ABC); ''Heroes'' (NBC); ''Lost'' (ABC)
Best Series, Musical or Comedy: ''Desperate Housewives'' (ABC); ''Entourage'' (HBO); ''The Office'' (NBC); ''Ugly Betty'' (ABC); ''Weeds'' (Showtime)
Best Actress in a Drama: Patricia Arquette (''Medium''); Edie Falco (''The Sopranos''); Evangeline Lilly (''Lost''); Ellen Pompeo (''Grey's Anatomy''); Kyra Sedgwick (''The Closer'')
Best Actor in a Drama: Patrick Dempsey (''Grey's Anatomy''); Michael C. Hall (''Dexter''); Hugh Laurie (''House''); Bill Paxton (''Big Love''); Kiefer Sutherland (''24'')
Kitty Kelley Tackles Oprah Winfrey
"Oprah Winfrey has fascinated me for many years, as a woman, she has wielded an unprecedented amount of influence over the American culture and psyche," Kitty Kelley said in a statement issued yesterday by the Crown Publishing Group, an imprint of Random House, Inc.
You know Kitty. Her many best sellers include biographies of Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan and the Bush family. She’s the lady with the long history of writing books as loathed by their subjects, and disputed by critics, as they are fascinating to readers.
Amy Poehler to Become a Cartoon
December 13, 2006
Amy Poehler, known for her hilarious Kim Jong Il impression, and widely regarded as the saving grace of this season’s ''Saturday Night Live'' -- will become an animated character on kid's network NIckelodeon.
"Mighty B,' an animated series created by Amy Poehler with Cynthia True and Erik Wiese, is set to air sometime in 2008, though an official date has not been announced.
Poehler voices the show's main character, Bessie Higgenbottom, a character Poehler describes in a statement as an optimistic child ''who believes she can grow up to be a rock star, actress, politician and brain surgeon all at the same.''
This is Poehler's first venture into animation., and she seems very excited. In a statement, Poehler said, “I can't wait to find out how they make those cool little people move around,'' she said.
Peter Boyle, 1935-2006
We hate doing obits in the newswire, but television lost a national treasure yesterday.
Peter Boyle, the actor who transformed from an angry workingman in Joe to a tap-dancing monster in Young Frankenstein and finally the comically grouchy father on "Everybody Loves Raymond" has died. He was 71.
''He's just obnoxious in a nice way, just for laughs,'' Boyle said of his "Raymond" character in a 2001 interview. ''It's a very sweet experience having this (success) happen at a time when you basically go back over your life and see every mistake you ever made.''
Boyle won an Emmy in 1996 for his guest-starring role in an episode of ''The X Files,'' and he was nominated for ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' and for the 1977 TV film ''Tail Gunner Joe,'' in which he played Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
Dirty Words: Now on C-Span!
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled that the FCC hearings on profanity can be aired on television after all, according to an article at Broadcasting and Cable.
We’ve been following this story for a few weeks, and it seems that the petitions filed by the big four networks against the FCC’s recent tightening of profanity rules, has taken a closer step toward public debate.
The networks are asking the FCC to clarify its rulings, and have joined Fox in protesting what seem to be arbitrarily high fees for instances such as Nicole Richie's use of profanity in a Billboard Awards show in 2003. Networks are facing much larger fines and much stiffer penalties for profanity. In some cases, the fines have increased 100% in the last few years.
Hornymanatee.com
December 12, 2006
You may have seen the phenmonen known as the “horny manatee.”
Here’s what happened: On December fourth, Conan O’Brien featured a large fake manatee dancing to “I Touch Myself.” (Who cares why? It’s Conan.) He then off-handedly mentioned that there were probably folks at home surfing www.hornymanatee.com, a website he made up on the spot.
In order to avoid an FCC disaster (the off chance that someone would actually put up a website by that name with dubious content), NBC forked over $159 dollars to buy the domain name to build the site. In the first week of operation, hornymanatee.com drew in 3 million hits. Even we stopped by recently, and laughed ourselves senseless.
How the Grinch Stole an Audience
We had a long discussion here at BBCancelled today about the yearly showing of “The Grinch.” How we all wait for a year to see that little (morally superior) dog Max help the green Suess character find a new lease on life.
So, it turns out that the yearly TV special, which was made in 1966, has spawned a Broadway musical. When we first heard about it, our first thought was that it’d be awfully boring. But the show is competing with some of Broadway’s biggest shows including “Wicked,” and The Lion King.” In the past week, the show has pulled down 1.5 million dollars.
The biggest time of year for most Broadway houses falls over the holiday season, so it only makes sense that a beloved show about everyone’s favorite grouchy Christmas curmudgeon would draw an audience.
Models Win "Amazing Race"
December 11, 2006
One of the most watched shows in America, last night’s big finale of “The Amazing Race” came down to a cab driver’s use of an EZ Pass.
Two couples took cabs from JFK airport, and sped towards the final destination. In one cab, Rob Diaz and Kimberley Chabollla, the couple who spent the entire season bickering, found themselves in line for a tollbooth that would lead them into Manhattan.
As Rob and Kimberley sat desperately in a line marked “Cash only.” Models Tyler Denk and James Branaman, sailed through the tollbooth line, with the help of the cab driver’s EZ pass, thereby beating every other team to The Daily News building in Manhattan.
The Prince of the Super Bowl
McCartney, Jagger and now Prince.
For the third year in a row, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act will headline the Super Bowl halftime entertainment. This time it's Prince. Oh the wardrobe malfunctions – the possibilities are endless.
Because ... isn't Prince the guy who likes to sing and dance in pants with no bottom?
“Firefly” to Become Online Game
Attention Browncoats!
According to an article over at zap2it.com, Multiverse Network Inc. has reached a deal with 20th Century Fox to develop a Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) that takes place in the universe created by Joss Whedon’s science fiction series "Firefly."
O'Donnell: I Am Stayin.
December 08, 2006
Rosie O’Donnell is having quite a week.
Danny Devito sat on her lap, she drew the criticism of the Chinese for her impression of them (quote: “Ching Ching Chingity Chong”), and then some folks printed rumors that she was leaving “The View.”
So, during Thursday's show, O’Donnell cleared the air by saying that she had answered an audience member's question during a commercial break the day before and mentioned how she would like to work on FX's ''Nip/Tuck.''
She noted that it filmed during the summer, during ''The View'' vacation break.
''Don't anybody worry where Rosie's going,'' she said. ''She's right here.''
TV: More Racially Diverse, Still Needs Work
Civil-rights groups seeking greater ethnic diversity in the TV industry said Thursday the major broadcast networks are making improvements but it's time for greater progress -- and pressure.
''I don't want to wait 10 years until we're close on television to the 15 percent of the population we are in the U.S.,'' said Alex Nogales, an official with the National Latino Media Council.
The council has been working together with groups including the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition and American Indians in Film & TV since 1999 to increase minority hiring and representation in the broadcast TV industry.
Karen K. Narasaki, chair of the Asian Pacific American coalition, said there has been ''marginal progress'' as all four networks increased the number of starring roles for Asian-American actors in series. In one case, however, that meant going from one role to two.
''We're still far from where we need to be,'' she said, with far too many all-white shows or shows that should have
Asian-American characters (because of their setting) but don't.
Increasing their ranks is crucial to creating more minority characters, she said. She noted the cast diversity on ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy,'' created and produced by a black woman, Shonda Rhimes. Nogales also lauded ABC, a network he said ''finally got it'' and has Hispanic characters in its most popular shows, including ''Desperate Housewives'' and freshman hit ''Ugly Betty.'' As a result, he said, the network is winning over more Hispanic viewers.
Did "Survivor" Producers Cheat?
So, we've reported a few times about the ongoing battles that Richard Hatch is engaged in with the government over not paying his taxes for his "Survivor" winnings. He was found guilty, and sentenced to four years in a minimum security prison.
Well, like any sensible survivor, Hatch is appealing. But it's the reasoning that we find so interesting.
According to Hatch, the Judge who originally heard his case prevented him from arguing the real reason that he didn’t pay his taxes. Hatch claims he didn’t pay because he thought the Survivor producers already paid the tax for him.
Celebrities with Guns: Is This Safe?
December 07, 2006
What some folks will sacrifice for the sake of a reality TV show.
Erik Estrada, La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne, Wee Man, and Trish Stratus have all been sworn in as reserve officers of the city police department here, allowing them to carry badges and guns as part of a reality television series.
About 200 people packed into Muncie, Indiana’s City Hall auditorium for the Tuesday ceremony to swear in the former ''CHiPs'' star, along with the others.
Jason Lewis on "Brothers and Sisters"
Remember the guy on “Sex and the City” who was so sweet to Samantha when she began losing her hair during chemotherapy? He was a model, always laying around in his underwear?
Sure you do.
Well, he’s coming back to television when ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters” returns from hiatus in January. And he’ll be playing someone’s love interest – but this time, it’ll be a man.
Jason Lewis first appearance will come in an episode called "Sexual Politics," which is scheduled for some time after the show returns in Januray. He will play the love interest to Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys). But what about Scotty the cater-waiter? (Luke MacFarlane, who in real life is rumored to be dating “Grey’s Anatomy” star T R Kinght.)
FCC Washes Mouths Out with Soap (Cash)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a statement that “the V-chip is ineffective,” and that broadcasters have "only limited First Amendment protection."
An article at Broadcasting and Cable covered the story about the FCC’s defense of its profanity findings against dirty words used during Fox's Billboard Music Awards and in particular words used by Cher in 2002 and Nicole Richie in 2003.
60 Minutes of Un-Racist-Ness
December 06, 2006
You may have gotten an email in the last few weeks that some friend sends to you in a fit of righteous indignation. It’s a diatribe from America’s favorite old curmudgeon Andy Rooney. It’s been credited to him. It sounds like him, anyway.
The piece contains some pretty severe racist rhetoric, including: "I have the right not to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird or tick me off."
Yeah. Rooney totally didn’t write it. And he’s trying to make sure you know…it wasn’t him.
This has happened to Rooney a few times before. Most recently, Rooney tracked down a writer in Colorado who used his name on a missive about the virtues of “women over 30.”
"Someone on the street yesterday said 'I read your piece about older women,' " Rooney said. "All I ever say is 'I didn't write it and I'm trying to sue the guy who did.' "
“Criminal Minds” Abscond with Awesome Timeslot
As Mandy Patinkin and his crew of FBI profilers are proving on ''Criminal Minds,'' there's a seemingly unquenchable thirst for a well-told crime story on telly. We have our own opinions about this, and you can check it out in our “Make It Stop” post here.
But on with the show: CBS' sophomore drama reached its biggest audience yet of just under 18 million last week, and in response, the network announced that a ''Criminal Minds'' episode will get the plum time slot following the Feb. 4 Super Bowl.
''This is an outstanding opportunity to expose a series that is young in its life cycle and on the rise to an enormous universe of potential new viewers,'' said Nina Tassler, CBS entertainment president.
The Peacock Crows: NBC Wins News Sweeps
Broadcasting and Cable is claiming a winner in the news Sweeps for November, and it’s “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. “ (We’ll go with full disclosure. NBC is our parent company, but that doesn't mean it ain't news and we do watch a lot (too much?) tv on other networks, but don't tell our bosses.)
Battlestar Galactica Jumps to Sunday
December 05, 2006
Friday nights are usually reserved for dates, social events, and very little television viewing. Thus, networks usually reserve Friday nights as a dumping ground for shows it doesn’t have a lot of faith in. But somehow the Sci-Fi Channel has been able to grab an audience on Friday nights.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re hopeless nerds, too. We’re also usually home watching “Battlestar Galactica” on Friday nights. Unless we have some place to be (craft show, Rennaissance Fair), in which case we TiVo it.
Rumors had been circulating around the internet for weeks that Sci-Fi would be moving the show to the very popular Sunday night. Yesterday, Sci Fi made the news official, by announcing the news along with dates and times. When it begins the second half of its season on January 21st, “Battlestar Galactica” will be on Sunday nights at 10pm. It will follow the series premiere of the supernatural-detective drama "The Dresden Files."
Rick Schroder joins "24"
There was an awkward period when Rick Schroder had to ask people to please call him “Rick” instead of “Ricky.”
He’s come a long way from the bedimpled moppet on "Silver Spoons." And his struggle to climb the ranks toward leading-man roles will continue with the premiere of this season’s "24."
Schroder will play Mike Doyle, a CTU operative who teams with Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland) to foil the bad guys.
This isn’t the first time he’s tried to erase his dimples and cheesy punchlines from our memories. He played a cop on “NYPD Blue” and appeared in a few episodes of “Scrubs.”
We’re waiting for the real star-making turn attempted by most former child-actors: we’ve got our fingers crossed for either “destitute junkie” or “square gay neighbor.”
Schroder is one of many casting miracles that the producers at “24” are whipping out this year. Actors with some serious chops will be appearing this season, such as Peter MacNicol, James Cromwell, Regina King, Chad Lowe, Powers Boothe, and pretty much everyone else in the whole wide world.
The two-night, four-hour premiere of Season Six of “24” will be on Sunday, Jan. 14 and Monday, Jan. 15.
“Tweener” and the Car Accident
This whole thing is just unseemly, and keeps getting worse.
“Prison Break” actor Lane Garrison, 26, was driving n SUV full of teenagers over the weekend, when the vehicle went off the road and crashed into a tree killing a 17-year-old boy and seriously injuring two 15-year-old girls.
And now police and eyewitnesses say Garrison appeared to be drunk at the time.
Letterman: Staying Put
December 04, 2006
CBS Corp. announced Monday that David Letterman has signed a contract to stay on the air until at least 2010. It was widely reported in September that Letterman had agreed to the deal. The contract means Letterman plans to stay on the air longer than late-night rival Jay Leno. NBC has said that Leno will give way to Conan O'Brien on the ''Tonight'' show in 2009.
''I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS,'' Letterman, 59, said. ''At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute.''
Letterman is expected to make somewhere north of $30 million a year. He's been competing with Leno since 1993, and the NBC comic has had the upper hand in the ratings for the past decade.
CBS to Get “Fugly”
According to the TV Sleuths over at zap2it, CBS has ordered a pilot called “Fugly,” written by emmy-award winner Greg Garcia.
Garcia is the brains behind "My Name Is Earl" and “Yes, Dear.”
The idea behind "Fugly" is actually pretty genius: Three unattractive siblings spend thier enormous inheritance windfall to get elaborate plastic surgery for one sister, and try to make money off her looks in Hollywood.
It's like "The Beverly Hillbillies" meets "The Swan."
Apparantly, the script has been around for a while, and was originally written for Pam Anderson, who decided to take on “Stacked” instaead. The script sat on a shelf for a few years, and has now been given the go ahead.
Here’s the question posed by Zap2it that we thought was worth asking here: “Is a script by ‘My Name Is Earl’ creator Greg Garcia automatically funnier than the same script by ‘Yes, Dear’ creator Greg Garcia?”
It’s actually kind of a tough question.
Howie Mandel: No Thanks
Howie Mandel has rejected a deal by NBC Universal that would have taken his gameshow “Deal or No Deal” to a 30 minute syndication edition.
NBCU had already been turned down by Arsenio Hall, the network's first choice to host the 30 minute version. NBCU went back to Mandel, who would be a feather in the show's cap, while the network prepares the syndication deal. NBCU figures that “Deal or No Deal” could be as big as syndicated game-shows such as “Wheel of Fortune” or “Jeopardy” if it were a half-hour long and shown around the same time.
Most stations have said that they are uninterested in airing the show until they know who the host will be.
This is another in a series of cost-cutting measures that the networks are employing industry-wide: more game-shows. It turns out that giving money away to contestants is still cheaper than paying writers, actors, or crew to create scripted story-based television.
"It's a Boy!" for Laura Bennet
Project Runway finalist Laura Bennett had her sixth child, a baby boy, on Friday, December 1.
In an exclusive with People.com, she announced that her new baby's name is Finn, he weighed in at 8 lbs., and he is "so cute." Bennett learned she was pregnant while a contestant on the third season of Runway.
Congratulations to Laura and her family!
Watch video of her baby shower, or check out some of Laura's views on motherhood in her blog, at our sister site, OUTzonetv.com.
Danny Devito Drunk on Telly
December 01, 2006
The ladies of ''The View'' are laughing off Danny DeVito's loopy behavior during his appearance on the daytime talk show. Apparantly, he stayed out late drinking with George Clooney the night before, and came in to the morning talk-show (according to Joy Behar) “drunk as a skunk.”
''I knew it was the last seven limoncellos that was going to get me.'' slurred Devito, just before launching into a long, rambling, wild story about sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House during the Clinton years. In talking about his stay there, with his wife, Rhea Perlman, Devito said, “We went in and made it our business to really wreck the joint.”
And then things got downright weird.
Leno Not Laughing
''Tonight Show'' host Jay Leno and NBC Studios have sued humor editor Judy Brown and her publishers in U.S. District Court, claiming that her collection of joke books has profited from material filched from his standup routines.
Leno and other comics, including Rita Rudner, are seeking unspecified damages and a permanent injunction against Brown's 19 books, which are mainly compilations of jokes by comedians including Ellen DeGeneres, Joan Rivers, and Jerry Seinfeld, according to the lawsuit.
"Her books credit the comedians who wrote the jokes, which only serves to make the copyright violations more egregious: The books sell precisely because they include jokes by famous comedians,'' the lawsuit claims. ''Ms. Brown has even sent representatives to comedy clubs to record comedians' routines, so she can then copy the jokes into her books and profit from the original comedic works of others.”
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