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Monty Hall to Return to LMAD Will Play One Game with Wayne Week of March 22 From RBR.com |
Posted 3/10/10 |
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CBS announced that television icon
Monty Hall will make TV history with a sixth decade of
appearances on “Let’s Make A Deal.” Hall will appear on the
show each day of the week of March 22-26 with host Wayne Brady
and play one game on his own with an audience member or
members of his choosing. Hall originally teamed with writer-producer Stefan Hatos in 1963 to create Let’s Make A Deal, which ran until August 1986. In 1990, Hall returned to do Let’s Make A Deal for another cycle. Another adaptation of the show ran briefly in 2003, featuring a guest appearance by Hall, who now serves as a creative consultant on the latest version of the show, which began airing on CBS daytime in October 2009 Let’s Make A Deal is hosted by Wayne Brady. Mike Richards is the executive producer. Produced by FremantleMedia North America, the one-hour show is broadcast weekdays on the CBS Television Network. |
  Monty Hall will guest host the show he made famous on the week of March 22 (photo courtesy Fox) |
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Bravo Adds 5th Night of TV "Fashion Show" Renewed From TV Week |
Posted 3/10/10 |
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One of NBC Universal's cable
networks is gaining a fifth night of original programming,
ramping up its hours of original offerings by 20%, B&C
reports. The network in questions, Bravo, didn't say which night would receive the additional programming. Original programming currently airs Monday through Thursday on Bravo. Our guess is that it's Sunday. The network did announce four series pickups including "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Other pickups include "Miami Social Club," following Miami's elite; "Million Dollar Decorators," which deals with high-end Los Angeles decorators, and "Pregnant in Heels," revolving around Rosie Pope, maternity clothes designer. Bravo laid out renewals for four other shows: "The Fashion Show," "Million Dollar Listing," "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and "Tabatha's Salon Makeover." Bravo also has seven developmental projects in the pipeline, five unscripted and two scripted series. |
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New "Feud" Cash Game Catch It on WorldWinner From Marketwire |
Posted 3/10/10 |
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On your mark, get set, "Feud"! Today at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, WorldWinner (www.worldwinner.com), a subsidiary of GSN and provider of online game competitions, and brand licensors FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), have unveiled the latest version of their online "Family Feud" cash game, it was announced today by Peter Blacklow, president of WorldWinner and executive vice president of GSN Digital. Based on the long-running, Emmy Award-winning TV game show produced by FremantleMedia North America, the updated "Family Feud" cash game includes several new features that align the game even more closely to its television counterpart with new characters and graphical content, additional questions that extend game play, and mouse-driven interfacing. Players can now rack up high scores like never before and compete for a piece of the action with more than $250,000 awarded daily on WorldWinner.com. "This redesign of the 'Family Feud' game is even more like the on-air game show," said Blacklow in making the announcement. "We've updated the game to reflect the personalities and preferences of our players; and we've added some fun twists, including the ability to play for cash and prizes in-character as a family of robots or monster creatures." "WorldWinner has always been a great partner," added Olivier Delfosse, director of Interactive for FME. "With all its new and improved features, we expect the 'Family Feud' experience will provide more deep and meaningful interaction with one of our most beloved and evergreen game show brands." Further to the features mentioned above, the new "Family Feud" game at WorldWinner.com now offers players the opportunity to select unique new avatars to represent their family before answering a set of five survey questions, testing their ability to deduce the nation's most common responses. Pending their answers, the opportunity for cash and prizes again adds to the excitement for the players. |
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"Face the Ace" Lawsuit Dropped Defendant to File Appeal, Case Going to FBI From Bluff Europe |
Posted 3/10/10 |
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The Federal Bureau of
Investigation is taking an interest in the ongoing copyright
dispute over TV poker gameshow, Face the Ace. Brandon McSmith
claims that Poker PROductions stole the show format from him.
In the show, contestants challenge
pros to heads-up poker matches, picking their opponents at
random from behind closed doors. |
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Next Stop: Portugal Talpa Media Deals with Production Company From C21Media |
Posted 3/10/10 |
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First it was the US, France and
Spain; now John de Mol's Talpa Media has inked a 50/50
joint-venture production deal in Portugal, holding all the
company's format rights in that market and Portuguese-speaking
Angola. The new company will be jointly owned by Talpa and Portuguese TV production house CBV, and run by the latter's CEO Piet-Hein Bakker. The new joint venture has the exclusive right to sell, adapt and produce all Talpa reality, gameshow and scripted formats in the two markets. "This is a great step ahead for me and my CBV founding partners Pedro Curto and Vasco Vilarinho," said Bakker. "CBV has the domestic production capacity and in-house creativity, Talpa is developing a great catalogue of up-to-date formats in many different genres. Together we expect to grow to a strong and successful position in the dynamic Portuguese market and the growing market of Angola.” CBV was set up in 2007 by former Endemol Portugal execs Bakker, Curto and Vilarinho, and financed by Dutch media entrepreneurs Joop van den Ende and Hubert Deitmers. It produces reality and entertainment programmes for all terrestrial broadcasters in Portugal, such as Vip Manicure (SIC), A Procura de Sally (RTP) and Apanha-me Se Puderes (TVI). De Mol said: “Talpa is fast-moving when it comes to establishing partnerships in important TV markets. Recently we concluded deals in the US, France and Spain. Portugal is not the biggest market in the world, but it is open and competitive." Formats covered by the Talpa deal include The Golden Cage, Dating in the Dark, Viper’s Nest, Pretty Smart, Guesstimation, I Love My Country, Divided and Know Your Nation. |
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France Honors Takeshi Kitano He of the Eponymous "Castle" Made Commander of Arts From AFP |
Posted 3/10/10 |
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France awarded one of its highest
artistic honors on Tuesday to the Japanese screen star and
film maker Takeshi Kitano, director of bizarre and violent
cult movies such as "Battle Royale". Takeshi was made a Commander of Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand at the Cartier Foundation, a top Paris contemporary art venue where paintings by Takeshi are on show until June. "You are not a man of one single film nor one single style, much less one single face," Mitterrand told Takeshi, presenting the medal to the star. Takeshi is a huge television personality in Japan and renowned worldwide for his films and cult gameshow "Takeshi's Castle", in which members of the public perform humiliating and spectacular stunts. "This exhibition shows that more than ever that you are not a man of one single art form," Mitterrand added. |
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Brucie Wants to Be a Knight "Hot Streak" Host: Light Entertainers Overlooked From STV |
Posted 3/10/10 |
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Bruce Forsyth is disappointed he
has never received a knighthood. The 82-year-old light entertainment legend - who was made a Commander of the British Empire, or CBE in 2006, a lower award in the British honors system - said a "knighthood would be nice for my family". An internet petition was sent to Downing Street in 2006 calling for the 'Strictly Come Dancing' host to receive the honor from the Queen - which would make him Sir Bruce Forsythe. Bruce added in an interview with TV personality Piers Morgan: "The public campaign to get me knighted was flattering and I am happy with my CBE. "The greats of British light entertainment, like the Eric Morecambes and the Tommy Coopers are rarely recognized and that's a shame." A source at broadcaster ITV clarified Bruce's position, telling the Daily Mirror newspaper: "What Bruce was saying was that it would be brilliant if comedians were recognized with knighthoods." |
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Fox Sets Summer Schedule "Hell's Kitchen", "SYTYCD" to Return From The Wrap |
Posted 3/9/10 |
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Fox is shifting "Lie to Me" to
summer, pairing it with new drama "The Good Guys" in an
attempt to establish a scripted beachhead on Mondays during
the off-season. The network will announce a summer schedule Tuesday that boasts first-run fare Monday through Thursday for most of the off-season. "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Hell's Kitchen," as previously announced, will again be Fox's unscripted summer anchors. But the interesting part of the Fox plan is on Mondays, where the network is setting the ground for a template which would keep it in originals virtually year-round -- and possibly establish a new June-December air pattern for scripted series. Having originally hinted at a late spring return for "Lie to Me," Fox will now return the Shawn Ryan-run drama Mondays, June 7. It will occupy the 8 p.m. timeslot now home to "House." "Lie" will be used to help launch the lower-cost (but not low expectation) action comedy "The Good Guys," the Matt Nix-created hour which stars Brad Whitford and Colin Hanks as mismatched detectives. "Guys" (formerly "Code 58") will air Mondays at 9 p.m., following a special in-season preview Wednesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. (right before "American Idol"). Right now, Fox has 12 original episodes of "Lie" to air during the summer. It hasn't yet decided whether to make more. Instead, it will see how the show performs on Mondays this summer. If it does well, Fox could order more episodes and keep the show on the air and in originals from June through December. This would be a major step toward Fox (and other networks') stated goal of figuring out a way to extend the traditional September-May season for scripted originals through the summer. The other broadcast networks are all expected to try originals again this summer, though Fox's decision to put a high-profile, regular budget drama in the off-season could be a bit of a game-changer if it works. Other Fox summer highlights: --"Dance," as announced, bows Thursday, May 27. It will air Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until June 10. That's when "Hell's Kitchen" returns on Thursdays. --"Hell's" will air two-hour episodes all summer long. |
 Fox is almost ready to set its summer slate (photo courtesy Fox) |
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NBC Sets Summer Schedule "Talent", "Comic" to Return; "Celebrity", "Road Trip" to Die From The Wrap |
Posted 3/9/10 |
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NBC summer tentpoles "America's
Got Talent" and "Last Comic Standing" will return in early
June, part of the network's extensive summer schedule. "AGT" gets a two-hour bow on Tuesday, June 1 from 8-10 p.m. It will also air Wednesdays from 8-10 p.m. The Tuesday edition of "AGT" will face ABC's "Wipeout" starting June 22. "Last Comic," meanwhile, will anchor Mondays. After a two-hour premiere from 8-10 on June 7, it will air Mondays at 9 p.m. That's the night new lower-cost drama "Persons Unknown" makes it debut, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. The Peacock also has the new competition series "United Plates of America," which is still casting, as well as the de facto backdoor pilot "Day One." None of last summer's incoming class - "The Listener," "The Philanthropist," "The Great American Road Trip," "The Wanted" and "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" - are returning, per a report from The Futon Critic. |
 NBC is almost ready to set its summer slate (photo courtesy NBC) |
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Pros vs. Joes to Reunite TO, McNabb Catch New Season on Spike July From The Futon Critic |
Posted 3/9/10 |
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Donovan McNabb will throw passes
to Terrell Owens again - only this time on a basketball court
in the new season of Spike TV's "Pros vs. Joes." The special
episode features current NFL stars who played college
basketball, Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga), McNabb (Syracuse),
and Antonio Gates (Kent St.) against former NBA greats Hakeem
Olajuwon, Kenny Smith and Rick Fox. Spike TV's "Pros vs. Joes" goes into production beginning March 9 in Los Angeles and premieres Wednesday, July 14 at 10:00 PM ET/PT. The new season, hosted by Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer, will consist of eight one-hour episodes. (The episode with McNabb and Owens tapes Friday, March 12). The football stars showcased in the hit Spike TV original series include Warrick Dunn, Isaac Bruce, Derrick Brooks and Jeff Garcia. The basketball legends are Hakeem Olajuwon, Chris Mullin, Kenny Smith, Brent Barry, Isaiah Rider and Rick Fox. "Pros vs. Joes" features regular guys competing against an array of popular sports legends from the last two decades. Similar to last season, there will be only one sport played in each episode featuring three skill competitions and a three-on-three game pitting the Pros against the Joes. The sports this season will be football (4 episodes) and basketball (4 episodes). Utilizing their solid sports background and sterling track record of delivering high quality unscripted hits, A. Smith & Co. Productions' Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Frank Sinton serve as executive producers of the new season of "Pros vs. Joes" along with Michael Yudin, president of MY Entertainment and Joe Townley, COO of MY Entertainment. The same team executive produced "Pros vs. Joes 4: All Stars." Smith is CEO of A. Smith & Co. and helped launch the successful Fox Sports Net in the late 1990s as its head of programming and production. Townley is a veteran of sports television production and previously served as executive producer at MSG Network. Sharon Levy, Tim Duffy and Joe Weinstock are executives in charge of production for Spike TV. |
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And the New "Dancing" Co-Host is... The Season 7 Champion! From WABC |
Posted 3/9/10 |
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Former "Dancing With the Stars"
winner Brooke Burke will be Tom Bergeron's new partner when
the series starts again later month. She'll replace Samantha Harris as co-host. Bergeron made the announcement Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America." As a contestant, Burke won during the season that ended in November 2008. She has hosted TV shows including CBS' "Rock Star" and E!'s "Wild On." The mother of four children has also built her own business on parenting issues, with an online baby products store and job as the "mommy correspondent" on the syndicated show "The Doctors." She has more than 1.7 million followers on Twitter. Contestants this season include former "Baywatch" babe Pamela Anderson, reality star Kate Gosselin, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Olympics figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek. Also competing for the mirrorball trophy will be reality TV personality Jake Pavelka, sportscaster Erin Andrews, singer Nicole Scherzinger, football star Chad Ochocinco and actors Shannen Doherty, Aiden Turner and Niecy Nash. The new season begins March 22 on ABC.
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 Brooke Burke has been tapped as Tom Bergeron's partner on "Dancing with the Stars" (photo courtesy iParenting) |
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Seacrest Stalker Pleads No Contest Will Undergo Psych From E! Online |
Posted 3/9/10 |
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Seacrest charges out? For the most
part. Chidi Benjamin Uzomah Jr. pleaded no contest today to a felony stalking count stemming from his security guard-be-damned desire for proximity to our own Ryan Seacrest last year. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Fisher ordered the 25-year-old former Army reservist to undergo a 90-day psychiatric evaluation in prison. After completing the assessment, Uzomah is due back in court for formal sentencing June 14. As it is, the no contest plea spares Uzomah the two misdemeanor counts of attempted disobeying a court order he faced as a result of his obsessive, restraining order-ignoring behavior last fall—the additional charges will be formally dismissed at his sentencing. He now faces a maximum of two years in state prison. |
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Louie Stravato Pulled Off Beat Report: "Race" Cop Linked to Drug Ring From Examiner |
Posted 3/9/10 |
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Rhode Island undercover cops Louis
Stravato and Michael Naylor are competing to win The Amazing
Race, Season 16's grand prize of $1 Million dollars. Now
Stravato has something on his mind more than winning the
Amazing Race. Stravato has been taken off the streets and assigned to desk duty due to an internal investigation into a major police-operated cocaine ring. Rhode Island State Police arrested three Providence police officers on drug-related charges on March 4 in what is now known as "Operation Deception." Although just three officers were arrested in the drug sting so far, four additional officers were put on desk duty as of Friday pending further investigation. One of the officers put on administrative duty was Amazing Race contestant, Louis Stravato. The arrested officers are narcotics Detective Joseph Colanduono, Patrolman Robert Hamlin (who is a school resource officer) and Sgt. Stephen Gonsalves, Mayor Cicilline's former driver and husband to the Mayor's executive assistant. |
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Kids Week Returns to Jeopardy! Catch It July From Kentucky.com |
Posted 3/8/10 |
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Fifteen kids across the country
have been chosen to compete on Kids Week on the game show
Jeopardy!
The chosen few will be in Los Angeles this week to tape the show. The Kids Week shows are scheduled to air July 5 to 9. The winner of each show will receive a minimum guarantee of $15,000. The winners and their families will also receive a trip to one of five exotic places, courtesy of National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. Among the possible prize destinations are the Arctic region of Norway to search for polar bears; the rainforests of Costa Rica and the Panama Canal; Baja, Mexico, to see whales and dolphins; the wilderness of Alaska; or the Galapagos Islands. |
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"Let's Dance" vs. "Button"... Ant & Dec's New Show Drops Viewers From Broadcast |
Posted 3/8/10 |
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BBC1’s Let’s Dance for Sports
Relief pushed all the right buttons for viewers on Saturday
night, leaving Ant and Dec’s new ITV1 gameshow in its wake. According to overnight figures from Attentional, between 7.15pm and 8.30pm, Let’s Dance for Sports Relief averaged 7m (30.3%) – up 500,000 on the previous week and the largest audience of the series to date. Viewers peaked at 7.55pm with a huge 7.7m (33.5%) – the biggest audience of the night on any channel. That meant a tough start for Ant and Dec’s Push the Button on ITV1, which aired from 8pm to 9pm and averaged 5.8m (24.4%). It was down from last week’s debut of 6.6m (26.7%) and was watched by 5.4m during its first half hour, while Let’s Dance was on. But it picked up during the second half of its slot, with its audience growing to 6.1m (25.6%) to win the slot. On BBC1, the new series of The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins, averaged 5.9m (24.9%) between 8.30pm and 9.20pm Push the Button gave a good lead in to Piers Morgan’s Life Stories at 9pm, which featured an interview with X Factor mogul Simon Cowell. The episode had a solid audience of 5.6m (23.6%) between 9pm and 10.15pm – 1.7m more viewers than the Prime Minister Gordon Brown had on Sunday 14 February and 1m more than any other episode of Morgan’s interview show to date.
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Big Ratings, Bad Reviews for "Marriage Ref" Catch Premiere on NBC Thursday From New York Times |
Posted 3/8/10 |
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Comedian Jerry Seinfeld's
much-anticipated return to U.S. television drew bumper
audiences but some scathing reviews on Monday for his new
comedy game show, "The Marriage Ref." Some 14.5 million Americans watched the debut of show on NBC on Sunday as the network ended its coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, which drew more than 185 million viewers over the past 17 days. Seinfeld, 55, who has done little TV since his beloved sitcom "Seinfeld" ended in 1998, is executive producer and occasional panelist on "The Marriage Ref," which has stars weigh-in on the light-hearted arguments of American couples. The show is intended as one of the highlights of NBC's hastily revamped 10 p.m. schedule after it axed "The Jay Leno Show" in February in an embarrassing retreat from cheap-to-produce talk show fare in the prime-time hour traditionally seen as the home of expensive scripted drama. Sunday's 30-minute "sneak preview" of "The Marriage Ref" featured one couple arguing about stuffing their dead dog and another about whether to put a stripper pole in their bedroom. Alan Sepinwall of The Star Ledger called it an "ugly, unfunny, patronizing mess," while National Public Radio's Linda Holmes called it "painfully bad." Time magazine's James Poniewozik said it was "the most God-awful mishmash of a comedy-variety show" and said it had a "corny, low-rent feel." Other reviewers were kinder and intrigued about seeing pop star Madonna, actress Tina Fey and "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria-Parker in upcoming episodes. "Perhaps foremost, 'The Marriage Ref' provides light entertainment at a time when silliness represents a balm to grim tidings elsewhere," said Daily Variety. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker was also prepared to give it a second chance, saying "Taken on its own terms, as non-scripted entertainment, 'Ref' is at the very least more fun than 'American Idol' is these days." "The Marriage Ref" begins its regular 10 p.m. on March 4.
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Alton Brown to Speak at UGA Commencement "Iron Chef" Host an Alumnus From 1340 WGAU |
Posted 3/8/10 |
| The University of Georgia lines up a commencement speaker: UGa Alum and Food Network television host Alton Brown will speak to the graduates in commencement exercises set for May 8 at Sanford Stadium. Brown attended UGa in the 1980s, eventually earning his degree in 2004. He's a Peabody award winner and currently hosts "Iron Chef America" alongside "Chairman" Mark Dacascos. | |
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Matt Lucas Quits "Shooting Stars" "Little Britain" Star Pressed for Time From Comedy Central |
Posted 3/8/10 |
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No longer will we hear “What are
the scores George Dawes?” because Matt Lucas has decided to
quit Shooting Stars. Hosted by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer the new series of the utterly random quiz show apparently clashes with a show Lucas is working on with Little Britain partner David Walliams The Sun writes. “It’s the first time in six series that I can’t be in it and I’m obviously sad. I hope we can do something together again soon” he said. Lucas has kept the scores on the show since its inception in 1993, sat behind a drum kit dressed as a baby in a full baby-grow. Shooting Stars returned last year after the last full series ended in 2002. A new series will be back later this year with Jack Dee remaining a team captain as will Shooting Stars veteran Ulrika Jonsson. |
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Norman Gentle... The Show? "Idol" Castoff Records, Plans From USA Today |
Posted 3/8/10 |
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Nick "Norman Gentle" Mitchell
tells the Danbury News-Times that he has recorded a song
called Brit Slap that will come out April 6. "We're shooting
the video for it in Times Square at Madame Tussaud's Wax
Museum so I can sing it to all the Idol judges," Nick tells
reporter Erik Ofgang. Perhaps more interesting, though, is that Nick says he's been approached about doing a four-month run in Vegas with other people from Idol: "I'm not allowed to say the casino yet, but it's going to be with two Idol winners and a couple of finalists, and I'm just going to be hosting it." |
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ABC, Cablevision Make Amends Deadline Was March 6 From New York Daily News |
Posted 3/7/10 |
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Cablevision customers got their
Oscar fix Sunday night as the cable giant agreed to broadcast
ABC minutes before the first Academy Award was presented. Just 13 minutes after the ceremony began in Hollywood, ABC scrolled a breaking news message: "ABC7 and Cablevision have made significant progress in negotiations and are pleased to announce that ABC7's signal has returned to Cablevision customers as they try to finalize a deal." A Cablevision spokesman called it a deal "that is fair to our customers." There was no immediate word on the terms of the deal. Customers were threatening to ditch Cablevision and boycott ABC if the dispute over millions of dollars in fees wasn't resolved quickly. "If no one watches ABC, there goes their ad revenue," said Mary DeMercurio, 64, of Bogota, N.J., a movie buff who hadn't missed the awards in more than 50 years. Experts agreed that missing out on one of TV's most highly rated shows would be bad for business. "Both parties lose from this," TV historian Tim Brooks said. The blackout affected 3.1 million customers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. |
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ABC Sets Summer Schedule "Wipeout", "True Beauty" to Return From The Hollywood Reporter |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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ABC has booked the return of two
summer reality shows: Season 2 of "True Beauty" and Season 3
of "Wipeout." "Beauty" will debut at 10 p.m. Monday, May 31, following the "The Bachelorette." The duo proved an effective combination when paired last year. The series, produced by Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher, again will follow 10 attractive contestants participating in what they think is a beauty contest but actually are being judged on their morals. Vanessa Minnillo returns as a host and judge (but will only reveal herself to the contestants after they're eliminated). Carson Kressley also will host and judge. "Wipeout," produced by Endemol, will be back Tuesday nights beginning June 22. Themed episodes will include "Ladies Night," "Family Edition" and "Wipeout Blind Date." The series again is hosted by John Anderson and John Henson and co-hosted by Jill Wagner.
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"Real World/Road Rules" To Return April On Tap: Fresh Meat 2 From The Futon Critic & New York Post |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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MTV will offer up the 19th edition
of "The Real World/Road Rules Challenge" on Wednesday, April 7
at 10:00/9:00c. Less than
three months after "The Ruins" came to a close, they're
opening a new chapter by bringing in a second crop of newbies
for "Fresh Meat 2." |
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Talpa Moves to Spain de Mol Opens Shop with Boomerang TV From C21 Media |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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Talpa Media, the Dutch production
house owned by Endemol co-founder John de Mol (Big Brother),
has signed a deal with a major Spanish production company to
create a joint-venture to produce Talpa formats in Spain. Talpa and Boomerang TV Group today announced a 50-50 venture that has the exclusive right to sell, adapt and produce all reality, gameshow and scripted formats from Talpa. Boomerang was founded in 1998 and has since made over 11,000 hours of television content. "Spain is a very interesting market for television," said de Mol. "After finding Shine as a partner in France in December last year, and Warner Horizon in the US last month, this is the third important joint venture deal for Talpa. When it comes to our growth strategy, Talpa is fast-moving and very well on track." Formats covered by the deal include The Golden Cage, Dating in the Dark, Viper’s Nest, Pretty Smart, Guesstimation, I Love My Country, Divided and Know Your Nation. |
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More on "Instant Recall" Catch It on GSN Thursday From GSN PR |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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Retro fashion icon Wink Martindale
struts his stuff—while wearing his own brightly-hued
wardrobe—as host of GSN’s "Instant Recall", which combines
hidden cameras, outrageous comic scenarios and tongue-in-cheek
retro-style game show competition. "Instant Recall" first
tests players’ patience, then tests their memory as
unsuspecting participants are caught on hidden camera in
unbelievable situations—and are then quizzed by Wink on the
experience for cash and prizes. "Instant Recall" made its unforgettable debut on Thursday, March 4, 8:30 PM ET/PT on GSN. "Instant Recall" star Wink Martindale has hosted 19 broadcast network, national cable and syndicated TV game shows. Since starting his game show career with “What’s This Song,” Martindale has also hosted "Tic-Tac-Dough, "Trivial Pursuit, " "Can You Top This," "Gambit," "High Rollers," and "Debt." He produced the syndicated "Headline Chasers" in association with Merv Griffin and KingWorld, and he and his late business partner, Bill Hillier, were the first to produce real-time interactive game shows for The Family Channel ("Boggle," "Jumble" and others). In June of 2006, Martindale was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. |
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"Dancing" vs. "X Factor" BBC Increases Spending to Take on ITV From Telegraph |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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BBC One is to spend more money on
its Saturday night entertainment shows, including Strictly
Come Dancing, in a bid to compete with ITV’s huge hits The X
Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.
Director general Mark Thompson
admitted, In the BBC strategy report published earlier this
week, that ITV’s entertainment blockbusters “continue to
provide a welcome and successful challenge to the BBC”. |
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$300 for a Day in the Library? "Silent Library" Casting Characters for Season 3 From Reality Wanted |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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MTV's hit series Silent Library is
Looking for four REAL walk on Characters for their 3rd Season! Character #1 FEMALE w/Bushy or Long Armpit hair Character #2 MALE, ASIAN and Overweight Character #3 MALE, Older ASIAN, experienced in Martial Arts Character #4 ANY GENDER, Paddle Ball Expert! If you or anyone you know of meet these requirements please apply with information about your background and a photo of yourself. The rate is $300/day. |
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Cowell Almost Quit Saw His Calendar Booked for 18 Months From Daily Mail |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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Simon Cowell revealed how he came
close to quitting after looking at his diary and finding every
single day for 18 months was booked up. He confessed to fellow Britain’s Got Talent Judge Piers Morgan on his interview show Life Stories that he felt ‘depressed’ by his punishing schedule. The 50 year-old said: ‘I came close [to giving up work] last year when I looked at about June/July and my PA showed me I had an 18 month schedule which took me all the way up to December of this year and every single day was practically planned and that really depressed me.' |
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Meghan, Cheyne Engaged "Race" Winner Pops Question in San Diego From People |
Posted 3/5/10 |
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After orchestrating a romantic
weekend as elaborate as any leg of The Amazing Race, Cheyne
Whitney, 23, who won the 15th season last December with his
longtime girlfriend Meghan Rickey, 24, popped the question
near their home base of San Diego on Sunday. “Other than ‘what are you going to do with the $1 million,’ the question that comes up the most is, ‘when are you guys going to get married?’” Whitney says. “And I’ve been planning this since the Race ended, so I’ve been like, ‘I’m working on it! I’m working on it!’” |
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ABC Goes Ice Dancing Network Orders Another "Dancing" Spinoff From C21Media |
Posted 3/4/10 |
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ABC has greenlit a six-part series
that turns celebrities into ice dancers, picking up one of two
very similar formats that were being pitched to US networks
throughout last year. BBC Worldwide Productions is making the ABC show, which will debut at the end of the year. Six celebrities will be paired with professional stars from the skating world to learn how to dance on ice in a theatrical-style production, BBC Worldwide said today. The new program, currently untitled, was developed by BBC Worldwide Productions from the BBC’s Strictly Ice Dancing format, which debuted as an extension of Strictly Come Dancing in the UK in 2004. UK network ITV was also developing an ice-dancing talent show and has since aired Dancing On Ice on Saturday nights and from 2008 on Sunday nights. ITV Studios has also sold the format to other countries around the world, and has been pitching the idea of a US version to networks stateside. In October last year, sources told C21 that the UK's two biggest broadcasters had locked horns over the new format, with ITV concerned about copyright infringement, given the similarity of the two shows. Nevertheless, Jane Tranter, exec VP of programming and production at BBC Worldwide Productions, described the new as "truly unique". Izzie Pick, the company's VP of programming development and former co-exec producer on Dancing With the Stars, will executive produce. |
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Meredith Vieira Signs One More Year with
"Today" "Millionaire" Host Extends Morning Run to 2011 From AOL |
Posted 3/4/10 |
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Meredith Vieira is sticking with
the morning shift. Although her contract was set to expire this fall, Variety is reporting that the 'Today' show co-anchor has renewed through 2011, according to internal sources at the network. NBC has yet to confirm or deny the report. Since Vieira replaced Katie Couric in 2006, she's seamlessly transitioned into one of morning news' most recognizable faces. As Variety points out, 'Today' has remained number-one in the ratings for the last 741 weeks, or just over 14 years. In the late '90s, Vieira gained national notoriety when she moved on from a career in TV journalism to co-host the daytime talk show 'The View,' alongside Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and Star Jones. In 2002, she began hosting a daytime version of the hit game show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.' |
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Jake Pavelka Denies Cheating Says Attention-Seeking Ex Is Just That From ET Online |
Posted 3/4/10 |
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A woman alleging to be an
ex-girlfriend of "The Bachelor" Jake Pavelka says he is not
the man he claims to be -- but Jake says she's just out to
capitalize financially on his fame! The woman -- who disguised her voice to remain anonymous -- called into Steve Kramer's radio show "That Guy Kramer" on Island 106 in Panama City, Florida, saying Jake contacted her after "The Bachelor" finished filming. "What I'm saying now has absolutely nothing to do with him and it has gotten so bad and enough people know that we were dating," she said on the radio show. "He came to my hometown, met my family, met my friends and deceived everyone. And I feel like I'm forced to say something for the sole purpose of defending my honor." In part of the interview that has yet to air, the radio jockey says they have confirmed knowledge of contact between the two -- pictures, text messages -- since filming ended on "The Bachelor" in November. Jake tells ET her claims are false. "The relationship with [the woman] was prior to 'The Bachelor,' it simply did not work out," he says. "There was no overlap with that or any other relationship during the show. It is unfortunate that people such as this are trying to financially capitalize on or disparage my incredible relationship with Vienna. I only wish everyone could be as happy for us as we are happy together." |
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Brandi Cochran (Sherwood) Sues TPIR Former "Beauty" Alleges Harassment from Pregnancy From the Wrap |
Posted 3/3/10 |
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A former "Price Is Right" model
who says she was harassed and discriminated against for being
pregnant has sued CBS and show producer Fremantle Media. According to the lawsuit filed Monday in state Superior Court in Los Angeles, Brandi Cochran was a model on the game show from July 2002 until last Tuesday, when, as her maternity leave came to a close, she found out that she'd been fired. She states that since the on-air announcement of her pregnancy late in 2008, "The Price is Right" producers "discriminated against, harassed, and retaliated against Cochran, including making remarks about her pregnancy, her appearance, her weight, and her eating habits." She added that she was removed from the show's website, and was not allowed to return to work after her pregnancy leave. Cochran also added that she witnessed the harassment of two other models, including one who was fired, because she also became pregnant. The lawsuit details other forms of verbal harassment that intensified as she got closer to her maternity leave, from both male and female producers, including one who said "Wide load coming through!" as she walked past. Messages left by TheWrap for CBS and Fremantle were not immediately returned Monday evening. The complaint alleges, among other things, discrimination on the basis of pregnancy; retaliation for complaints of discrimination and harassment; wrongful termination; breach of contract; privacy violations; and fraud. It does not specify damages sought. The show has a history of litigation by its models. Dian Parkinson, who joined the show in 1975, left the show in 1993 "to pursue other interests" as stated by then-host Bob Barker; the following year she sued, claiming he had been sexually harassing her since the 1980s. She withdrew the lawsuit in 1995. It was reported that original model Holly Hallstrom was dismissed that year for gaining weight due to medical treatments, though she alleged she was let go because she wouldn’t take Barker’s side in his feud with Parkinson. Barker later sued Hallstrom for slander and libel; she countersued him for wrongful termination and age and weight discrimination. Hallstrom won the battle, including a multimillion dollar settlement. Two other models also caught up in the drama won out-of-court settlements after filing for wrongful termination. |
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... and Here's Your New Bachelorette Ali Starts Handing Out Roses May 24 From the Futon Critic |
Posted 3/2/10 |
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Ali Fedotowsky has finally decided
to risk it all for love. The energetic and charismatic
career-oriented woman from San Francisco has re-prioritized
her life and now love comes out on top. She will have her own
opportunity to find her soul mate when she stars in the sixth
edition of "The Bachelorette," which will premiere May 24
(9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. The
identity of the new Bachelorette was revealed tonight on "The
Bachelor: On the Wings of Love -- After the Final Rose." Ali, 25, has been a fan favorite from the moment she stepped out of the limo with her sexy raspy voice and a peacock feather to meet Jake Pavelka on the last season of "The Bachelor." She became the front-runner for Jake's heart, but instead they found themselves in a heartbreaking situation when she made a gut-wrenching decision to choose a job she loved over the man she loved. Ali made the surprising safe choice to go back to work, but regretted it immediately. By the time she sorted out her work affairs, Jake had already moved on with his search for love with the three fabulous women who stayed with him, and he did not allow Ali to return. But it's not too late for Ali now. Admitting that she made one of the biggest mistakes of her life, she has let go of everything this time - her apartment, her job, her stability - to really make a life-changing commitment to put her heart first. Ali grew up in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with one sister, one brother and their parents. Although she gave up her chance at a future with Jake, she has set her sights on a reliable, funny and humble guy who can challenge her. Even though this Bachelorette is known more for her work ethic, she loves to play. She enjoys hiking, wake boarding and playing soccer, but also takes pleasure in going to wine tastings. |
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Vernon Kay, Tess Daly Spotted Together "19 Yards" Host Was Caught Sexting From Digital Spy |
Posted 3/2/10 |
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Vernon Kay has made his first
public outing with wife Tess Daly since admitting to sending
sex texts to Page 3 model Rhian Sugden. The couple, who have two children together, appeared at the Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards in Leicester Square last night. Speaking on stage, Kay told the crowd: "It is such a treat to have an afternoon out, especially in such esteemed company." The Family Fortunes presenter placed his arm around Daly's waist and only shook hands with female guests rather than kissing them. A source told The Mirror: "It was tough for Tess after what Vern did to her, but she has decided to make a go of things. This was the first step in trying to regain some normality in their lives." Kay begins filming his new ITV1 gameshow The Whole 19 Yards this week, while Daly is scheduled to make several public appearances promoting her book The Baby Diaries: Memories, Milestones and Misadventures. |
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Get Your Group Together, Guys... Report: NBC Bringing "Sing-Off" Back From the Wrap |
Posted 3/1/10 |
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NBC is tuning up a second season
of "The Sing-Off." Nothing's official yet, but Peacock alternative executive vice president Paul Telegdy told TheWrap he's started planning for another cycle of the a capella competition. "We'll be bringing 'Sing Off' back," Telegdy said. "We don't know when. But we believe we've found a little gem, one we can buff up and make better." "Sing-Off" scored steady, solid ratings during its mid-December run, averaging around a 2.5 in the adults 18-49 most nights. NBC aired eight hours of competition over four nights, a cost-effective way of determining audience interest in the concept. It's possible NBC will repeat the scheduling strategy with season two. But they network is also considering other ways of airing the show, including a more traditional week-by-week approach. The first "Sing-Off" was produced by Sony Pictures Television, Tenth Planet and Outlaw Entertaiment. Joel Gallen was among the executive producers of the show, which was hosted by Nick Lachey. |
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"TPIR 2010" Comes to iPhone, iPod Touch Game Available from iTunes App Store for $4.99 From Sys-Con |
Posted 3/1/10 |
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Interactive entertainment
company Ludia and FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) today
announced the availability of The Price Is Right 2010 App on
the App Store. Now iPhone™ and iPod® touch users can “Come On
Down!” to new pricing games, increased customization options
and dazzling graphics, along with all the familiar and
much-loved game play of the original title. The app is based
on the Emmy Award-winning and longest-running game show in
television history. “Ludia is thrilled to deliver another exciting game experience based on the iconic The Price Is Right game show franchise,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “The Price Is Right 2010 App, with its fresh new batch of pricing games and enhanced production values is sure to please new and existing fans of the game on the iPhone and iPod touch.” |
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"Wipeout" Comes to Canada Catch It on TVtropolis From C21Media |
Posted 3/1/10 |
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Canada has become the latest
territory to pick up Endemol's obstacle gameshow format
Wipeout, with Lone Eagle Entertainment onboard to produce for
a Canwest-owned network. Canuck diginet TVtropolis will broadcast the series, Wipeout Canada, in 2011. The format sees contestant taking on a series of potentially painful obstacles in order to win a cash prize. It has previously aired in countries such as Russia, India, the Netherlands and the UK, having been developed for US cablenet ABC. Toronto-based Lone Eagle will begin shooting in fall 2010. Canwest picked up the show from its Canadian distributor, Disney. Elsewhere, Endemol Worldwide Distribution licenses the show. TVtropolis' format line-up already includes Hoarders, Parking Wars, Survivor and Rescue Ink. |
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Former "Idoler" Yamin Survives Stunning
Earthquake Chile Quake Registered 8.8 From Extra |
Posted 3/1/10 |
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Former "American Idol" contestant
Elliott Yamin happened to be in Chile when the massive 8.8
magnitude earthquake hit near Concepcion, Chile early this
morning, Popdirt.com reports. From his Twitter account, he writes: "Huge earthquake just now in Chile!!.... I swear I thought this was the end of my life!!!!! Fu**!!!!!! I take it all back everybody!!.... I just escaped w my life, from an 8.3 earthquake!!!... is everybody ok?... where was the epicener?... Complete and utter choas on the streets... no power... my heart is beatin outta my chest!.... tsunami warning... I am only a mile inland!" The devastating earthquake struck at 3:34 am (1:34 EST), centered in the town of Concepcion, crumpling buildings and homes, and setting off a tsunami in the Pacific Ocean that could threatened nearly a quarter of the globe, including Hawaii, Huffingtonpost.com reports. This latest earthquake is 100 times stronger than the one the hit Haiti last month. President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile but said Chile has not asked for assistance from other countries. "The system is functioning. People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have," she said. Emergency officials set off shrieking alarm sirens across parts of Hawaii, which could face its largest waves since 1964, according to Charles McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Mandatory evacuations have been set for most of the Hawaiian islands coastlines. |
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Dog Saves "Wheel Australia" Hostess' Life Xenides Speaks to Women's Day on Subject From Animal Friends |
Posted 3/1/10 |
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Adriana Xenides is a game show
host in Australia and has told of how her pet dog saved her
life. Digital Spy reports that the Argentina-born TV personality spoke to Woman's Day magazine about how she has suffered five heart attacks in two years. However, her whippet, named Red, came to the rescue when Xenides recently collapsed at home due to the pain she regularly experiences following an operation to remove her large intestine. "She'd grabbed the dish cloth, dunked it in her water bowl, then come and put it in my mouth so I wouldn't be dehydrated. It's just amazing. I'm only here because of her," she explained, adding that the canine was still keeping an eye on her when she woke up. Xenides is known for her long-running role on Wheel of Fortune, in which she starred for 18 years. Before her operation, she was plagued by gastro-intestinal digestive disorder and said the symptoms ranged from bloating to significant fluid retention. |
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More on "Thin Ice" Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Kurt Browning to Host Interactive Competition From the Futon Critic |
Posted 2/28/10 |
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Emmy Award-winning talk show host
Elisabeth Hasselbeck ("The View") and Kurt Browning, four-time
World Champion Canadian figure skater, co-host "Thin Ice," a
new competition for the world's greatest pro figure skaters,
live from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods (Connecticut), airing
Friday, March 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and Sunday, March 21
(7:00-8:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. The judges
include ice skating legend Katarina Witt, two-time Olympic
Champion and four-time World Champion; Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992
Olympic gold medalist and Season Six champ of "Dancing with
the Stars"; and Dick Button, two-time Olympic gold medalist
and the voice of figure skating on American television for 45
years. The judging will be split between viewer votes via www.abc.com (50%) and a panel of judges (50%). Ten confirmed competitors will come from four skating disciplines ladies, men, pairs and dance and will be paired as five couples. No pairs or dance skaters will be coupled with their current partners. Skating programs will be limited to two minutes. |
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Craig Robinson Hosts Return of "Comic" Auditions in NYC, LA From The Wrap |
Posted 2/28/10 |
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"The Office" regular Craig
Robinson is getting a promotion: NBC has named him the new
host of "Last Comic Standing." After a two-year hiatus, NBC has officially decided to bring back its comedy star search for a seventh season this summer, TheWrap has confirmed. Open casting calls will take place in Los Angeles and New York next month. Robinson is featured in the much buzzed-about upcoming feature "Hot Tub Time Machine." He's played warehouse foreman Darryl Philbin on "The Office" since the show's start and has had roles in comedy hits such as "Knocked Up" and "Pineapple Express." "He's someone whose time has come," NBC alternative programming chief Paul Telegdy told TheWrap. "He's a brilliant stand-up... and someone we believe in as an NBC talent. We also think he's just funny as all get-out." Plus, Telegdy noted: "He's a classically trained pianist." Telegdy said the "Comic" revival will try to bring "credibility" back to the selection process on the show, which attempts to find superior stand-up talent. "Stand-ups will figure heavily in the judging panel," he said. A likely mix of two male and one female stand-ups is being finalized, he said. "Last Comic" has been on and off NBC's schedule grids since launching in summer 2003. The network tried to do back-to-back versions of the show in 2004, leading to its being shelved in 2005. It then returned in summer 2006, doing well enough to come back in 2007 and 2008. Bill Bellamy hosted the 2007 and 2008 editions of "Last Comic." Peter Engel Productions and Universal Media Studios are once again producing "Last Comic," with Engel and Barry Katz back as executive producers. Joining as an EP this season: Jayson Dinsmore, a former executive in NBC's alternative department. Casting for "Last Comic" will take place March 6 at the Improv in Los Angeles and March 21 at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York. |
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"Runway" Comes to Wii Drop Date: March 2 From New York Post |
Posted 2/26/10 |
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Perhaps during the judges'
critique in "Project Runway" the video game Michael Kors won't
be doling out his favorite diss, "that dress looks home sewn,"
since that's kind of the point with Atari's latest title. Starting March 2, you get to stand in for the designers -- and the models! -- by creating a new look based on one of a wide range of theme challenges. Then, once you've made it work, the Wii's Balance Board lets you strut the garment down the runway. Check out this first look at "Project Runway's" workroom, runway and decide if you're een or out! |
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Story That Wouldn't Die #14 Rozlyn Auditions for E! From ... E! Online |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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"Rozlyn has no knowledge of any
such tape." This is what her rep tells us following a report from TMZ that The Bachelor's most controversial contestant ever, Rozlyn Papa, has a sex tape that is being shopped around to porn companies. That said, E! can tell you one thing: Rozlyn is interested in being in front of the camera in a different capacity. Here's what we know... Rozlyn came in Tuesday for a general audition at E! studios. The Bachelor controversy aside, the stunning blonde certainly has the face for TV, and E! reports that the 28-year-old model/makeup artist from Virginia is pursuing on-camera work here in Hollywood. Her Women Tell All verbal sparring partner--host Chris Harrison--predicted Rozlyn might be interested in getting into the Biz when E!'s Kristin Dos Santos spoke to him Tuesday for his last interview ever about Rozlyn: "I'm not sure what her endgame is, but she might be looking for publicity." For you who've missed the big scandal surrounding this season of The Bachelor, Rozlyn was ousted from the show after reportedly having an affair with a producer when the cameras weren't rolling. She denies any wrongdoing, while some of Rozlyn's former housemates contend she was more than "friends" with the fired producer while living in The Bachelor house. |
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That's (^_^) "Idol" Gets Bleeped on Thursday From TV Week |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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“American Idol” didn’t have a
technical glitch Thursday night; it had to bleep about four
seconds of audio for broadcast standards, EW.com reports. The offender wasn’t an ousted contestant, however. A source told EW that it was contestant Alex Lambert, who had just been told he was staying and retro rocker Tyler Grady was going home. Fox confirmed for EW that “the audio was dropped by broadcast standards due to language.” |
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Eddie McGuire's in Trouble... "Millionaire" Australian Host Makes Gay Jokes From New Zealand Herald |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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Homophobic comments made by two
commentators on an Australian TV network's Winter Olympic
coverage will be investigated by the New South Wales state's
Anti-Discrimination Board. Hosts Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy mocked male ice skaters during the Nine Network's coverage of the Games last week. McGuire is hugely popular in Australia, having hosted local versions of top game shows Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and 1 vs. 100. As the pair discussed the men's figure skating, Molloy said: "They don't leave anything in the locker room, these blokes, do they", before a sniggering McGuire interjected, adding "they don't leave anything in the closet either, do they!" Later, when commenting on one competitor's clothing, the pair made joking reference to the Heath Ledger film Brokeback Mountain, which is about a pair of gay cowboys. A number of viewer complaints came in to Channel Nine after the broadcast. Now Gary Burns, a Sydney gay rights activist who has taken legal action against other radio and television commentators over gay slurs, has made the complaint to the anti-discrimination board. Burns said their comments helped to incite hatred against homosexual males. "These hired goons were not down at the pub drinking flat beer with their mates," he told Sydney's Daily Telegraph. "They were on national television being viewed by millions of Australians." He told the newspaper that the board's decision to accept his complaint was a "timely reminder to homophobes like McGuire and Molloy they won't get away with vilifying homosexuals." |
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Million Dollar Movie Week Returning Catch It March 1! From Staten Island Live |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” is
teaming with Netflix to present “Netflix Million Dollar Movie
Week” March 1-5. Hosted by the Emmy Award-winning Meredith
Vieira, the annual week-long edition of the game show will
feature movie trivia buffs in the hot seat. Contestants will try to win $1-million by answering 15 movie-themed questions, some of which will feature clips from memorable films. " Celebrity Questions" will be asked throughout the week by famous names from the film industry, including the legendary Tony Curtis, Jane Lynch, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Williams, Danny Aiello, Joe Pantoliano and Gilles Marini. Co-hosts of “At The Movies,” A.O. Scott, who is also the film critic for The New York Times, and Michael Phillips, film critic for the Chicago Tribune, will sit in as the “Experts” via Skype for the “Ask The Expert” lifeline all week. |
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"Hell's Kitchen" Celebrates 100 Episode to Air Next Season From Los Angeles Times |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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"Hell's Kitchen" overlord Chef
Gordon Ramsay is celebrating 100 episodes in the can. That's
100 episodes of berrating, threatening, cajoling, shaming,
humiliating — and inspiring chefs to culinary heights. Chef Ramsay offered up some other notable "HK" numbers: Eight seasons, 116 chefs, 13 medical emergencies, including one person (Robert) hospitalized twice, 10,000 guests who have walked through the doors of "Hell's Kitchen" for a live dinner service — although not all of them ever get their food. And about 2,500 filets of Beef Wellington cooked — but only about five that actually made it into the dining room. But no recap of 100 episodes of Fox's hit cooking competition would be complete without recalling the heated, expletive-laden showdown between Chef Ramsay, who stood his ground, unflinching, as he was charged by a former Marine, Joseph, and challenged to a fight out in the parking lot. Instead, Chef Ramsay just booted him out the door. Chef Ramsay, who joked, "Let's make one thing clear, I'm nobody's ..." -- fans who watched that episode know what word the Michelin-starred chef used, but alas we cannot -- said that he was actually sorry to see Joseph go in such a manner. He clearly had talent, he presumably had self-discipline (not that it was exhibited during "HK") and had a chance at going far in the competition, the chef said. But he lacked an ability to keep his mouth shut. "It was a shame, really," Chef Ramsay said of the ouster. Chef Ramsay said that the format of "Hell's Kitchen" appears to be working just fine — competitors scramble to survive Ramsay's boot camp for a shot at a high-profile, high-paying job in the restaurant industry. And Ramsay said he never decides who will get kicked off until the very moment that he blurts out the name and orders him or her to "Take off your jacket and leave 'Hell's Kitchen,' " because it adds to the palpable tension in the room. But he said he still wants to shake things up and introduce new challenges. He also wants to see a live finale where viewers get to choose the winner. "I want a live final ... I want to hand it over to them ... and give them that level of responsibility." (I offered up one suggestion: Chef Ramsay doing some more cooking in front of the cameras.) Next up for Chef Ramsay is "Master Chef," which takes people who have a passion for cooking -- but no formal training -- and trains them. "That's my next ambition," said Chef Ramsay, who called it a chef's version of "American Idol." The show's executive producers, Kent Weed and Arthur Smith, said some things will never change about "Hell's Kitchen" -- a live dinner service, which ratchets up the tension, prizes and punishments, and the blindfold challenge, which truly separates the chefs from the wannabes. But they are tinkering with the format in some ways. Also one possibility on the horizon: a "where are they now" show. The men said it's unclear whether "Hell's Kitchen" will have syndication legs. And they said that they, too, were sad to see Joseph go. (Let's face it, continuing fireworks between Chef Ramsay and Joseph, the first "HK" contestants who had no problem backtalking, made for great TV. "We were on the edge," Smith said. "We had no idea ... it was intense." But arguably the most startling moment to come out of the 100th episode celebration, with glasses of Champagne, red velvet layer cake and Chef Ramsay's casually elegant wife, Tana, and their four young children in attendance, was Chef Ramsay striking a note of humility: "It's not me, I can assure you," Chef Ramsay said of the show's success. "I'm backed up by the most amazing team," he said, motioning to the Fox honchos, executive producers and the crew surrounding him. "Without you guys, I'm nobody." |
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Holden, Tarrant Open "The Door" Catch It on ITV1 From Digital Spy |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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Amanda Holden and Chris Tarrant
have been confirmed as the hosts of two-part ITV1 gameshow The
Door. EastEnders stars Dean Gaffney and Louisa Lytton, Coronation Street's Jennie McAlpline, Boyzone's Keith Duffy, GMTV presenter Michael Underwood and Saturdays star Frankie Sandford will compete in the program, which has been billed as the "ultimate celebrity endeavor contest". Each contestant will venture through 'the door' and undertake challenges, which force them to face their fears. The celebrities will "battle claustrophobic spaces, suffer shocks and have to cope with a relentless barrage of disorientating games" as they compete for charity. "The Door is a celebrity's worst nightmare! It's going to make great viewing," said Holden. After the first show, three celebrities will enter the final, while the three losers will face a last ordeal. One of the losing three can earn a place in the second show during the final task. The Door will air on ITV1 in late spring. |
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Nice to App You... to App You Nice "Generation Game", "Mastermind" to Head to Smartphones From TechRadar |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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BBC Worldwide is looking to bring
classic game-show Bruce Forsyth's The Generation Game to
smartphones. A whole generation of forty-somethings will fondly remember Brucey calling out the line-up of the final prize swag on the show's conveyor belt: "Dinner service... Cuddly toy! Cuddly toy!" It was a show that defined Saturday night television throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The Beeb is now looking to develop a number of iPhone games based on its most famous entertainment shows, including the Generation Game and Mastermind. The corporation recently announced its new news, sports and iPlayer apps for iPhone and a number of other smartphone platforms. BBC Worldwide has already developed paid-for iPhone apps for the Radio Times and petrolhead show Top Gear. Simon Dinker, BBC Worldwide's director of content partnerships, told MediaGuardian.co.uk: "We're looking at taking our entertainment brands and developing games around them. "We've done this a bit before but it's not been as rich because we've not had things like the iPhone before. We're trying to take all these assets and see what we can do with them across all platforms and, in fact, just recruited someone to head up our new gaming business, Robert Nashak." |
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Endemol Sees to Unite US, UK Units Firm Wants to Bring 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show Stateside From C21Media |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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Endemol UK has created a new post
to further bolster creative development between itself and
sister operation Endemol USA. The company has promoted deputy creative director Nick Mather to the newly created role of head of entertainment to coordinate the transatlantic effort. Mather recently worked alongside the creative teams in the US in developing 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show, which will make its international debut on BBC1 in the UK later this year. He also devised the format for The Whole 19 Yards, which was further developed in partnership with Endemol USA and is now set for a primetime slot on ITV1, having broadcast on Antena 3 in Spain. Mather's primary role will, however, be to oversee the creation of new entertainment programming at Endemol UK, leading the creative team, which is dedicated to developing new ideas for TV and digital content. His previous credits include Goldenballs for ITV1 and The Kids Are All Right for BBC1. |
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Bradley Walsh Gets "Odd" "L&O UK" Actor Tapped to Host Unusual Talent Show for ITV1 From Braodcast |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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Law & Order: UK actor Bradley
Walsh is set to host a Zeppotron gameshow for ITV1 in which
celebrities and audience members try to spot ordinary members
of the public who have an unusual talent. The 8 x 45-minute Odd One In will be produced by the Endemol-owned indie and is set for Saturday nights in late summer. The show sees two pairs of celebrities guess who, from a line-up of members of the public, has an odd skill, talent or secret. For example, they have to identify which person is French, or who can balance a car on their head. Host Walsh gives clues about the key person to the panelists to help them pick the right person. Audience members will also be given a keypad to play along over the seven or eight rounds. The audience member with the most correct guesses will join one of the teams in the final, competing to win a holiday. A premium-rate phone competition is also under discussion. The show was ordered by commissioning editor of entertainment Claire Zolkwer, who said: “Odd One In is a simple but clever concept, which I’m sure will prove a laugh-out-loud hit with our viewers.” Neil Webster and Peter Holmes will executive produce the show. |
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Ant & Dec Take a Pay Cut Pair to Host "Got Talent", "I'm a Celebrity" Through 2011 From Telegraph |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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For all eternity, Ant and Dec will
be pigeonholed not by their TV shows, but by Bill Nighy’s
character Billy Mack in Love Actually. The pair made a cameo
appearance as themselves, and Mack, when asked a question by
one of them, smoothly replied, “Yes, I have, Ant or Dec”,
unable to tell which was which. It’s not entirely surprising, given that they have been largely inseparable since they met on the set of the BBC children’s drama Byker Grove in 1987. But there’s one way to tell them apart: as you look at them photographed together, Anthony McPartlin (the darker-haired one) will be on the left, with Declan Donnelly (the lighter-haired one) on the right. Indeed, for this interview, they plonk themselves down on a sofa in just that order. So do they ever stand the other way? “We do!” insists McPartlin. “This wasn’t intentional, it just happens.” Although they are both just 34, their 23-year career makes them one of the longest-lasting double acts in show business. They habitually finish each other’s sentences. People who know them off-screen universally refer to them as “the boys”. It’s a pairing that has proved lucrative as well as durable: they progressed from Byker Grove, through brief pop stardom, to being arguably the most successful presenters on British television. They have just signed a new contract that keeps them exclusively at ITV – including presenting I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and Britain’s Got Talent – until the end of 2011. They concede, though, that they have accepted a pay cut. “We just did what most people are doing,” says Donnelly. “We wanted to stay at ITV. Everything’s down, profits are down all across the board – our pay comes down as well. It’s very simple. When times were good, we made more money. When times are bad, we make less money.” Even so, the pair are reportedly earning £5 million a year each (down from a reported £6 million under their previous deal). It’s an eye-watering figure, in the same league as Jonathan Ross’s much-pilloried £6 million-a-year contract with the BBC; but, says Donnelly, it reflects the fact that they have fronted not only I’m a Celebrity and Britain’s Got Talent, but also Saturday Night Takeaway. “How they pay us is directly linked to how successful our shows are, and we’re lucky to be in three very successful shows,” he says. “We share in their success. I think we’re paid a going rate for how well our shows do.” |
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Live, and at 92, from New York... ... It's Don Pardo's Birthday From New York Times |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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The cast members, writers and the
overall quality of “Saturday Night Live” may change from
season to season but one constant has remained mostly in place
for 35 years. Don Pardo, who sat out only one season since the show made its debut in 1975, celebrated his 92nd birthday on Monday. Mr. Pardo retired from NBC in 2004 but agreed to stay on at “SNL,” where his booming introduction marks both the opening of each episode and a rite of passage for cast members. Many have echoed the sentiments of Jimmy Fallon, who said in November that “nothing is like the moment when Don Pardo says your name.” In January, Mr. Pardo became the only announcer to be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, recognizing a six-decade career that included voicing the original versions of “Price Is Right” and “Jeopardy” in addition to “SNL.” Count us among those who think his best work may have been as Frank Zappa’s sidekick for a 1976 performance on “SNL,” a gig he reprised on the record “Zappa in New York.” |
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Barker: Let My Killer Whales Go Former "Price" Host Sends Letter to SeaWorld From WDBO |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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Former TV gameshow host Bob
Barker, an advocate of animal rights, has fired off a letter
to the owners of SeaWorld, urging them to release their sea
animals to sanctuaries that can provide a more natural
environment. Barker was joined by PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in asking SeaWorld to close it's marine-mammal exhibits permanently. In his letter to Hamilton James, the COO of The Blackstone Group, Barker wrote that "the death of yet another trainer at SeaWorld did not have to happen, and I must appeal to you to take strong action now so that it never happens again." On Wednesday, President of Seaworld Orlando Dan Brown told reporters that a trainer's death had never occured at one of their parks before. However, the whale in question was responsible for the death of a part-time trainer at another sea park in 1991. Barker went on to write, "This is not the first time that a trainer has been seized, thrown against the walls of the tank, and held down to drown. I cannot imagine what the sight of such a hideous event would do to a child in the audience." Barker offered to speak with James and said he could be reached through PETA. Contacted at its New York offices, Blackstone Public Affairs manager Peter Rose told WDBO, "Before we bought SeaWorld, we did extensive due diligence and we have every confidence that SeaWorld is state of the art in how it manages and cares for marine animals in the park." Rose said Blackstone officials are staying in close contact with SeaWorld management. |
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Chris Golightly Won't Go Lightly Ousted Idoler Still Insists Semi Spot Is His From MTV |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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A week after his unexpected
disqualification from "American Idol," Chris Golightly
couldn't bring himself to watch the first live performance by
the top 12 men on Wednesday night. "All I can say is, that's why I should have been there," the dejected singer said when asked for a reaction to the drubbing handed out to Tim Urban, the Texas singer who replaced Golightly in the top 24. "I met Tim, he's wonderful, he's awesome as well, but we're two different people. That's my spot. [Simon Cowell] wouldn't have said that to me." Golightly wasn't interested in trashing Urban, but instead said he still just wanted to give America a chance to see him shine on "Idol" after producers booted him over a previous contract. "That's where I belong," he said. "It was just taken. A swimmer belongs in the pool, and I belong on that stage entertaining." Though he hasn't heard from "Idol" brass since the DQ went down, Golightly said he doesn't hold a grudge and would gladly return to the show if they called. "I know if you're in the top 10 you make some money," said Golightly, whose story about bouncing around between dozens of foster homes as a child was featured in the lead-up to the Hollywood rounds. "For me, as long as I have a bed, as long as I have food, I would do it for free. I don't care for the money. I would give every dime I made from the show to orphanages and charity. I know what it's like to have nothing." Since his ouster, Golightly said he's received a flood of messages from others who've been abused and shuffled around in the foster-care system, and he's disappointed because he feels like now they've been let down as well. Golightly held a press conference Tuesday, at which he strongly denied that the contract he signed with Dream Projects Entertainment was still in place when he auditioned for "Idol." On Wednesday, the singer's former manager, Lawrence Franklin, told the Los Angeles Times that Golightly was in fact under contract when he made the "Idol" top 24. One of the things Golightly vehemently denied were reports that the contract release he displayed at his event on Tuesday were forgeries, saying he hasn't even spoken to Franklin in 10 months. At that time, he asked to be released from the band Dream 5 after tensions in the band rose following an altercation between Golightly and another member. "Being on 'American Idol' was so fun," said Golightly, who was joined on the call by Sharon Nash, an entertainment consultant who said she's working for the singer pro bono. "The experience of singing in front of the judges was so awesome. My whole life, I gained nothing. I didn't have a mom and dad to say they would help me out. I did everything on my own. When can I have some mercy and prosperity?" Golightly is still holding out hope that he could be called back to the show, though a spokesperson for "Idol" did not return requests for comment on whether that is a possibility. Nash urged Golightly's fans to write in to the show and ask "Idol" to give the singer another chance. "This is a mix-up, and it's not Chris' fault," she said. "Chris has been through a lot of stuff, and he's been disappointed over and over again." The worst part for Golightly, she said, is that he's under contract to "Idol" for the next year thanks to making the top 24, so he can't pursue his musical dreams until 2011 at the earliest. (An "Idol" spokesperson could not be reached to verify the status of Golightly's contract.) "I don't know what I'm gonna do for work now," said Golightly, who was a part-time shoe salesman before his journey on "Idol" began. "It just seems like I got got." |
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Why Did Talley Join "Top Model"? ... Because Tyra Asked, Says New Judge From Wall Street Journal |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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Tyra Banks scored a big coup in
recruiting Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley to serve as
a guest judge on aging reality series “America’s Next Top
Model.” After thirteen seasons, the series, which features Tyra and her “fierce” entourage plucking fresh-faced aspiring models from obscurity, has seen ratings fall. 3.2 million viewers watched the season premiere on the CW Network last year, compared to 6.3 million when “Top Model” premiered in 2003, according to Nielsen Co. Talley’s larger-than-life personality and reputation as a key voice in the fashion industry could infuse life into the series. "Tyra asked me. It’s as simple as that," Talley said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. "We had lunch. She didn’t ask me at lunch. She called me after and we had a series of conversations. It went from there. She asked me the first season after lunch. But I turned it down because I wasn’t sure back then. It was eight years ago. I know Tyra is a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman, so this time I said ‘let’s try it.’" |
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Second "Top Model" Gets Boob Job ... and That's It, Says House From E! Online |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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America's Next Top Model's Yoanna
House wants you to know that the only part of her body that's
been surgically enhanced are her breasts. After the 29-year-old ANTM cycle-two champ hit last night's CW: It's a Reality party in NYC, bloggers started speculating about whether she's had work done to her face in the six years since she won cycle two of Tyra Banks' runway reality show. Sure, House admits she's not the model-thin, fair-skinned beauty she was back then, but she came exclusively to us to shoot down any suggestion that she's turned her face into a smorgasbord of cosmetic surgery... "I know that I've changed," House says. "I just had a baby about a year ago, and I put on a lot of weight...My baby doesn't sleep through the night, so that might age you a little bit. Other than that, I've never done anything to my face, besides going a little too overboard with bronzer." In fact, the small-town Florida native says she's never even thought about touching her face. "I think the face is such a delicate thing," she says. "I'm just going to stick with my bronzer and my great makeup artist who contours me." Her bosom is another story. "I did enhance my breasts," she admits. "That was a personal decision I decided to make a couple of years ago. I wasn't happy with the way I looked. I thought I had a boyish figure. I wanted to look more womanly, and I think it's the best decision I've ever made." She has no plans to make them any bigger. "I think it can get a little too cartoonish," she said. "Some people take it too far. I think the only person who can get away with it is Dolly Parton. She's the only one who can do it." |
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Letter Spinner Spins Yarn Vanna White's Creations Hit Runway From GoErie.com |
Posted 2/25/10 |
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Vanna White, America's favorite
alphabet maven, periodically steps away from the "Wheel of
Fortune" puzzle board to hook audiences on her favorite
off-camera hobbies: crocheting and knitting. White, 52, isn't the only celebrity closet crafter. Actresses Scarlett Johansson, Uma Thurman, Sarah Jessica Parker and Catherine Zeta-Jones are among those who claim to click needles to relax. But White has taken her pastime to a new level. She's the spokeswoman for Lion Brand Yarn, a 132-year-old company that has attached White's name to three of its specialty yarns and featured her on its instructional books. Looking elegant in an onyx knit sweater crafted from her new Vanna's Glamour acrylic and metallic yarn, White co-hosted the Lion Winter Fashion Show at the 2010 Craft and Hobby Trade Show held recently at the Anaheim Convention Center. Nearly 300 merchants crowded around a portable runway to hear the former model with Lion designer, Karen Tanaka, describe the season's latest cozy fashions. Most of the models wore turtleneck tops and leggings in muted tones to emphasize the classic, and funky, embellishments fashioned from a wide variety of textured yarns. Ruffled scarves, cowl collars, leggings with lace-up yarn and wrist warmers headlined the 2010 Lion collection. Vanna's Choice yarns, available in 23 solid colors and five prints, showed up in a Wind Chime Afghan, Ribbed Thigh Highs, a Metropolis Scarf and Glimmering Thigh Highs. Links to the patterns are available at LionBrand.com. |
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FCC to Open Inquiry on "Genius" Letter Released in Game Show Flap From Reuters |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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The Federal Communications
Commission is looking into allegations that producers of a Fox
game show that never aired fed answers to potential
contestants before taping the show last year, the New York
Times reported on Friday. The newspaper cited a letter about the show, called "Our Little Genius" that the commission released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The quiz show, which featured contestants between the ages of 6 and 12, was pulled from Fox before its premiere in early January, according to the Times. The letter was written by a parent of one of the show's contestants and received by the FCC on December 22, according to the report. It alleges that before a planned taping, a member of the show's production staff reviewed potential topics with the contestant and his parents. The Times said the letter also claims that the member of the production staff gave specific answers to at least four questions that the child did not know. When the show was canceled, executive producer Mark Burnett said questions had arisen about "how some information was relayed to contestants during the preproduction," according to the Times. At that time, though, people close to the show told the Times that answers had not been given to contestants. An FCC spokeswoman declined comment on the report. Fox Broadcasting and Mark Burnett productions could not be immediately reached for comment.
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 "Our Little Genius" goes in front of an FCC panel (photo courtesy Fox) |
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GSN Casting New Series Quirks, Habits a Plus? From Reality Wanted |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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This fun new show gives you the
opportunity to discover and share each other's quirks, habits
and baggage upfront to avoid the all-too-common surprises down
the road! Such as... "I still live with my parents..." "I am a pack-rat..." "I have ten cats..." "I'm Lactose Intolerant ... " " I smoke like a chimney..." "I live with my ex..." "I've been divorced three times ..." "I never wear underwear ..." What is interesting about you? If you or someone you know is outgoing, uninhibited, open and ready to meet a match, then this is the show! YOU WILL NOT BE GOING ON A DATE, one person will choose from three others who has the least amount of baggage. So we ARE looking for singles, but you don't have to be single but at the audition and for the show you must "be single". This show is also not a show in mean spirits, it is for GSN so it will be lighthearted and fun. If this sounds good these we will have auditions for the next 4 weeks on: Tuesdays and Fridays at noon and 4pm. If you can't make these days or times I can find something else for you so please let me know a preference. |
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"Lyrics" Reaches 65% Revival a Firm Go for Fall From B&C |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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Twentieth Television has increased
the clearances for its new syndicated game show, Don't Forget
the Lyrics!, to 65%, the company said Feb. 22. The program,
produced by RDF USA, has now been sold in top 20 markets
including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San
Francisco, Boston and Dallas. Twentieth added stations from the Fox, Sinclair, Local TV, Gannett, Newport, Venture and Morgan Murphy Media broadcast groups to its roster. Lyrics will premiere this fall with concurrent runs on News Corp.-owned MyNetworkTV, where it will be paired with Twentieth's Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, and Viacom-owned VH1. The show will be hosted by Mark McGrath, former co-host of Warner Bros.' Extra. In it, contestants sing along karaoke-style until the words suddenly stop and the contestant must remember the lyrics. |
 "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" is sold to 65% of the country (photo courtesy Fox) |
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Reprizing "1 vs. 100" Two Seasons In, Players Having Hard Time Getting Prizes From Joystiq |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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With the conclusion of another 1
vs 100 season on Xbox Live, it appears Microsoft still has
some kinks to work out of its grand (and fun) online game show
experiment. After receiving several tips and reviewing forums,
it was made clear that some players were having problems
obtaining their awards. Joystiq followed up with Microsoft and was told, "We are aware that some people have experienced delays in receiving 1 vs 100 prizes. We apologize for the delay and are actively working to improve the prize fulfillment process. We encourage Xbox LIVE members to ensure all of their account personal information is up to date so Microsoft can determine prizing eligibility. If you have any further questions, please contact your local customer support." A major issue with the 1 vs 100 prizing seems to be the number of minor details of which players may be unaware. For starters, prize winners should wait up to six weeks before hitting the panic button. There's also the issue of location: Remember that residents of Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Vermont, and Quebec can't receive prizes (and shouldn't even participate in the live shows). Prize winners (actually, all Xbox Live users) should also make sure their email and contact information is current. It also helps to review the game's Mini FAQ. Before the next season of 1 vs 100 starts we'll follow up with Microsoft to see what improvements it has made to the process. Just letting players know if they are even eligible for prizes -- before starting them off in their first 1 vs. 100 Live show of the season -- would likely alleviate several issues. |
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Popping the Question on DOND... UK Style Show Broadcast on Monday From Digital Spy |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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A man has proposed to his
girlfriend while taking part in Deal Or No Deal. During his time on the program, 23-year-old Eddie Moores told host Noel Edmonds that he would like to get married to his partner if he won the top prize of £250,000. The Sun reports that the banker then said he would increase his offer if Moores popped the question. Edmonds led the contestant and his girlfriend Sarah Mills to the middle of the floor, where Moores got down on one knee and said: "Sarah Mills, you are my soulmate, the love of my life, my best friend and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me, princess?" Mills then burst into tears and replied: "Of course I will!" before kissing her new fiancé as the audience cheered and clapped. A source said: "Everyone was on tenterhooks when the banker upped his offer. But no-one thought Eddie would actually pop the question. It was edge of your seat stuff. Noel is soppy at heart. After it happened he congratulated them and looked absolutely chuffed." |
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Geez, Bitter Much? Patti Labelle Says Some Idol Judges Aren't Qualified From USA Today |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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Patti LaBelle thinks some people
shouldn't be on American Idol— and she's not talking about the
contestants. Says Labelle: "Some of the judges, I don't think they're qualified to even judge." The 65-year-old singer wouldn't say which judge she thought was lacking on the hit Fox show, which has Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres picking America's top singers. Tuesday's Idol episode saw 12 female semifinalists competing during "Hollywood Week." Labelle — who said she was asked to be a judge on the series before Paula Abdul— feels like the judges' comments to the contestants are too mean. |
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Idol Finalists Promised Big Bucks Contract: Kris Allen Got $650,000 From TV Week |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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Copies of last year’s contracts
with “American Idol” contestants filed in a California state
court give a glimpse into just how much money the top
contenders can make, The New York Times reports. Last year’s winner, Kris Allen, earned at least $650,000 from the show, the contracts showed, which is the minimum for a winner and doesn’t include any income from the “Idol” tour. According to the Times' story, "Including performance fees and merchandising royalties from the 'American Idol' tour, as well as other opportunities, winners have never failed to earn less than $1 million in the year or so after the contest, people close to the show say." Finalists who reach the Top 5 this season are expected to win nearly $100,000 from the show before the tour, and could make three to four times that if they get a record deal from the show’s producers, the paper says, while the Top 12 contestants will make at least several thousand dollars. The contracts were filed under laws that mandate entertainment-industry deals with minors be subject to court oversight. The show’s producer, 19 Entertainment, declined to discuss the details with The Times, but said the contracts were “deliberately structured […] to ensure that artists can cross the threshold of success, and that they have all the support necessary to achieve their dreams.” |
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More on "Minute to Win It" Catch It on NBC March 14 From the Futon Critic |
Posted 2/24/10 |
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NBC adds more family fun to its
upcoming Sunday night line-up by extending the premiere
episode of its new primetime game show "Minute To Win It" to
two hours on the previously announced date of Sunday, March 14
(7-9 p.m. ET). The two-hour premiere episode of the third season of "The Celebrity Apprentice" will immediately follow from 9-11 p.m. ET. "Minute To Win It," hosted by All-American chef and television personality Guy Fieri ("Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives"), features competitors participating in a series of simple, yet nerve-wracking, games that can lead to a $1 million prize. In each one-hour episode competitors will face 10 challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using everyday household items. Each game has a one minute time limit and failure to finish the task on time will eliminate the contestant. At various points throughout the game, the competitor can walk away with the money earned up to that point - but it'll take nerves of steel to complete all 10 tasks to win $1 million. The competitors, who come from all walks of life, are shown over 60 games prior to the competition and are encouraged to practice these one-of-a-kind challenges at home. |
 Guy Fieri will host two hours of "Minute to Win It" March 14 (photo courtesy IMDb) |
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Drew Carey Celebrates 500 from 33 Catch Very Special TPIR March 10 From Reality TV Website |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Drew Carey will celebrate his
500th episode of hosting CBS's Emmy Award-winning "The Price
Is Right", Wednesday, March 10 (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET;
10:00-11:00 AM, PT) on the CBS Television Network. Carey began
hosting television's longest-running game show in October
2007, succeeding former host Bob Barker. To celebrate this milestone, every contestant who makes it on stage will receive $500. In addition, all games will have a "500" theme and the showcases will reference Drew's 500th show with exciting prizes such as a trip to Las Vegas via private jet and a home theater with a surround sound system. "The Price Is Right" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and broadcast weekdays (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET; 10:00-11:00 AM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.
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 Drew Carey celebrates his 500th TPIR in March (photo courtesy CBS) |
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Oddsmakers: Andrew Garcia FTW Bookies Give It To Dude Who Sang "Straight Up" From USA Today |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Andrew Garcia currently is the
oddsmakers' favorite to win American Idol this season. As of
Monday morning, SBG Global Sportsbook gives the 24-year-old
Moreno Valley, Calif., resident 9:2 odds of becoming the ninth
Idol. Should Andrew falter, SBG has a series of women next in line -- Katie Stevens at 13:2, Didi Benami and Ashley Rodriguez at 7:1 and Crystal Bowersox at 15:2. If it's long shots you love, then try Aaron Kelly or Lee DeWyze at 50:1 -- or Joe Munoz at a distant 65:1. (NOTE: This information is given only as news; GSNN doesn't condone reckless, out of control gambling) |
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Two Down... Schwimmer, Roberts Won't Be "Dancing with the Stars" This Season From EW |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Usually we have to wait for
Dancing With the Stars to start before declaring the first
casualty. Sadly, while there's one more week to go before we find out for sure which celebrities will be shaking their groove things on the new season, a roll call has already begun among the pro dancers via Twitter—and sadly, fan favorite Lacey Schwimmer has confirmed that she won't be returning this spring. There's no word on whether she's pulling a Julianne Hough and bowing out on her own success-chasing accord or leaving under more sinister conditions...and her tweets aren't exactly bringing clarity to the situation: "Hey twitterbugs! I will not be doing DWTS this season," she wrote on Friday. "But be sure to tune in! <3." A short while later, she signed off, but not before reiterating her the decision. "I'm off to bed! I'm sad I will not be on this season of #dwts too yall! Biglove <3." Schwimmer has been with the show since 2008 and previously partnered with Lance Bass, Steve-O and Mark Dacascos, but has yet to clarify whether it was her decision or that of the show's producers to sit this season out. Whatever the case, she's not the only dancer we're saying (temporary) goodbye to. Jonathan Roberts has also confirmed via Twitter that he is persona non grata on the set this spring but hasn't counted himself out of participating in results-night numbers. Cheryl Burke and Derek Hough, on the other hand, have both confirmed they would vie for the mirror-ball trophy yet again. Hough relayed the information only after giving fangirls a big scare (and a lesson in careful reading) by teasing them with the following this week: "For everyone wondering if I'm doing DWTS this season I'm…I'm Not not doing season 10…," he wrote. No doubt hoping to fend off the stream of OMGs from his Twitter feed, he clarified the next day: "Read the tweet again…" |
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... and One to Go Seven Australia Cancels "White Room" From NineMSN |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Seven Network local programs The
White Room and ICU are the first casualties of the TV ratings
season. The TV-based game show The White Room has been axed after just two weeks, while the factual reality program ICU will be taken off air from next week. Hosted by Tony Moclair and Julian Schiller, The White Room premiered with a little over 810,000 viewers a couple of weeks ago, before slipping to 678,000 viewers. It will be replaced by the US series Ghost Whisperer from this week, Seven has confirmed. |
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Idol Heads to iTunes Themes? Check. $1.29 Singles? Check. From Hartford Courant |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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It's always been tough to find out
what the weekly themes were going to be on "American Idol."
Not a big deal probably, but when you're looking for something
to say about each week's performance show, it begins to annoy
you how needlessly secretive they are about it. Leave it to commerce to get word out more easily this year. Fox announced that in addition to making contestant performances available for purchase and download at the iTunes store the day after each broadcast, the themes for each week's shows will be announced in advance on iTunes in advance along with the playlists of original songs by the original artists where contestants can choose and fans can preview and download. As they reduce the Top 24 to 12 in the next three weeks, the theme will be the same: Top 10 songs from any time in the Billboard 100 chart, a pretty open field. Prices for the downloads will be the high-end $1.29 per song; they won't be listing which song is most downloaded while the contestants are still on the show to ensure fairness. Even now you can pre-order a song by singers you want. |
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Betty White MAY Be on SNL... BUT... First Lady of Game Shows at Heart of Grassroots Host Campaign From EW |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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When a grassroots campaign
involves both Facebook and a beloved Golden Girl, the scope of
its influence cannot be underestimated. To wit: Sources
confirm to Entertainment Weekly that Saturday Night Live is
this close to signing TV legend Betty White to host the show
for the very first time. But there’s a catch — and a pretty cool one at that. White would not be hosting alone. Rather, EW reports SNL is putting together a “Women of Comedy” episode that would team the former Rose Nylund with several of her younger contemporaries. Ex-SNL MVP Molly Shannon is on board, I hear, and feelers have also been put out to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. (An NBC spokesperson insists no one has been confirmed at this time.) |
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Experts: Rozlyn's a Lying Liar Who Lies... Same Experts: Pretty Boy Harrison Ain't Exactly Pure Neither From PopEater |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Disgraced 'Bachelor' contestant
Rozlyn Papa, who was booted from the show mid-season for
having an inappropriate relationship with a producer, still
has something to hide, according to body language experts.
When host Chris Harrison confronted her on the 'Bachelor:
Women Tell All' special on Monday night, Roz was not being
entirely truthful. The experts say declaratory statements often indicate deception, so Rozlyn probably wasn't telling the whole truth when she declared, "On my child's life, that never happened!" The tone of her voice was also a giveaway that the blonde beauty wasn't being entirely honest. "When denying the accusations, the pitch of her voice was considerably higher, this is indicative of stress," explains body language expert Vincent Harris. "When we are being deceptive or lying, we become more stressed." Her stance also indicated fear. "She moved her hands to interlock around her crossed legs at the front of her shin in a log cabin guard. This low log cabin shows she is very fearful. She is still protecting herself. Even though her back is up and she is nodding her head, her lower body is showing she is scared of what Chris will say next," explains body language expert Patti Wood. The other bachelorettes expressed their mortification at Rozlyn's actions through self-satisfied smirks while they watched her squirm in the hot seat. The camera continually panned to Ashley, who wasn't delighting as much as everyone else. Ashley was pissed! "We see Ashley lips tightly pressed downward and her angry eyes. Ashley is dying to yell something," Wood explains. As Harrison repeatedly asked Rozlyn whether anything inappropriate occurred in the house, her brow furrowed, another sign of anxiety and stress. When Ella started to get judgey about Rozlyn's actions, if you watch closely you can see Rozlyn's top lip start to curl. "This is a sign of her underlying anger; anger that she is working to suppress, but that is leaking out anyway. These small 'leaks' are all but impossible to conceal, hide or prevent, and give us a sneak peek at what emotion she is really feeling," Harris says. But she isn't just lying about her relationship with the producer. Rozlyn seems to be lying about everything. At one point, she tells the other ladies that she never said anything bad about them after she left the show. Probably not true. "She shoulder shrugs when she says she never said anything but nice things about the other women," says Janine Driver, author of 'YOU SAY MORE THAN YOU THINK: A 7-Day Plan For Using the New Body Language to Get What You Want!' "Which means it's deception. A shoulder shrug cancels out the verbal message so we know she has talked negatively about these women in the past." And what's Chris Harrison trying to hide? When Roz bit back at Chris, claiming he hit on her producer friend's wife in New Zealand, Chris got a little cagey. "Chris broke eye contact, looked down and appeared to struggle with making direct eye contact with Rozlyn again. Chris can clearly be seen swallowing -- a clear sign of anxiety and nervousness when read in context. My hunch is that there is probably more to the New Zealand story than Harrison would like to discuss," Harris explains. Oh what a tangled web we weave when we appear on reality television. |
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Todrick Hall Allegedly Owes Some People
Some Money It All Stems from a Performance of "Wizard of Oz" From Yahoo!/AP |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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The success of an "American Idol"
contestant is causing a stir among parents who are complaining
they never got refunds for performance fees in a failed
musical production Todrick Hall wrote and directed. Hall, who on Tuesday made it into the top 24 on "American Idol," wrote "Oz, The Musical," which he billed on its Facebook page as "a contemporary twist on the classic story, with all new music." He had been putting on small productions of the show since he was 17, using local, nonprofessional actors for the lead roles and casting local children as munchkins and flying monkeys. "They were fabulous, just wonderful productions, and the kids just really loved them," said Dallas businessman Greg Money, who had three daughters in the shows. Then in August 2008, Money agreed to finance a production of "Oz" in Lubbock, Texas, that used a professional cast for the lead roles. That led to a small tour of Texas cities in early 2009 Money says was a "financial disaster." Reached by phone Friday, Hall said "American Idol" rules do not allow him to participate in any media interviews, however, he did generally confirm Money's account of events. Hall is scheduled to perform Wednesday on "Idol" with the top 12 male semifinalists. Plans moved ahead to take the show on a national tour and Money said he tried to line up new backers. Several commitments fell through, however, and the show ended abruptly. Meanwhile, in several cities, auditions had already been held and children were looking forward to performing on stage in a real musical. Many parents had paid a $50 performance fee that was never returned. |
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Yes, Simon, Makeup Lady an Item... No, They're Not Engaged... From Jam! Showbiz |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Simon Cowell's spokesman has
dismissed reports the media mogul is engaged to wed American
Idol make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy. The American Idol judge sparked speculation he had proposed to Hussainy after she was snapped sporting a diamond band on her ring finger following an intimate Valentine's Day date with Cowell on Sunday (14Feb10). Louis Walsh, a judge on Cowell's U.K. talent show The X Factor, proceeded to confirm the star's plans to wed, telling reporters: "I'm very, very surprised but I'm delighted he's got engaged." However, the mogul's longtime publicist and close friend, Max Clifford, insists the reports have been exaggerated. Clifford tells UsMagazine.com: "I spoke to Simon in London yesterday afternoon, just before he took his flight back to L.A. I asked him: 'Look, are you engaged? Is it true?,' and he said, 'No! No. I'm not engaged.' "Yes, they are an item. Yes, they're happy. But they're not engaged. That's straight from Simon's mouth." |
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Tim Gunn Makes Georgia State Work "Project Runway" Co-Host Talks Style Points, Season 6 From Atlanta Journal Constitution |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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At a Georgia State University
speech Monday, “Project Runway” guru Tim Gunn dished about his
show, not bothering to defend the fiasco that was season six
anymore. “Oh, that dreaded season six will never leave us alone!” he said, when asked by a student. “At first, I defended the show’s qualities. Then I realized I was swimming against the tide… You barely see [regular judges] Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. I also say I do believe there’s something about the slower pace of Los Angeles. The very different fashion scene and sensibility and that impacted the designers. We’re in many ways a gauge of our environment. I noticed immediately when we taped season seven [the current season,] there was more energy, more vitality.” Lifetime’s original plan, he said, was to alternate between New York and Los Angeles. After season six, he thinks the plan is to stay in New York. Who would he like to do a makeover? Meryl Streep. At one awards show, “she looked like she was going to a picnic,” he said. Gunn also admired the Georgia State crowd: “This is the best-dressed crowd I’ve ever seen! I could be at the tents in Bryant Park!” Favorite season: “Reason it’s hard for me to answer that question. Each season is like a class of students for me. They’re all different. They have differnt DNA. I will say though that season four that produced Christian Soriano. That was a phenomenal season… he’s a prodigy.” His fashion icon? “You guys are too young. Cary Grant! [Applause. At least some in the crowd knew who he was!] I said his name to a small group of students awhile ago and they said, ‘Who’s she?’ He was always well dressed. Even when he’s dodging a plane in the middle of a cornfield, he looks good.” And though he lost “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style’ when Bravo lost “Project Runway,” he is working now with Dr. Mehmet Oz on his syndicated show. (Oprah, he said, helped hook him up.) He said he likes talking to students though he only has time to do a couple of these university visits a year. So Georgia State really got lucky nabbing him! “I’m a big fan of the school,” he said. “I like the breadth of the offerings.” |
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Baby Girl Lakshmi "Top Chef" Host Gives Birth From People |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Padma Lakshmi is now the happy
mother of a daughter. "Model, author and Emmy-nominated host of Top Chef Padma Lakshmi gave birth to a baby girl named Krishna Thea Lakshmi on Saturday," her rep reports. "Mother and baby are well and happy." Last month, Lakshmi dropped hints about her daughter's name, saying, "I am going to name the child an Indian name. It will be after someone in my family, so don't expect to see an Anglicized name – it will be a classically Indian Sanskrit name." Lakshmi, 39, announced her pregnancy in Oct. after years of struggling with endometriosis. She has not identified the baby's father. Right before the birth, a friend of the TV chef said: "Padma is very happy. She's wanted to be a mom for a long time. She was very relieved and happy when she got pregnant." |
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Guy Fieri Cooks for White House Son Joins In From The National Ledger |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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who shot like a bolt of lightening
from college hospitality courses to host of several Food
Network Shows to emcee of NBC's March 14-debuting "Minute to
Win It" game show" -- heads to the White House next month, to
cook for the first family and the White House staff. The dynamic Fieri assures us the event will not be recorded for the cameras, that "This is something that has nothing to do with television." He adds, "My 13-year-old son, Hunter, is going to cook with me. He's done so before, on some of my 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' Food Network show. I have strong feelings about educating children through the empowerment of cooking. My son Ryder wants to cook with me, too, but he's only 4 so we'll wait a bit." Fieri says he's selected the menu he'll present at the White House. "It'll be a little Italian and something creative -- a BLT sandwich made with duck." He's been tub-thumping hard for "Minute to Win it" and reports, "From the buzz, I think we have a great future. My agent has been busy with calls about my doing other shows. And I can tell you this: There couldn't have been a show that was better designed for me -- I've been playing games like that forever. Maybe in school, in a bar, in the office. All those simple little games that make great competition." In case you missed them in school, a bar or whatever, the games -- that can lead up to a $1-million prize -- include fanning three eggs across the floor and into a target area, by use of an empty pizza box. |
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Allison Iraheta Gets "Scarred" for Idol
This Week "Idol Gives Back" Gets Early Start From EW |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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Allison Iraheta, fourth-place
finisher from season 8 of American Idol, will perform her new
single “Scars” during the show’s Thursday-night telecast (8
p.m. ET on Fox). A live performance by the red-headed rocker
should provide momentary respite for the four season 9
semifinalists (two men, two women) who’ll get the boot during
the course of the hour-long telecast. “Scars,” written by Toby
Gad and Alyssa James, and produced by Gad, is a ballad from
Iraheta’s 2009 debut Just Like You; a rep from 19
Entertainment confirms “Scars” will be the followup single to
“Friday I’ll Be Over U.” As previously announced, Thursday’s episode of Idol will also feature season 8 champ Kris Allen performing and sharing footage of his recent trip to Haiti to raise awareness and funds that will benefit the UN Foundation’s work in the earthquake-ravaged country; that organization is one recipient of this year’s “Idol Gives Back” campaign. Thursday’s telecast will encourage viewers to donate money online and via text-message. |
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Angela Ruggiero Wants to "Race" "Apprentice" Olympian Would Partner with "DWTS's" Johnson From Inside SoCal |
Posted 2/23/10 |
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She's already been around the
world on philanthropic endeavors, including helping the New
York Islanders with a program to help China improve its hockey
program. And she's been in Donald Trump's boardroom, lasting
until the final three on the 2007 season of "The Apprentice." So a story in today's Sports Business Journal reveals that Simi Valley's Angela Ruggiero has been pitching her agent to get her a spot on the CBS reality show, "Amazing Race," paired up with U.S. Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, shouldn't be all that surprising. Both are clients of agent Sheryl Shade, of Shade Global (linked here), whose Olympic clients include Paul and Morgan Hamm, Bela Karolyi, Blaine Wilson, Chellsie Memmel plus Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly. "The two of them, then nag me constantly (about 'Amazing Race,') Shade told SBJ writer Erik Swanson about Ruggiero and Johnson. The SBJ story points on that Ruggiero has built up "an impressive endorsement portfolio" featuring Nike, Visa, Coca-Cola, Easton and Qwest Communications. Shade said that going forward, Ruggiero has a focus on expanding women's hockey with young girls. "Olympic sports sponsorships aren't always about the money," Shade said. "It's the opportunities they can offer and where they can take her. ..." |
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CBS' Winning Pair "TPIR", "LMAD" Up from Year Prior From TV by the Numbers |
Posted 2/22/10 |
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In TV's tough economic times, a
few networks are turning to a syndication staple—game shows—to
provide compelling programming at lower costs. This fall,
MyNetworkTV will air Don't Forget the Lyrics and Are You
Smarter Than a 5th Grader? on Tuesday nights, while CBS is
having success with the daytime pairing of The Price Is Right
and Let's Make a Deal. The latter replaced soap opera Guiding
Light. "Price" is up season-to-date 12% in viewers (5.03m
from. 4.51m), while
"LMAD" is up 12% in viewers (2.42m from 2.16m) from a
year ago, according to Nielsen most current ratings through
the week ending Feb. 14. The moves are proving to be winners for the games' distributors, too. Lyrics and 5th Grader work for MyTV—and its corporate sibling, Twentieth Television—because Twentieth also distributes them in syndication and to cable. Lyrics is sold in 55% of the country for fall debut in syndication and will bow this fall on VH1, while 5th Grader is renewed for year two in 65% of the country, according to Greg Meidel, president of Twentieth Television and MyTV. Meidel and his team are also working on brand integrations for both shows that they expect will deliver significant revenue streams. “Twentieth definitely had a price point we had to hit,” says Tony Yates, COO of RDF Media and executive producer of Don't Forget the Lyrics. To keep costs down, RDF will produce 160 half-hours of the show within a two-month period. Soap operas typically remain in production year-round, driving costs up. Meanwhile, ratings for soaps have declined over the past several years, leading to several longtime franchises getting the ax. CBS canceled Guiding Light last year, and this fall, As the World Turns goes off the air. The downward trend for soaps sent network execs looking for new models for daytime. CBS found an old one instead by re-imagining Price Is Right. “As we looked to expand our daytime ratings, one of the first places I looked was at this core business that we've had on the air for 38 years,” says Barbara Bloom, CBS' senior VP of daytime. Comedian Drew Carey took over as Price Is Right host from the retiring Bob Barker in 2007. Mike Richards, the show's executive producer, has spent three years adapting it to Carey's style. The results are in the ratings: Price is up 9% among households and up 11% among adults 18-49 compared to last year. Let's Make a Deal, also executive-produced by Richards and hosted by Wayne Brady, has improved its time period in households by 13% (1.7 versus 1.5), in adults 18-34 by 67% (0.5 versus 0.3) and women 18-34 by 20% (0.6/0.5). CBS' success with game shows may indicate that the network is leaning toward picking up a third game to replace As the World Turns, but Bloom remains mum on what will replace the soap. Networks, producers and distributors agree that the game-show moves that have paid off did so because they were calculated—not quick—bets. “I don't look at game shows as a format that might work because they are inexpensive,” says one syndicator. “I look at it from the point of view of, 'Does this show have a chance to get a rating?'” |
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Bo Griffin: 1958-2010 Family, Friends Remember "GSN Live" Guest Host From Examiner |
Posted 2/22/10 |
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Upstate broadcaster and designer
Bo Griffin will be remembered during her funeral on Monday. Griffin died last week at 51 after a short battle with intestinal cancer. The Greenville native was a nationally recognized radio personality. She also hosted television shows on the Game Show Network and the Style Network. She also worked as a freelance reporter at FOX Carolina.
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 Bo Griffin (photo courtesy Examiner) |
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ITV Goes "Yard" Vernon Kay, Caroline Flack to Host From Digital Spy |
Posted 2/22/10 |
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Vernon Kay and Caroline Flack are
reported to be the hosts of new ITV1 gameshow The Whole 19
Yards. Filming is due to begin soon on the show, which combines quiz questions with physical challenges. A source told The Mirror: "It's a huge hit in the US so they're hoping it follows suit here." After the format was launched in the US by CBS last year, reports claim that ITV intends to follow the success of Total Wipeout on rival channel BBC One. There was speculation earlier in the week that Kay might be replaced on the project after the former male model's private life made front page headlines. Kay, who hosts ratings juggernaut All Star Family Fortunes, was the presenter of Beat the Star, which was axed last year after two series. Meanwhile, Flack impressed executives with her performance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here Now! on ITV2, which saw a ratings boost this year. |
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"Crystal Maze" Heads to iPhone Now Available from iTunes App Store From Gamedot |
Posted 2/22/10 |
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Without doubt one of the greatest
TV game shows from the 1990s. And now it returns in the form
of an iPhone and iPod Touch game. Even Richard O’Brien makes
the odd appearance. The game is made up of 2 game modes. One being the TV game show which allows you to take on the challenges in the Medieval, Futuristic, Aztec and Industrial zones, which is then of course followed by your time in the Crystal Dome. The second game mode is Challenge Mode, where any completed challenge from the main game can be played. The Crystal Maze is available now on the App Store for $2.99. |
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Foiling Rumors, Once and For All (Until
Next Report) Simon Cowell Clears the Air on Ellen, Howard, and Madonna From the Wrap |
Posted 2/20/10 |
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Simon Cowell says he and Ellen
DeGeneres aren't in a feud and that he's "fairly certain"
nobody has asked Howard Stern to replace him on "American
Idol." Cowell made the remarks Thursday during a conference call with reporters in which he spent a good chunk of time dealing with all manner of tabloid rumors -- along with the question of who should replace him when he leaves after this season. On the Ellen front, Cowell dismissed one Internet blog's claim that he was an hour late to DeGeneres' first day of taping, causing tension between the two. "The truth is, I think I turned up 15 or 20 minutes late because I did a press conference," he said. "That wasn't a particular problem. There was no fallout." He added that he "wouldn't say that we don't get on well." Cowell was also asked about the it-just-won't-die story that "Idol" producers have talked to Stern about replacing him as a judge. While Fox won't comment, Cowell had no problem laughing off the notion. "I'm fairly certain there hasn't been an approach at any time for Howard to do this show," he said. "He obviously wants the job," Cowell joked. "Good luck to him." Cowell said his replacement needs to have experience in the music business, as either a performer, executive or manager: "You've got to know what you're talking about," he said. Stern, he said, "doesn't fit any of those criterion." One reporter suggested that by that standard, perhaps DeGeneres shouldn't be on the show. But Cowell wasn't taking the bait. He said he was talking about who should replace him -- not Paula Abdul -- and that DeGeneres actually does have musical chops. "She's been very responsible for the people she has on her show, and she's been an artist," he said. Cowell was more open to the notion of another out-there candidate for his job: Perez Hilton. "Perez would be funny," he said. "He's got good taste in music. That could work." Knowing how the rumor mill works, Cowell predicted we'd continue to hear all sorts of outrageous names floated for his gig -- including megastars such as Madonna. Don't believe it, he warned. "It will never happen," he said of a superstar filling his seat. "You've got to give a massive time commitment. And you've got to find people who have that time." |
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Second "Surge" Nick Renews Hit Game Show From C21 Media |
Posted 2/19/10 |
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Nickelodeon has lit the fuse on a
second season of "BrainSurge," ordering 40 episodes of the
kid-friendly gameshow. Production on season two will begin in the spring, with host Jeff Sutphen returning. The season premiere hasn't been set yet but will come no later than this summer. Airing weekdays at 4:30 p.m., "BrainSurge" is basic cable's top audience-grabber in the 2-11 and 6-11 demos, with its audience among those groups rising nearly 20% since its premiere. Contestants compete in games that test memory and concentration, for a grand prize that includes a trademark Nickelodeon sliming. Series also features an interactive element that allows home viewers to play online. Clay Newbill (310 Entertainment), Scott A. Stone (Stone & Co. Entertainment) and David A. Hurwitz exec produce "BrainSurge," which is adapted from Tokyo Broadcasting System's "Brain Survivor." |
 "Brainsurge" is go for a second season (photo courtesy Nickelodeon) |
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Biggest Loser Hits the Road Contestant Search! From the Futon Critic |
Posted 2/19/10 |
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NBC's popular reality series "The
Biggest Loser" is launching a 15-city cross-country search to
find new contestants for the next edition of the hit show.
Individuals and teams of two who have at least 100 lbs. to
lose are encouraged to apply for the new season, which will
air in the fall of 2010. Casting producers are looking for outgoing and charismatic individuals and teams of two who have the personality, desire and competitive edge to vie for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose weight, change their lives forever and compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and legal residents of the United States. While they will try to see everyone, "The Biggest Loser" casting teams will do their best to see the first 500 people in line. People will not be allowed to line up prior to three hours before the start of the open call. Candidates should bring a non-returnable photo of themselves (and their partners if applying as a team). |
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Heavy Handed Golightly Contract Leads to Semifinalist's Early "Idol" Ouster From USA Today |
Posted 2/19/10 |
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Lawrence Franklin of Dream
Projects Entertainment disputes Chris Golightly's claim that
he was not subject to an existing recording contract when he
auditioned for American Idol last year, but he says that he
would have worked with the show's producers so that Chris
could have continued in the competition. "Chris was still under contract with Dream Projects Entertainment," Franklin says. Franklin says Chris was part of a vocal group called D.R.E.A.M. 5 and claims that the singer had signed a new, two-year recording contract on May 30, 2009, less than two months before he first auditioned for Idol. Franklin says he contacted 19 Entertainment in January after learning that Chris was appearing on the show. "We asked them for release documents, and they were supposed to send them over last Friday," says Franklin. But, according to Franklin, those forms never came. "We were prepared to give our own release documents, but after waiting on the attorneys from 19 to send over their paperwork, time kind of ran out for Chris," he says. Releasing Chris might not ha\ve been an option, according to an Feb. 11 email from 19 Entertainment counsel Andy Stinson to Gary Gilbert, an attorney for Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, which represents Idol. "Although we do not have a copy of the complete contract, on the face of what we have there seems to be a current recording agreement," Stinson wrote. "If the contract exists there will be no option other than to disqualify Chris." Franklin says, however, that 19 held out the possibility that Chris might continue on the show, if the issue could be resolved in time. "They did advise Chris that as long as we released him, he'd be fine," Franklin says. "They told him that last Friday. And we were prepared then, that night, at any time, to release him." |
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Talpa, WHTV Strike Deal More Shows to Be Adapted from "Dating in the Dark" Producer From C21 Media |
Posted 2/18/10 |
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John de Mol's production company
Talpa Media has struck a deal with Warner Horizon Television (WHTV)
to develop formats for the US marketplace, hot on the heels of
a similar deal with Shine France last year. Under the terms of the US arrangement, WHTV, the cable production unit of the Warner Bros Television Group, will develop and produce programming based upon Talpa reality and gameshow formats that have already been aired in Holland and other countries. Formats available the catalogue include The Golden Cage, Viper’s Nest, Pretty Smart, Guesstimation, I Love My Country, Divided, Know Your Nation and Dating in the Dark, which was last week renewed for a second run by the ABC network in the US. WHTV is behind a number of alternative and scripted formats for cable including The Bachelor and The Bachelorette franchises. In December 2009, C21 reported that Talpa had struck a deal with Shine France for the French market. |
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Primetime Wednesday: And We're Tied at 1... "Idol" Has to Settle for Silver From TV By the Numbers |
Posted 2/18/10 |
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American Idol had to settle for
the silver medal for the first time in six years. It’s the
first time Idol had lost a single half hour to its competition
since 2004. NBC bested American Idol across the board from
9pm-10pm and in most demographics (though it was a tie with
women 18-34). In the 9pm hour Idol averaged a 6.9/17 rating /share with adults 18-49 to NBC’s 9.0/22. NBC averaged over 30 million viewers for that hour (30.065M) to FOX’s 18.42 million. On the night NBC averaged an 8.9/23 rating/share with adults 18-49 and 29.26 million viewers overall. Fueled by gold medal performances from the likes of Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White, NBC saw its best numbers of the games in Vancouver (though the opening ceremonies on Friday had more viewers). |
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Only Connect Gets Connected BBC Orders Online Version From Broadcast |
Posted 2/18/10 |
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The BBC has ordered an online
version of Only Connect, the Victoria Coren-fronted BBC4 game
show produced by Presentable. The web game will take its name from one of the show’s regular rounds, The Connecting Wall. It aims to “replicate both the difficulty and the high pressure” of the TV original. Players will have to spot links between 16 clues and race against the clock to arrange them into four “connected” groups of four. They will get extra points for being able to explain each connection. Only Connect executive producer Chris Stuart said: “The online version replicates the TV version more or less exactly. There’ll also be a ‘how to play’ section for people who aren’t familiar with the quiz, and each week for the next 10 weeks we’ll be adding one brand new wall to the site to keep the pot boiling.” The game will launch at www.bbc.co.uk/onlyconnect on March 1, to coincide with the first quarter-final of the current series. It was ordered by Jo Twist, multiplatform commissioning exec for entertainment and BBC Switch. The commissioning editor for the TV show is Gilly Hall. |
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Who'll Replace Samantha? Search Reportedly Down to Three From E! Online |
Posted 2/18/10 |
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Dancing With the Stars is one (quick)step
closer to choosing a new cohost. E! News has learned that ABC has only three serious contenders to replace the departing Samantha Harris: Melissa Rycroft, Brooke Burke and Vanessa Minnillo. Each of the threesome has a connection to the show. Rycroft and Burke (who won the whole thing) were former contestants. Minnillo, meanwhile, is dating Nick Lachey, whose brother Drew won the disco ball trophy. "They're only testing those three on camera for now," a production insider tells E! News. "The testing will happen some time next week." If the casting session doesn't work out, ABC has a backup plan to "rotate past contestants" in the role as backstage interviewer, with Rycroft, Burke, Drew Lachey and Nancy O'Dell among those at the top of the list. |
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Annie's Got a Brand New Studio "Weakest Link" Host Causes Glasgow From STV |
Posted 2/18/10 |
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Anne Robinson has caused the BBC
to redecorate their Scottish studios. Bosses on her quiz show 'The Weakest Link' were so concerned the 65-year-old host was unhappy with the facilities on offer at BBC Scotland's Pacific Quay HQ, they have made over the entire building - and even built a VIP make-up room for Anne to use when filming is relocated to Glasgow next week. A show insider said: "It seemed like Anne didn't like the look of one of the green rooms where presenters and guests are hosted." It has been reported the sharp-tongued presenter has even been given her own wardrobe room, brand new TV set and a private area for her and her entourage - so she doesn't have to share facilities with the stars of the quiz show 'Eggheads'. A spokesperson for the BBC confirmed the building was being prepared ahead of Anne's arrival. He told the Daily Record newspaper: "We have been doing a lot more filming and we need to cater for when shows film at the same time. It's not just Anne, although she'll be the first person to use it." |
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Me-OUCH! "Top Model" Alum Involved in NYC Altercation From New York Post |
Posted 2/18/10 |
| Things got punchy at 1Oak the other night when former "American's Next Top Model" contestant Atalya Slater got into a fight with a female partygoer. According to a witness, Slater, who appeared on the CW show's 10th season, got physical during an argument over a jacket. "This girl was trying to take her jacket from a booth when Slater started to grab it," says our spy. "She thought it was hers. They started playing tug of war over it, and then, all of a sudden, she started slamming the girl in the head." Security broke it up and held Slater at the club until police escorted her out. The victim, who told us that she went to the hospital by ambulance, did not want to be named and declined to comment further. A spokesman for the NYPD said Slater was arrested for assault and released. Slater's lawyer denied the allegations. | |
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