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"1 vs. 100" US Beta Launches on Xbox
Live Chris Cashman to Host Live Version From Gaming Age |
Posted 6/3/09 |
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Xbox LIVE Gold members, get ready
to face-off and choose the money or 'the Mob' in the "1 vs.
100" U.S. and Canadian Beta on Xbox LIVE, launching June 1.
The first "1 vs. 100 Live" show of the U.S. and Canadian Beta
will air at 7:30 PM PDT that evening. For the first time, Xbox LIVE has combined the best of TV show experiences with interactive social gaming to create "1 vs. 100" – the largest interactive game show in the world. "1 vs. 100" on Xbox LIVE puts YOU center stage and features regularly scheduled shows, our live studio host, Chris Cashman who provides comedic commentary, real prizes, and always-fresh content written by a team of trivia experts. On the heels of the immensely successful "1 vs. 100" Canadian Beta, Xbox will be extending the experience to Xbox LIVE members in the U.S. The U.S. and Canadian Beta will allow Xbox to gather valuable information in order to refine subsequent seasons of the show. So dress-up your Avatar, set your reminder, and tune in to "1 vs. 100" on Xbox LIVE!  Gaming AgeSunHerald.com/PR Newswire Kotaku Los Angeles Times |
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Charity to Patti Blagojevich: Thanks,
But No Thanks Cancer Cause Rejects "Celebrity's" Money, Conflict of Interest? From NBC Chicago |
Posted 6/3/09 |
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The children's cancer charity that
Patti Blagojevich wanted to benefit by her appearance on "I'm
a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" has turned down the offer
of free money. Bear Necessities could have received thousands from the reality show, but they sensed a conflict. Rod Blagojevich is accused of trying to shake down the head of Children's Memorial Hospital for $50,000 in return for supporting $8 million in state funding. "Children's (Memorial) is one of our long-time partners," said Bear Necessities spokeswoman Courtney Krupa. "We're just trying to be cautious." Krupa said the charity was approached last Tuesday about the donation possibilities, but the board declined the offer. She acknowledged it was difficult to turn down the money. "We're all fighting through the bad economy," Krupa said, adding that Bear Necessities wasn't sure how much money they could have gotten. NBC Chicago |
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Boyle May Not Be Well Enough to Tour Internet Favorite Loses "Talent" to Dance Troupe From The Sun |
Posted 6/3/09 |
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Strained Susan Boyle may not be
well enough to perform in the national Britain's Got Talent
arena tour, organizers feared last night. Thousands of tickets have already been snapped up at £32.50 (about $70) a pop for the shows, starting next Friday. But last night the Scottish singer, 48, was still recovering at the Priory clinic, North London, after an emotional breakdown hours after she lost out to dancers Diversity in Saturday's final. Promoters have announced seven more tour dates. But it is unknown if the star - who has a learning disability - will be in a fit state to sing. And show chiefs fear that ticketholders will want their money back without Susan. A show source told The Sun: "We are working on a day-by-day basis here. This is about someone's health and future." He said the chances of Susan making the early dates were "very slim indeed", but she may manage later shows. Judge Amanda Holden, 38, insisted the singer had "no underlying mental issues" and was simply exhausted. But Culture Secretary Andy Burnham called for better "pastoral care" for contestants. He said: "There's a need to look after people properly around the intense process." Viewers complained to ITV about putting "vulnerable" Susan on stage, but the channel will not hold an inquiry. Producers TalkbackThames will look at vetting procedures ahead of this year's X Factor. This Is LondonGuardian The Sun |
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Coach's Life After Survivor Going from Coach to one of "Worst Reality Show Characters" From Springfield News-Leader |
Posted 6/3/09 |
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Former Southwest Baptist
University women’s soccer coach Ben Wade said filming the television show “Survivor” and trying to survive in the Brazilian Highlands was easy. The hard part came after he returned to the United States. Wade was fired by SBU in February, less than a week after the reality show’s season premiere. At the time, players told the News-Leader that Wade said he had to leave the team in the middle of the season for cancer treatment. SBU athletic director Brent Good said then that Wade told him he would be gone for a week but was out for two months — a claim the coach disputes. When Wade was fired, he said he would be “made out to be the hero” and would change the show by playing honestly, but critics called him arrogant and a misogynist. Yahoo! named him one of the 10 worst characters in reality TV history. Wade said his portrayal on the show has humbled him. Wade finished fifth on “Survivor,” which ended last month, and said he hopes to get back into coaching and continue acting. With CBS’ ban on speaking to the media lifted, Wade recently met with the News-Leader to talk about his dismissal from SBU and his portrayal on the show. When asked about some of Wade’s comments in this interview, SBU replied by e-mail: “He is no longer employed here. We do not comment on personnel matters.” Springfield News-Leader |
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Danny Gokey's Life After Idol What Happened? From Rolling Stone |
Posted 6/3/09 |
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American Idol’s third-place
finisher Danny Gokey may not have inspired as much online
hang-wringing as runner-up Adam Lambert, but the church music
director from Wisconsin discovered what it was like to become
the victim of his own backlash after he was booted from the
show.
"I think it harmed me," Gokey says
of being the front-runner. "The front-runner never wins on the
show — that’s just what happens because there’s so much
expectation. When there’s a lot of expectation on someone,
people can get disappointed. In the beginning I paid attention
to the blogs because I wanted to hear what people were saying,
but after a while there was too much analyzing. People are
fickle, so I had to let that go so I could remain true and
consistent to myself." |
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"Top Chef" Goes to Vegas New Season to Bow This Fall From E!Online |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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There's gotta be at least one
buffet challenge in the cheftestants' future. Bravo this morning confirmed what may be its worst-kept secret to date, that the sixth season of Top Chef will take place in Las Vegas. Padma Lakshmi returns to host the foodie excursion, and will be joined by head judge Tom Colicchio, food editor Gail Simmons and quip-ready Brit author Toby Young, who has spent the better part of the past two months not so quietly blogging about his time in Sin City. The identities of this season's aspiring chefs—along with filming locations and challenges—have yet to be revealed, though the wrap party took place on the Strip over the weekend. It's been widely reported that the season will be based at the city's M Resort. Top Chef: Las Vegas premieres on Bravo this fall; the spinoff, Top Chef Masters, which pits established culinary artists against one another, begins June 10. Previous seasons have taken place in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and New York. E! OnlineThe Futon Critic |
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Hilton Looks for a BFF... in Dubai US Version Relaunches Tonight on MTV From Variety & Reality Wanted |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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Paris Hilton is taking her search
for a best friend to the Middle East, where Lionsgate and Ish
Entertainment have stuck a deal with a Dubai-based shingle to
produce a new version of "Paris Hilton's My New BFF." Dubai-based Uniqon is funding most of the project, which will follow the celebrity heiress as she puts a group of young women -- half from the Middle East, half from elsewhere but currently living in Dubai -- through a series of tests to see who would best complement her lifestyle. "I love it for the sheer wildcard aspect of it," said Ish Entertainment co-founder Michael Hirschhorn. "It's so out of the ordinary." "Paris Hilton's My New BFF-Dubai" will adhere to the same format found in the U.S., where the original "My New BFF" airs on MTV, as well as in the U.K., where a version of the format was recently shot for ITV2. But given Middle East sensibilities, Hirschhorn said the Dubai production won't be quite as racy as the U.S. or U.K. editions. That means, for example, alcohol -- normally a reality TV staple -- won't play a role on this version. And the production has promised to adhere to local cultural sensitivities. Swearing, sexually explicit conversation or risqué clothing will be kept to a minimum.
Meanwhile, fourteen high
maintenance girls (and two flamboyant guys) will be fighting
it out in order to get close to Paris and it won’t be easy.
They’ll have to compete in challenges, from trying to get into
a club that doesn’t have their name on a guest list to being
flown halfway around the world without any luggage. It will be
up to Paris to decide who she wants to keep close and who she
wants to send home and she gave us some inside info on what
she’s looking for… and what she’s not. |
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Idol's Heading Back on the Road Auditions for Ninth Go-Round Announced From USA Today |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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If Season 8 ended too quickly for
you, you won't have to wait long for the Season 9 fun to
start. American Idol starts its next audition rounds June
12-14 at Gillette Stadium near Boston. Here's the schedule after Boston: - Atlanta, Georgia Dome (June 16-18) - Los Angeles, Rose Bowl (June 28-30) - Orlando, Fla., Amway Arena (July 7-9) - Denver, Colo., INVESCO Field at Mile High (July 12-14) Dates for Chicago and Dallas have yet to be announced.  USA TodayThe Futon Critic |
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New "Password" Leads Viewers Key Demos Shied Away by MTV Movie Awards, Hockey From New York Times |
Posted 6/2/09 |
| The combination of “60 Minutes” and “Million Dollar Password” helped lift CBS to No. 1 in the ratings on Sunday. According to Nielsen’s estimates, “60 Minutes” delivered the night’s largest audience, with 8.7 million viewers. The game show “Million Dollar Password” (6.9 million), featuring the celebrity contestants Jamie Kennedy and Norm Macdonald, also performed strongly. NBC was runner-up with “Dateline” (4.1 million), followed by a three-hour live broadcast of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, which earned an average of just over 5 million viewers and the night’s highest ratings among viewers 18 to 49. Fox was third, and ABC was fourth, with reruns. | |
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Earthworks Signs Wink Martindale Legend to Be Voice of Oldies Radio This Fall From eMediaworld |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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Earthworks Entertainment Inc. (PINKSHEETS:
EWKS) announced today that it has signed an agreement with
Wink Martindale, whose radio/television career is among the
most celebrated in the entertainment industry and has earned
him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hit Parade Radio's John Rook said, "As a radio personality Wink inspired many young broadcasters during his successful stint on KFWB and KMPC in Los Angeles and his nationally syndicated radio broadcasts. As a host of numerous game shows, Wink also had success as a million selling recording artist. His personal friendship with many of show business' biggest names and appearances on many of the nation's top TV shows, including Jay Leno's Tonight Show, provides Hit Parade Radio with a wealth of entertainment value." Earthworks Entertainment's Steve Humphries adds, "Wink Martindale is one of a kind with a unique style that will be heard as the afternoon drive personality on our 24/7 Oldies Radio Net scheduled to debut in September of this year." Humphries further commented, "The company projects that during the first 12 to 18 months of operation they expect more than 100 stations will affiliate with Hit Parade Radio and will generate more than $5.0 million in revenue." eMediaworld |
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Howie Mandel to Play Chicagoland Catch Him November From Suburban Chicago News |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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The calendars are in the mail,
pre-marked for concert-lovers' future reference. Which is to
say, the Hemmens Cultural Central recently unveiled its
2009-2010 performance season line-up. "I think it's going to be a good one," said cultural center supervisor Butch Wilhelmi. Wilhelmi said he also is excited to see comic and game show host Howie Mandel, who brings his act to Hemmens Nov. 13. Suburban Chicago News |
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Mirrorball Trophy in Pieces Shawn Johnson Takes It To Shop From E!Online |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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Don't ask Shawn Johnson if you
could see the disco ball trophy she won on Dancing With the
Stars. The mirrored masterpiece is in the repair shop. "It's actually in pieces right now," her pro partner, Mark Ballas, said at the MTV Movie Awards. "We had to take them to New York and they shipped them back and when they opened the box, they were in pieces," he continued. "They're fixing them." Shawn said, "I called [Mark] and I was like, 'My trophy's broke!' " The two hit the Movie Awards the morning after performing for the first time together since their DWTS win last month. Johnson also said she's still hoping to kick-start an acting career. "I've been offered some opportunities to do movies or TV shows," she said. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet." Ballas, meanwhile, said he will be back on DWTS next season if producers ask him to return. His best buddy and fellow dancer Derek Hough told me early last month that the two weren't sure they would return. E!online |
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Edd Hall Drops In on Final Leno
"Tonight Show" Voice of "Crosswords" Was First Announcer From TV Week |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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Among those who were in the
audience tonight for Jay Leno’s final “Tonight Show”: Edd
Hall, Leno’s announcer for the first 12 of his 17 years as
host of the NBC late-night show. Besides making the show’s
introductory announcements, Hall, now 50, was frequently seen
on the show participating in comedy bits. He reports he was invited to attend Friday's final show and the after-party at an undisclosed location (he disclosed it to me, but swore me to secrecy). The show also sent him a souvenir. “They invited me to the show and to the party and they sent me a little yearbook,” he said this morning on the phone from L.A. after I contacted him via his personal Web site, eddhall.com. “Apparently they made up a yearbook of the show over the past 17 years with pictures. It’s fun.” He said he was looking forward to running into Leno and bandleader Kevin Eubanks, but he was also hoping to see Branford Marsalis, the Leno “Tonight” show’s first bandleader who left in 1995. (As it happens, Marsalis will likely not be there — a tour schedule on his Web site, branfordmarsalis.com, indicates he’s in Europe this week.) Hall told me he misses “The Tonight Show,” but doesn’t regret moving on in 2004 to pursue a career as a freelance voiceover artist. His voice is heard in dozens of commercials and he was also the announcer on the syndicated series “Crosswords,” Merv Griffin’s last quiz show. TV Week |
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McIntyre: Big Brother "Dead" "Big Mouth" Host Opens His From Metro |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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The new series of Big Brother has
been dealt a damaging blow after being savaged by one of its
former presenters. The attack came as it battles to drum up interest for the tenth series which starts this week on Thursday. Former Big Mouth presenter Michael McIntyre blasted the show saying he 'hated' it and then turned his attack on the contestants and the 'terrible' format, branding the show 'dead'. In his attack the comic told The Sun: "I'm not a fan of Big Brother. I'm pleased I'm able to say that now, because last year I had a brief stint hosting the Big Brother's Big Mouth vehicle. "I didn't like it at all, I hated it. I thought it was absolute nonsense. "I think it's terrible, it really is. I think it's really dead that format now. I'd be surprised if they can resurrect it." Metro |
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Blind Athlete Goes "Dancing" Paralympian Joins Australian Version From PerthNow |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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He's a triple Paralympian and
tried to climb Mount Everest, but congenitally blind Gerrard
Gosens says he is facing his toughest challenge. Gosens, of Brisbane, also co-piloted an ultralight motorglider, but says that signing on for the TV show Dancing With The Stars is by far the most terrifying thing he has ever done. "Without a doubt there are kilometres between this and anything else," he said. Gosens, 38, is the first celebrity signed for the Seven Network dance contest, which will screen later this year, and said he was looking forward to challenging perceptions by being the first blind dancer on the show. The US version of the show featured deaf actor Marlee Matlin as a dancer last year. Gosens has been partnered with dancer Jessica Raffa, who already has experience teaching the blind to dance. As of yesterday afternoon they had a total of four days of dance rehearsal - which is all the dance experience he has ever had. "I'm starting from scratch. It is a huge learning curve," Gosens said. PerthNow |
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Bulgarian "Survivor"
Contestant Dies in Game Noncho Vodenicharov Suffers Heart Attack From the BBC |
Posted 6/2/09 |
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A contestant on the Bulgarian
version of the reality TV show, Survivor, has died of a heart
attack during filming at a beach resort in the Philippines. Noncho Vodenicharov, 53, had just completed one of the challenges the competitors undertake to earn rewards and avoid being voted off. A police report said two doctors on the set confirmed he had died instantly. The Survivor contestants have to fend for themselves in remote locations, with a huge prize for the sole winner. Vodenicharov was the mayor of Radnevo. The town, in the south of Bulgaria, has declared five days of mourning. Other reports said that, in his youth, Vodenicharov had worked as a film stuntman. The Survivor program was originally devised in the UK, but many other countries now have their own versions. The application form for the show says competitors must be "in excellent physical and mental health". Contestants have to take part in a series of tough mental and physical challenges. It is not known which sort of challenge Vodenicharov had undertaken when he died on Saturday. The show was being filmed at a beach resort on the Caramoan peninsula in the eastern Philippines. Both the French and Israeli versions of Survivor had recently been recorded there. BBC |
 Noncho Vodenicharov (photo courtesy BBC) |
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Tweet: Feud Ups the Ante, Brings Back
Bullseye Season 11's Fast Moneys to Be Worth $30,000 From Buzzerblog & Twitter.com/familyfeud |
Posted 6/1/09 |
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Last week, we reported that the
top prize on the Feud was going to be bumped up to $30,000.
That was only the beginning.
According to a tweet from their Twitter page, "Family Feud", which begins taping for season 11 this weekend, is returning the Bullseye side game. The Bullseye round, a Feud mainstay since its first playing in the summer of 1992, challenges each family member against their opposition in a quest to find the number-one answers to various survey questions. Also, if a family goes five-and-out, their prize: a new car. |
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Reno Collier Goes on "Road Trip" Catch It on NBC July From the Futon Critic |
Posted 6/1/09 |
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NBC announced today that comedian
Reno Collier will host "Great American Road Trip" -- the
series, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions, where seven
families from divergent backgrounds go on the journey of a
lifetime (premiering Tuesday, July 7 (8-9 p.m. PT). Collier
will guide viewers and the participating families on an
eight-episode journey along America's legendary Route 66.
Traveling through cities and towns large and small, the seven
families, whose hometowns range from Montclair, California to
Yonkers, New York, will compete in a series of challenges that
will ultimately lead one family to victory. These comical and
clever challenges are set against iconic American backdrops
such as the majestic Grand Canyon and the historic St. Louis
arch. Along the way, the families and viewers will also discover quirky American landmarks ranging from the world's largest ketchup bottle to the muffler men and Cadillac Ranch. Although family fun is the centerpiece of the show, the competition is real and all but one family will be eliminated each week based on their performance in the challenges. Ultimately, the winning family will return home with a dream prize that perfectly complements their extraordinary and memorable summer vacation. Viewers can access additional information about the families, their journey on Route 66 and the "Great American Road Trip" at www.nbc.com/the-great-american-road-trip. "This show is a blast. I'm having the time of my life. We are checking out everything from the Grand Canyon and Wrigley Field to the world's biggest bottle of ketchup. Seriously, what's better than that -- I love ketchup" said Collier. |
 Reno Collier takes America on a "Road Trip" for NBC (photo courtesy Comedy Central) |
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Lightning in a Bottle? Not Likely, Says
Regis 10th Ann'y Millionaire Checks in August From New York Post |
Posted 6/1/09 |
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Regis Philbin's final answer:
don't expect him to do it again. Regis is trying to manage expectations about the 10th anniversary, primetime edition of "Who Wants To be a Millionaire" he's hosting this summer. Last time he did this, "Millionaire" was a ratings phenomenon. "It was brand new then and it took a lot of people by surprise," he told The Post over the weekend. "Is it going to be as big a hit? I don't know if it can be. "The million-dollar payoff, which was really new in those days and has been copied since, is no longer the talking point." So Philbin and his producers hope to lure viewers with celebrity guests and more lifelines when his two-week, Sunday-to-Thursday night stint begins in August. "We have seen celebrities on the show before, but [this time] one celebrity a night will answer just one question," he reports. "And if he gets it right it is $50,000 to their favorite charity." A decade ago, Philbin's original "Millionaire" earned ABC its highest ratings of the year before fans burned out from the quiz show's multi-night scheduling. |
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A Passion for "Fashion" Show Logs 1 Million for the First Time From the Futon Critic |
Posted 6/1/09 |
| Bravo's The Fashion Show's delivered over one million total viewers last week, the series' highest rated episode to-date in all key demographics, up 78 percent among adults 18-49 and 80 percent among total viewers versus the prior week's episode, according to Nielsen Media Research. "The Fashion Show's" fourth episode posted a 1.19 HH avg. rating, with 1.32 million total viewers and 802,000 adults 18-49. | |
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Viva Las Wheel! Vegas Hosts America's Game July From KXNT |
Posted 6/1/09 |
| Some residents will soon have their chance to spin the "Wheel of Fortune" prize wheel as the popular game show comes to Las Vegas. Vanna White will be turning the letters for locals when the show tapes at The Venetian and The Palazzo in July. The contestant auditions have already taken place but some audience tickets will be made available through local "KVBC-TV." | |
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"Dance" Tour Promotes New Series Check It Out on Oxygen June 29 From the Futon Critic |
Posted 6/1/09 |
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Oxygen Media launches a five-city
tour to promote the launch of the new dance/weight loss
competition reality series "Dance Your Ass Off" (DYAO)
premiering Monday, June 29 at 10pm ET/PT. The DYAO tour
titled, "Dance Your Ass Off: Move It To Lose It" will bring
the much anticipated series to life and spread the word to
consumers that dancing is a great way to lose weight and have
a blast doing it. Key elements of the show will be integrated
into a fabulous, interactive experience, with live dance
performances, free giveaways, calorie-burning dance lessons
and much more. In addition, trainers from Crunch, a national
fitness chain will be on location in New York and Chicago. The DYAO 3600 experience invites consumers of all ages from all over the country to dance their asses off with professional dancers on a giant stage shaped as a scale, create a customized video of themselves performing the official DYAO dance and generate their own DYAO animated dancer. "We are excited to be able to bring such a fun show experience directly to the consumer," said Jane Olson, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy, Oxygen Media. "There is no other experience that will allow the public to 'Live Out Loud' as the 'Dance Your Ass Off:' Move It To Lose It Tour." |
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Interactive Cricket Comes to India ESPN-Star Sports to Air Quiz Show From Exchange4media |
Posted 6/1/09 |
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Keeping the cricket season in
mind, ESPN-STAR Sports is all set to launch an interactive
cricket quiz show, ‘Stumped’, from June 1, 2009. The show has
been produced by production house Endemol. ‘Stumped’ will be
aired live on Star Cricket every day of the week. The
hour-long show will be hosted by model and television anchor
Shonali Nagrani. With a live format that entails a high level of viewer interactivity, viewers will get a chance to play and win prizes. The show will also have representation from cricket stars as well as celebrities giving a chance to cricket fans to have an interaction on live television. According to RC Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, “There is a huge interest in an interactive cricket-based quiz show, which allows fans to test their knowledge of the game while at the same time giving them an opportunity to win interesting prizes. ‘Stumped’ is an attempt to fulfill this need. This show is also an extension of the live programming line-up during ICC World Twenty20.” “We have already aired the show from May 11-24 with Wasim Akram as the celebrity guest to gauge the initial feedback. The response has been overwhelming from cricket lovers across the nation and we expect that the participation levels will be higher during the ICC World Twenty20,” Venkateish added. Deepak Dhar, Managing Director, Endemol, said, “India being one of the largest cricket loving nations, our venture into the sports entertainment arena with ‘Stumped’ has been a planned one. After a successful entry into fiction, the sports foray was a gradual, yet determined progression. With the success of our sports entertainment production ‘Stumped’, we reinstate Endemol’s position as a leading, multi-format, multi-genre content creator.” The quiz show is aimed at leveraging high decibel noise around the ICC World Twenty20. ‘Stumped’ is aimed at giving viewers a chance to keep themselves abreast with the happenings in cricket and at the same time help them win prizes. Exchange4mediaBusinesswire Television Point |
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"Millionaire" Heads to Mexico TV Azteca to Broadcast Version From Variety |
Posted 6/1/09 |
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"Slumdog Millionaire's" box office
triumph around the world has finally convinced Mexico's No. 2
web TV Azteca to make the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire." Azteca has inked with Disney Media Networks for the show, which features prominently in the multi-Oscar winning pic. Fernando Barbosa, senior VP of Disney Media Networks, Latin America, sold the format rights to Azteca rival Televisa in 1999. But Televisa was too engrossed in "Big Brother" to develop it and the rights reverted back to Disney. "The show's never aired in Mexico, not even on cable," said Barbosa. To save costs, Disney will use purpose-built sets at RCTV in Caracas, Venezuela, where the quizzer is one of the longest-running in Latin America. RCTV continues to produce the show even though it was forced off the terrestrial airwaves by President Hugo Chavez's government two years ago and is now only available on pay TV. Disney will fly the contestants and their support groups into Caracas. A host has not been chosen. VarietyC21Media Television Point |
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"Crash" into ABC Orlando Jones, Dan Cortese to Host 7 Episodes From The Hollywood Reporter |
Posted 5/29/09 |
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ABC has given the green light to
the auto-competition show "Crash Course" for a late summer
run. The network plans to air seven one-hour episodes from executive producers Arthur Smith and Kent Weed. Orlando Jones ("MadTV") and Dan Cortese ("Veronica's Closet") will serve as commentators. "It's going to be visually stunning and hysterical," Smith said. "Nothing brings out the worst in people than sitting in a passenger seat." Each episode features five couples (such as brother and sister, best friends, spouses, etc.) undertaking four extreme driving challenges. The first three rounds have contestants performing such feats as driving on two wheels or navigating intense weather conditions. Contestants have to work together when, for instance, the passenger is given sole control of the brake. One couple is eliminated during each round. The final round is the Crash Course, a large obstacle track. "Any kind of conditions you can imagine you'd encounter while driving -- rain, snow, flash flood -- we take that and blow it up," Weed said. The order comes on the heels of a strong return for ABC's other obstacle course series, "Wipeout," which won its time period Wednesday. CBS was developing a similar auto-based reality show titled "Thunder Road" from producer-director McG, but sources say that project is not moving forward. Producers plan to shoot "Crash" in Michigan and are scouting backdrops that reflect the state's automotive history. "It's great to be going to the automotive center of America. What could be more appropriate?" Smith said. If "Crash" airs in August as planned, it will mark A. Smith & Co.'s third reality series to broadcast this summer. The company also produces Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" and ABC's "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" in addition to such cable fare as Spike TV's "Pros vs. Joes" and TruTV's upcoming "Full Throttle." The Hollywood Reporter |
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A $250,000 Challenge... Catch It Sunday on HGTV From Cynopsis |
Posted 5/29/09 |
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This Sunday,
HGTV introduces
viewers to five families living in the same neighborhood in
Sherman Oaks, CA who are competing to win a major cash prize
in HGTV's $250,000 Challenge.
The four-week season one begins Sunday at 10p and airs through
June 21. Hosted by Drew Lachey, each episode of the series
will feature an HGTV design expert such as Kim Myles (Myles of
Style), David Bromstad (Color Splash), Genevieve Gorder (Dear
Genevieve) or Carter Oosterhouse (Carter Can) as well as
design judges Kristan Cunningham (Design on a Dime) and John
Gidding (Designed To Sell). TV Week Los Angeles Times |
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Ludia Develops 3 Classics More Fruit from Exclusive Deal Include "PYL", "Feud", "TPIR" From Gamezone |
Posted 5/29/09 |
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Ubisoft announced today that it
has once again partnered with Ludia Inc to add three new
classic game show titles to its already successful portfolio.
Family Feud 2010, Press Your Luck 2010, and an all new
expanded version of The Price is Right 2010 will be available
for the Wii system from Nintendo, the Nintendo DS system and
Windows-based PC. The games have been created by Ludia Inc.
and are licensed by FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME). They
will be available at North American retailers this fall. |
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"Losers" Taking Drugs? Accusations Fly from Former Player From ET Online |
Posted 5/29/09 |
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The big, on-air argument between
"The Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian Michaels and Filipe Fa on
the last season of the series is now explained -- and
attributed to drug accusations! TVGuidemagazine.com reports that the quarrel between the trainer and the contestant took place after Fa made the accusation that Michaels was giving her team drugs. As a result of the allegation, an internal drug investigation was instigated. It was her sense of betrayal that led to the disagreement that aired when Michaels refused to do a one-on-one workout with her accuser. "We had an entire 'Kenneth Starr' investigation," Michaels tells the Web site. "Because the minute someone makes that claim, you have to. They didn't shut down production, but it took a week. I was so furious, so disgusted. I felt so betrayed." According to the Web site, Fa has since said he never made the accusation, but executive producer Mark Koops contradicts him, saying, "The accusation came from Filipe." Koops goes on to explain that the contestants are allowed to take multiple vitamins and caffeine supplements to give them energy to get through the day, but that those supplements are distributed by the show's medical staff, not the trainers. The players were informed that an investigation would take place, according to Koops, "to make sure nothing untoward was happening." Nothing was. And Fa and Michaels have since "smoothed things out," according to Fa. ETOnline.com |
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More on "BrainRush", "Destroy" Catch Both on Cartoon Network June 20 From Media News |
Posted 5/29/09 |
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Cartoon Network unveils four new
live-action alternative series this summer as part of its “CN
Real” block of programming. Wednesday nights, starting June
17, is the destination for thrills as two new half-hour
unscripted series follow real kids on real adventures with the
debut of The Othersiders at 8 p.m. (ET, PT), followed by
Survive This at 8:30 p.m. (ET, PT). Then let the games begin
on Saturday, June 20, with two game shows featuring kids
competing for some serious cash. BrainRush, the only game show
that takes place entirely on a roller coaster, premieres at 8
p.m. (ET, PT) followed by an explosive new competition series
Destroy Build Destroy at 8:30 p.m. (ET, PT). BrainRush is the first game show that takes place entirely on roller coasters! Host Lamorne Morris puts players to the test with questions and brainteasers all while strapped into a thrill-a-minute amusement park ride. Meanwhile, rocker Andrew WK
will host "Destroy Build Destroy". Each week two teams of
teens -- with the help of experts, wrecking balls, and
explosions -- obliterate some sort of large-scale vehicle or
machine, then create something entirely different out of it.
The winners get to annihilate the losers' work. Destroy Build
Destroy will debut this summer. |
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"Deal", "5th Grader" Live in Primetime...
Sort of Both to Play on MyNetworkTV From TV Week |
Posted 5/28/09 |
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“Are You Smarter Than a 5th
Grader,” “Deal or No Deal” and “The Unit” are rounding out
MyNetworkTV’s fall 2009-10 schedule, the network announced
today. MyNet, which is moving away from original programming and toward a “programming service model” next season, announced a partial lineup earlier this year, with flagship “WWE Smackdown” remaining on Fridays, two hours of NBC Universal Domestic Television’s “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” on Monday and a movie night on Thursday. The new schedule will premiere Monday, Sept. 28. The syndicated versions of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” and “Deal or No Deal” will air on Tuesdays in hour blocks, with two episodes of “Fifth Grader” at 8 p.m. and two episodes of “Deal” at 9 p.m. “Fifth Grader” is distributed by Twentieth Television, while “Deal” is distributed by NBC Universal Television Distribution. TV WeekVariety Media Buyer Planner |
 My Network TV reveals its 2009-2010 schedule (photo courtesy Doug Morris) |
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Big Brother: July 9 Show to Run Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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The 11th season of "Big Brother"
will premiere Thursday, July 9 at 8:00/7:00c on CBS, network
sources confirmed to the site this afternoon. The series will then continue on Sundays at 8:00/7:00c and Tuesdays at 9:00/8:00c, a slight deviation from last summer's initial schedule of Sundays at 8:00/7:00c, Tuesdays at 9:00/8:00c and Wednesdays at 8:00/7:00c. (Two weeks later, the latter edition moved to Thursdays at 8:00/7:00c in place of "Greatest American Dog.") |
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"Loser" Heads to Consoles Game Based on TV Series Goes to Wii, DSi From The Futon Critic |
Posted 5/28/09 |
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THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today
announced that The Biggest Loser interactive health and
fitness video game is currently in development exclusively for
WiiTM and Nintendo DSTM and is scheduled for release this
fall. The Biggest Loser video game is based on the highly
rated NBC television show and will feature the show's trainers
Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. Players will be lead through
a series of comprehensive workouts and given nutrition goals
to help them transform their lives through diet and exercise.
The video game will also include Alison Sweeney, host of The
Biggest Loser TV show. The Biggest Loser video game is being
developed and released through a license agreement with NBC
Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group
and Reveille LLC. "NBC's The Biggest Loser show has transformed so many lives across the globe," said Randy Shoemaker, vice president, global brand management, THQ. "The Biggest Loser video game will help Nintendo players everywhere achieve that same success at home. The video game offers fun, innovative work-out routines and functions as a complete, personalized health and fitness experience, giving players the tools they need to change their bodies and change their lives." The Futon Critic |
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Former Barker's Beauty to Pen Memoir Kathleen Bradley Served from 1990 to 2000 From EURweb |
Posted 5/28/09 |
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Kathleen Bradley is one of the
over 25 models who have graced the stage of the “Price Is
Right” and showcased the prizes the game show offers. Though
Bradley did the gig for ten years (1990-2000), among the
longest tenure of any of the others, she’s more than just one
of Barker’s Beauties. She's a singer, dancer (she was part of the short-lived disco group The Love Machine), and is currently enjoying life; playing golf in support of non-profit organizations; and being a grandmother. “I am also writing my book, ‘Backstage at the Price is Right: Memoirs of a Barker’s Beauty,’” Bradley added. Bradley recently shared just a tease of the information and behind-the-scenes stories in her forthcoming book. “Since I was there ten years, I have a lot of very intriguing and important things to tell that Bob (Barker) has somehow overlooked in his book,” Bradley said. “Bob just refuses to tell the real truth, the whole truth.” Bradley, 58, referred to the former "Price Is Right" host’s litigation troubles, which started with a suit filed by former Barker Beauty, and one of the most recognized models, Dian Parkinson. Parkinson left the show in 1993 and sued Barker for sexual harassment. Then, in 1995, redheaded fave Holly Hallstrom was fired from the show. She filed a wrongful termination suit alleging she was released because of a 14-pound weight gain, but Hallstrom later said she was fired because she would not support Barker in the case against him by Parkinson. “Dian Parkinson and I were very tight friends when I got on the show and there was a lot of dissention between Dian and Holly,” Bradley revealed. “So, [Parkinson] befriended me and she told me lots of things. We were glad that he and Dian were having a good time, and we were happy Bob was happy.” However, shortly after being subpoenaed to give testimony in the Hallstrom trials, Bradley, along with co-model Janice Pennington, were released in October 2000. |
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Manufactured Panic for Idol Results? Fox, AT&T Issue Responses to NYT Story From Entertainment Weekly |
Posted 5/28/09 |
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AT&T and Fox have issued
statements refuting accusations that tutorials in power-texting
at two American Idol viewing parties in Arkansas helped
hometown boy Kris Allen defeat Adam Lambert for the season 8
crown. "Last week, countless parties were held in homes, bars, and other public places across America to watch the American Idol finale. In Arkansas, a few local AT&T employees were invited to attend two local watch parties organized by the community," AT&T says. "Caught up in the enthusiasm of rooting for their hometown contestant, they brought a small number of demo phones with them and provided texting tutorials to those who were interested. "Going forward, we will make sure our employees understand our sponsorship celebrates the competition, not individual contestants. That said, it's quite a leap to suggest that a few individuals could have impacted the final results." Nearly 100 million votes were cast on the evening of May 19. In the run-up to the Idol season finale, fan-sites for both Kris Allen and Adam Lambert provided instructions on how to 'power-text' votes on behalf of their favorites. As for Fox and Idol producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, their statement says, "Fox and the producers of American Idol are absolutely certain that the results of this competition are fair, accurate and verified. Kris Allen is, without a doubt, the American Idol. We have an independent third-party monitoring procedure in place to ensure the integrity of the voting process. In no way did any individuals unfairly influence the outcome of the competition."
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Damien Fahey Joins "Celebrity"... as
Co-Host Catch It Monday on NBC From NBC Universal Media Village |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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NBC announced today that Damien
Fahey and Myleene Klass will serve as co-hosts for its new,
groundbreaking, live summer television event "I'm a
Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!" that kicks off on Monday, June
1 with a two-hour special from 8-10 p.m. (ET). |
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Cast for Second Run of "Gameshow"
Announced Catch It on ABC July 8 From Reality TV Website |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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"I Survived a Japanese Game Show"
has completed shooting in Japan for Season 2, premiering
Wednesday, July 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT) on ABC. The
unscripted reality/game show takes an eye-opening,
behind-the-scenes look at 12 Americans (listed below) who were
whisked away to Japan to compete in the ultimate Japanese game
show... with hilarious results. The final winner will take
home $250,000. Season 1 of the game show was the big winner at the recent 49th Rose d'Or Festival, one of Europe's most prestigious TV honors, taking the prize as "Best of 2009" (best show on television -- scripted and unscripted), as well as the Rose Trophy for best reality show. The series also received a DGA nomination for Best Reality Competition Show. Returning will be the witty game show host Rome Kanda ("Pink Panther," "Saturday Night Live"), who leads the contestants through all of the zany challenges; Mama-San, a house mother and resident pot stirrer; and Judge Bob, the rarely dynamic but always entertaining referee of the games. |
 The second season of "I Survived a Japanese Gameshow" launches July 8 (photo courtesy ABC) |
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Millionaire Hits the Road, Announces Format Daytime & Primetime Players Wanted! From Buzzerblog & About.com Game Shows |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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ABC has released the format
details for their special two-week run of Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire in prime time. The show begins August 9, and will
include ten episodes. Regis Philbin is back to host the show,
which we were told earlier would combine elements from both
the old prime time game and the current syndicated version. As it turns out, the actual format is more like an hour-long syndie game. Yes, that means the clock will be in play. Four lifelines will be on offer, including Ask the Audience, Phone a Friend, Double Dip, and Ask the Expert. From the original series, the only element (besides the two original lifelines) that returns is the Fastest Finger round. There is also one new addition: at the end of each episode, a celebrity will appear and have the chance to answer a single question to win money for charity.
The show has
announced the first audition locations and dates for the two
versions of the show. These first auditions will be for the
east coasters, but more dates are being announced soon and
those further west won’t be left out. Remember, when you
audition you will be selected for the daytime or primetime
edition at the Producer’s sole discretion. You will also be
tested for the movie week when you come for the show’s annual Netflix Million Dollar Movie Week. Don’t forget to bring your
spouse so you can take part in the also-annual Wedding Week.
Here are the first four dates and locations. |
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Granada America Renamed "Kitchen", "Celebrity" Now Produced by ITV Studios From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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Granada America, the U.S. based
production entity of ITV Studios PLC in the UK, has been
re-named ITV Studios, Inc. effective immediately. The
announcement was made by Lee Bartlett, Managing Director of
ITV Global Content. The re-branding is in line with Granada America's substantial production activities in the US, which have more than tripled during the 18 months since the arrival of Paul Buccieri as the CEO. Granada America represents an increasingly significant contribution to ITV's global programming outreach. ITV Studios is one of Europe's leading commercial production companies producing more than 3,000 hours of original programming each year, encompassing a wide range of program genres, including drama, soaps, entertainment, factual, daytime, arts, current affairs, quiz and game shows. ITV also has production companies in Germany and Australia. ITV has had considerable success in producing local versions of ITV and other UK programs, including Hells Kitchen and the upcoming new version of I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! in the US, Dancing On Ice in Australia, and local versions of I'm A Celebrity and Come Dine with Me in Germany. Since being formally created in February 2004, Granada America's level of productivity has consistently exceeded its goals. With offices in Los Angeles and New York, Granada America is one of the largest international producers for the US market and a major force in acquiring, developing and producing reality and scripted programming for US networks. Granada America has become a leading producer of reality and scripted programming in the US with a slate of successful formats in production with major US networks, including Hells Kitchen for Fox, I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! for NBC, WCG Ultimate Gamer for Sci-Fi, Celebrity Fit Club for VH1, and more. |
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Eddie McGuire to Host "Heads or Tails" JD Roth In Australia Taping Pilot for US Version From News.com.au |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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It's a uniquely Australian game,
but two-up could be exported to the world via a new Channel 9
game show. US TV presenter J.D. Roth is in Melbourne to host the pilot for the American market, The Daily Telegraph reports. Roth - the voiceover man and co-creator of reality weight loss show The Biggest Loser in the US - filmed the pilot yesterday called Heads Or Tails in Melbourne using an Australian production crew. The day before, Eddie McGuire fronted the Australian pilot which, if approved, would replace his current 5.30pm quiz show Hot Seat as the latest program to take on Seven's Deal Or No Deal. The show was first pitched to Nine by ex-Endemol Southern Star development director Stephen Peters, who now heads up the Australian arm of US production company Eyeworks. Nine CEO David Gyngell loved the idea. "If it works as well as everyone believes it will, we will be exporting a game show to the world," he said last month. While a Nine spokeswoman yesterday said, "It is only a pilot", it would be the second prong in McGuire's attempt to topple 5:30pm rival Andrew O'Keefe. Nine ordered 50 episodes of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire spin-off and would replace it with Heads Or Tails to try to give the struggling Nine news a better lead-in audience. McGuire also recently filmed a pilot for another show, Let's Make a Deal. News.com.au |
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"List" Heads to France 12 Yard Gets Commission from FR3 From TV Week |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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French public broadcaster France 3
has commissioned Air Prod to produce a local adaptation of UK
format Who Dares Wins (basically what the UK calls "The Rich
List". The show, dubbed in French La Liste Gagnante and hosted
by Patrice Laffont, will launch on France 3 in a daily slot at
1p local time in July.
The show is set to relaunch in the US on June 13 as "The Money
List" |
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Jeff Foxworthy Makes Grade with Fox "5th Grader" Host Writes Book From Calgary Sun |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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Jeff Foxworthy will readily
admit he's not smarter than a fifth grader. But he points out that he's in good company. There's been many an academic who has been shamed by the superior knowledge of a 10-year-old on the prime-time game show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? "It's funny because you have people who have PhDs from Harvard and Yale and they get stuck on the second grade question," he says. Best known for his wildly popular 'you might be a redneck if' quips, Foxworthy's career got another boost when he started hosting the family friendly program in 2007. He noticed his fanbase starting to shift from adult 'redneck' fans to multi-generational families. "Little kids didn't know who I was before," he says. "Now, even on my own kids' campus, I hear these kids whispering, 'That's the guy from the show.'" When the series' creator Mark Burnett approached Foxworthy about Are You Smarter, he admits he wasn't sure he was the right man for the job. "If you'd asked me five years ago if I'd host a game show I probably would have laughed at you." But, Foxworthy loved the idea and was eventually convinced to sign on. "I'm not like Alex Trebek pretending I know all the answers to the questions. If I had to answer the questions it would be the shortest show on television." In addition to hosting, the Georgia native has just finished writing his third children's book and is currently on the road with his stand-up routine. Calgary Sun |
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Danny Wants to Dance (or "Hokey Pokey
Gokey") "Idol" Alum Wants to Go "Dancing with the Stars" From Chicago Tribune |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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"American Idol" finalist Danny
Gokey is willing to go on other reality shows. The 29-year-old former church music director said Tuesday he'd like to try "Dancing With The Stars," because the "Idol" judges told him he couldn't dance. Gokey was back in Milwaukee for a free event Tuesday night at the Riverside Theater. He wanted to thank his hometown for its support and raise awareness and money for his charity, Sophia's Heart Foundation. He said his first priorities are the foundation and making his album, for which he's already started writing songs. But he said he'd consider doing reality TV if it gives the foundation more exposure. "I don't know if that will fall into line with the vision of where I am going right now," he said. "I think it's very important not to be sidetracked with anything else but to accomplish this one thing and maybe try a few things later." He started the charity in memory of his wife, Sophia, who died last summer after surgery for a congenital heart defect. Chicago Tribune |
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Riley Still Can't Believe She's on
Countdown Co-Host Claims Geekhood From Southend Standard |
Posted 5/27/09 |
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Rachel Riley is having the time of
her life. Six months after taking over from maths genius Carol
Vorderman, Rachel has told how she is living her dream
presenting one of the nation’s favourite quiz shows,
Countdown. The former pupil of Southend High School for Girls popped down to Southend, where she still lives when not filming the show, to launch the new Bosom Pals appeal to raise £750,000 to buy new equipment for Southend Hospital’s breast unit. While Rachel is always cool and confident presenting the show with host Jeff Stelling, she admits to suffering an attack of the nerves occasionally. She said: “I do get nervous. I practice the numbers game all the time, I’m such a geek. “I also worry about my spelling a bit. We’ve had some amazing contestants who come up with words I've never heard of, I just have to hope I can spell them right. “At school and university I did maths and science subjects, so my spelling has fallen by the wayside.” Rachel, who divides her time between television studios in Manchester and her home in Thorpe Bay, said she loves her new job and the people she works with, including Stelling, who made his name as a Sky Sports presenter. Southend Standard |
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Details on "Big Saturday" GSN Launches New Block June 13 From About.com Game Shows |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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GSN has released the details of
its new "Big Saturday Night" programming block, which kicks
off on June 13th at 8pm and runs all summer long. The
three-hour block includes two new, original game shows as well
as live entertainment and interactive games. Up first is the new game 20Q, hosted by Cat Deeley, and featuring comedian Hal Sparks as the voice of the computer, Mr. Q. The game itself is based on the handheld game in which the "computer" must guess a chosen word or phrase by asking up to 20 questions. 20Q will air at 8pm Eastern (and repeats at 11pm). The second game show is The Money List, hosted by GSN's own Fred Roggin. The format has contestants working in pairs to identify items on a themed list for the chance to win up to $50,000. The Money List, which looks to be the better of the two new offerings, airs at 9:30pm Eastern and repeats at 12:30am. In addition to the game shows, "Big Saturday Night" will feature live entertainment that includes music and comedy, celebrity guests, and live games in which viewers and the in-studio audience can win cash and prizes. About.com Game ShowsBuzzerblog |
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Cash Games for $200, Please... GSN.com Launches Jeopardy! Online Competition From AP |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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I'll take WorldWinner Games for
$800. The answer?: What is Jeopardy!? WorldWinner and Sony
Pictures Consumer Products today announced that Jeopardy!
online cash competitions are now available at WorldWinner.com.
For the first time, game lovers can put their knowledge to the
test and play to win real cash and prizes by outscoring their
opponents. A free flash version of Jeopardy! is also offered
on GSN.com, which is powered by WorldWinner. As Jeopardy!
becomes part of the cross-platform experience on GSN,
WorldWinner and GSN.com, game show fans have a new way to
enjoy their all-time favorites both on-air and online. "Our players love trivia games, and Jeopardy! arguably created the category," said Peter Blacklow, president of WorldWinner and EVP of GSN Digital. "We know fans' passion for the classic game show doesn't stop at TV, and now we're giving our loyal GSN viewers and all Jeopardy! fans another way to experience their favorite quiz show. By challenging each other for cash online as if they were actual contestants, trivia buffs everywhere have a chance to become champions of online Jeopardy!." In WorldWinner's online cash game version of Jeopardy!, game lovers compete by selecting one of three categories and a money value from the board to reveal a hidden answer. They are then presented with a list of four possible corresponding questions, from which they must select the correct one to boost their bank balance. A Daily Double, Final Jeopardy! and a time bonus heighten the challenge. "Millions of online players got in the game for cash when we partnered with WorldWinner to bring Wheel of Fortune, one of our most popular television shows, to an even fiercer set of online competitors," said Gregory Economos, Senior Vice President, Business Affairs & Operations, Sony Pictures Consumer Products. "Now, we are thrilled to bring a game buzzer to every household with the online cash version of Jeopardy!, the game show legend that has delighted television audiences for 25 years." AP/PD&D |
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Interactive Quiz Heads to Ireland Telemedia to Launch "Play TV" From IFTN |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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TV3 has announced that it has
concluded a major commercial deal with Telemedia InteracTV (Telemedia),
who will use TV3’s allocation of infomercial time to provide a
live interactive quiz show. The show called “Play TV” will be broadcast each night of the week from midnight and viewers can participate in a variety of games by telephoning the show. Telemedia InteracTV is a producer of live, interactive television shows for major commercial channels and free to air broadcasters. Each month Telemedia produce shows in over 40 countries across four continents. An example of some of European countries (channel) include: Spain (Cuatro, Cinco, La Sexta, Veo), Germany (Eso TV), Belgium (AB4), Denmark, Hungary (ATV, Budapest TV) and Poland (Polsat, TV4) TV3’s Commercial Director, Pat Kiely said: "This is an important commercial deal for TV3. We are delighted to be working with Telemedia such a proven World class leader in the provision of live interactive quiz programs for International television markets". AP/PD&D |
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Cash Cab Returns to India Their Version Sponsored by Coke From Indian Television |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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Munna our favorite cabbie rides
back to town for the second season of Bindass Cash Cab. Don’t
miss this fun 1st episode where Munna’s local taxi becomes the
Shaadi Ki Gaadi! The bridegroom rides off from his reception
to his first night after the wedding in the Cash Cab to
surprise his newlywed bride who is a huge MUNNA fan. Watch on as the newly married couple hops into the cab and embarks on a crazy ride. On the way they visit a few stores to take care of their requirements and our very own Munna famous for his notoriety does not allow them to speak to the store owners. The best part however is the mad fun that Munna and the newly wed couple have playing the quiz! Don’t miss the 1st Episode of Bindass Cash Cab Season 2 only on UTV Bindass This Sunday, May 24th, 2009 at 7 p.m. and embark on a crazy journey with Munna. UTV Bindass in association with Coca cola presents the second season of the extremely popular show Cash Cab – Meter Chalu Hai!! If the thought of making money in these times seems tough…its time to tune into UTV Bindass. Starting 24th May 2009, the show will air every Sunday from 7 to 7 30 pm and the second season of this popular reality game show promises to be brimming with more fun, more money, more of Munna’s quirky takes and loads of celebrities. Indian Television |
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Brian May and Adam Lambert: Together
Again for the First Time? Queen Guitarist Wants to Work with Idol Runner-Up From Access Hollywood |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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Adam Lambert may not have won the
“American Idol” title, but he made some fans of the music
elite – the members of Queen — who are looking to speak to him
about possibly doing something in the future. “Amongst all that furor, there wasn’t really a quiet moment to talk,” Brian May, who performed with the singer on the “Idol” finale, told Rolling Stone in an e-mail. “But [drummer Roger Taylor] and I are definitely hoping to have a meaningful conversation with him at some point.” While the guitarist shot down rumors that Adam had been offered the role of Queen frontman, Brian confirmed he would like to work with Adam again. “It’s not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that. It isn’t that easy,” Brian wrote. “But I’d certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there.” Brian said no matter what happens, he is looking forward to seeing what happens with the raven-haired “Idol” runner-up. “I’m confident Adam will make great use of this wonderful opportunity,” he said. “I hope I’m there to see it.” But the Queen axeman’s praise wasn’t limited to just Adam. “Both those boys are well worthy of big success,” Brian added. Access Hollywood |
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Spencer FAILS "Celebrity" Can't "Get Out of Here" without Clean Bill of Health From SFGate.com |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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Spencer Pratt's stint on the
reality TV show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" has
been thrown into jeopardy, after he failed a medical exam. Show bosses sent "The Hills" star to a Los Angeles hospital for further tests, after discovering problems with his blood. On Thursday Pratt wrote on his Twitter.com blog, "The doctor just woke me up with a call saying I need to go to the hospital because the test I took show signs of low blood platelets!" Pratt is preparing to head into the Costa Rica jungle for the endurance show, alongside wife Heidi Montag, Britney Spears' ex Kevin Federline, Stephen Baldwin, Janice Dickinson and Lou Diamond Phillips. SFGate.com |
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Merv Memoir Hits Shelves Writer Alleges Gay Ties From Monsters & Critics |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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"Merv Griffin: A Life in the
Closet" by Darwin Porter, an alleged "friend" of the late
mogul reveals Merv's gay life in detail Published by Blue Moon
Productions, the book paints a picture of the secret life of
Merv Griffin, a former band leader who revolutionized game
shows and television. Merv's game shows included Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Griffin, who passed in 2007, is painted as a schmoozer, kindly, eccentric and promiscuous by his biographer. He was a true rags-to-riches prodigy - hailing from a poor Irish-American family - who died a self-made billionaire. Monsters & Critics |
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Davina McCall Wants to Host "Until
Very Old" UK Host Loves Her Job From Times Online |
Posted 5/26/09 |
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Here’s how to annoy Davina McCall.
Suggest that Big Brother, the tenth series of which starts on
June 4, is in any way rubbish, past it, the root of the
decline of Western civilization. Then stand well back. “It
isn’t. It’s great and I love it,” McCall says beadily, flexing
her arms as if limbering up for a fight. “I know you’re a fan
but you’re the first person this year I have had to defend the
show to.” A deep breath. “That’s rubbish. It’s a fantastic
show. At dinner parties, people come up to me and say: ‘You
don’t really like it, do you?’ and I say ‘Yes I do, actually’.
And naturally, they, and most of its critics, haven’t watched
it.” So despite the derision the show is held in in some quarters, despite all the criticism it has faced — most woundingly after the way producers handled the Shilpa Shetty race controversy in the celebrity version of the show in 2007 — its chief presenter is unapologetic in her support, despite recent reports that McCall was planning to quit the show the year after next when Channel 4’s contract with Endemol, which makes it, comes to an end. Commentators have speculated that the station might take the opportunity to pull the plug on Big Brother for good. “It should go on for ever,” McCall, 41, says. She is smiling but the sentiment, if exaggerated, is genuine. “It’s a great basic format: lock up a group of strangers for the summer, isolate them, watch them interact, set them tasks, evict them. It’s soap opera, great entertainment. There’s no reason for it to end. Why should it end, as long as it attracts audiences and makes money for Channel 4?” She says she doesn’t know who the contestants are until four days before launch day. What about her own future presenting it? McCall nods. “It’s good.” She does this a lot, little tics of answers which, when elucidation is required, are elaborated upon with an exasperated shout. “Yes, I’m staying with the show. I never said I wanted to leave. I don’t want to leave. If the show is recommissioned, and I expect it will be after the contract expires next year, I still want to present it. That show has been my constant for the last ten years.” But surely she’s had thoughts about moving on? She smacks my knee. “How clear can I make this? I love this show. I mean that. I don’t want it to end. I want it carry on for ever. For years. And I want to present it until I am very old. If I have my way they’ll have me on that stage on my deathbed.” She puts on a frail, mortality-beckoning voice, leans back as if looking up from the pillow of a hospital bed: “Heellllo, Big Brother house, this is Davina . . .” Times Online |
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"SYTYCD": Funny Name, Serious Game Fox Opens Summer Session on a High From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/25/09 |
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FOX kicked off the summer season
on top thanks to full hours of "So You Think You Can Dance"
(5.1/10 in the overnights and 3.2 in the 18-49 bracket),
building through each half-hour on average of 8.5 percent. Boston.com The Futon Critic |
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Summing It All Up "Idol" Season Finale Lowest Rated Since '02 From Los Angeles Times |
Posted 5/22/09 |
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Wednesday's "American Idol" finale
may have boasted higher vote tallies and splashier production
numbers than in the past. But the ratings? Call them a sign of
the straitened times, but they were reduced. Fox's two-hour finale drew an average of 27.7 million total viewers, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research. That represented a 13% slide compared with last year and was the least-watched "Idol" closer since the first season in summer 2002 (23 million). (Fox offered "time-zone-adjusted" ratings from Nielsen, which offered a higher viewer tally of 28.8 million, a mark the network said would be closer to the final figure.) The 2003 finale between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken remains the most-watched, with 38.1 million tuning in. Tuesday's final performance show was likewise the least-watched in seven years, with 23.8 million viewers. In 2006, the last performance episode, featuring winner Taylor Hicks and runner-up Katharine McPhee, hit an all-time high of 31.8 million. Among young viewers, "Idol's" descent continued. The Wednesday show sunk to a record-low 9.5 rating/27 share in the crucial adults aged 18 to 49 demographic, a 17% skid compared with last year. However, "Idol" still remains far and away TV's No. 1 series, whose ratings achievements are all the more remarkable against a backdrop of steep declines for broadcasters. The Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "Idol" have been the top shows with adults 18 to 49 for six straight seasons -- the longest run in network history. This season, "Idol" piled up a record 72% ratings advantage over the next highest series, ABC's "Desperate Housewives." ReutersManila Standard Today Los Angeles Times NJ.com Los Angeles Times USA Today Rolling Stone Los Angeles Times USA Today |
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myPageo "Deals" Atigeo Launches DOND Widget From Broadcast Newsroom |
Posted 5/22/09 |
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Atigeo, a data intelligence
technology innovator, unveiled myPageo, the first intelligent
browser widget, for Endemol's highly popular 'Deal or No Deal'
television game show where contestants play and deal for a top
prize of $1 million. Released earlier this year, myPageo is a
free browser widget that surfs the Web with users as a
vertical sidebar, delivering highly personalized content based
on a person's unique preferences and interests. myPageo uses
intelligent algorithms that become smarter about a user's
preferences and interests the more it is used while
maintaining users' privacy. Endemol's Deal or No Deal show,
which is aired in over 50 countries, will be the first
television industry customer to use and offer myPageo to its
viewers.Broadcast Newsroom USA Today |
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Joan Alexander:
1915-2009 Radio's "Lois Lane" Played "The Name's The Same" From AP |
Posted 5/22/09 |
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Joan Alexander, a leading radio
actress of the 1940s best known for playing Lois Lane, the ace
reporter who was constantly being rescued from peril by
Superman, died May 21 at New York Presbyterian Hospital of an
intestinal ailment. She was 94. After an early modeling and stage career, Alexander became a versatile performer on dozens of radio serials, notably as the loyal secretary Della Street in "Perry Mason." She played recurring characters on radio soap operas and dramas including "Lone Journey," ''Light of the World" and "This is Nora Drake." But Alexander achieved her greatest prominence-and enduring fame among devoted Superman fans-as one of the handful of women to portray Lane, an intrepid reporter for the fictitious Daily Planet. According to many sources, she was the third actress cast as Lane in the serial "The Adventures of Superman," which first aired in February 1940 on New York station WOR and reached a broad audience through syndication on the Mutual network. For the next decade, Alexander was heard playing opposite actor Bud Collyer as Superman, the Man of Steel from planet Krypton who saves Lane from enemy agents during wartime and from various other foes bent on destroying the American way of life. By day, Superman disguises himself as Lane's nerdy, fumbling newsroom colleague, Clark Kent. Collyer once told an interviewer, "Joan is one of those rare actresses-especially in radio where you can't be seen and have to depend entirely on voice-who can go in on something cold and her instincts are so right as an actress that without even a rehearsal or a read-through, she is right." In addition to their radio work-the show later aired on the ABC network-Alexander and Collyer provided voiceovers in 17 animated Superman shorts, made by Fleischer and Paramount studios, that played in movie theaters during World War II. Alexander and Collyer reunited in the late 1960s to do voice-overs for the Saturday morning cartoon "The New Adventures of Superman" on CBS. Alexander was a regular panelist on the TV game show "The Name's the Same" in the early 1950s and had a supporting role on Broadway in the Jean Kerr comedy "Poor Richard" (1964), starring Alan Bates and Joanna Pettet. |
 Joan Alexander (photo courtesy Lois Lane's Daily Journal) |
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"Dus ka Dum" Returns "Because of Audience" Indian "Power of 10" to Relaunch From TopNews.in |
Posted 5/22/09 |
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The love and affection of people
made Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to return to the small
screen as the host of the second season of 'Dus ka Dum' on
Sony Entertainment Television. During a conference, which was organized by Sony Entertainment to declare its new programming lineup late noon on Thursday, May 21, at the ITC Grand Maratha, Sallu said that he decided to host the second season of the game show only because of audiences love. "I am my usual self on the show. I interact with the audience just like I talk with my fans. Just because you saw it on television, it looked very novel," Salman said. He also said that whenever he is with his fans, he was normally in a good mood. "But, my mood depends on you (media). Celebrities are always in a catch-22 situation. You keep writing false stories and when there is no reaction, the falsehood continues. If you react, more will be written," Salman said. |
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"Millionaire" Returns to Philippines Vic Sotto to Host From the Pinoy |
Posted 5/22/09 |
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Saturday nights are now bigger and
more exciting as primetime TV rivalry comes to a bottleneck
with TV5’s launching of the unrivalled international
top-rating game show franchise of all time, Who Wants to be a
Millionaire?, hosted by entertainment master, Vic Sotto, as
the show once again takes hold of its throne on Philippine TV
starting May 23, Saturday. Based on the original British format, contestants coming from all over the country will compete to get on the “hot seat” to which the ascent to the seven-digit jackpot begins by answering 15 multiple-choice questions correctly. Traditionally, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is a general knowledge game show that sets off challenges, suspense, and a 1 Million cash prize. But as it lands on TV5, the show escalates it to a P2,000,000 jackpot prize, turning the contestants eager and excited as the questions eventually turn into higher levels of difficulty. Keeping loyal to its original format, contestants are provided “Lifelines” in the form of ‘Ask the Audience’ at which the audience key in their answers, ‘50/50’ wherein two wrong answers are eliminated from the choices, and the ‘Phone a Friend’ option. |
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CW Reveals Upfronts "Top Model" In From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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The CW Network unveiled the
schedule for its 2009-2010 season today at a presentation for
advertisers, affiliates and national media in the Theater at
Madison Square Garden. The announcement was made by Dawn
Ostroff, President of Entertainment, The CW. "In just three years, The CW has become TV to talk about, with culturally current, quality programming," said Ostroff. "Next fall, we will have great flow from Monday through Friday, starting with the Monday pairing of Gossip Girl' and One Tree Hill,' which made The CW one of the top destinations for young women this season. Tuesday night gives us a perfect match with 90210' and Melrose Place.' And what could be better than our Wednesday night shows from Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher the all-model lineup of America's Next Top Model' and The Beautiful Life.' On Thursdays, The Vampire Diaries' taps into the continuing fascination young women have with all things vampire, and makes the perfect lead-in for Supernatural,' which is coming off its strongest year ever. Moving Smallville' to Fridays gives us a major player with a loyal fan base to kick off the night. Top all that off with our heartwarming and humorous midseason drama Parental Discretion Advised,' from writer/producer Liz Tigelaar, and we have a full slate of great programming to keep our viewers watching, chatting, texting and tweeting all next season." The Futon CriticUSA Today |
 CW reveals its 2009-2010 schedule (photo courtesy Doug Morris) |
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"Loser" Wins, "Survivor" Loses Comparing Finales From USA Today |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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Sunday's season finale of
Survivor: Tocantins (a worst-yet 12.9 million) was down a bit
from Gabon's 13.8 million in December. And CW's America's Next
Top Model wrapped up Wednesday with a sizable 4.3 million,
still down from 4.8 million for cycles ended in November and
last May. NBC's top-rated show, The Biggest Loser, matched its finale in December with Tuesday's three-hour finish, averaging 11.8 million viewers. But The Office finished with 6.8 million Thursday, its worst showing in two years. USA Today |
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Knowitalls Coming to UK Gyles Brandreth to Host From C21Media |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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UK pubcaster BBC2 has commissioned
Knowitalls, a daytime quiz show that doesn't have any
questions, from BBC Entertainment. Knowitalls sees the contestants' breadth of knowledge tested, as teams battle it out to impress experts on their specialist subjects. Points are awarded for impressing the judges, rather than answering questions. The show was greenlit by BBC Daytime controller Liam Keelan and commissioning executive Jo Street. UK author Gyles Brandreth hosts the show. The series consists of 15 half-hour programs – broken down into eight heats, four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final. The executive producer is Phil Parsons and the series producer is Barrie Kelly. C21MediaDigital Spy Broadcast |
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BBC, Sugar Launch "Junior Apprentice" Version to Involve 16- to 18-Year-Olds From the Guardian |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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The BBC has confirmed that it is
to launch a junior version of hit business reality show The
Apprentice, in which Sir Alan Sugar will get to point his
finger and tell 16- and 17-year-olds "You're fired!" Junior Apprentice, which will air next year as a five-part BBC1 series, will feature 10 candidates and follow the same format as the main show, although some adjustments will be made to take account of the age of those taking part. The candidates will have to undertake a variety of business tasks to test their entrepreneurial skills, with two teams going head to head each week. As with the main series, the losing team will end up in the boardroom and the project manager will have to choose two people to join them in the firing line. However, the winner will not claim a job with Sugar, instead being given a prize tailored to their individual career prospects up to the value of £25,000. As the series is only five parts long, it is expected that more than one candidate will be fired each week. The new show will air in addition to the sixth run of the main BBC1 series, which the BBC confirmed would return next year. The Guardian |
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Gladiators Get the Axe UK Version Off Sky1 After Two Seasons From the Sun |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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Gladiators will be axed from Sky1
after two seasons. New Sky1 controller Stuart Murphy pulled the plug on the show as part of his plans for the channel. The game show, which sees contenders battle against the Gladiators in rounds such as Hang Tough and Gauntlet, was revived in 2008 after nine years away from screens. The revamped version was presented by Ian Wright and Kirsty Gallacher, with Caroline Flack replacing Kirsty in the second series. Murphy said: "Gladiators has done a great job for Sky 1 over two seasons, resonating with our young audience and showcasing our entertainment credentials. "But now we need to prioritize and allow for both new entertainment formats and genres not recently seen on Sky 1 such as comedy." He has also called time on game show Don't Forget The Lyrics. The Sun |
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"My Dad" Returns... Overseas Philippines to Rerun US Version From Manila Bulletin |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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Following the launch of the
American game show hit “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?”
last week, Friday night is set to become game show night on Q
Channel 11 starting May 22, as Q Channel 11 brings to its
viewers another family-friendly competition series – “My Dad
Is Better Than Your Dad!” From the producers of “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?” (Mark Burnett Productions) and NBC’s “The Biggest Loser (Reveille),” “My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad” will have kids proving to one another who has the right to own the familiar schoolyard boast “My dad is better than your dad!” Hosted by Dan Cortese (“MTV Sports” and “What I Like About You”), the high-energy series features dads and their respective 8 to 12-year-old sons or daughters at the forefront of the action. These dads lead the kids in exciting larger-than-life challenges which test their strength, smarts, and their ability to work as a team. Manila Bulletin |
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Frank Aletter: 1926-2009 Father of Barker's Beauty From Canadian Press |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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Frank Aletter, a veteran character
actor who starred in the 1960s TV situation comedies "Bringing
Up Buddy" and "It's About Time," has died. He was 83. Aletter died of cancer Wednesday at his home in Tarzana, California, his daughter Kyle Oldham (who was one of Barker's Beauties during the 1980s) told the Los Angeles Times. Aletter acted in Broadway and films, but he was best known for his TV roles. In 1960-61 in "Bringing Up Buddy, he played Buddy Flower, an investment counsellor living with his spinster aunts. In "It's About Time, which aired in 1966-67. he played an astronaut who travels back in time to the Stone Age. He also had regular roles on "The Cara Williams Show" in 1964-65 and in "Nancy" in 1970-71. Aletter also appeared as a guest star in more than 100 series, including "Perry Mason," "The Lucy Show," "MASH," "Kojak," "All in the Family," "Fantasy Island," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Dallas." Canadian Press |
 Frank Aletter (photo courtesy BDB Photos) |
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"Live from New York" One Last Time Legendary Announcer Don Pardo Steps Down From NTS Media Online |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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Among the 2009 inductees into the
Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame last night was 91-year old
Dominick “Don” Pardo, who’s voice is known to millions for his
role as the announcer for NBC-TV’s Saturday Night Live and
countless network television game shows. Pardo began his
career at WJAR/Providence (now WHJJ) in 1938 before moving on
to a 60-year career at NBC Television where he was one of only
two individuals — the other was comedian Bob Hope — who held
lifetime contracts with the network. Officially retired four
years ago, Pardo, who now lives in Arizona, has been flying
back to NYC 20 times a year when “SNL” staged original shows.
McVay Media News/Talk Specialist Holland Cooke, who was at
last night’s event, reports that Pardo said this weekend’s
season finale of the late night comedy show will be his last.
“I think that’s enough,” Pardo told a packed house who
attended the festivities in West Warwick, RI.NTS Media Online TV Squad Examiner |
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Harris Heads Off-Broadway "Dancing" Host to Play Roxie in Touring Production of Chicago From Playbill |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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Two-time Emmy Award nominee and
celebrated TV personality Samantha Harris ("The Insider,"
"Dancing with the Stars") will make her Broadway debut this
summer in the Tony Award-winning revival of Chicago. Harris will play a six-week run as Roxie Hart beginning July 7. She will continue in the role of the merry murderess through Aug. 16. Harris will also star as Roxie Hart in the Greenville, SC, engagement of the Chicago national tour, which runs Aug. 18-23 at the Peace Center. Samantha Harris appeared in the 23-city North American tour of Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python, and also starred onstage in the original L.A. cast of Reefer Madness: The New "Hit" Musical. Chicago won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Bob Fosse. Chicago plays the Ambassador Theatre, located at 219 West 49th Street. Playbill |
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Model Claims a Raw "Deal" Asanin Files Suit From Courthouse News Service |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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A model on the game show "Deal or
No Deal" has filed a suit against NBC-Universal claiming she
wasn't paid promptly as required by California law for her
work on the show. Lana Asanin, in a complaint filed in Superior Court, said she worked on the series -- which features models holding briefcases that may or may not be good deals for contestants -- in June and July last year but was not paid until September. The suit says Asanin is entitled to waiting time penalties under California's Labor Code. The complaint was filed by Cyrus John Nownejad of Cyrus & Cyrus. Courthouse News Service |
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Carol Vorderman Launches DS Fitness
Game Will Allow Synchronization with WiiFit From TechRadar |
Posted 5/21/09 |
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Nintendo has announced yet another
keep fit focused game, this time for the DS, fronted by none
other than Britain's favorite ex-gameshow host and all-round
brainbox Carol Vorderman. Active Health with Carol Vorderman includes a pedometer and will also feature Wii Fit synchronization when it releases in August. The 'game' will feature a combination of healthy eating and exercise tips tailored for today's "busy lifestyles" and "inputting your personal details into the software allows Carol to calculate your BMI and provide you with a personalized program outlining how many calories you need to consume and how much exercise you should do to maintain or lose weight." TechRadar |
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CBS Reveals Upfronts "Race", "Survivor" In; "Head", "Password" Out From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/20/09 |
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CBS, the only major broadcast
network to grow its audience in all key ratings measures this
season, announced today the addition of four new series to
strengthen its already top rated primetime lineup for the Fall
2009-2010 season.
Not on the schedule are
hidden-camera farce "Game Show in My Head" and classic redux
"Million Dollar Password". |
 CBS reveals its 2009-2010 schedule (photo courtesy Doug Morris) |
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A Dead Heat Amongst Networks Fox, ABC Dueling Finales Head to a Draw From Los Angeles Times |
Posted 5/20/09 |
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Fox as a network coasted to a win
on the final Tuesday of the regular season on the back of its
season finale for American Idol. The network took the
ad-friendly 18-49 demo (6.3), while ceding total households to
ABC with its own rating of (9.7/15). ABC led in households with 10.1/16 and took the silver in the demo with 4.0. So how did the finales do?
"American Idol" took the night in households with a 13.2/22,
growing 12.82% in the half-hour. "Dancing with the Stars's"
two-hour finale kept it close with a 12.6/20 overnight,
growing 21.24% over the night. |
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Myleene Klass Tapped for "Celebrity" Host Was British Version Alum From Press Association |
Posted 5/20/09 |
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Myleene Klass will reportedly host
the American version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! According to the Sun, the 31-year-old impressed TV bosses in the US with her film show for news channel CNN. A source told the newspaper: "We had to ring around and ask if everyone would mind Myleene taking some time off." Myleene, who came second in the British version of I'm A Celebrity is apparently netting £100,000 ($157,403) for presenting the three-week show in Costa Rica, starting on June 1. The source continued: "Who would turn down the chance to make it in America?" Press AssociationITN Marie Claire |
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NBC Reveals Upfronts "Loser", "Apprentice" In; "Deal" Out From AP/MSNBC |
Posted 5/19/09 |
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NBC is giving the equivalent of
broadcast time-shares to "Heroes," ''Chuck" and some of its
half-dozen new series. In addition, the network has given
thumbs-up to new seasons of "The Biggest Loser" and "The
Celebrity Apprentice" Instead of airing throughout the 2009-10 season, designated shows will have their turn and then make way for the next wave, NBC said Tuesday in announcing its schedule. The network's Winter Olympics broadcast will provide the midseason dividing line. U.S. cable channels and foreign broadcasters have successfully used the approach of running a series straight through without reruns, giving viewers a steady stream of new fare, said Ben Silverman, co-chair of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. A handful of network series, including Fox's "24" and ABC's "Lost," have followed the pattern. NBC is positioning itself as a "52-week-a-year programmer," Silverman said, with the Olympics offering a strong launching pad to establish new midseason shows. NBC needs a shock to the system: It's been mired in fourth place with viewers and the advertiser-favored young adult demographic. Off the schedule are "Medium," ''My Name Is Earl" and the game show "Deal or No Deal," which saw its ratings shrink after a syndicated version launched. TheFutonCritic.com has reported that the primetime version has indeed been cancelled. Said cancellation doesn't extend to the latter's syndicated version. Also cancelled: "Superstars of Dance", "Momma's Boys", and "The Chopping Block".
In total the Peacock will have
parted ways with 16 series, the most by any broadcast network
(number two: ABC with 12). |
 NBC reveals its 2009-2010 schedule (photo courtesy Doug Morris) |
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So How DID Deal Do? Season Finale Barely Registers From TV by the Numbers |
Posted 5/19/09 |
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With all the hoopla over the next
season, it's easy to forget that there are still two days left
of the current season. But here goes.
CBS and ABC ended up splitting the night, with the hour-long season finale of "Dancing with the Stars" (part one) taking the lead in households (12.0/20) and placing third in the demographic (4.3) for the night, gaining 13.39% from the first half-hour to the next. The show was easily the most watched in the time period, besting the finales of "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS and "24" on Fox. NBC was all but ready to throw
in the towel on "Deal or No Deal", which averaged 3.1/5 ver
two hours. The first hour barely registered with a 2.8/5 in
households and 1.2 in the demo, while the final hour rose to a
3.4/5 in households with 1.5 in the demo. Audiences rose 7.14%
from 9p to 9:30p. |
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"The Weight Is Over" for "Dance" Casting
Special Catch It on Oxygen June 16 From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/19/09 |
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Twelve finalists, nearly 3,000
lbs, one goal - to go from an eating machine to a dancing
machine! Oxygen unveils the fun lovin,' hip shakin' and bootie
poppin' contestants of Oxygen's new dance/weight loss
competition series, "Dance Your Ass Off," in the casting
special "Dance Your Ass Off: The Weight is Over," premiering
Tuesday, June 16th at 11PM ET/PT. Hosted by TONY Award-winning
actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, the half-hour special gives
viewers a glimpse into the lives of the contestants who have
had issues with their weight and hope to dance to unleash
their inner thin. The 10 one-hour episode series launches on
Monday, June 29th at 10PM ET/PT with a "plus-sized" 90-minute
premiere. Bringing dance and diet together, "Dance Your Ass Off" features talented, full-figured contestants who will have to lose to win. "Dance Your Ass Off: The Weight is Over" reveals the contestants' stories - their struggles and aspirations -and give viewers a look at the men and women who will bust their moves on the dance floor each week. "Dance Your Ass Off: The Weight is Over" also is available to viewers prior to the on-air premiere via Oxygen VOD on June 12th and at local Crunch gyms, the national fitness chain, starting June 5th. |
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"Cash Cab" Heading to Mobiles Capcom to Produce From Gamezone |
Posted 5/19/09 |
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Discovery Communications, the
world’s number-one non-fiction media company, has finalized
three new interactive entertainment licensing deals based on
the Discovery Channel hit series "Cash Cab". Built for mobile
gaming platforms, the game will debut this summer. Capcom, a leading developer and publisher of mobile games, will create a mobile game based on Discovery Channel’s innovative game show, during which unassuming cab-hailing New Yorkers become trivia show contestants with the chance to win cold hard cash on the way to their destination, or lose and be ejected onto the sidewalk! In the spirit of the fun-loving series, the "Cash Cab" game will have players racing against the clock to answer general trivia questions before reaching their New York City destination. The game launches for cell phones at the end of June 2009 and for iPhones end of August 2009. |
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"Kids'" Barrowman Heads to Stage for "La
Cage aux Folles" Catch Him at Menier Chocolate Factory From Broadway World |
Posted 5/19/09 |
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John Barrowman is set to join the
cast of Menier Chocolate Factory's La Cage aux Folles,
stepping into the roll of Albin on September 14. The roll is currently
being played by Roger Allam. According to JohnBarrowman.com, "Having created the role of Captain Jack Harkness in the first series of Russell T. Davies's revamped Doctor Who for BBC TV, the character created such an impact that he was given his own spin off series, Torchwood, which premiered in the Autumn of 2006 on BBC3 and BBC2. It received the highest viewing figures of any drama on a non-terrestrial channel, and a second series subsequently aired on BBC2. John returned to our screens in Doctor Who series three and four, and Torchwood has successfully premiered around the world, garnering the best viewing figures ever on BBC America. Torchwood series three will air on BBC1 in 2009. John's multi talents have gained him a high profile on a variety of primetime television shows, whether judging on the award winning BBC1 entertainment shows searching for new West End leading stars, I'd Do Anything, Any Dream Will Do and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, hosting the family game show The Kids Are All Right for BBC1, as a celebrity skater on the ITV show Dancing On Ice, or simply being a hugely amusing and memorable guest on The Jonathan Ross Show and Never Mind the Buzzcocks and guest host on The Friday Night Project. He has co-hosted Live From The Red Carpet at the BAFTA Film Awards for E! Entertainment Television, guest hosted This Morning for ITV and The National Lottery Live for the BBC, and opened and closed the 2006 Royal Variety Show. He has guested on episodes of Hotel Babylon and My Family for BBC1, judged on the Canadian How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? for CBC, and was the subject of a BBC1 documentary entitled The Making of Me, investigating the science of homosexuality. |
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Blagojevich Heading to "I'm a
Celebrity" ... No, Not Him... His WIFE. From CBS2 Chicago |
Posted 5/19/09 |
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Former Illinois First Lady Patti
Blagojevich is expected to brave the Costa Rican jungle in the
reality TV show, "I'm a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here," since
her indicted husband has been denied the privilege. Blagojevich attorney Sheldon Sorosky said Monday that NBC has offered Patti Blagojevich a spot on the show, but she hasn't reached a deal. "I honestly have no idea whether she's going to do it or not, but obviously she's going to have to make a decision soon because I think the show starts in June," Sorosky said. "As soon as I know I will let everybody know because there are no secrets." NBC had no immediate comment, network spokesman Gary Mednick said Monday. Deposed Gov. Rod Blagojevich had been offered a role in the show by NBC, but U.S. District Judge James F. Zagel denied the motion last month over concerns that Blagojevich might be a flight risk. Blagojevich publicist Glenn Selig would not immediately confirm or comment on the information. |
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ABC Reveals Upfronts "Dancing", "Bachelor", "Shark Tank" In; "Opportunity" Out From Variety |
Posted 5/19/09 |
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ABC is poised to announce a fall
schedule that includes four new comedies back-to-back on
Wednesday -- a big change from last year, when the network
entered the fall with just one comedy.
ABC will also return its reality
veterans "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Bachelor", the
latter to begin once the former ends. Also being held for
midseason is a second season of "True Beauty". ABC's fall 2008 entry,
"Opportunity Knocks" will return next week for what is in
essence its swan song, as the JD Roth-fronted quizzer is
absent on the schedule. |
 ABC reveals its 2009-2010 schedule (photo courtesy Doug Morris) |
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Fox Reveals Upfronts "Dance" In; "5th Grader", "Hole", "Lyrics" Out From AP |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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Fox will try dancing in the fall
to match its singing in the spring. The network was first up Monday among broadcast networks announcing fall schedules this week at a time of nervousness in the industry, with economic hard times taking a bite out of advertising revenue. Fox will end the season as the second-most popular network behind CBS, and tops among the young viewers it actively courts. Yet it has seen double-digit viewership declines, in part because of "American Idol," although that competition remains television's most popular show. Fox said it will air a season of its popular summer competition, "So You Think You Can Dance," next fall on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, mirroring the "Idol" midseason schedule. Fox ratings can suffer without "Idol" in the fall, so the network is trying to give viewers a greater sense of consistency, said Kevin Reilly, entertainment president. "It delivers a distinct and different audience than the other dance show (ABC's "Dancing With the Stars") and a younger audience," Reilly said. Fox announced commitments to six new series next season, three starting in the fall and three midseason. The top priority seems to be the comedy "Glee," which uses a pop-music soundtrack for a series about a high school glee club. Fox is taking the unusual step of airing its pilot this Tuesday following the penultimate "American Idol" episode. "It is probably the largest grass-roots screening in history," Reilly said. The "Idol" lead-in will provide more viewers than any marketing campaign ever could, he said.
Fox is also canceling two
long-running game shows, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader"
and "Don't Forget the Lyrics," as well as
long-since-gone "Hole in the Wall" (though episodes may burn
off later this year) Also off the schedule is
"Hell's Kitchen", though Reilly stresses that the show will
return. |
 Fox reveals its 2009-2010 schedule (photo courtesy Doug Morris) |
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Jillian's Hot Dogs Out the Window "Bachelorette" Returns Tonight From the Toronto Star |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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Jillian Harris, the Canadian star
of The Bachelorette, says her "hotdog" theory of dating just
doesn't cut the mustard any more. When she appeared on last season's edition of ABC's The Bachelor, Harris boasted she could tell a lot about potential suitors by their condiment preference. But ahead of today's premiere of The Bachelorette, Harris admits her saucy strategy is no longer much help. "These guys give me a run for my money and they're not buying the whole hotdog thing," she told reporters during a recent conference call. "So I tried, I've tried to play the hotdog thing on them, but they're not buying it." Harris, of Peace River, Alta., revealed her hotdog hypothesis during the last season of The Bachelor, in which she finished third in the quest to capture the heart of singleton Jason Mesnick. Sauerkraut lovers, she surmised, are the bad boys all women think they want, while onion eaters will never walk down the aisle. Ketchup fans, she claimed, are all-American guys but don't take a lot of risks. And mustard men, she maintained, are blue-chip marriage material. On The Bachelorette, Harris will be the one handing out the roses as she chooses between 30 potential paramours, including an Olympic cyclist, a breakdance instructor, a pizza entrepreneur, a commercial pilot and a winemaker. As a "short, little quirky Canadian," Harris says she doesn't think she fits the mould of The Bachelorette and was surprised she was promoted from contestant to top billing. "I think I'm just quirky because, I mean, when it comes to sex appeal, I don't know how much I have," says Harris, who stands 5-foot-2. Toronto StarThe Futon Critic |
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"4th & Long" Plays Out Tonight Catch It on Spike From New York Times |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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The reality series “4th and Long,”
which begins Monday on Spike TV, has the courage to show the
ugly side of professional football. Not performance-enhancing
drugs. Not gambling. Vomiting. Lots and lots of vomit is
spewed in the opening episode of the program, which despite
all the retching and a fair amount of disingenuousness is
pretty entertaining, in its testosterone-fueled way. The gimmick: 12 never-quite-made-it football players compete for a chance to go to the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp, where presumably the lucky winner will have a shot to make the team. The usual reality-TV elimination format is in place, with one hopeful being cut each episode. Everyone involved seems under contract to use the phrase “Dallas Cowboys” at least once per sentence. Look too quickly at the show’s promotional spots, and you might think the 12 are vying for a place on the Cowboys’ actual roster. That would make for a much cooler story line; but reality, so to speak, dictates otherwise. A chance to go to training camp isn’t much of a prize. Plenty of undrafted free agents and other fringe players get a look by the pros one way or another; very few end up playing on Sundays. But the star of this show, Michael Irvin, a Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Cowboys in the 1980s and ’90s, sells the bit perfectly, injecting his role as drill sergeant/eliminator with a menacing, overhyped gusto. “With what’s at stake for you guys you should be begging to go again,” he barks at the 12 in the first episode as they wheeze after a round of drills, “because you’ve got to have the desire to override your fatigue.” Those drills — especially the sprints and field-length dashes — are where the vomiting occurs. Here again the show is a bit dishonest; you’re supposed to have the impression that the players are shocked by the rigorousness of the training. But these guys aren’t couch potatoes (though that too might have made a cooler story line: 12 actual Spike TV viewers get a chance to try pro football, with 12 ambulances standing by). They all have major-college or arena-football credentials and certainly have experienced till-you-drop practices. Which can only mean that excessive vomiting is part of the game. That shocking revelation may not cost the sport many fans, but it does mean that “4th and Long” is not a show you want to watch while eating dinner. New York Times |
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More on "The Singing Bee" Melissa Peterman Hosts for CMT June 20 From Variety |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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Former NBC primeime singalong "The
Singing Bee" is re-emerging on CMT this summer with a format
heavy on country, the cabler announced today. Melissa Peterman ("Reba") will take over hosting duties from Joey Fatone for "Bee," which will air 10 episodes on Saturdays at 10p ET/PT beginning June 20. The new version is set to have a mix of 60 percent country songs and 40 percent pop and other genres. "Bee" aired on the Peacock in 2007. "We've been fans of this show since it first premiered on NBC, and we were thrilled to be able to collaborate with the show's producers to create (the new) series," CMT head of development Bob Kusbit said. CMT will air "Bee" after "Can You Duet," which has its second-season premiere June 20. "Bee" is executive produced by Phil Gurin and Bob Horowitz for the Gurin Company and JUMA Entertainment. Kusbit, Claire McCabe and John Hamlin are executive producers for CMT. VarietyThe Futon Critic |
 Melissa Peterman (finally) gets her own show in "The Singing Bee" (photo courtesy Zooropa.com) |
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Drew Carey Deals with CBS "Price" Host Signs First-Look Production Deal From the Hollywood Reporter |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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Drew Carey is expanding shop at
CBS. The comedian who hosts the network's signature daytime game show "The Price Is Right," has inked a two-year first-look production deal with CBS Television Studios (formerly CBS Paramount Network TV) for scripted and non-scripted programs. Under the pact, Carey will shepherd projects through his CBS-based company International Mammoth TV. Former Paramount TV executive Andrew Horne has joined IMT as senior vp and will oversee all development under Carey's deal. In addition to exec producing, Carey is open to performing on shows his company produces. He already appears in CBS primetime as the host of "The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectaculars" specials. Hollywood Reporter |
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Daytime Gets "No Time" Treatment Yahoo! Launches "Daytime" Version featuring Game Shows From Mediaweek |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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Yahoo on Friday (May 14) launched Daytime in No Time, a daily three-minute collection of
highlights from that day’s talk shows, soap operas game shows
and the like. The show is a spin-off of Yahoo’s similar and
quite successful Prime Time in No Time series, which
executives at the Web portal report has generated close to 200
million views since launching in March of 2008. J. C. Penney has signed on as Daytime in No Time’s premiere sponsor. The retailer will received branded ‘bumper’ messaging prior to episodes, and will run both banners adjacent to the video screen along with post-roll video spots. Plus, the show’s host will wear J. C. Penney’s clothing during each episode. Like Prime Time, Daytime is being hosted by a comedian, Nikki Boyer, who will offer her commentary on the various featured clips. However according to Sibyl Goldman, vp of entertainment for Yahoo, Daytime—which is targeted to women 25-49, will take a slightly different tone, one reflective of the daypart it celebrates. “Both have comedy but Frank [Nicotero, the host of Primetime] is a little more lovingly mocking,” she explained. “This show is very much in synch with daytime programming. The set is light, airy and pretty. The show is more girly overall.” Mediaweek |
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IndyCar's Fisher Races to "Price" Catch Her Friday! From RealityTVWebsite |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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CBS's Emmy Award-winning THE PRICE
IS RIGHT, with host Drew Carey, welcomes IndyCar Series and
Indianapolis 500 driver and team owner Sarah Fisher, Friday,
May 22 (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET; 10:00-11:00 AM, PT) on the
CBS Television Network. Fisher will present a themed showcase
featuring a trip to the 2009 Indianapolis 500, plus other
prizes. At just 28 years old, Fisher has already qualified for her eighth Indianapolis 500, marking the most number of starts for a woman in the 93-year history of the race. She's been voted "Most Popular Driver" four times in two separate Series (IndyCar and NASCAR), been awarded "Indy's Best & Brightest Leaders Under 40" and enters her second season as a youngest team owner in the IndyCar Series. Among her many accomplishments, Fisher is the first woman to qualify fastest for a major North American open-wheel event, the fastest woman to ever qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and is the youngest woman to compete at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway, at age 19. In 2008, she formed her own race team: Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR), marking the first IndyCar Series owner/driver team. On May 24, 2009, she will compete in the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indianapolis 500. RealityTVWebsite |
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Oddsmakers: It's Adam's to Lose Lambert a 1-3 Favorite, Allen's in at 2-1 From New York Post |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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It's no sure bet that Adam Lambert
will be America's next "Idol." But the oddsmakers are generally favoring the glam rocker. The tide however is shifting slightly, back toward the soft touch, Kris Allen. Bettors generally have to wager about $30 on Lambert to get back $40, a $10 profit, according to the average odds laid out by bookmakers from Latin America to London. Allen, meanwhile, is paying about $22 for a $10 bet, on average. "I was very impressed with Kris' performance [last] week . . . the momentum is with him," said Robert Dixon, an oddsmaker for the British book William Hill "Adam has been the best singer so far, but I think there's a feeling now that his performances have got worse in the past few weeks." Despite Allen's good work in recent weeks, Lambert's presence as the frontrunner of "American Idol" for more than two months could be too much to overcome. New York Post |
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"Newlywed" Host Wilson Three Weeks Away... Host Details Pregnancy From People |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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She has the name picked out and an
eager older daughter. Now, Carnie Wilson is ready to have her
second baby, who is due in early June. "I'm tired and my tummy is so tight!" Wilson, 41, said at Saturday's GSN Game Show Awards in Beverly Hills. "She's healthy. She's three weeks away, 2½ weeks away. I'm feeling great." Joined at the event by her musician-husband Rob Bonfiglio, mother Marilyn, and aunt, Wilson said, "I didn't know what it would be like at nine months' pregnant. But I really wanted to be here, and I'm honored. I got into hair and makeup, and I'm rolling down the carpet!" The baby's name will be Luciana, Wilson first announced in January. Balancing motherhood – daughter Lola is 4 – and a career – hosting a revival of the classic Newlywed Game on GSN – is one of Wilson's bigger life challenges. People.com |
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John O'Hurley Does "Spamalot" "Feud" Host to Reprise Role as King Arthur From SFGate.com |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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Just when it seemed that John
O'Hurley would be known as "Seinfeld's" J. Peterman forever,
he waltzed away with the first-season championship on "Dancing
With the Stars." The busy businessman is involved in multiple
projects and has side careers as a pianist, game-show host and
author. Oh, and he's touring the country in not one, but two Broadway shows this year. In mid-April, he finished a tour of "Chicago" in Washington, D.C. He traded in the tux of slick lawyer Billy Flynn and, fewer than 36 hours later, was wearing the tights of King Arthur to open the Tony-winning, Monty Python-inspired musical "Spamalot" in Alaska. To be fair, he knew the role well, having played it for more than a year in Las Vegas. O'Hurley and the rest of his knights of the Round Table, who supposedly eat ham and jam and Spam a lot, pull into San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre this week. SFGate.com |
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African "Survivor" Winner Has Cancer Zohn Diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma From People |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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Ethan Zohn, the curly-haired
soccer player who battled the elements and outwitted opponents
to win Survivor: Africa, is facing his toughest adversary yet:
cancer. On April 30, Zohn was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's disease. The diagnosis came after months of unexplained itching and night sweats, originally thought to be a skin condition. Doctors discovered a swollen lymph node under his left clavicle, and a CT scan revealed a mass on the left side of his chest. Then, just last week, Zohn learned he is suffering from a rare form the disease called CD20-positive Hodgkin's Lymphoma, for which he began chemotherapy last Friday. "This is the ultimate game of Survivor," Zohn, 35, says, "and there's really only one outcome, and that's to win. There's no other option." Hodgkin's disease is a cancer of the body's lymphatic system with survival rates reaching as high as 90 percent. Zohn was told that the CD20 diagnosis, which affects around five percent of all Hodgkin's patients, has a similar cure rate, but is treated with an altered, more aggressive, three-month chemotherapy regimen. "They're going right after this," he says. The chemo is expected to knock the always active and otherwise fit Zohn mostly out of commission for a few months, with nausea and weakness among its side effects. And he's expected to lose his famous mop of hair within two weeks. Zohn's longtime girlfriend, Survivor: The Amazon winner Jenna Morasca, 27, is vowing to be at his side throughout the process. "I will fight with every fabric of my being to get him through this." People |
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"Bachelorette" Schefft Finally Gets
Married Marries Fellow Chicagoan From Us Magazine |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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After searching for love on The
Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Jen Schefft has found it! She married fellow Chicagoan Joe Waterman Friday evening in a "traditional yet modern" Windy City ceremony. Schefft, 32, met Waterman, 35, four years after giving up on reality TV romance. "We clicked early on, and it happened so fast," she told Usmagazine.com in April. "We just got along so well, and it was so easy. I never worried when I'd see him again or when he'd call." He proposed this past September, but a month after they got engaged Schefft was laid off from her sales job. She became determined to have a low-cost -- but high-style -- wedding. Us Magazine |
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Porizkova Gets the Hook Model Out of "Top Model" From People |
Posted 5/18/09 |
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First General Motors, then
Chrysler, now Paulina Porizkova. "The current state of the economy has forced shows to make major budget cuts industry wide," says America's Top Model executive producer Ken Mok, in a joint statement with Tyra Banks released Monday. "America's Next Top Model is not immune to these financially challenging times. We've had to make significant cuts in every area of the production and, unfortunately, Paulina was a casualty of these cuts." As Porizkova herself announced May 12, she was let go from her job as a judge on the show after one year. "The reason I was told I was fired was because, it seemed that America's Next Top Model has gotten too fat and they needed to cut some fat and the fat was me," she said in a TV interview. "So I figured it was either that or my gigantic huge ego. Which I wasn't aware of until I was told by the producers that I have an ego problem." In their statement, Mok and Banks said, "Tyra, who pursued Paulina to join the show as a judge multiple times, was incredibly saddened by the decision the show was forced to make. We really enjoyed working with Paulina, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors." E! OnlinePeople Access Hollywood |
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"Dance" Card on for Fall Season Six Will Bow After Season Five Wraps From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/17/09 |
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Fox has pulled the trigger on a
fall edition of "So You Think You Can Dance." Said pickup
means a sixth season of the series will bow this fall shortly
after season five wraps in August. The news comes on the heels of FOX successfully "doubling up" on its fellow summer entry "Hell's Kitchen" this past season. Both renewals put what will likely be the final pieces into the puzzle that is FOX's fall schedule, due on Monday. |
 Cat Deeley will pull double duty with "So You Think You Can Dance" in the fall (file photo) |
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"Beauty" Truth for ABC Again Second Season a Go for Banks-Kutcher Series From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/17/09 |
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ABC lit a few more fires on Friday
as the network has renewed its midseason reality series "True
Beauty" and ordered four more pilots to series. "Beauty," from executive producers Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher, features "six stunning females and four handsome males who will live together in a spectacular Los Angeles mansion as they undergo a series of challenges to determine who is truly the most beautiful." The twist: they're actually being judged on their "inner" beauty. Vanessa Minnillo hosted the hour with Cheryl Tiegs and Nol Marin also serving as judges. |
 ABC will return "True Beauty" to the schedule (photo courtesy ABC) |
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Daytime Emmy Noms Up Three Games, Four Hosts Up for Top Prizes From Variety |
Posted 5/14/09 |
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The nominations have been
announced for the Daytime Emmy Awards.
PBS led all networks with 56
noms, six more than ABC. CBS earned 30 nominations while NBC
had 20. Nickelodeon was the top cable networks with 13 noms,
followed by Disney Channel and Food Network with 10 each. "Cash Cab" (Discovery),
"Jeopardy!" (syndication), and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
(syndication) were nominated as top gameshows. "Cash Cab" is
the defending champ in the category and "Millionaire" replaces
"The Price Is Right," which didn’t receive a nom for only the
second time since 1999. |
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Cat Deeley Has "20Q" "SYTYCD" Host Moonlights for GSN, Show Rolls this Weekend From On Camera Audiences |
Posted 5/14/09 |
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According to a listing from On
Camera Audiences, "So You Think You Can Dance" host Cat Deeley
has been tapped to host GSN's latest original, "20Q", set to
bow June 13.
"20Q" is an evolution of the game 20 questions- a cross between a game show and a sci-fi movie as one everyday person will go head to computer chip against a super-computer to find out who is more intuitive, MAN OR MACHINE! Our human contestants will first have to compete against one another in the classic game of 20 questions to find out who will represent our species. The winning contestant will then compete against a super-computer to take home the grand prize in the ultimate battle of 20 questions. The show will tape from Hollywood Center Studios starting this Sunday, May 17. Tickets are available by contacting the site below. |
Cat Deeley has been named as host of "20Q" on GSN (file photo) |
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BBC America Solves "Maria" Award-Winning Series to Air Stateside From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/14/09 |
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The Any Dream Will Do team of
legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, Graham Norton (The
Graham Norton Show) and John Barrowman (Torchwood) return to
BBC AMERICA in the premiere of How Do You Solve A Problem Like
Maria? From all across the UK, thousands of talented singers
and actresses audition in hopes of becoming the UK's next
leading lady, Maria, in the musical The Sound of Music. How Do
You Solve A Problem Like Maria? premieres with a one hour
episode, Sunday, June 7, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. All seven
subsequent episodes are two hours long and air Sundays, 8:00
p.m. ET/PT. From the open auditions across the UK, 55 are chosen by the judges to attend Maria School' where their vocal skills and acting ability are thoroughly tested. 20 contestants are then chosen to perform in front of Andrew and a host of his celebrity friends at his country mansion. Ten survive the ordeal and are allowed through to the studio heats where, over the following weeks, the British public vote for their favorite. Sitting at the judges table are Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Barrowman, theatre producer David Ian and vocal coach Zoe Tyler. The team would reunite for "Dream" one year later. Each week, the two with the lowest number of votes perform in front of Andew Lloyd Webber in the hope he'll use his saving vote to give them one more chance. Three of them make it to the final where they perform a range of classic songs from The Sound of Music as well as other musical favorites from famed composers Rogers and Hammerstein. The hills come alive in the world of musical theatre as the next Maria is chosen and goes on to star in the West End's production of The Sound of Music. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria won an International Emmy in 2007, has just been nominated for a Banff World Television Award and was picked up as a local format by the CBC in Canada. |
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One Too Many Bleeps for Ramsay "Hell's Kitchen" Host Gets Call from Ofcom From New York Post |
Posted 5/14/09 |
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Gordon Ramsay has run afoul of
British TV officials for an episode of "Great British
Nightmare." Ramsay dropped the f-bomb an incredible 115 times in the first 40 minutes of a two-hour special in January -- including 30 times in less than two minutes. The show is akin to Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares," in which Ramsay saves floundering eateries (usually while cussing out anyone within earshot). Ramsey's foul language on "Great British Nightmare" spurred 51 viewers to register complaints with the station -- which was not fined by Ofcom, Britain's version of the FCC. Officials admitted they "got it wrong." Ramsay's spokesman also issued an apology. "Naturally, he is sorry if some people were offended, but they should know by now that with Gordon there normally comes some pretty choice language," he said. |
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More on the Game Show Awards Catch Them on GSN June 1 From About.com Game Shows |
Posted 5/13/09 |
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The GSN Game Show Awards are
taking place this Saturday (with an air date of June 6th), and
thanks to our friend Carrie Grosvenor from About.com, we've
got a list of some of the presenters and special guests who
will be on hand for the event. First though, if you're in the
LA area and would like to be at the awards show, you can get
free tickets from On Camera Audiences. It all starts at
2:30pm, and takes place at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly
Hills. As we already know, special recognition will be given to three game show legends: Mark Goodson, Monty Hall, and Bob Barker. Presenters will be Alex Trebek (Goodson), Carol Merrill (Hall), and Tom Bergeron (Barker). For the Goodson award, we'll also get pre-recorded tributes from Betty White, Richard Dawson, and Wolfgang Puck. Award presenters will include:
During the show, there will be entertainment segments that include:
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"Deal", "1 vs. 100" Head to GSN Catch Them the Week of June 1 From The Futon Critic |
Posted 5/13/09 |
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GSN announced today that beginning
June 1, 2009, it will begin airing the first three seasons of
the one-hour network version of the hit game show, "Deal or No
Deal", hosted by 2008 Emmy Award nominee Howie Mandel. GSN
will also debut the entire series run of 1 vs. 100, hosted by
Bob Saget, beginning June 6, 2009. "Deal or No Deal" will air
Monday-Friday at 7pm & 11pm ET/8 pm PT. "1 vs. 100" will air
Saturdays at 6pm ET/3pm PT and Sundays at 1pm ET. In addition, GSN will create an original free online flash game version of "Deal" to complement the show. "GSN is dedicated to putting winning within reach for our viewers and to bringing them the absolute best in game-related content, whether it's on-air or online," said Kelly Goode, GSN's Senior Vice President of Programming. The Futon CriticWorld Screen |
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"Bee" on a Game Show CMT Holds Singing Bee Audition From Reality Wanted |
Posted 5/13/09 |
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The karaoke based game show "The
Singing Bee" which was made popular on the NBC network has
been brought back for the CMT network. This is a fast paced
variety game show where a band plays part of a song and the
contestant must finish off the rest of the song. We don't care
if you sing it well we just care that you sing it right. While
there will be all genres of popular music there will be
COUNTRY music on the show. So if you know country or you know
all music then this is the show for you and your chance at
winning 5 figures. We will be holding auditions in Studio City, CA on Thursday May 14 and 21 at 6pm, Saturday May 16 at 10am, and Tuesday May 19 at 2pm, all local time. If you would like to schedule an audition please send me a message and I will get all the info out to you!  Reality Wanted |
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Season Six of "Dance" Starts Casting Season Five Airs Next Thursday From The Futon Critic |
Posted 5/13/09 |
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The original dance show, "So You
Think You Can Dance", announces audition cities and dates for
the series' sensational sixth season. Auditions for Season Six
will begin Thursday, May 28 in Boston, and producers will
continue their search for America's Favorite Dancer Monday,
June 1 in Atlanta; Friday, June 12 in Los Angeles; and Friday,
July 24 in Salt Lake City. Additional cities and venue details
will be announced soon.The Futon Critic |
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"Cab" Picked Up for More Season 5 Currently Airing on Discovery From World Screen |
Posted 5/13/09 |
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ALL3MEDIA International has firmed
up new deals for the hit quiz show Cash Cab in India, Italy,
Canada, the U.S., Sweden, Denmark and Greece. In Italy, 45 episodes are being produced by Stile Libero for SKY Uno Italia, while in Canada, Zone3 is producing 20 episodes for broadcast on TQS. Meanwhile, STRIX has optioned the show in Sweden and Denmark. The show has also landed a number of renewals from broadcasters, including Bindass in India, which scooped up a second season. Cash Cab will also return to Mega Channel in Greece produced by Studio ATA. Discovery USA also recently signed on to have Lion Television USA produce another season. World ScreenC21Media |
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Hatch Released from Prison "Survivor" Winner Heads to Halfway House From WPRI |
Posted 5/13/09 |
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"Survivor" winner, and Rhode
Island resident, Richard Hatch is scheduled to be released
from federal prison Tuesday. Hatch, 47, of Newport, is currently serving a four-year, three-month sentence for income tax evasion. Much of his sentence has been spent at a federal prison in Morgantown, West Virginia. He will be released from the facility to a halfway house where he will spend the next six months. From there, his supervised release will begin. Hatch was found guilty of not paying taxes on the $1 million he won on the first season of "Survivor." Since his trial, Hatch has claimed the show was rigged.. He has also said the producers offered to pay his taxes on the winnings, when he confronted them about the cheating. CBS has denied Hatch's claims. WPRI |
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"Bachelorette" Gets Asked the Wrong
Question Calls Mesnick "A Really Great Guy" From Jam! Showbiz |
Posted 5/13/09 |
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Canada's first Bachelorette
Jillian Harris won't start handing out roses until next week
-- but she's already feeling the thorns of reality TV fame. The 30-year-old Peace River, Alta., native got a little testy on a conference call yesterday when a reporter asked her whether she and Jason Mesnick had "relations" after a steamy hot tub scene on the last season of The Bachelor. "I think that's probably the most inappropriate question ever," said Harris, who came in third on the romantic series. "Everyone can assume that if we went into a hot tub and had a steamy makeout session, you can assume we quote, unquote 'did it'. Let's say I had slept with Jason; then I don't think that's anybody's business." Whether or not the two hooked up, Harris said they remained friends after the show -- despite the criticism Mesnick faced for dumping his first pick Melissa Rycroft for runnerup Molly Malaney in front of millions of viewers on post-show After the Final Rose. "Jason is a really great guy," she said. "Even after he let me go after last season, I don't think he led me on." Jam! Showbiz |
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Primetime "Deal": "Screwed" an
Understatement Monday's Episode Sinks Lower From The Futon Critic |
Posted 5/12/09 |
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There's no easy way to put this.
For all intents and purposes... "Deal or No Deal" in primetime
is a done deal. NBC's now anemic game sunk to a mere 2.8/5 in the overnights from 8-9p, finishing a distant fourth in the time period. First in the time period and
the night overall belonged to "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC.
"Dancing With the Stars" was the most-watched show of the
night with 19.6 million viewers |
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Sam Cohn: 1929 - 2009 Superagent Once Worked Under Goodson/Todman From Telegraph |
Posted 5/12/09 |
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Sam Cohn, who has died aged 79,
was considered a "superagent of the modern age", enjoying a
somewhat sulphurous reputation as he represented some of the
biggest stars in Hollywood and on Broadway, as well as many of
America's leading directors, writers and playwrights. During his career, Cohn's clients at International Creative Management comprised a Who's Who of showbusiness, most notably in the 1970s and 1980s. His roster included Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Woody Allen, Arthur Miller, Mike Nichols, Nora Ephron, Robert Altman, Bob Fosse, Sigourney Weaver, EL Doctorow and Jackie Gleason. Cultured and urbane, he was at ease in several disciplines across the agency business and cut deals in films, television, publishing and theatre. Although he deployed an encyclopedic knowledge of literature, classical music and the American stage, his critics – and even some of his friends – considered the Princeton-educated Cohn an intellectual snob. A stumpy, elusive and diffident figure, Cohn was an ardent New Yorker and (unusually for agents in the film business) seldom traveled to Los Angeles for work. Famous for his macho, staccato style, he was crowned by one Hollywood commentator as the archetype of "New York Rude". In the words of the veteran Variety columnist Peter Bart, "he suffered fools badly, to put it mildly". Yet in person, Cohn belied the stereotypical sharp-suited power broker, dressing in baggy old sweaters and frayed, shiny trousers that scarcely reached his ankles. Disliking the inevitable buckles on his new Gucci loafers, he would invariably slice them off with a razor blade. Samuel Charles Cohn was born on May 11, 1929 at Altoona, Pennsylvania. His father ran a family firm making petroleum products which was later sold to Standard Oil. He began his career in television, working for CBS as a lawyer in its business affairs department. After a stint with Goodson-Todman, producers of game shows such as The Price Is Right, Cohn joined General Artists Corporation, a small agency which merged with Creative Management Associates before becoming part of ICM. Telegraph |
 Sam Cohn (courtesy New York Times) |
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"Hannah Montana" Turns Into Game Show Disney UK Preps Familial Faceoff From In the News |
Posted 5/12/09 |
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The Disney Channel has now
unveiled a celebrity line-up for its brand new Hannah Montana
themed karaoke-style game show, Hannah-oke. Popstar Duncan
James from the recently reformed group Blue, will join Konnie
Huq as the show's presenters. The judging panel putting the
contestants through their paces include Pop Idol favourite
Nicki Chapman, Dancing On Ice's Jason Gardiner and Disney
Channel UK star Brad Kavanagh. The show will premiere on the
channel as part of Montana May on Friday May 15th at 18:00. Hannah-oke will see six families from across the UK putting their vocal chords and Hannah song knowledge to the test in a series of entertaining challenges and karaoke sing-offs in front of a studio audience and panel of judges. Nicki, Jason and Brad will bring their expertise in theatre, music and singing to offer advice and critique the contestants' performances. Three final families will then go head-to-head to battle it out to secure the title of Hannah-oke Champion 2009. Duncan James comments: "I'm really excited to be working with Disney Channel on Hannah-oke – it's a great concept and is set to capture the imagination of kids and families around the UK. I am a huge fan of Hannah Montana myself and I can't wait to find out who will be crowned Hannah-oke Champion 2009!" Konnie Huq adds: "I am so excited to be working on Disney Channel's Hannah-oke and it's great to be involved as one of the presenters. I can't wait to meet the families and help kids' dreams come true." In the NewsPress Association |
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"American Gladiators"... The Movie Creator Teams with "300" Producer From Hollywood.com |
Posted 5/12/09 |
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Grappling TV game show American
Gladiators is headed to the big screen, as a new live-action
movie. The show, in which members of the public take on muscle-bound gladiators in a series of events, debuted in 1988 and has since appeared in more than 90 countries. Creator Johnny Ferraro, who claims he first conceived the idea as a movie, is now fulfilling his ambition with the help of 300 producer Scott Mesnick. Mesnick tells Variety, "I look forward to creating a compelling story that launches a whole new set of characters." Hollywood.comVariety NPR |
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So You Want to Be a "Millionaire"... Auditions Begin May 18, BUT.... From About.com Game Shows |
Posted 5/11/09 |
Auditions for both the syndicated
AND the upcoming prime time Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
will begin May 18th in New York. For all the info you need,
head over to the official Millionaire website, and
bookmark these links:
Here's a quote from the
application page, which is very important to understand:
People who audition may be considered for either the
Syndicated or the Network program, at Producer's sole
discretion. So, it's not going to be your choice which
version you may be selected to play on, and that's something
to keep in mind if you're planning on traveling to New York
just to audition. |
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"Password" Plots Return Guests Final Two Episodes of Season to Air May 31, June 14 From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/11/09 |
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The following is the air schedule for the celebrities set to participate in "Million Dollar Password", hosted by Regis Philbin, which returns Sunday, May 24, CBS. Note that the episode on that day is the rerun of "William Shatner/Aisha Tyler". New episodes resume the following week.
- May 31: Jamie Kennedy/Norm
MacDonald |
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An "Apprentice" For Our Times? Leaked Release Details Casting for People to "Get Back to Work" From WalletPop |
Posted 5/11/09 |
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Donald Trump is re-shaping The
Apprentice, his NBC elimination game show, to reflect hard
times. If a leaked casting press release is correct, the
Donald (with executive producer Mark Burnett) is specifically
going after go-getters who've been knocked down by the
recession. The headline for NBC's casting notice was spotted by sharp-eyed web-combers. The announcement has since been removed, but its headline said, "Donald Trump wants to put America back to work." It went on to read that if you want to apply, you should "explain why you should be the next Apprentice as well as how the recession has affected your life." The page has since been taken down, and a similar notice placed on casting website Reality Wanted (telling the recently laid off that "this is your chance to get back to work") was deactivated after just a day. But it's probably not because the show's no longer in the works, even though the non-celebrity version of the show has been rumored to be dead now that the celeb editions are doing well. The casting search for the next Apprentice will probably be announced, and the leaked notice made public again, today or tomorrow. The season finale for the latest celebrity version, in which champ Joan Rivers got so angry that her face nearly moved once, was on Sunday. Now that it's done, NBC will probably follow reality TV protocol and officially put out the audition notices. Check NBC's casting page to see if it's back up. WalletPop |
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"Cougar" Not Working... "Andy Griffith" Still TV Land's #1 Draw From New York Times |
Posted 5/11/09 |
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“The Cougar,” a new dating series
on the TV Land cable channel about a certain class of mature
single women, is as much a marketing campaign as a TV show. “One older woman, twenty younger men,” the commercials and posters for the show purr. Illustrated with photographs of a 40-year-old real estate agent and a band of baby-faced contestants, the message is hardly subtle; like a middle-aged divorcée on the prowl, TV Land is seeking a youthful glow. “We’re making waves, hon,” said Vivica A. Fox, the host of “The Cougar,” in an interview. The channel, a unit of Viacom, is supplementing its diet of classic series like “Gunsmoke” with reality shows in prime time. The shows, like “The Cougar,” which had its premiere last month, and “High School Reunion,” which reunites classmates two decades after graduation, are specifically aimed at 40- to 50-year-olds. The strategy steals two pages from the cable TV playbook: by adding original shows, the channel hopes to stand out on a crowded cable dial, and by heaping attention on a specific subset of viewers, it hopes advertisers will commit more money. But the initial ratings for “The Cougar” were lower than TV Land would have liked. “The Andy Griffith Show,” from the 1960s, is still the most popular show on the channel. Many viewers, it would seem, still relish the reruns. New York Times |
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Sajak Releases TV Guide "Lucky Letters" Now Available for Download From Zergwatch |
Posted 5/11/09 |
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Here’s a great new computer game
show combining the wit of Pat Sajak with the challenge of TV
Guide crossword puzzles! Spin the slot machine and guess the
Lucky Letters to win big! Watch for Lucky Chances where you
can double your money and race the clock to solve the puzzle
in the Lightning Round. You can play solo or compete with
friends because with three unique game modes, Lucky Letters
provides brain tickling excitement for all!Zergwatch |
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Rob Clark Named President of FremantleMedia
Worldwide Responsible for Global Rollout From B&C |
Posted 5/11/09 |
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Everyone has heard of American
Idol, but less famous is the production company behind Fox’s
singing sensation: FremantleMedia. Fremantle started as a
small British production company that has grown ever larger
through the wild success of Idol, the company’s acquisitions
and skillful management. As part of that growth, Rob Clark is moving up to become president of FremantleMedia Worldwide Entertainment. In his new role, Clark will continue to oversee the global roll-out of all of FremantleMedia’s developed and acquired non-scripted formats. He will manage the acquisition of entertainment formats from third parties and coordinate Fremantle’s global entertainment development network. Clark joined Fremantle in 2003, and has managed many of the company’s global format roll-outs, including Got Talent (recently the origin of YouTube sensation Susan Boyle), X Factor, Farmer Wants a Wife, The Apprentice, Hole in the Wall, Let’s Dance, Take Me Out and the highly successful Idols franchise, including American Idol and Britain’s Pop Idol. He also helped relaunch the Mark Goodson/Bill Todman game shows Family Feud, Password and Price is Right after Fremantle acquired those rights. B&CWorldScreen |
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Anne Robinson Returns to "Watchdog" "Weakest Link" Host to Pull Double Duty From Guardian |
Posted 5/11/09 |
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Anne Robinson is to return as the
main host of BBC1's Watchdog, replacing the current presenting
team of Nicky Campbell and Julia Bradbury. It is 16 years since Robinson first fronted the consumer affairs show and eight since she left Watchdog to concentrate on the hit daytime quizshow The Weakest Link. While other BBC stars face a pay cut, the move will enable Robinson – one of the BBC's highest paid presenters – to safeguard her £3m-a-year salary, according to a report in today's Daily Mail. She will continue to present The Weakest Link, which switched from BBC2 to BBC1 last year to fill the gap left by Neighbours' move to Channel Five. Robinson's return will see a shakeup of Watchdog, which will be doubled in length to an hour and moved to a new BBC1 slot, expected to be 8pm. Her return to the show also means the departure of Campbell, who has presented Watchdog since 2001, and his co-host Bradbury, who has been with the show since 2005. GuardianBBC News |
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Keoghan Finishes Amazing Bike Ride ... and He's Not Doing It Again From New York Daily News |
Posted 5/11/09 |
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"Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan
just logged 3,500 miles on a bike ride across America. And he's not doing it again. Ever. "It was the toughest physical and mental challenge of my life, no doubt about it," Keoghan said Friday. "It was everything I thought it would be and so much more." The trip took 42 days, and along the way Keoghan visited 39 cities. He also detoured to a Nebraska hospital when he got hit with a nasty virus. "I couldn't stop," Keoghan said. "I didn't know if I could stick to the schedule." The trip started as a joint promotion for "Amazing Race," which has its season finale on CBS tomorrow night at 8, and for Now One Square Meal Bars, which he munches on trips to avoid local foods and ruining production on "Amazing Race." The ride was also a benefit for MS. Yet, despite help from GNC stores, CBS and other supporters, Keoghan said it probably cost he and his wife $100,000 of their own money. Along the way, he was invited into homes and talked with people dealing with MS. He also blogged, Twittered and Facebooked each night. "I wasn't sure how they would respond, to be honest," he said. "I was surprised by the reaction. I had no idea it would have this much impact." Keoghan traveled with a core group that included his father, who drove a truck pulling an Airstream trailer, a cameraperson, an editor, a publicist from CBS and, leading the way, a former highway patrolman. The experience reminded him he was "vulnerable like everybody," he said. "To take yourself to that place mentally and physically, you really do realize how fragile life is." New York Daily News |
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The Big Balls Roadshow Wipeout Takes Replica Course on the Road From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/8/09 |
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From May 10 through June 14, Those
Daring Enough Will Get to Participate in the "Wipeout" Road
Trip, Featuring the Spinning Log Roller and Sucker Punch Wall,
for a Chance to Win Fun Prizes! Just like the popular "Wipeout" obstacle course that delivers laughs, moans and groans to your living room, daring participants will get a chance to partake in the "Wipeout" Road Trip with a modified replica of the course. The replicated course will be set up outdoors and will feature the ever popular Spinning Log Roller and Sucker Punch Wall that will offer participants a chance to win ABC and "Wipeout" branded prizes which may include water bottles, rally towels and t-shirts. The road trip will kick off at Walt Disney World Resort on May 10-11and travel to select destinations, ultimately ending up at the CMA Music Festival from June 11-14. Just like the lucky contestants on the show, fans who participate will get a chance to wobble across the Spinning Log Roller or have a splendid wipeout, as well as trying to avoid getting slammed by the Sucker Punch Wall. Their attempts will be captured on video and emailed to them so they can be uploaded to social networking sites and shared with friends and family. In addition, all fans will have the opportunity to get their picture taken with Ballsy, the "Wipeout" mascot, as well as watch an introduction video from "Wipeout" hosts John Henson and John Anderson that includes a sneak peek of the upcoming season and promos on flat screen TVs mounted on the "Wipeout" Road Trip RV. For more information on the "Wipeout" Road Trip and to live vicariously through participants gloriously wiping out on the tour, be sure to go to www.abcWipeoutRoadTrip.com The Futon Critic |
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WPT Teams with Pokerstars Site Sponsors International Broadcasts From Poker News Daily |
Posted 5/8/09 |
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WPT Enterprises, creator of the
World Poker Tour, announced Friday that PokerStars will be the
official international television sponsor for WPT Season VII.
The world’s largest online poker room will receive title
sponsorship and exclusive in-show brand integration when shows
air in Canada, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. PokerStars and the WPT will also work together to create localized Spanish/Portuguese-language programs featuring native commentators for specific territories in Latin America. The launch should be smooth for PokerStars, which already broadcasts live action of the European Poker Tour in a variety of languages. “TV sponsorship is an important part of our business, so having the biggest company in the poker industry jump on board is an exciting way to start international distribution of Season VII”, said WPT Founder and CEO Steve Lipscomb. “We look forward to working with PokerStars as we roll out the latest WPT programming to fans in these territories.” PokerStars got its first shot as a sponsor on the World Poker Tour in 2004 at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. In 2008, the event moved from the WPT to the European Poker Tour (EPT). PokerStars is now the headline sponsor and part owner of the EPT, Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT). PokerStars will have its name attached to the international broadcasts of Season VII much like Full Tilt Poker is the official sponsor for the episodes airing in the United States and Mexico. The two companies announced an agreement in November that gives Full Tilt similar “title sponsorship, exclusive in-show educational or gaming site and brand integration.” Season VII began airing on Fox Sports Net (FSN) on January 4, 2009. FSN is the third network home for the WPT. The Travel Channel ended its relationship with WPTE after its first five seasons. GSN picked up the show but upper management changes sealed its fate as the new bosses decided to move away from gambling-themed shows. Poker News Daily |
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Paula REFUTES Pain-Killer Problem "Idol" Judge Discusses Episode with Ladies Home Journal From Us |
Posted 5/8/09 |
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Paula Abdul hit the airwaves this
morning in Detroit to refute what appeared to be her shocking
admission in a Ladies' Home Journal cover story. |
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Footloose... May Get Weird Derek Hough Competes for Lead Role... Opposite His Sister From Los Angeles Times |
Posted 5/8/09 |
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"Dancing with the Stars"
contestant Derek Hough may steal "Footloose" from Chace
Crawford. |
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Tom Heald:
1971-2009 TV Writer an Asset to Game Show Fan Community From Rapid City Journal |
Posted 5/7/09 |
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It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of one of our own in Tom Heald. Thomas Allen "Tom" Heald, 37, died Monday, May 4, at Rapid City Regional Hospital. He worked with his father as a survey assistant and was a columnist for the Rapid City Weekly. In his capacity as the latter, he helped set up the Remote Patrol and TVorNotTV mailing lists. Tom loved playing trivia games and contests, liked working with his computer and watching movies. Tom will continue to hold a place in our hearts as he has helped shape what this site ultimately became, either through his contributions or through his morale. Memorials have been established
for the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart
Association. Friends may sign the online guest register and
offer condolences at
www.osheimschmidt.com. |
 Tom Heald (courtesy Tom Heald) |
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"Fashion": An "Oh Yeah?" to Runway... Catch It Tonight on Bravo From New York Times |
Posted 5/7/09 |
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When Fanny, the heroine of
Nancy Mitford’s novel “Don’t Tell Alfred,” moves to Paris as
the wife of the new British ambassador, she discovers that the
embassy is still occupied by the former ambassadress, who
refuses to step down and instead sets up a rival salon across
the courtyard. |
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Meet the Bachelors... Jillian to Court 30 Suitors From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/7/09 |
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What do a handsome southern
charmer with a foot obsession, a sophisticated Latin lover who
doesn't mind rubbing other men the wrong way, a soulful
country singer with bad boy appeal, a hunky all-American
pilot, a confident Alpha male who isn't afraid to stir up
trouble and a charming country boy with a heart of gold all
have in common? They're all on the hunt for the new
Bachelorette, Jillian Harris, when the fifth edition of the
female version of ABC's popular romance reality series, "The
Bachelorette," premieres MONDAY, MAY 18 (9:02-11:00 p.m., ET),
on the ABC Television Network. |
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Melissa's Return Sparks "Dancing" "Deal" Returns to Lowest Rating Ever From the Live Feed |
Posted 5/7/09 |
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The return of Melissa Rycroft to
ABC's Dancing With the Stars helped boost the show's ratings
after the reality contestant was sidelined with three broken
ribs last week. Rycroft's re-entry was given added drama when
fellow contestant Jewel, who was forced to withdraw from the
competition earlier this season due to an injury, criticized
the show for allowing Rycroft to be judged based on rehearsal
footage last week. |
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CBS to Return "Dating" and "Deal"? Another Candidate Surfaces to Replace "Light" From The Hollywood Reporter |
Posted 5/7/09 |
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To replace the longest-running
drama on television, CBS may order remakes of two of the
longest-running game shows. |
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Bible Quiz Casting in New York New Project Comes from Embassy Row From Craigslist |
Posted 5/7/09 |
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Embassy Row & Odyssey Networks
have teamed up to produce a quiz show based on the Bible. |
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From "Loser" to Ironman Hoover to Compete in Famed Triathlon From People |
Posted 5/7/09 |
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Once Matt Hoover sets a goal,
nothing can stop him from achieving it. Such determination led
Hoover to a whopping 157-pound weight loss and the title of
Biggest Loser in 2005. |
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Michael Irvin Goes "4th and Long" Catch It on Spike May 18 From The Futon Critic |
Posted 5/6/09 |
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Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael
Irvin and Spike TV are on a quest to give a football hopeful a
shot at making the Dallas Cowboys roster in the new series
"4th and Long." Premiering on Monday, May 18 (10:00-11:00pm
ET/PT), Spike TV will chronicle the rigorous training, heated
competition, and compelling moments among 12 talented unsigned
football players -- individuals who either blew their first
shot at making the NFL, or never had one to begin with. In a
10-week training camp, Irvin will offer his wealth of
experience and guidance to mold them into NFL-caliber players.
Each week a different contestant will be cut, with the
eventual victor heading to training camp with football's
legendary franchise, the Dallas Cowboys. |
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"1 vs. 100" Goes Live XBLA Gold Customers Can Get in the Game From Xboxic |
Posted 5/6/09 |
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For all those dreamers who have
wanted to be on a game show, Xbox Live has granted you your
wish. Today, Microsoft debuted 1 vs 100 for Xbox Live, and
starting May 8th you can download the game to your 360 and
play to win Microsoft Points and Xbox Live Arcade Games. |
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Rose d'Or Turns "Japanese" Winners Announced From the Hollywood Reporter |
Posted 5/6/09 |
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ABC's fish-out-of-water format "I
Survived a Japanese Game Show" was the big winner at the 49th
Rose d'Or festival, one of Europe's most prestigious TV
honors, taking the Best of 2009 prize as well as the Rose
trophy for best reality show. |
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Dom DeLuise:
1933-2009 Comic Actor a Game Show Mainstay for Four Decades From AP |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature
made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and
TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has died.
He was 75. |
 Dom DeLuise (courtesy AP) |
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"Apprentice" British Flavor
Restarts Tonight BBC America Picks Up from CNBC From Los Angeles Times |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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While most American reality game shows are based on European
models, back in 2005 the BBC reversed the westward flow with a
London take on NBC's “The Apprentice.” Now that version,
currently in its fifth season and featuring self-made
billionaire Sir Alan Sugar in the role of Donald Trump, is
getting a belated stateside rebroadcast. Slightly rechristened
“The Apprentice UK,” it premieres tonight on BBC America. |
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Lionsgate Gets in the Game Firm Planning Numerous Projects From B&C |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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Lionsgate Television, known
largely for sophisticated scripted cable series such as Mad
Men and Weeds, is ramping up its reality television efforts by
teaming with some of the biggest names in the genre. The company has brought aboard Amazing Race creators Bertram Van Munster and Elise Doganieri as executive producers of Instantly Rich, a lottery-style game show in which contestants enter to play via text message. Lionsgate and mobile content company Zed partnered on the format earlier this year after it became a hit on Spain's Antena 3. They are pitching it domestically as a primetime hour. Van Munster and Doganieri's company Earthview, as well as Peter Tortorici's GroupM, are attached to produce. In addition, earlier this spring Lionsgate partnered with Survivor's Mark Burnett on the American adaptation of Italian family talent competition format Parenti Talenti, which Lionsgate controls in English-speaking territories. The companies are out pitching this show to U.S. networks as well. Also, Lionsgate has a version of Paris Hilton's My BFF in the works in the Middle East, and is awaiting a decision on a renewal of freshman VH1 series Scream Queens. Lionsgate TV Programming and Production President Kevin Beggs says the cost-effective reality business is more competitive than scripted because the barriers to entry are so low. His strategy for the company's presence in reality has been to partner with people with the best track records in the genre. B&C |
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Simon: Kara'll Be Back, Adam'll Win Judge Clears the Air on "Ellen" From Access Hollywood |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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“American Idol’s” Simon Cowell is putting to rest speculation
that Kara DioGuardi’s days are numbered as a judge on the FOX
reality show – along with revealing that rocker Adam Lambert
should take home the “Idol” crown. During an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” airing Tuesday, Simon told Ellen he foresees new judge Kara returning next season. “All these contestants have signed up for our show and it’s the most important thing in their life and all we’re talking about is whether we’re going to be on the show or not,” he said of reports that Kara could be leaving after just one season. “It’s all a bit out of kilter here. I think certainly next year everyone’s going to be back.” “Really?” Ellen asked. “Yeah, absolutely,” he said. As for who Simon thinks should win this year’s competition – the British judge is picking “Idol’s” resident rocker. “If it were up to me based on originality, worldwide appeal, I would say Adam,” he told Ellen. “I like the fact he’s fearless. He’s not playing it safe. A lot of the people that take part in these shows want to sing ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ every week because it’s a soppy song… He’s got guts.” Access Hollywood |
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Adam Cook:
1972-2009 Reigning "Idol's" Brother Succumbs to Cancer From Washington Post |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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Reigning "American Idol" champ
David Cook stunned the crowd at today's Race for Hope 5K in
downtown D.C. by announcing his brother died the night before
of a brain tumor -- the cause that got him involved in the
annual fundraiser. Adam Cook, 36, a lawyer with a wife and children, had battled the tumor for more than a decade before dying in Terre Haute, Ind. David Cook joined 9,000 other runners this morning -- finishing the 3.1 mile course in 28 minutes, he later said -- before taking the stage. This year's race, the 12th annual, raised $2 million for brain cancer research. "I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now," Cook said, getting briefly choked up and wiping away tears. "I've lost one but I've gained 9,000 ..... I will be here every year that they will have me." Washington PostThe Insider |
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Danny Gans:
1956-2009 Impressionist Was on Squares From Variety |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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Danny Gans, a singer, actor and
impressionist who for nearly two decades was one of the most
popular entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip, died in his sleep
Friday. He was 52. Gans was found dead by his wife, Julie, at their home in Henderson, Nev. A cause of death has not yet been released. Gans had performed at the Wynn Resorts’ Encore Theater since February and at the Mirage for more than eight years before that. Though not well-known outside Vegas, his family-friendly performances had sold more tickets than Elvis Presley or the Rat Pack. He opened Feb. 10 in the 1,500-seat Encore Theater in a concourse between the posh Encore and Wynn resorts on the Strip. Steve Wynn, chief executive of Wynn Resorts, called Gans’ death “a profoundly tragic event that leaves us all sad and speechless.” Gans was a hard-working, eager-to-please nightclub entertainer who did rapid-fire imitations of personalities ranging from Tony Bennett to Al Pacino to Sarah Vaughan. VarietyThe Insider |
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Keoghan: It's Margie & Luke's to Win "Race" Host in Homestretch of Bike Ride From Baltimore Sun |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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As the long-running CBS reality TV
show The Amazing Race, nears its season finale Sunday night,
host Phil Keoghan hits the home stretch of a 40-day,
3,500-mile bike tour that will bring him to Baltimore
Wednesday morning before arriving at his New York City
destination Friday. (Fans will be able to meet him 8 a.m.-9:30
a.m. Wednesday at White Marsh Mall's GNC.) Keoghan, 41, took some time along the road Tuesday morning to look back at another winning season and his cross-country ride that started March 28 in Los Angeles. The secret to a good season are the contestants, he says. And while hosts are not supposed to have favorites, it sounds like he might be pulling for the mother-and-son team of Margaret and Luke Adams of Denver to win. Luke is deaf. "I think this is one of the most dynamic teams we've had in years -- and quite a different casting selection," Keoghan said. "I was really excited when they first walked in the room during the early casting period and I thought the potential for having a team like that on the show would be tremendous. And what's so nice is to see that they've come this far." Baltimore Sun |
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McMahon Settles Lawsuit
Accused Hospital of Malpractice From Gant Daily/CNS |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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Game show legend Ed McMahon has
reached a settlement with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los
Angeles in the malpractice suit he filed against them. The 86-year-old host accused the hospital of misdiagnosing a neck fracture he suffered in 2007 and botching two neck surgeries that followed. Terms of the settlement were not made available to the public. However, the personal liability lawsuit he filed against Robert Days, who owned the Bel Air mansion wherein he suffered the said accident, is still pending. Gant Daily/CNS |
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Supreme Court Issues Notice to
Bachchan "KBC" Host Cannot Be Termed Artist for Tax Exemption From Hindu Times |
Posted 5/5/09 |
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A Supreme Court Bench headed by
Justice S S Kapadia on Monday issued notice to actor Amitabh
Bachchan on a petition from the Income-Tax Department and put
the matter for final hearing on October 28. The Income-Tax department has challenged a Bombay High Court order which gave tax relief to Bachchan. The case relates to the actor's income from the popular TV game show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. The High Court had allowed I-T exemption on 30 per cent of Bachchan's total income, acceptiong the actor's plea that being an artist he should be given tax relief under Section 80 RR of the Income-Tax Act. The I-T department in its appeal challenged the order on the grounds that the relief is for those artistes who either earn by performing outside the country or receive payment from foreign agencies. It was submitted by the I-T department that Bachchan was acting as an anchor in the television show for Star India Ltd and cannot be termed an artist for his role in the show. Hindu Times |
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"Deal" Returns to Primetime Tonight We Start with Finishing Up a Game in Progress From About.com Game Shows |
Posted 5/4/09 |
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Gather 'round, Deal or No Deal
fans, 'cause tonight the show is back in prime time even if
it's only for a limited run. These episodes were taped months ago, but never aired because of the viewer-bleed that occurred late last year. You'll be happy to know that they aren't Million Dollar Missions or anything of the sort. The show is back tonight at 8pm Eastern (on NBC), and returns in the same time slot for the following two Monday nights. On May 18th, it'll be two back-to-back episodes. And then ... well, we really don't know. The network hasn't confirmed anything, only casually mentioned that it's a possibility the game could return occasionally as "event programming." About.com Game ShowsBrooklyn Eagle NJ.com Eufaula Tribune Hastings Star-Gazette Tufts Daily Jeopardy.com |
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Sponsors Announced for "Fashion Show" Catch It Thursday on Bravo From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/4/09 |
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Bravo has inked multi-platform
deals with four sponsors including TRESemme, Propel vitamin
enhanced water beverage, a major wireless carrier and a health
and beauty company to be unveiled during the run of the
series, for the premiere season of Bravo's newest fashion
creative competition series "The Fashion Show," premiering
Thursday, May 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. These sponsorship deals
provide unique brand exposure as well as a major on-air and
online presence. |
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Briton Wins Arab "Apprentice" Plumber to Split $1 Million From the Sun |
Posted 5/4/09 |
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A plumber from the British
countryside netted half of a $1,000,000 jackpot - after
winning an Arab version of The Apprentice. |
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Jewel to Rycroft: Dance or Quit! "Dancing" Stars Injured From Us Magazine |
Posted 5/4/09 |
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Less than a day after Jewel told
injured Dancing With the Stars finalist Melissa Rycroft that
she needs to compete or face elimination, the singer received
enough negative comments for being "catty" that she took to
her blog to clear the air. "I can't believe my comment on Ty [Murray her husband]'s website got so mangled," she wrote on her blog Friday -- one day after she blogged that Rycroft and fellow DWTS competitor Steve-O unfairly benefited from the rule that allows injured contestants to be judged on rehearsal footage if they can't dance on the live show. "I like Melissa and think she's gifted (and a real Texas sweetheart), and I adore Steve-O," Jewel wrote. "My comment had nothing to do with either of them. My comment was on a sports website about a rule I have never seen in any type of competition before." She added: "Name another sport where if you can’t compete, they use your score from practice. Can you imagine an Olympic diver who can’t compete for any reason, and so they let them use their practice dives from that day? Or a chess match, for that matter." As
Melissa and pro partner Tony Dovolani practice their two new
routines, the Viennese waltz and the samba, Melissa admits to
ET that she's still hurting from the hairline fractures to her
ribs. But, she says, nothing is cracked or broken and the
fractures will gradually heal on their own. |
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Hasselhoff Downplays Hospital Reports Reports Claimed He Was in Serious Condition From Jam! Showbiz |
Posted 5/4/09 |
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David Hasselhoff has played
down reports he was hospitalized over the weekend suffering
from alcohol poisoning. |
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Paula Abdul's New Single... She's Just "Here for the Music" From Los Angeles Time |
Posted 5/4/09 |
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Judge Paula Abdul has certainly
been spreading her wings beyond her day job this season. A
couple weeks back the American Idol jurist reminded audiences
of her dance background staging an the acclaimed coreography
to Disco Week's group number. Today she announced a return to
recording, with the impending release of a new single and
album. According to her press release |
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Padma Lakshmi: Jeweler "Top Chef" Host Launches Jewelry Line From People Style Watch |
Posted 5/4/09 |
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Last season of Top Chef, we
found ourselves drooling over host Padma Lakshmi’s jewelry as
much as the delectable dishes the contestants were sending out
— and it turns out that they were a sneak preview of her own
jewelry line! Officially launched on Friday, the fine jewelry
line is being sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman and will
retail from $300-$6,000 for cuffs, necklaces, rings and
earrings. And if link between jewelry and food isn’t obvious
at first, look closer at the collection. The shapes are
inspired by things like seeds and pods, such as cardamom,
lentils, and cloves, as well as by her Indian heritage. Padma
tells PEOPLE.com that the decision was obvious for her. “For
me, whether its food or fashion, it’s about taste; about
curating the best of what I’ve hunted and gathered from around
the world to create something beautiful for the senses.” See
the full collection at padmalakshmi.com. |
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America's Got Myspace NBC, FremantleMedia Team Up to Find Internet Talent From The Futon Critic |
Posted 5/2/09 |
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MySpace, the world's premier
social portal, is teaming up once again with NBC and
FremantleMedia Enterprises on the hit summer series "America's
Got Talent" which premieres Tuesday, June 23 (9-11p.m. ET) and
will continue Wednesday, June 24 (9-10p.m. ET). While the show
has already traveled to several major cities around the
country, MySpace will open up the search to every corner of
America. MySpace users and aspiring contestants will again
have the opportunity to audition for the current season of the
show by uploading videos showcasing their talents at a special
"America's Got Talent" community hosted by MySpace at http://myspace.com/americasgottalent. |
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Discovery Kids Gets Redo Hasbro, Discovery to Team for Family Network... Games in Store? From C21Media |
Posted 5/2/09 |
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Toy company Hasbro and Discovery
Communications are joining forces to launch a multi-platform
kids and family network that will ultimately replace Discovery
Kids. |
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"Dance Crew" Gets Pickup Casting Begins June 6 From the Futon Critic |
Posted 5/2/09 |
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MTV's hit reality dance
competition series from Warner Horizon Television, "Randy
Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew," will return for a
fourth season later this year. Giving fans more of what they
love, Thursday night's favorite cable series among P12-34,
will kick-off Season 4 casting on June 6 in Los Angeles,
before heading to Chicago, Orlando and New York City.
The search is on to find the next nine crews with the heart and talent of the three reigning champions that came before them. With the JabbaWockeeZ, SuperCr3w and Quest Crew as the predecessors who each grabbed the nation's attention and walked away with $100,000 cash prizes, it's any city's game to see who will have what it takes to join their ranks and become America's Best Dance Crew.
For updates on Season 4 "Dance
Crew" auditions including cities, locations and requirements,
fans can log onto dancecrew.MTV.com, myspace.com/dancecrewcasting,
and http://www.mtv.com/ontv/castingcall. |
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Picking Up and Moving East "Deal" Earns Second Season, Moves to CT From TV Week |
Posted 5/1/09 |
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The syndicated version of NBC
Universal’s “Deal or No Deal” has been renewed for a second
season. The show is moving production to Waterford, Conn.,
from Culver City, Calif. |
 Season 2 of "Deal or No Deal" will shoot in Connecticut (courtesy NBC) |
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GSN Shuffles Schedule for Big Money
Favorites "Deal", "1 vs. 100" Play Weekends From Buzzerblog |
Posted 5/1/09 |
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Our friends at Buzzerblog have been given info on the upcoming changes over at GSN as far as the schedule and the off-network reruns of "Deal or No Deal" and "1 vs. 100". (All moves are effective the week of June 1 unless otherwise stated). - The 2009 GSN Game Show Awards will debut on June 6 at 8p ET and air through 10:30p ET. Rerun times are varied. First you can watch a full rerun directly following the awards at 10:30p ET. A special two hour edition of the awards show, without the red carpet and winner interviews, airs on June 7 at 4p ET. - Deal or No Deal will launch June 1 at 7p ET following Catch 21, with reruns at 11p ET weeknights, 2p ET weekends, and 8p ET Saturdays. - 1 vs. 100 will air Saturdays and Sundays at 1p ET, 6p ET, and 2a ET starting on June 6. - Whammy! will air weekdays at 11a ET. - Pyramid moves to 4p ET. - The half-hour Millionaire will air weekends at noon. - Beginning June 13, GSN is launching two new series. "20Q" will debut June 13 at 8p ET. It’s an hour long show stretched to an hour and a half because of GSN’s Big Saturday Nights. Following is "The Money List", which taped nearly a year ago, from 9:30p ET, again because of stretching for the special evening. Hourlong reruns will air the following Sunday, June 14, with 20Q at 4p, The Newlywed Game at 5p, Catch 21 at 5:30p, and Money List at 6p ET.
- Super Password is getting the
Father's Day treatment on Sunday, June 21st, from 9a ET to 1p
ET. |
 GSN details its next schedule (photo courtesy GSN) |
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"Sentenced" To Game Show Board Game Picked Up by Parris-Randall From Sussex Countian |
Posted 5/1/09 |
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Parris-Randall Productions
recently announced the completion of an extensive licensing
agreement with toy and game manufacturer McNeill Designs for
Brighter Minds. Under the terms of the agreement, the
Hollywood-based production company will develop a version of
the firm's multi-awarding winning language game You've been
Sentenced! into a televised game show for national
distribution. "A game show version of You've been Sentenced! was always planned --- from the earliest stages of development of the original game," explains company CEO Donald W. McNeill. "This game naturally lends itself to a game show format, and the production team at Parris-Randall has the experience and expertise to take the game to television audiences." Led by television producers Robbie Randall and Michael Parris, Parris-Randall Productions will incorporate the essence of You've been Sentenced!, while translating and enhancing the original game play into an exciting game show format utilizing the latest technologies. Use of a voting studio audience, play-at-home capabilities, and extensive viewer participation by various media are just a few of the exciting additions planned to make the show even more fun and exciting. "This is a priceless opportunity for our production team to introduce a proven, extremely popular board game that embodies all the right components to a wide television audience." said company President and Producer, Robbie Randall. Anticipating a lower median age viewer demographic than many game shows, You've Been Sentenced! also offers unique positioning for many advertisers. Sussex Countian |
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Game Over for PlayCafe Interactive Quiz Show Shutters From NewTeeVee |
Posted 5/1/09 |
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PlayCafe is closing shop.
Co-founder and CEO Mark
Goldenson sent a post-mortem email about the online game show
company tonight, saying that "producing quality content every
day is a herculean task, especially live. The idea of creating
both the content and technology for PlayCafe seemed
achievable, but TV networks focus on distribution and studios
on production for good reason: both are hard." |
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Hot Seat Gets Second Season "Millionaire" Spinoff Holds Own Against "Deal" From C21Media |
Posted 5/1/09 |
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Nine Network in Australia has
greenlit a second season of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
quizshow spin-off Hot Seat, following all-audience growth of
over 14% for the pre-news 17.30 weekday slot. |
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"Wheel" Grinds to a Halt in NZ Overseas Version Cites Economic Downturn From 3 News |
Posted 5/1/09 |
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TVNZ game show Wheel of Fortune
will finish in the middle of the year, a casualty of the
economic recession, the broadcaster says. |
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New Life for an Old Buzz "Singing Bee" Picked Up by CMT From The Hollywood Reporter |
Posted 4/30/09 |
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"The Singing Bee" is coming back
-- but not to NBC. |
 "The Singing Bee" will return on CMT June 16 (courtesy NBC) |
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Awards to Have Interactive Flavor Catch Them on GSN June 6, Vote at GSN.com NOW! From the Hollywood Reporter |
Posted 4/30/09 |
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Howie Mandel has been tapped to
host GSN's Game Show Awards.
In line with GSN's focus on
participation TV programming, the awards will feature a number
of interactive elements: through May 15th, viewers can visit a
special area of GSN's Web site (gsnextras.com/awards) to vote
for nominees in a dozen or so categories (including
best/favorite host, model, announcer, contestant, catch
phrase, and sound). Then, during the June 6th awards telecast,
viewers will be encouraged to go online to answer award
show-related trivia questions, for the chance to win cash and
other prizes. |
 Howie Mandel will host GSN's Game Show Awards (courtesy NBC) |
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"Password" to Return May 24 CBS Still Has 2 Episodes Unaired From the Futon Critic |
Posted 4/30/09 |
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"Million Dollar Password", hosted
by Emmy Award winner Regis Philbin, returns to Sundays
(8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) beginning May 24, on the CBS Television
Network. CBS's "Million Dollar Password" features a modern update of one of television's classic game shows with big celebrities, big money and big stakes. Contestants team up with celebrities and have the potential to win up to $1 million. As the designated celebrity and contestant take turns being the clue-giver and clue-receiver, one word hints are given to determine that round's Password. If the player and the celebrity can work together to successfully give and receive clues in multiple rounds, the contestant may be able to guess the "Million Dollar Password", and win the cash that goes along with it. Last summer, in its Sunday (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) time period, "Million Dollar Password" (5.9/10, 9.03m) was first in viewers and second in adults 25-54 (2.4/07). The shows' return in December averaged 10.11m viewers, placing second in its time period behind Sunday night football. | |
New York Times