'Jersey Shore' Star Snooki Arrested

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, star of MTV's "Jersey Shore,"  was arrested Friday, July 30. 2010, USA Today reports.

According to the article, Police Chief Thomas Boyd of Seaside Heights, New Jersey--where the show is based--confirmed that Snooki "was arrested on the beach around 3:25 p.m. Friday and charged with disorderly conduct."

After being taken to the police station she was processed and released with a summons, the story says.

The article said she was arrested after some other beachgoers complained that Snooki was bothering them. Oddly, it's usually celebrities who sometimes claim they are bothered by the general public, not the other way around.

The article said MTV declined comment and that the show's executive producers did not return voicemail messages.

Snooki's arrest comes just as the second season of "Jersey Shore" has begun with excellent ratings. 

Jeff Gaspin's Mea Culpa About Last Season and Other Things NBC

NBC Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin made the most of the spotlight during an executive session Friday at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Beverly Hills, criticizing his network’s strategic failure with its late-night schedule and commenting on the challenge of competing with “American Idol,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"We made too many changes too quickly from a position of weakness," Gaspin said, addressing NBC’s ill-fated 10 p.m. strategy culminating in its late-night scramble involving Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. "The goal is to get stronger and then if we need to make changes at that point [make them]. But it won’t work from a position of weakness, which jeopardized some of the decisions we made."

Asked about late-night after the panel, Gaspin said, "I'm done with late night for now. I'm going to focus on prime time," the article reported.

Gaspin said he sees opportunities for networks trying to compete with “American Idol,” given the numerous changes that are in the works at the Fox ratings juggernaut.

"I do think 'Idol' could pose an opportunity but I don't think it's specific to a music show," he said, adding that with all the changes at “Idol” it may be a good time for other networks to compete by placing key shows against it.

One critic expressed concern about NBC's fall pilot "The Event," which some observers fear might suffer the same fate as ABC's ambitious "FlashForward," the story adds.

NBC Entertainment President Angela Bromstad fielded that one, saying, "We are going to do everything in our power to guard against the 'FlashForward' [problems]. We take those lessons very seriously. Audiences and critics will rightly be skeptical."

'Jersey Shore' Season Premiere Hits Ratings Milestone for MTV

The Season 2 premiere of MTV's "Jersey Shore" attracted 5.3 million viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

That's up almost 300% from the opener for last season, and 10% higher than Season 1’s big finale, the story says.

The show’s Season 2 premiere was MTV’s highest-rated season premiere in more than seven years, since the Season 2 launch of "The Osbournes," the article adds.

Disney Makes It Official, Names Paul Lee to Replace McPherson as President of ABC Entertainment Group

Paul Lee, who has been president of ABC Family, has been named president, ABC Entertainment Group, effective immediately, it was announced today.

Lee takes over from Steve McPherson, who resigned the postion this past Tuesday, July 27.

Immediately upon McPherson's resignation Disney sources leaked to reporters that Lee would be his replacement. Today's announcement makes it official.

Carnie Wilson Sues GSN

On the heels of her exit from GSN's "The Newlywed Game," singer Carnie Wilson is suing the network over money she claims it owes her for the reality TV show "Unstapled," according to Reuters.

Wilson is seeking $277,500 in additional pay. Her original deal with the net was for a salary of $120,000 for six weeks of shooting four days a week, a total of 24 days, but the shoot lasted longer--53 days, with longer hours, according to Wilson's suit.

A representative of the network responded to questions about the suit, saying, "We are not aware of any lawsuit by Carnie Wilson against GSN."

TNT Renews Three Dramas

TNT has announced renewals for three of its drama series, reports Deadline.com.

Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, said in a press release that the network has ordered new seasons of "The Closer," "Leverage" and the newest entry, "Rizzoli & Isles."

“TNT has enjoyed tremendous success on Sunday and Monday nights with 'Leverage,' 'The Closer' and 'Rizzoli & Isles.' All three shows feature terrific casts, sharp writing and top-notch production teams. We look forward to continued success with new seasons in 2011,” Wright said in the release.

Will Ferrell, Lizzy Caplan Developing HBO Comedy Series

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Prods. and actress Lizzy Caplan are teaming with HBO to develop a comedy series based on the Julie Klausner memoir "I Don't Care About Your Band," reports Deadline.com.

The book is a humorous look at dating and the series could be a possible starring vehicle for Caplan, who was on the canceled Starz series "Party Down," the story says.

"Gary Sanchez’s Owen Burke brought the book to the company’s Jessica Elbaum, who recently received an Emmy nomination for executive producing Ferrell's 'You're Welcome America' HBO special. (She also exec produced the one-man Broadway play the special was adapted from from.) Elbaum started developing the project with Caplan. Gary Sanchez’ Ferrell, McKay, Chris Henchy and Elbaum will executive produce ‘Band,’ with Caplan and Burke producing," the article says.

Oscar Nominee Joins Cast of 'Law & Order: LA'

A film star who was nominated for an Academy Award in 2006 is the latest actor to join NBC's new drama series "Law & Order: LA," according to Deadline.com.

Terrence Howard, who was nominated for his lead role in “Hustle & Flow,” joins Alfred Molina, Skeet Ulrich and Corey Stoll on the new series. Howard will play a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles, working with Molina's character, Morales.

"Law & Order: LA" is slated to premiere Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 10 p.m. ET.

'Big Brother' Tops Nielsens on a Slow Night

Thursday was an especially slow night on network television in the Nielsens, with only CBS's "Big Brother" having a decent showing, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. "Big Brother" scored a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, up against all reruns.

At 9 p.m. Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" was just ahead of ABC's "Rookie Blue," 1.9 to 1.8 in the demo.

ABC's "Boston Med" at 10 p.m. logged a 1.4 in the 18-49 demographic.

Aikman Tweets a Retraction of His 'Dancing With the Stars' Claim

After telling a TMZ reporter he was going to appear on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" in the upcoming season, former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman now says he was just kidding, reports the New York Daily News.

Via his Twitter account, Aikman said, "I will not be on 'DWTS' ... interferes with ‘American Idol’ auditions."

Aikman is also a Fox NFL analyst. A representative for Fox reported that Aikman was just joking around when he made the original claim.

Aikman’s Dallas Cowboys teammate Emmitt Smith won “Dancing With the Stars” in the show’s third season.

Michalopoulos Leaves ABC News for The Daily Beast

Deirdre Michalopoulos, who has been senior managing editor of shows and show integration for ABC News, has been snagged by The Daily Beast as vice president of live and digital events for the Web site, reports WebNewser.

Michalopoulos was behind the development of digital platforms for ABC shows "Good Morning America," "ABC World News" and "Nightline."

Further Developments in the McPherson Story

Here's the latest developments surrounding the July 27, 2010 resignation of ABC Entertainment Group President Steve McPherson.

1) To fight negative stories since his resignation, McPherson has hired attorney Marty Singer of the firm Lavely & Singer, reports the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog.

"Steve McPherson is not going to sit back idly regarding the false and defamatory stories fueled by unknown and anonymous sources that are now appearing in the media since his resignation from ABC," said McPherson spokesman Stan Rosenfield, the article said.

The Hollywood Reporter (THR) had reported that McPherson resigned amid an internal sexual harassment investigation. Disney didn't provide a specific reason for McPherson's departure.

2) Singer is already at work, according to an article in THR.  The attorney sent a letter to the publication saying the story is "fiction," reports Kim Masters at THR.

Also In this latest story about the matter, Masters reports that McPherson's email was the focus of the alleged investigation: "Sources said that while McPherson was on vacation, Disney was reviewing e-mails as part of an investigation apparently triggered by a complaint from a female executive," Masters writes, continuing, "His e-mail account was promptly suspended. Sources said the alleged incidents involved several women, including executives and on-air talent. THR has no knowledge that the allegations are true."

Despite All The Speculation, It Looks Like Fox Might Surprise All of Us and Pick Jennifer Lopez as a Judge on 'Idol'; TMZ Reports Steven Tyler Will Replace Kara; Randy Said To Be Safe

Despite all of the names mentioned to be a judge on "American Idol," we don't recall JLo as being one of them. But multiple reports this morning say that Jennifer Lopez will replace the departing Ellen DeGeneres on the show. DeGeneres announced Thursday afternoon, July 29, 2010, that she will not return to the show.

Furthermore, TMZ reports that rock 'n roll icon Steven Tyler of Aerosmith will replace Kara DioGuardi. DioGuardi had a year-to-year contract with "Idol."

Randy Jackson is said to be returning to the judges panel.

And that could be it. Fox's solution to the question of how they will replace Simon Cowell may be not to replace him at all. Instead, it looks like they may be just replacing Ellen and Kara and going back to three judges.

And as predicted by Sharon Osbourne in an exclusive TVWeek interview, all of "Idol's" judges will be heavily associated with the music industry.

If the panel does end up being Jackson, Lopez and Tyler, the question is how that will affect the show's viewership. There in no question that  hearing what Simon had to say about contestants was one of the primary reasons a certain percentage of the audience had tuned into the show. Will the comments of Lopez and/or Tyler be compelling enough to these fans to keep watching?

At Phoenix Airport, Travelers Won't Be Able to Watch CNN or Fox News Anymore

The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona is banning both Fox News and CNN from the terminal's flat-screen televisions, reports the Arizona Republic.

"Fox and CNN generate complaints because some passengers see them as politically biased," says spokesman Brian Sexton, according to the article.

Instead, the airport is giving a contract to ProDIGIQ Inc., which will air flight information and traveling programming on the TV screens that aims to be politically neutral, the story says.

William Shatner to CBS: Stop Pussyfooting Around and Use the S Word

William Shatner, who stars in the new CBS comedy "“$#*! My Dad Says,“ is not happy about the title of the show, reports ScreenCrave.com.

At at preview screening of the show on Wednesday, July 28, Shatner said he wants $#*! replaced by a common expletive, according to the story: "“You know what I wish?" Shatner said, "I wish they’d call it ‘Shit’. “The word shit is all around us,” he continued. “It isn’t a terrible term. Why are we pussyfooting?”

Shatner may not be versed in various rules of the Federal Communications Commission.

Wildest Story of the Day: Is Your Detergent Stalking You? (Dirt is Good)

Here's a wild one for you. Unilever is doing a promotion wherein it's putting a GPS tracking device in some boxes of detergent on supermarket shelves.

Once the box leaves the store the GPS device is automatically activated so the customer can be tracked. All of this is not known by the unsuspecting shopper who bought the detergent.

Is this everyone's worst 1984-intrusive Big Brother nightmare or what?

What's happens next is that once the consumer gets home she or he is tracked down--and given a prize for buying the box of detergent!

OK, we guess this promotion represents real out-of-the-box thinking, but still...

All of the details of this wild and crazy idea are in Advertising Age, in a wonderful story by our friend Laurel Wentz. It's a must read, and you can find it if you click here.

Want Home Videos in 3-D? That Will Cost You $1,340 (Television Not Included)

If you've ever said to yourself what's really missing is a 3-D camcorder, then you'll be thrilled to learn that Panasonic will soon be selling what it calls the world's first consumer 3-D camcorder, according to a report in the New York Post.

The cost? A mere $1,340, television not included.

The camcorder has a removable 3-D conversion lens that splits images in half, similar to what a person's right and left eye see, the article says.

The effect works best on subjects about three to 10 feet away from the camera. Of course, to watch the footage you'll need both a 3-D equipped television and glasses.

According to the story, when the 3-D lens is removed, the camcorder takes standard 2-D video as well.

Walt Mossberg, Who is Probably the Nation's Best-Known Journalist Writing About Personal Technology, Tells What He's Learned About the Controversial iPhone4 After Using It in Real World Situations for Six Weeks

If consumers can rely on anyone to tell them about the latest personal digital gadget, it's probably well-known journalist Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal.

Mossberg now gives his opinion of the controversial iPhone4 after using it rigorously in real-life situations for six weeks.

His verdict? "I still believe it is, overall, the best device in its class, for reasons including its ultra high-resolution screen; easy, integrated video calling; slick software; strong battery life; a remarkably thin body; and a world-beating selection of 225,000 third-party apps.

"As for reception, I am sticking with my initial conclusions. I have found that in areas with average or strong AT&T coverage and capacity, the iPhone performs better than its predecessor and about as well as other AT&T smartphones I’ve recently tested. It still drops too many calls for my taste on AT&T’s heavily stressed network, which has experienced a stunning 5,000% rise in data traffic since the iPhone’s introduction in 2007. That data traffic reduces the network’s ability to handle voice calls."

'Lost' Star Signs on for Lifetime Cable Movie

A new movie for Lifetime, "Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story," will star one of the stars from "Lost," E! Online reports.

'Lost' star Terry O'Quinn will appear in the fact-based telefilm as Mark Miller, who with his charitable group The American Association for Lost Children, helped travel to Korea and return her abducted son, the article says.

Five-Time (!) Emmy-Winning Actress Set for Original Xmas Movie on Cable

A five-time Emmy-winning actress will star in an original Christmas-themed TV movie, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The Hallmark Channel has tapped Doris Roberts to star in "Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs. Miracle," the article says.  It's a sequel to last year's "Mrs. Miracle," which also starred Roberts.

The actress will again play Emily Merkle, also known as Mrs. Miracle, who wants to Christmas is both magical and meaningful, the story says. The telefilm, based on a Macomber novel set to be issued in September, will debut on Nov. 27.

In the show, Mrs. Miracle gets a seasonal job in the toy department of Finley's Department Store, which is having financial problems, the story says. 

'Law & Order: Los Angeles' Taps Second Actor for Skeet Ulrich's Detective Partner

"Law & Order: Los Angeles" has tapped Corey Stoll to star opposite Skeet Ulrich as the second detective on the NBC show, reports Deadline.com. The DA in the show will be played by Alfred Molina.

Stoll, who most recently played the role of Shnaider in the film "Salt," will take the part of TJ Jaruszalski, a detective with a "cynical view of the entertainment industry, a health nut with an active social life," the article says.

The show is set to start production on Aug. 2. Stoll had also guest-starred on the original "Law & Order" program, the story adds.

Corey Stoll

Skeet Ulrich

Alfred Molina

Yet Another TV Station Pushing Back Morning News to Pre-Dawn Hour, Creating Chicago Glut of Newcasts in the Wee Hours

In yet another sign that television news is becoming enamored of the pre-dawn hours, WFLD-TV in Chicago is moving its early weekday newscast back half an hour to 4:30 a.m beginning Monday., reports the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rosenthal.

The move comes as rival WLS-TV plans to do the same thing also starting on Monday, the story says.

Likewise, WGN-TV, plans to move its morning newscasts to 4:30 a.m, but will wait until Aug. 16 for the time change, the story says.

 As previously reported, stations are tapping into early-rising commuters who want their news to come on as they wake up. WPIX-TV in New York, for example, is starting a 4 a.m. newscast on Sept. 20th.

Emmy-winning Special With Susan Lucci, Montel Williams and 'General Hospital's' Anthony Geary and Kelly Monaco Cleared in NY, LA, Chicago, Philly and Cleveland

An hour-long Emmy-winning special from Associated Television International, has been sold to ABC-owned stations in top markets such as New York and Los Angeles, reports B&C.

The show, "On the Edge," will air on the stations over the Thanksgiving weekend. It tracks daytime starsincluding Susan Lucci of "All My Children,"  talk-show host Montel Williams, and "General Hospital's" Anthony Geary and Kelly Monaco as they visit Kenya to raise awareness of poverty in Africa, the article says.

Ellen DeGeneres Out as 'Idol' Judge

Fox has announced that Ellen DeGeneres will not return as a judge on "American Idol."

In a statement DeGeneres said, "A couple months ago, I let Fox and the 'American Idol' producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on 'Idol' and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be."

However, reporter James Hibberd wrote on The Hollywood Reporter's website, "[A]s recent as last week the performer's reps told THR she was still willing to fulfill her contract with the show."

The statement by DeGeneres is also a surprise given her years long love of the show and her excitement and eagerness when she was named a judge for this past season.

Her statement is also of interest in light of the fact that former "Idol" showrunner Nigel Lythgoe is reportedly coming back to the show, and that Lythgoe told a reporter in April that he thought all of Idol's current judges should be replaced.

Furthermore, in a TVWeek exclusive, Sharon Osbourne, who, besides being a judge on "America's Got Talent" and a well-respected music manager in her own right, told TVWeek yesterday that she also thinks all the judges need to be replaced. It was a surprising statement from her, given that she applauded the move making DeGeneres an "Idol"  judge when it was first announced. Osbourne also told TVWeek that she knows Lythgoe "very well." To read our interview with Osbourne, click here.

According to the THR story, Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment, Fox Networks Group said in a statement, "We love Ellen and understand and support her decision to bow out of 'Idol.' We were fortunate to receive the humor, energy and love for talent that she brought to the show."

Also, according to THR, Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment, Fox, said in a statement, "It was a joy to work with Ellen. She brought an incredible spirit to 'Idol' and was a great new addition to the team. While we're saddened by her decision, we are very appreciative that she gave us ample notice so that we could work through it together."

Of the remaining two judges, THR reports, "Sophomore judge Kara DioGuardi is also said to be potentially exiting the show, while Randy Jackson, who has another year on his contract, is considered likely to stay."

Self-Promotional Puff or the Real Thing? The Man Who Is Arguably the Most Well-Known Hip-Hop Mogul in the World Says He Wants to Replace Cowell on 'Idol'

Another name has been added to the list of celebrities showing an interest in replacing Simon Cowell as a judge on Fox's “American Idol,” People magazine reports.

Rap mogul Diddy apparently got a look at Cowell’s paycheck, according to the story, and he wants a piece of it.

“At first when people were asking me if I was interested in the job I was like no … that’s not my style,” Diddy told George Lopez on Wednesday’s “Lopez Tonight.” “But once I heard what Simon makes … [I] would love the job. I’ve got six kids. If I would get the same check Simon gets … we would have a ball.”

Diddy joins a growing list of contenders for Cowell’s spot that reportedly already includes Justin Timberlake, Elton John, Bret Michaels, Shania Twain, Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr.

Sherrod Plans to Sue Blogger Andrew Breitbart

Former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod says she will pursue a lawsuit against conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart, CNN reported.

Breitbart posted an edited video clip of Sherrod addressing a chapter of the NAACP that gave the impression she discriminated against a white farmer looking for assistance.

"I will definitely do it," she said when asked about the possibility of taking legal action, according to the report.

Breitbart "had to know that he was targeting me," Sherrod said. "At this point, he hasn't apologized. I don't want it at this point, and he'll definitely hear from me."

Sherrod was forced to resign from her position with the Agriculture Department because of the controversy surrounding the clip, which was filmed 24 years ago. She later received an apology from the USDA and has been offered another position with the department.

Former NFL Quarterback Says He Will Be 'Dancing With the Stars'

A Super Bowl-winning former NFL quarterback says he will appear on the next season of “Dancing With the Stars,” reports TMZ.com.

Troy Aikman, a former Dallas Cowboy who is also a Fox NFL analyst, was leaving an L.A. restaurant when he was approached by TMZ and confirmed that he will compete on the ABC show during the upcoming season.

NFL stars have done well on the show in the past, including Jason Taylor, Emmitt Smith and Warren Sapp. ABC has yet to comment on Aikman's claim.

ESPN to Kick Off 3D College Football Telecasts With Three September Games

ESPN's new 3D channel, ESPN 3D, will launch the college football season in September with three 3D game telecasts, reports Multichannel News.

On Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. ET, Virginia Tech will play Boise State at FedEx Field in Maryland. Then on Sept. 11 at 3:40 p.m. ET, the Miami Hurricanes will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. On Sept.18 at 7 p.m. ET, Clemson goes up against Auburn.

ESPN 3D will broadcast 13 games in total for the college football season.

Coming Soon to Your Issue of Vanity Fair: A TV Show, Inside the Magazine

In an unusual marketing move, Fox has teamed with Vanity Fair magazine to promote a new drama series on the network.

The October issue of Vanity Fair will include a DVD insert of the season premiere of "Lone Star."

iPad users who have the Vanity Fair app will receive a preview of the pilot for "Lone Star," too, effective for two weeks after the magazine hits the stands on Sept. 7.

"Lone Star" will bow on Fox on Monday, Sept. 20, at 9 p.m. ET.

Reality Check: 'America's Got Talent,' 'Big Brother' Score Again in Nielsens

The Wednesday night Nielsens reflected the smaller summer audiences, but reality TV continued to thrive, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. CBS's "Big Brother" beat out Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," scoring a 2.2 rating to a 2.0 in the 18-49 demographic. NBC's "Minute to Win It" was just behind with a 1.8 in the demo.

At 9 p.m. NBC's "America's Got Talent" was the top-rated show of the night with a 2.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic, ahead of the second hour of "So You Think You Can Dance" with a 2.0. The premiere of CW's "Plain Jane" barely registered with a 0.4 in the 18-49 demo.

Emmy Winner Returns to HBO for Another High-Profile Biopic

An actor who already has one Emmy for a starring role in an HBO biographical production will give it another go, reports Digital Spy.

Paul Giamatti, who won an Emmy for HBO's "John Adams" miniseries, will return to the premium network to play another larger-than-life biographical character, according to the story. Giamatti will play Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev in a film based on Peter Carlson's book "K Blows Top."

The focus of the story is Khrushchev's infamous visit to America in 1959 in which the Russian leader went to New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Iowa, Pittsburgh, and Camp David with President Eisenhower.

Tom Hanks will co-produce, along with Paul Bernbaum, Perri Kipperman and David Stern.

'Glee' Creator Reveals Theme of Upcoming Tribute Episode--And It Will Be a Familiar One to the Show's Fans

The speculation has been that Fox's "Glee" would do a Britney Spears episode in season two, but co-creator Ryan Murphy said at Comic-Con on Sunday that the show will revisit an artist it has already paid tribute to once, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Murphy said the show will do a second Madonna episode. The first Madonna "Glee" drew 13.5 million viewers and scored a 5.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

Murphy also said he is considering an episode focused on Spears and the show has been talking about it with the pop singer.

Conservative Political Analyst Returns to Fox News

A well-known conservative political analyst has returned to Fox News, reports TVNewser.

Appearing Wednesday on "Fox & Friends" and "The Strategy Room," Angela McGlowan announced her return to the network on her Facebook page.

McGlowan exited Fox News last February to run for Congress in Mississippi. She was unsuccessful in her bid for the Republican nomination for a House seat.

Report: McPherson Resigned Amid Sexual Harassment Investigation

"Steve McPherson resigned from ABC as the company conducted an internal sexual harassment investigation of the executive, according to a source," reports Kim Masters at The Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed blog. (Though the Reuters version of the story, which can be found at ABC News' Entertainment site, carries the byline of Masters' THR colleague, James Hibberd, who created the Live Feed blog.)

In response to a request to comment by THR, McPherson's attorney, Tom Hoberman, issued the following statement to THR:

"Upon Steve McPherson returning to work from his vacation on Monday, he made a voluntary decision to resign and ABC accepted his resignation. It is not uncommon for high level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo. That would include rumors of internal situations which can easily be misinterpreted or misrepresented. Seems like it goes with the territory, and there is nothing further to discuss."

According to the story, ABC, when asked for comment, choose just to reissue its previously issued statement about McPherson's resignation, to which THR said, "ABC pointedly did not deny allegations of inappropriate conduct were involved" in McPherson's resignation.

Said the THR article, "A source says multiple harassment complaints were made involving the entertainment chief and that the company had been conducting a formal investigation into his behavior for three weeks leading up to his resignation.

"Sources said the alleged incidents involved several women, including some executives and on-air talent. The inquiry expanded to include email. A source said an incident at a company retreat, witnessed by more than one staffer, was also part of the inquiry."

As previously reported, when ABC Entertainment Group President McPherson resigned on July 27, 2010, ABC's statement said, " "Steve McPherson today submitted his resignation as President, ABC Entertainment Group, and the Company accepted. Mr. McPherson said, 'I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best.' A replacement for Mr. McPherson will be announced shortly."

TVWeek Exclusive: With Her Experience as a Reality Show Talent Judge, Plus Her Years Managing Music Acts, Sharon Osbourne Reveals Her Shocking Ideas of What 'Idol' Needs to Do Post-Simon Cowell; Separately, TMZ Says Jessica Simpson Might Be 'Idol' Judge

By Chuck Ross

Sharon Osbourne, a judge on "America's Got Talent" as well as a former judge on the hit British music talent show "The X Factor," and a former manager of a number of popular music bands, has shared with TVWeek her recommendations about what "American Idol" needs to do post-Simon Cowell.

Her rather shocking conclusion about the judges who are left on "Idol": "They need to get rid of the whole panel. It’s old, boring. They need to go and reinvent the show. There’s tough competition coming up on every channel. Really tough competition."

Coincidentally--or perhaps not--that's the same thing Nigel Lythgoe told a reporter in April about the show. Lythgoe, a former executive producer and showrunner on "Idol" is said to be returning to the series. Osbourne said she knows Lythgoe "very well."

When Ellen DeGeneres was first named to be a judge on "Idol," Osbourne applauded the choice. Clearly, she's now changed her mind.

A number of performers, from Elton John to Chris Isaak, have been rumored to replace Simon Cowell.

Osbourne likes that idea. "A performer can give great advice, and that performer understands what those contestants are going through. They’ve got to keep the judges between producers, performers, writers. They have to."

"Idol," she says, "was the best show on TV, but, unfortunately now the panel is boring."

What the producers must not do, she intones, is try to replace Simon by trying to get someone else to mimic his persona.

"They don’t need to," Osbourne says. "You can’t. You can’t fill his shoes. You can’t keep getting someone who’s Mr. Nasty and someone who’s Mrs. Nice" and someone who does musings such as Randy Jackson does. "You’ve got to go beyond that. That’s been done. To keep the show fresh they need to move from that.

"I think they need people with real credibility. They’ve got to find people that the public are invested in. That the public know. I don’t think they should be unknowns."

When the show started American viewers were not familiar with Cowell or Jackson, so why not go with unknowns once again?

To which Osbourne replied, "Yes, but the show built with them. As the show grew the public got invested in them. Unfortunately for the show and the network, they don’t have another 10 years to rebuild it. They’ve got to get in now."

Is joining 'Idol' as a regular judge--not just as a guest judge--something she's ever wanted to do? "I do. What’s the difference to me whether I get paid to sit there or somewhere else?"

Since she believes all of the judges should be replaced, who, specifically, are some names Osbourne thinks 'Idol's"  producers should contact to replace them?

Laughing, she says, "Let them do it. I’m not telling."

Separately, TMZ reports that "Jessica Simpson has had 'several meetings' with the brass at 'American Idol' in the hopes of taking over Simon Cowell's judging duties ... and sources involved tell TMZ there's "mutual interest."

USA Network Renews Series for Two Additional Seasons

The USA Network has renewed one of its signature series for an additional two seasons, reports Deadline.com.

The renewing of  U.S. marshal drama "In Plain Sight" will bring the show's run to five seasons on the cable network, the story adds.

The cast, with actors such as Mary McCormack, Frederick Weller and Paul Ben-Victor, will all return to the program.

The series just finished its third season with an average audience of 5.2 million viewers and 1.8 million of those in the 18-49 demographic, the story adds.

Jersey What? On 'The View,' President Obama Says He Has No Idea Who Snooki Is -- Even Though He'd Used her as Punchline Before

According to several audience members at Wednesday's taping of ABC's "The View," President Barack Obama drew a blank when asked about Snooki, the poof-haired cast member of MTV's "Jersey Shore," reports the New York Daily News.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who that is," Obama said when he was asked about her.

Still, he'd used her as a punchline for a joke at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in May, the story says. His joke: "This next provision is called the Jersey Shore-Up. It reads: The following individuals shall be excluded from the indoor tanning tax within this bill - Snooki, J-WOWW, the Situation, and House Minority Leader John Boehner." (Guess his joke-writers know who Snooki is, of course.)

Obama also said on the show that he wasn't attending Chelsea Clinton's wedding, joking that having two presidents there would cause the Secret Service to "unwrap all the gifts." The interview will be broadcast on Thursday.

Star of Vintage Cult Favorite 'James at 15' Placed on Probation

In yet another sad story about former child actors, the star of the 1970s series "James at 15" has been placed on five years probation, Popeater reports.

Lance Kerwin, 49, who played the title character in the show, applied for state medical assistance and food stamps in Hawaii, despite owning multiple homes, which he left off his application, the story says.

Kerwin has paid $21,822 in restitution and apologized for his actions, which led to a second-degree theft charge, the article says.

Kerwin is a pastor at Calvary Chapel in Kapaa and a U-Turn for Christ program leader.

After Harsh GLAAD Report, CBS Decides to Add Three Gay Characters to Programs

After a harsh report from the & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's annual survey of gay-friendly programming, CBS has decided to add three gay characters to its programs in the coming television season, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

A gay character will be added to the new comedy "Bleep My Dad Says," the returning half-hour show "Rules of Engagement" and legal drama "The Good Wife," the story says.

 As previously reported, the GLAAD report gave CBS a "failing" grade because just 7% of its programming was considered inclusive. "We're disappointed in our track record so far," said CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler at Tuesday's Television Critic's Association meeting, where she revealed the additions. "We're going to do it. We're not happy with ourselves."

Report: Former Viacom Executive Preparing Harassment Suit Against Sumner Redstone

A former senior executive at Viacom is readying a harassment lawsuit against Viacom (and CBS) majority stakeholder Sumner Redstone, reports the New York Post's Page Six.

The article does not name the executive.

The woman had worked closely with Redstone, 87, before Viacom split with CBS in 2006, and has hired attorney Anne Vladeck, who the article says represented Anucha Browne Sanders in a 2007 sexual harassment suit against Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden. That resulted in an $11.6 million payout to Sanders, the story adds.

The Viacom executive has made her complaint known to Viacom and CBS, and in-house attorneys are currently reviewing it. Representatives for Viacom, CBS and Redstone declined comment, as did Vladeck, the article says.

Separately, the Daily Beast's Peter Lauria is reporting that Redstone had given a  young woman a large stock package.  He allegedly also made Showtime give the woman, Rohini Singh, a job when the company had a hiring freeze, the article says. Redstone gave her a gift of 2,522 shares of Class B Viacom stock that she sold in March for about $77,000, the article says.

As previously reported, Redstone had also given stock options to a member of the Electric Barbarellas, a band he's trying to make television show about.

Coming: Investigation Discovery's Version of 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Meets 'The Newlywed Game'

If, later today, you find out, for the first time, that your wife, or husband, is really a spy for the government, your reaction might be "Who the F__ Did I Marry?"

That's the premise for an upcoming show on Investigation Discovery, the network has announced.

From the announcement of the show, officially called "Who the [Bleep] Did I Marry?" : "Pulling back the curtain on bizarre double lives, this series examines stories of men and women who thought they were happily married until the day they uncovered a shocking secret about their spouse – a secret that would leave them asking "Who the [Bleep] Did I Marry?"

"From bank robbers to bigamists to international spies, these compelling and sometimes startling characters will have viewers shaking their heads in disbelief and wondering how the truths behind these scandalous spouses were kept hidden for so long. Each half-hour episode weaves together the first-person tales of these doomed marriages, from their nuptial bliss to the jaw-dropping revelation about their significant other."Who the [Bleep] Did I Marry?"  premieres Wednesday, August 25 at 10 PM (ET) on Investigation Discovery."

Salary Negotiations Still Ongoing with 'Big Bang' Cast Just One Week Before Start of 4th Season Production

Salary negotiations are "still nowhere" with the main cast of CBS' "The Big Bang Theory," just one week before the show is slated to begin production on its fourth season, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com.

Producing studio Warner Bros. TV offered the show's three stars, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco, $100,000 per episode, which is an increase from the roughly $60,000 per episode they had recently made, the article says.

But it's also far below the $250,000 per episode many had thought they would receive, given the show's ratings. The actors representatives didn't respond to the offer and negotiations halted for three weeks.

"I hear it was WBTV that reached out to the actors and there has been some back-and-forth but no new money offer is on the table. I hear complicating things is the fact that Parsons has separated himself from the others as he reportedly pursues a bigger paycheck," Andreeva writes.

CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said at the Television Critics Association press tour on Wednesday, July 28, 2010, that she's optimistic "things will work out."

Motorola Latches onto Apple's iPhone 4 Design Flaw with Campaign to Boost Droid X

Motorola is using Apple's iPhone 4 design flaw to its own benefit, running an advertisement that points out the iPhone's reception problem while drawing attention to its new Droid X on Verizon, reports Advertising Age.

A full-page print ad that ran in the New York Times Wednesday touts Motorola's new phone as needing "No Jacket Required," the story says.

"At Motorola, we believe a customer shouldn't have to dress up their phone for it to work properly," the copy reads. It's a poke at Apple's fix of offering free "bumpers" to help solve a tendency for the iPhone 4 to drop calls when it's held a certain way.

But Apple claims Droid X has the same problem. So far, Droid carrier Verizon has stayed out participating in the attack ads, the article says.

To see a copy of the Droid ad knocking the iPhone and rad the entire Ad Age story, click here.

NBC's Flagship Los Angeles TV Station, KNBC, Gets New Exec to Take Over Day-to-Day News Operations

NBC's flagship TV station in Los Angeles, KNBC, is getting a new executive to take over the day-to-day operations of its news department, reports TVNewsCheck.

The executive is Vickie Burns, who has been named KNBC's vice president of news. "She will start Aug. 16 and report directly to KNBC President and GM Craig Robinson. She is replacing Steve Lange, who left in May," the article says.

Burns comes to KNBC from the Big Apple, where she was VP of content and audience development from NBC Media New York, according to the story.

The article also notes that "In 2008, [Burns] moved up to New York as VP of news and content and implemented NBC's "content center" strategy, breaking down the walls between broadcast and digital media. She also helped launch NY Nonstop, a 24-hour news and lifestyle subchannel."

Online-Video Sites Touting 'TV Everywhere' Debuted by Turner Broadcasting with Verizon's FiOS

Online-video sites touting "TV Everywhere" from Turner Broadcasting System have been created for customers of Verizon's FiOS TV customers, reports Multichannel News.

FiOS customers can watch Turner's programming through two sites, tbs.com/tveverywhere and tnt.tv/tveverywhere, by logging in through registered usernames and passwords, the story says.

That will allow subscribers to watch TNT shows such as "The Closer" and "Rizzoli & Isles," or TBS programs ranging from "Lopez Tonight" to "Meet the Browns," the story says. Advertisers on the sites include Unilever's Dove soap on the TBS online network and Mars' M&Ms for TNT. Turner plans to start more TV Everywhere networks in the next few months, the article adds.

CBS's Tassler Sounds Off on McPherson's Exit Just Before TCA and Why Networks Should Be 'Paranoid'

Launching the Television Critics Association conference in Beverly Hills, CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler told an executive session Wednesday that stability has been a winning strategy for her network but added that CBS remains “paranoid” about the future of broadcast TV, reports The Wall Street Journal.

“We’re restless and motivated and, as I like to say, paranoid,” Tassler said to reporters at the Beverly Hills Hilton.

The network, known for formulaic sitcoms and police procedurals, recently launched one of its strongest slates of new shows in years, including “The Good Wife” and “Undercover Boss.” Tassler said CBS is open to innovative TV concepts, citing “the first-ever show based on a Twitter feed [comedy “$#*! My Dad Says”].”

Commenting on the recent shakeup at ABC and the resignation of its head of programming Stephen McPherson, Tassler quipped, “Damn it, he got out of press tour.”

'Battlestar Galactica' Prequel Ready for Takeoff, But Not on TV

Fans of the science-fiction drama "Battlestar Galactica" may soon get to see the characters come back to life in a prequel to the series, reports the Chicago Tribune.

"Blood and Chrome" would be a Web series centering on a younger version of the character William "Husker" Adama, and his experiences in the first Cylon War.

Mark Stern, Syfy's executive vice president of original programming and the co-head of original content for Universal Cable Productions, confirmed the project is in the works. Each segment would be approximately 10 minutes long and there might be as many as 10 episodes.

History to Try Its Hand at 3D This Week With Telecast of 'Universe'

History has decided to give 3D TV a try this week with a special broadcast of the Season 5 premiere of "Universe" via DirecTV, reports B&C.

History will present the 3D broadcast of the "Universe" episode "Seven Wonders of the Solar System" Friday at 10 p.m. ET on n3D, DirecTV's new 3D channel. It will be History’s first stereoscopic 3D broadcast.

DirecTV will also show a 2D version of the premiere on The 101 Network.

Tiger Woods' Mistress Bails Out on 'Celebrity Rehab,' Then Gets Talked Back Into It

Tiger Woods' mistress Rachel Uchitel quit "Celebrity Rehab 4," running away from the show's filming to check into a luxury Beverly Hills hotel, only to reconsider her decision, reports RadarOnline.com.

Uchitel decided to quit after an intense day of filming at the Pasadena Recovery Center, where the VH1 reality show is based, the story says. She had difficulty coping with some of the issues discussed with Dr. Drew Pinsky, and fled to L'Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Uchitel was talking about her addition to pills and issues of self-esteem and self-worth when she quit, the article adds. But the show's producers talked with her the next morning, and Uchitel agreed to return to the program.

Say It Ain't So: New 'Survivor' Series Will Have (Get This) ... a Twist!

In a surprise twist (not), word has surfaced that CBS’s upcoming “Survivor: Nicaragua” will have (gasp) ... a twist, the Orlando Sentinel revealed.

Hint: All the hype surrounding the expected involvement of 67-year-old former Super Bowl coach Jimmy Johnson could have something to do with it.

Here’s the spoiler: The next installment in the “Survivor” franchise will pit young against old, according to the story. Contestants will be divided into two tribes, one under 30 and the other over 40.

"Survivor: Nicaragua" premieres on CBS Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

Ohio Politician to Launch Syndicated Talker in 2011

The former assistant attorney general for the state of Ohio will be the star of a new syndicated talk show from Tribune Broadcasting scheduled to premiere in fall 2011.

"The Bill Cunningham Show," a one-hour talk show, will be filmed in Chicago before a live audience. It will air Monday through Friday beginning in September 2011.

In a statement, Cunningham said, "I am proud to be an integral part of Tribune's new original daytime programming initiative."

Cunningham currently hosts a weekday talk radio show on WLW-AM in Cincinnati.

Sean Compton, Tribune Broadcasting president of programming, said in a statement, "Bill's show represents a great opportunity for Tribune to get back into original programming production."

ABC Drops One of the Stars of 'Off the Map'

A character featured in the pilot for ABC's new fall medical drama "Off the Map" has been dropped from the series, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Former "Without a Trace" star Enrique Murciano appeared in the pilot, but his character has been eliminated from the show for the remainder of the run, according to the story.

His exit was deemed necessary for creative reasons.

TV-Centric Social Network Gains Momentum, Financing

A new online social media network geared specifically to television fans continues to make progress toward its ambitious goals, reports Multichannel News.

The social media platform Philo has already raised financing from institutional investors and others, including television producer Stephen Lambert, the man behind CBS's "Undercover Boss."

Philo is still quite small--fewer than 10 employees--but the company anticipates entering into agreements with programmers to promote TV shows or series, the story says.

The Los Angeles-based Web site, where TV fans meet and comment on their favorite shows, aims to be a major player in the future of interactive television.

Fox's 'MasterChef' Cooks Up Strong Ratings for Premiere

The Tuesday night double dose of Gordon Ramsay on Fox, including his new show "MasterChef," proved to be a winner in the Nielsens, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" was the top draw with a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, well ahead of the premiere of NBC's new series "Breakthrough With Tony Robbins," which netted a paltry 0.8 rating in the demo.

In the 9 p.m. time slot, "MasterChef" had a rousing premiere, collecting a 2.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic. NBC's "America's Got Talent" had a 2.1 in the demo for the hour.

At 10 p.m., up against all reruns, the second hour of "America's Got Talent" surged to a 2.8 in the demo.

Major League Baseball Defies Tradition, Tweaks Start of 2011 Season

A change is being made to the Major League Baseball schedule for 2011 in an effort to get better weather for postseason games, reports USA Today.

The change includes starting the season three days early, on Friday, April 1. Baseball’s traditional Opening Day is on a Monday.

The move is designed to ensure that the World Series will wrap up before Nov. 1.

"I think the commissioner is sensitive to getting the postseason over in October," said Ed Goren, president of Fox Sports, which broadcasts the World Series. "But I've been in cities where the weather is awful in mid-October, and beautiful the first of November. So if we're playing Game 7 of the World Series on Oct. 28 and it's snowed out, don't blame baseball."

'30 Rock' Actor Gets Recurring Role on 'Glee'

One of the actors on NBC's "30 Rock" has landed a recurring role on Fox's "Glee," reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files.

It's Cheyenne Jackson, who plays Danny on "30 Rock." Jackson will play the role of Vocal Adrenaline's coach on "Glee," replacing Idina Menzl, the article says.

Although Menzel won't be the rival group's leader, she'll likely still reappear in the show's second season because her character is also Rachel's biological mom, the story notes, adding that the part for Jackson represents a major recurring role.

This Isn't the Summer of Love for Oprah

This isn't the Summer of Love for Oprah Winfrey. Her show continues to struggle in the ratings, reports B&C.

The show dropped 13% in the week ending July 18 from the prior week, giving it a 2.8 live plus same day household average, the story says.

That almost placed "Oprah" out of the top 10 list of syndicated programs.

The show tied for overall ninth place with CTD's "Inside Edition" and reruns of "CSI: New York," the article says. The program has dropped 20% from its ratings a year earlier

As Networks Perfect Programs, Level of Tinkering for the Upcoming Fall Season Seems Remarkable

As the networks perfect their new shows for the 2010-11 season, the level of tinkering seems to have gone beyond the changes usually seen, report Joe Flint and Maria Elena Fernandez in the Los Angeles Times.

For instance, more than 20 of the new 37 scripted shows have had changes and 17 actors have been replaced, the story points out. Actors that have been removed include Ryan Devlin, who was recast as the son in CBS' "Bleep My Dad Says" with Jonathan Sadowski, and Joely Richardson, whose role in ABC's "The Whole Truth" was given to Maura Tierney.

Sometimes the changes are due to simple fate, the article says. Take for instance Fox's "Running Wilde," which had planned to tap David Cross to play the fiance of Keri Russell's character, only to be forced to temporarily replace him with Andrew Daly in the pilot when the eruption of an Icelandic volcano shut down European travel and trapped Cross overseas.

Changing actors means reshooting scenes, which isn't a huge stress on the bottom line, the article notes. Actors in a new series can earn between $15,000 to $125,000 per episode. Taking on the added costs can be better than the other option: a series that doesn't work, the story says.

Chris Albrecht, Who Was a Hughly Successful Programmer at HBO, and His $1 Billion Bet That He Can Make Starz a Significant Player on the Original Programming Scene

Chris Albrecht, who was extraordinarily successful as a programmer at HBO, is betting $1 billion that he can repeat his magic at Starz

Called Operation Turbo, Starz has a plan to raise the $1 billion in off-balance-sheet financing to build the network's original programming, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

Starz Entertainment CEO Albrecht and executives have been meeting with companies ranging from Studio Canal in France to BBC in London, the story says.

Albrecht was given the task by Starz parent Liberty Media, which wants the pay-cabler to ramp up its original shows to compete with HBO and Showtime.

Creative Thinking Award of the Day: The Reason Mobile TV Has Not Taken Off in the U.S.

Here's an interesting take on why mobile TV has not taken off in the U.S.

It's our dearth of public transportation, reports the Wall St. Journal (note that the Journal is behind a firewall and may charge you to read this story).

"Many Americans are driving when they aren't at home or at work—and less able to watch TV on the go than users in countries where public transportation is more widely used," the story says. One analyst estimates there will be 12.8 million mobile TV subscribers in North America this year, while worldwide there will be 178.4 million customers of such services, the article adds.

The lack of acceptance means that chip maker Qualcomm could give up its six-year effort to bring TV to mobile phones, with the company saying it's considering "a number of alternatives" for its FLO TV wireless network, which powers mobile-TV services from AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the article adds. A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate.

What's Up with Anderson Cooper? Not Ratings, as CNN's Audience Problem Extends Beyond Campbell Brown and Larry King

CNN's ratings woes continue, with Anderson Cooper's show in the doldrums, reports the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog.

Anderson Cooper's show averaged just 575,000 viewers for July, representing a 56% decline from the same period a year earlier. it's also the second least-watched month ever for Cooper, who reported from hot spots such as the BP oil spill and Haiti, the story says.

John King, meanwhile, has shed 42% of the viewers that Lou Dobbs drew last July, placing CNN fourth in the hour.

Still, CNN's rivals also saw audience declines in July, the story points out: "Fox News is still on way out on top, but its prime-time average is down 11% in viewers compared to the same month a year ago while MSNBC was off 9%. CNN's sister channel HLN saw 20% of its audience disappear."

Report: Reps for Elton John and Justin Timberlake Say No 'American Idol' Judging

Elton John and Justin Timberlake apparently aren't going to be judges on "American Idol" anytime soon, reports Nikki Finke at Deadline.com.

"Elton's got commitments right up until next year. As we stand at the moment, Elton has no plans to do that show," the singer's UK publicist Gary Farrow says, according to the article.

As for Timberlake, he's focusing on his film career after parts in David Fincher's Oscar-touted "The Social Network" as well as "Bad Teacher" and "Friends with Benefit," the story says. "A Justin insider says the report is "just silly" because Timberlake has no time for a gig like this," Finke writes.

One of the Baldwin Brothers Near Deal to Join 'Parenthood' Cast

Looks like one of the Baldwin brothers will be joining hte cast of NBC's "Parenthood," reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files.

It's Billy Baldwin. NBC declined to comment, the story says. Baldwin, who recently appeared as a dad on "Gossip Girl," would appear in multiple episodes of the show's second season, the story says.

His character would come as a love interest for Lauren Graham's character Sarah, the story says. Jason Ritter, who plays Sarah's younger-man sometimes-boyfriend (and her daughter's English teacher), will be busy with another  NBC series, "The Event," the story says.

TCA Summer Tour Begins: Todays Schedule

The annulal Television Critics Association summer tour begins today, Wednesday, July 28, 2010. FIrst up is CBS, and as a profession courtesy, here's today's schedule:

CBS
PRESS TOUR SCHEDULE


WEDNESDAY, JULY 28

7:00 AM Registration opens

7:30 AM “The Defenders”/Las Vegas Themed Breakfast Buffet
International Ballroom Foyer
Start the morning off right by joining us for a selection of your favorite breakfast items with showgirls and slot machines for added fun.


CBS PRESENTS:

8:30-9:00 AM CBS ENTERTAINMENT EXECUTIVE SESSION PRESENTATION AND Q&A
International Ballroom
Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment

9:15-9:45 AM THE BIG BANG THEORY PRESENTATION AND Q&A
International Ballroom
Johnny Galecki
Jim Parsons
Kaley Cuoco
Simon Helberg
Kunal Nayyar
Chuck Lorre, Co-Creator and Executive Producer
Bill Prady, Co-Creator and Executive Producer

10:00-10:30 AM MIKE & MOLLY PRESENTATION AND Q&A
International Ballroom
Billy Gardell
Melissa McCarthy
Reno Wilson
Katy Mixon
Nyambi Nyambi
Swoosie Kurtz
Chuck Lorre, Executive Producer
Mark Roberts, Executive Producer

10:45-11:30 AM WRITING TIME


11:30-12:00 PM NEW DAYTIME TALK SHOW PRESENTATION AND Q&A
International Ballroom
Julie Chen, Co-Host
Sara Gilbert, Co-Host and Executive Producer
Sharon Osbourne, Co-Host
Holly Robinson Peete, Co-Host
Leah Remini, Co-Host
Marissa Jaret Winokur, Co-Host

12:15-12:45 PM HAWAII FIVE-0 PRESENTATION AND Q&A
International Ballroom
Alex O’Loughlin
Scott Caan
Alex Kurtzman, Executive Producer
Peter Lenkov, Executive Producer

12:45-1:45 PM Lunch – Beverly Hills Ballroom
A selection of boxed lunches will be available for the busy reporter on the go…

2:00-2:30 PM THE DEFENDERS PRESENTATION AND Q&A
International Ballroom
Jim Belushi
Jerry O’Connell
Jurnee Smollett
Tanya Fischer
Carol Mendelsohn, Executive Producer
Kevin Kennedy, Executive Producer/Creator/Writer
Niels Muller, Executive Producer/Creator/Writer
Harry Gantz, Executive Producer
Joe Gantz, Executive Producer
Greg Walker, Executive Producer/Showrunner

2:45-3:15 PM BLUE BLOODS PRESENTATION AND Q&A
International Ballroom
Tom Selleck
Donnie Wahlberg
Mitchell Burgess, Executive Producer
Robin Green, Executive Producer

3:15-3:45 PM Break

3:45-4:15 PM $#*! MY DAD SAYS Q&A
International Ballroom
William Shatner
David Kohan, Executive Producer
Max Mutchnick, Executive Producer
Justin Halpern, Co-Executive Producer

Test of 'The Huckabee Show' Shows Viewers Don't Yet Heart Former Gov. Huckabee

Fox's test of "The Huckabee Show" isn't yet showing that viewers love former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, reports B&C.

The show, which is being tested for six weeks on seven television stations, averaged a 0.6 rating/2 share on its Monday debut, the story says. That represents a 45% decline from its lead-in average of a 1.1 rating/4 share, the article points out.

The worst-performing test was at WFXT-TV in Boston, where the show averaged a 0.1 rating/0 share, representing an 88% plunge from its lead-in and an 80% drop from the repeats of NBCU's "Martha" a year earlier, the article says.

Two Join Grammy Winner in Cast of AMC's New Western 'Hell on Wheels'

AMC's Western period drama "Hell on Wheels" has cast two of its leads, who will be joining Grammy-winning rapper Common in he cast, reports Deadline.com.

Joining the cast are Anson Mount and Dominique McElligott.  Common will play a freed slave, as previously reported.

Mount will play Cullen, a former Confederate soldier and ex-slave owner who is seeking revenge for the rape and murder of his wife by a Union soldier, the story says. McElligott will play Lily Bell, who is part of a team of surveyors working on the transcontinental railroad, which Mount's character also ends up working on, the article says.

McPherson Out at ABC, Paul Lee of ABC Family Likely to Replace Him

In a major shakeup at ABC on the eve of the annual summer tour of the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles, Steve McPherson, President, ABC Entertainment Group, has submitted his resignation. He will likely be replaced by Paul Lee, President, ABC Family, according to a number of media reports.

According to James Hibberd and Kim Masters at The Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed blog, McPherson said in a statement, " 'I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time [at ABC] and wish them nothing but the best,' McPherson said in a statement. 'I will be announcing my future plans shortly which will include a new entrepreneurial venture in the spirits business. While I will continue with my ongoing wine business, I'll also reveal plans for my involvement in a new media company.' "

Later, ABC officially released a statement that was far more minimalist: "Steve McPherson today submitted his resignation as President, ABC Entertainment Group, and the Company accepted. Mr. McPherson said, 'I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best.' A replacement for Mr. McPherson will be announced shortly."

Though ABC won't officially confirm it, most media reports say Lee will likely replace McPherson.

According to ABC's oficial bio about Lee, here's what it says:

"Upon arriving at [ABC Family] in 2004, Lee conceived its mission to represent "A New Kind of Family" with an ambitious slate of original and acquired programming that reflect today's families and relationships and that tell relevant stories with diversity, dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. He launched a plan to target the young adult Millennial audience on multiple platforms with relatable programming that is about family, not for family.

"The network has shown six years of consecutive growth, was 2009's ad supported cable's No. 1 destination for original movies, has the biggest programming event on cable with "25 Days of Christmas," and launched "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" -- currently one of cable's highest rated original scripted series. The ABC Family brand is among the most relatable on television with Millennials, and Lee has begun the process of taking ABC Family global..."

Reflecting on McPherson's tenure at ABC, Hibberd and Masters wrote, "Though McPherson was credited for ordering last season's breakout comedy hit 'Modern Family' (which rival studio 20th Century Fox TV produced) he's had a modest track record in recent years for finding successful shows. ABC routinely develops more programs than any other major broadcaster, yet has had difficulty following up on aging hits like 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Lost' and 'Desperate Housewives' -- all of which McPherson helped develop while president of Touchstone TV."

The Live Feed article also mentioned that McPherson had an up and down relationship with both Disney/ABC TV Group president Anne Sweeney and Disney CEO Bob Iger. Iger once ran ABC himself.

The article also said that "Last season, [ABC] tied NBC in the ratings for third place, averaging a 2.7 among adults 18-49."

"Last year [McPherson] took control of ABC Studios as well, a shakeup that resulted in the departure of studio chief Mark Pedowitz," the story noted.

One veteran Hollywood TV wag told TVWeek this about McPherson's six-years atop ABC's entertainment division: "As everyone in Hollywood knows, these jobs running  the broadcast entertainment networks are singularly particular because the moment you take the job everyone's doing a countdown until, inevitably, you get fired. Given the history of these things, Steve lasted on the longer side and had, in my opinion, anyway, a pretty good track record."

'Beverly Hills, 90210' Co-Stars Join Forces for TV Western

Two former "Beverly Hills, 90210" co-stars will be reteamed in an upcoming Hallmark Movie Channel telefilm, a Western called "Goodnight for Justice,' reports Deadline.com.

The stars are Jason Priestley and Luke Perry. The project will be executive produced by Perry, and Priestley will direct.

Perry will play John Goodnight, an Old West judge on a quest to catch the outlaw who killed his family.

'Glee' Drops Cast Member

We've been hearing a lot about new actors joining Fox's hit musical series "Glee," but today comes word that one regular from season one will be exiting, reports TV Guide.

Patrick Gallagher, who plays football coach Ken Tanaka, will not be back when the show resumes in September. There will be a new football coach, Shannon Beiste, played by actress Dot Jones, the story reports.

Reality Star Dishes About Lindsay Lohan's Jailhouse Tears

One of the stars of the E! reality show "Pretty Wild" was ending her jail term for burglarizing Orlando Bloom's home when Lindsay Lohan was locked up, and she reported that Lohan was in tears about her plight, according to E! Online.

Alexis Neiers was reportedly in a cell next to Lohan during the last five days of Neiers’ jail time. From her cell, Neiers said she heard Lohan.

"She was crying,” Neiers told E! “She was talking to deputies and, you know, just trying to--I couldn't really like make it out, but from what I saw the first day, I mean, she was lying in there and just trying to like calm down."

Jack Tatum, One of the Hardest-Hitting Football Players Ever, Who Wrote the Bestseller 'They Call Me Assassin,' Dies at 61

Legendary NFL player Jack Tatum, and All-Pro safety for the Oakland Raiders who was nicknamed “The Assassin,” has died of a heart attack, Sports Illustrated reports.

Tatum, best known for a hit in a 1978 preseason game that paralyzed New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley, died Tuesday in Oakland, according to his former Ohio State teammate John Hicks. Tatum was 61.

On Aug. 12, 1978, Stingley ran head-on into Tatum on a crossing pattern. The blow severed Stingley's fourth and fifth veterbrae and left him paralyzed. Stingley died in 2007.

Tatum played safety for the Raiders from 1971 to 1980, winning one Super Bowl with the team and being voted to three Pro Bowls. He was considered one of the hardest hitters ever to play in the NFL.

ABC's 'Bachelorette' Tops Monday Night Nielsens

Monday night saw another strong showing for ABC's "The Bachelorette," as it was the top-rated network program in the Nielsens, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. "The Bachelorette" had a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, ahead of a fresh episode of Fox's drama "Lie to Me," which had a 1.6 in the demo.

The second hour of "The Bachelorette" at 9 p.m. eased up to a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demo. NBC's "Last Comic Standing" collected a 1.7 in the demo, and Fox's "The Good Guys" logged a 1.0.

ABC's "20/20" was just ahead of NBC's "Dateline" at 10 p.m., 1.8 to 1.7 in the 18-49 demographic.

Want to Sit In on a Table Read for 'Family Guy' or Visit the Set of 'The Young and the Restless' With One of the Show’s Stars? Now You Can--But It Won’t Be Cheap

A variety of television experiences and memorabilia items are up for grabs on eBay, where bidding is under way in the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s Annual Primetime Emmy Season Online Auction.

Prizes include a “Family Guy” table read for two, a set visit with “The Young and the Restless” star Kate Linder (currently leading the bidding among all items at $2,025), a “Rescue Me” firefighter helmet signed by Denis Leary and tickets for the Primetime Emmys and the HBO afterparty.

The event raises money for the Television Academy's educational outreach and archival programs.

Bidding closes Sunday, Aug. 1, at 4 p.m. PT.

CBS Plans Big Night With 'Survivor' Premiere, 'Big Brother' Finale

CBS will pull out the big reality guns Sept. 15 in an effort to win the Nielsens that night with a double header of the season premiere of "Survivor: Nicaragua" followed by the "Big Brother" finale, reports the Sun-Sentinel.

“Survivor” will kick off the night at 8 p.m., followed by the two-hour finale of “Big Brother” at 9 p.m. "Survivor," as previously reported, will include celebrated NFL head coach and Fox football analyst Jimmy Johnson as a contestant.

Former 'King of Queens' Star Signs Development Deal for CBS Sitcom

CBS and CBS Studios signed a former star of “The King of Queens” to a development and talent holding deal, reports Deadline.com.

The star is Leah Remini, who is also signed on as co-host of a new daytime talk show for CBS. The latest deal is for Remini to star in a new half-hour prime-time comedy project.

That means she will be following in the footsteps of other hosts such as Kelly Ripa who have handled both a scripted role and a daytime talk show at the same time.

On the new CBS daytime show, Remini will co-host a program featuring moms with Sara Gilbert, Julie Chen, Holly Robinson Peete, Sharon Osbourne and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Grammy Winner Joins Cast of AMC's 'Hell on Wheels'

A Grammy Award-winning rapper has joined the cast of AMC's Western pilot "Hell On Wheels," reports Deadline.com.

The drama centers on the building of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s, and the rapper Common will play Elam, a freed slave of mixed descent.

“Common brings a layered intensity to a very complex role,” said AMC SVP Joel Stillerman. “This part required someone who can transcend the stereotypes of the period and bring the character to life in a truly unique way, and he brings that."

ABC Hires Political Director to Replace David Chalian

David Chalian, the ABC News political director who left to join PBS's “NewsHour,” has been replaced by Amy Walter, editor of National Journal’s political publication Hotline, B&C reports.

Walter, formerly a political analyst for CNN, C-SPAN, NBC, CBS and HBO, will be anchored in Washington. She will be in charge of all political coverage on air and online, including offering analysis on ABC's "World News," "Good Morning America," "Nightline" and "This Week."

Video--Terrific TV Moment: Former Presidential Candidate Howard Dean Accuses Fox News of Racism in Shirley Sherrod Incident and Fox's Chris Wallace Surprises Him With the Facts; Also, Wallace Doesn't Give Newt Gingrich a Pass on His Comments About Racism

Top Scripps Executive Who Helped Brand Food Network and Launch Cooking Channel Departs to Another Cable Network

One of Scripps' top executives, who was vice president of brand creative at the Food Network--where she also helped launch the Cooking Channel--has left to go to another cable network.

Patalia Tate has been named senior vice president, marketing, creative and brand strategy for The Travel Channel, it's been announced by that network.

In a statement Travel Channel president Laureen Ong said, " “Patalia is recognized as one of the industry’s best creative minds, and her leadership has helped elevate Food Network to one of the strongest, most powerful brands in all of media. Patalia will be a big asset to Travel Channel’s marketing and creative efforts. She understands the power of strong brands, and the impact they have on business results. Her leadership will help us contemporize the look, feel and voice of the network, and make us more relevant in the category and more meaningful with consumers.”

According to the announcement, "Prior to joining Food Network, Tate worked at A&E Television Networks (AETN), where she was director, marketing and strategy, for the company’s three fastest-growing network brands: History International; History Channel en espanol; and Military History Channel."

'Jersey Shore' Gets New Cast Member, Who Says Her Needs Are 'Beats, My Broads, and Booze'

With MTV's "Jersey Shore" starting to tape its third season, a new cast member has joined Snooki and J-Woww: a woman who calls herself Deena Nicole and who wrote on Facebook that all she needs is "beats, my broads, and booze,"reports RadarOnline.com.

Deena, whose last name isn't confirmed, is a friend of Snooki's, the story says. As previously reported , one of the show's original cast members quit after the show filmed its second season in Miami. Angelina Pivarnick left before the show shifted back to the Jersey coast partly because she didn't get along with other cast members.

'Real Housewives' Star Forced to Auction off Home Furnishings in Bankruptcy Case

One of the stars of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" is selling her home furnishings in an auction as part of her and her husband's bankruptcy case, reports MyFoxNY.com.

Giuseppe "Joe" and Teresa Giudice owe $10.85 million to creditors, the story says. The auction will feature items such as a Schaefer & Sons grand piano, several chandeliers, and a fake marble chess set and that had furnished the couple's $1.7 million Towaco, N.J. home, which was featured on the reality show's first two seasons, the story says. The auction will be run on Aug. 22 by A.J. Willner Auctions.

Report: Producer Nigel Lythgoe Close to Returning to 'American Idol.' Would He Replace Kara? Would he Keep Ellen? Reportedly He Might Hire Justin Timberlake as a Judge.

Former "American Idol" executive producer and showrunner Nigel Lythgoe is close to signing a deal to return to the show, reports The Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed blog.

The return of Lythgoe could mean more changes among the show's judges, the story says: "Industry rumors have been circulating for weeks that Fuller and Fox are considering not just replacing Cowell, but dumping the entire judges panel.

"And the biggest public advocate of such a nuclear option is Lythgoe, who told a reporter in April that if he was in charge, he would replace all the remaining judges. Lythgoe was also a critic of having four judges on the show instead of three, saying having an extra judge distracts viewers from focusing on the competitors."

Lythgoe, who  graciously did a weekly "American Idol" podcast here on our website for two seasons, "helped launch the 'Idol' phenomenon in the U.K. with 'Pop Idol' along with creator Fuller and shepherded the U.S. version for six years. He currently produces and judges Fox's 'So You Think You Can Dance,' " the story notes.
 

The article also says that on Fuller's wish list of judges, besides his previously reported interest in Elton John, is Justin Timberlake.

As for the contract status of the judges: Simon Cowell is gone, of course. Randy Jackson has one year to go on his contract. Kara DioGuardi appears on a year-to-year basis and has not been renewed for next season, the article says. Talk-show host and stand-up comic Ellen Degeneres has a multi-year deal, the story notes. 

Longtime Media Agency Research Maven Says Networks Should Advertise on Each Other's Airwaves

With the changes television viewing is undergoing, television research analyst Steve Sternberg says it's time for networks to consider breaking a taboo: advertising on each others' airtime, reports Adweek. 

In-house on-air promotions aren't as effective as they used to be, because almost 40% of households have digital-video recorders, allowing viewers to skip ads.

According to the article, "If ABC could, for example, promote a new show on CBS, NBC and Fox at the same time, it would be like advertising on the Winter Olympics every night," says veteran TV audience analyst Steve Sternberg, who for many years did research for Universal McCann.  

Sternberg continued, "Network ratings could easily go up by 10 to 20 percent if they consistently promoted themselves on the other networks." But network executives aren't quite ready to cross that line, the story says. While it makes sense from a marketing standpoint, "from a competitive standpoint it raises a lot of issues. I'm not sure I'd love seeing a commercial for [CBS'] Hawaii Five-0 on CW. I think we're a ways off from that."said Rick Haskins, executive vice president of marketing for The CW.

For a number of years now there have been ads for cable shows advertised on broadcast networks, but usually the cable network is not allowed to advertise the exact day or time the program will run.

Julia Roberts and Goldie Hawn Producing Shows for Oprah; Also, More Details on Sarah Ferguson's Show for Oprah

Julia Roberts and Goldie Hawn have agreed to to produce documentaries for the upcoming Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), the New York Daily News reports.

Roberts will create and narrate a film called "Extraordinary Moms," which examines mothers who have tried to make the world better, while Hawn will produce, host and narrate "Searching for Happiness," which looks at positive psychology, the story says.

Separately, OWN has confirmed that it's had early discussions with Sarah Ferguson, the Dutchess of York, about a show on the new network. In that show the Duchess would be the focus of a docu-series, not, as some media outlets have said, a talk show host, reports the New York Post.

 As previously reported, OWN had talked with Ferguson this month about doing a show on her network, which is scheduled to debut in January.

Ferguson, who is reportedly deep in debt, hasn't yet agreed to the idea, the New York Post says. It's more likely the show would be filmed in the U.S. instead of Britain, given that the Duchess is unpopular because she was taped trying to sell access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, to a reporter posing as a businessman.

If the show were filmed in the U.K., she would require permission from the royal family because she lives at Andrew's official home in Windsor, the story adds.

Discovery Fills Two Executive Positions

Bruce Campbell and Lee Bartlett have received appointments with the Discovery Channel.

Campbell, who has been president of Digital Media and Corporate Development for Discovery, is moving up to chief development officer and general counsel. Campbell will report to President and CEO David Zaslav, working in Discovery's offices in Silver Spring, Md., as well as New York City.

Bartlett joins Discovery from ITV and Fox. His new role is executive vice president, Global Production Management, Business and Legal Affairs, and he will be under Chief Operating Officer Peter Liguori. Bartlett begins Sept. 1 and will work in the Los Angeles offices.

'Law & Order' Creator Dick Wolf Working on a Thriller--But It's Not for TV

 "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf is working on a thriller, but it's not for TV, reports Mike Fleming at Deadline.com.

Wolfe will write the thriller as a novel, the first of a two-book deal he has signed with Harper Collins imprint William Morrow, which is part of News Corp.

The thriller is in the mold of  "The Day of the Jackal" or "Three Days of the Condor," the story says. The untitled suspense thriller will be set in New York City and center around a terrorist attack planned for the July 4th holiday.

Fleming writes the book deal reminds him of another Wolf story: "It was a story about how Wolf had put together a five-hour miniseries that was going to meld the casts of the various Law & Order series, as they respond to a series of terror attacks in New York City and follow the clues. Seemed like a good story to break, but unfortunately it landed on the [Variety's] front page on the morning of September 11, 2001. Needless to say, Wolf scrapped that miniseries but clearly he has thought long and hard about the subject matter," he writes.

'Mad Men' Sets Rating Record for Show

The fourth season opener of AMC's Emmy-award winning "Man Men," drew record ratings for a season premiere of the show, reports the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog.

While the 2.9 viewers that tuned in set a record for "Mad Men," it's only 130,000 additional viewers from the show's third-season debut.

Says the articel, "Given the heavy hype for the show, that seems a little soft. However, 'Mad Men' also picks up a lot of viewers who record the series and watch it later, so a clearer picture of its audience size won't emerge from Nielsen until later in the week."

Do Reality Stars Price Themselves Out of a Show When They Demand Huge Raises?

With reality stars asking for bigger paychecks the more successful their shows become, it begs the question whether some may be pricing themselves out of a job,reports Brian Stelter in the New York Times.

There are two dynamics at work, according to the story. The first is that reality shows are engineered to be cheap to produce, and the second is that sometimes reality stars' pay balloons just as the shows are starting to shed viewers.

"The reality show 'The Hills,' which ended last month after six seasons, seems like a case study of those proportions breaking down; its stars, plucked from obscurity, were collecting six-figure paychecks near the end, yet the show’s ratings were sinking," Stelter writes. Chris Linn, executive vice president for MTV Production, said during his six years at the company it hadn't canceled a program because it had priced itself off the air, the story adds.

The latest example of reality stars' growing pay is that of the "Jersey Shore" cast, which combined made about $25,000 for the show's entire first season, the article says. But after the show became a hit, MTV gave $10,000 per episode to the cast. And in negotiations that played out in the press, cast insisted for another raise before shooting the second half of the second season.

And then there are the risks of personality issues: reality stars would do well to study "Jon & Kate Plus 8," which was providing the Gosselin family with $22,500 an episode. "The show fizzled last year when the lead characters split up. That would seem like a cautionary tale to reality stars everywhere," Stelter writes.

CBS Television Distribution's Syndicated 'Swift Justice' Offers Nancy Grace as Judge and Jury

 
CBS Television Distribution's "Swift Justice with Nancy Grace," its latest syndicated show, is akin to a court show albeit with Grace acting as judge and jury and shunning the gavel and black robes, reports B&C.

The show will debut on high-definition stations on Sept. 13 and air in an hour-long block comprising two half-hour shows, the story says.

Each half-hour episode will focus on solving a dispute between two parties. Grace walks all over the set, even giving one litigant a hug, the story notes, adding that there's also a lot of crying involved.

After the cases, the show will run a segment called "Nancy Across America," which features feuding people calling in through a video-conferencing system. The only problem with that is upset participants can walk away, as happened in one case, the article says.

'Action Female Badass' Gets Key Role of Mom on 'Chuck'

NBC's spy series "Chuck" announced this weekend at Comic-Con in San Diego that it has landed a beloved action star to play Mary Bartowski, Chuck's mom, according to TV Squad.

Linda Hamilton, a fan favorite best known as Sarah Connor in the "Terminator" movies and for her role in the TV series "Beauty and the Beast," will get the part.

Josh Schwartz, "Chuck's" creator, told the media, "Linda Hamilton lives in the universe of this show--she's such an icon in terms of action female badass mom, which really speaks to what we're doing."

The show will devote much of season four to Chuck's search for his mom.

Obama to Make Historic Appearance on 'The View'; Barbara Walters Announces Return

For the first time ever on daytime television, a sitting U.S. president will visit a talk show this week. President Barack Obama will appear as a guest on ABC's "The View" on Thursday, July 29, at 11 a.m. ET.

In a statement, Barbara Walters, co-producer and one of the hosts of the show, said, “We are so pleased and honored that President Obama will be a guest on ‘The View.’ The president last appeared on the program in March 2008 while he was still a senator, and First Lady Michelle Obama was a featured guest co-host in June 2008. This shows that both the president and first lady feel that our show is an influential and important source of information and news. I’m also going to appear on ‘The View’ Thursday for the first time since my open heart surgery in May. I will return full time in September.”

New 'Lost' DVD Provides Answers

The season 6 DVD release for ABC’s “Lost,” due out Aug. 24, will answer some of the questions lingering in the minds of fans of the show, USA Today reports.

While questions about the show’s ending are still being discussed, at least one burning issue will be addressed in the DVD set’s extras, according to the story: what the island’s two overseers, Ben and Hurley, did after the rest of the characters had been killed off or left the island. That plot line is explored in a 12-minute extra, “The New Man in Charge.”

The story quotes actor Michael Emerson, who played Ben, telling Entertainment Weekly: "Ben is going around to Dharma installations and closing some down. There are some good surprises ... [and] it does answer questions."

Blues of House: 'No One Will Get Hurt,' Says TV Doctor, as He Prepares to Cut an Album

Hugh Laurie, the Emmy-nominated star of Fox's "House," is spreading his wings with a new project, an album of blues music, reports USA Today.

In a statement about the musical endeavor, Laurie said, "I am drunk with excitement at this opportunity. I know the history of actors making music is a checkered one, but I promise no one will get hurt."

Joe Henry, a Grammy winner who has worked with Elvis Costello, will produce the album.

NBA Legend, Film Stars to Guest on 'Simpsons'

In its 23rd season on Fox, "The Simpsons" will feature guest appearances by an Academy Award-winning actress, a box office star and an NBA legend, reports TV Squad.

The show announced upcoming guest spots featuring Oscar winner Halle Berry, “40-Year-Old Virgin” actor Paul Rudd and former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Berry's episode will air in 2011 and will include a takeoff on Oscar acceptance speeches, featuring Bart and Homer fighting over an award.

Rudd's episode, also slated for next year, will have him playing Dr. Zander, a shrink who heads up a "fathering enrichment class," when Homer is admonished for his negative fathering of Bart after an incident is caught on the JumboTron. The same episode will also feature NBA legend Abdul-Jabbar.

'Big Brother' Leads the Way in Sunday Nielsens

Sunday night’s Nielsen ratings reflected the slow pace of the summer, but CBS's "Big Brother" was the highest-rated program of the night, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 7 p.m. NBC's "Dateline" scored a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, topping CBS's "60 Minutes," which had a 1.0 in the demo, and a fresh "Sons of Tucson" on Fox that registered a 0.6 in the demo for the top half of the hour.

At 8 p.m. "Big Brother" collected a 2.5 in the 18-49 demo, over all reruns.

The 9 p.m. hour saw ABC's "Scoundrels" netting a 0.6 in the 18-49 demo, ranking last among all reruns.

At 10 p.m. ABC's "The Gates" did a little better with a 0.9 in the 18-49 demographic, good enough for second place for the hour.

Oscar Nominee to Appear on 'The Big C'

An Oscar-nominated actor is the latest big name--after Cynthia Nixon and Reid Scott--to sign on for a guest turn on Showtime's new comedy series "The Big C," reports the Hartford Courant.

Liam Neeson, who was nominated for an Academy Award for “Schindler’s List,” will make a guest appearance on the show.

Laura Linney stars in "The Big C," playing Cathy, a schoolteacher coming to terms with her life after being diagnosed with cancer. The series bows on Showtime Aug. 16.

Research Exec Upped at Hallmark

The Hallmark Channels, Los Angeles, has promoted Donovan Batiste, research director, to VP, research and media planning, according to B&C.

Batiste will report directly to Jess Aguirre, senior VP, research and planning.

Before joining Hallmark, Batiste was a senior analyst for CBS-Paramount Pictures.

Former 'Buffy' Star Keeping Busy With Syfy Work

There's a new resident in Syfy's "Eureka," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Appearing on 10 episodes of "Eureka" this season will be actress Felicia Day, best known as Vi on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Day has also appeared in two Web series, "The Guild" and "Legend of Neil," and will be starring in Syfy's TV movie "Red," in which she plays a descendant of Little Red Riding Hood.

'Glee' Caught in Time Warp? Fox Show to Pay Tribute to Long-Running Cult Film

After saluting Madonna in the first season of Fox's "Glee," the musical drama has set its sights on doing an episode in season two in tribute to the cult classic movie "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," the Los Angeles Times reports.

During a panel at Comic-Con in San Diego over the weekend, actor Chris Colfer of "Glee" said that he hopes to sing the big dance song from "Rocky Horror," "Let's Do the Time Warp Again."

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has been a mainstay of the midnight movie scene since 1977 and is recognized as having the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

Oprah Winfrey Offers Broke Duchess of York a Deal for Her Own Television Show

Oprah Winfrey has offered the hard-up Duchess of York her own television show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, reports the British newspaper the Daily Mail.

Sarah Ferguson, 50, is thought to be deep in debt and her staff has been dismissed, the article says. She appeared on Winfrey's daytime talk show in May to issue a public apology after being taped asking for money to provide access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.

According to an unnamed source close to Ferguson, Oprah "feels Sarah will be someone viewers of her new channel will be able to relate to on many levels – she’s a divorcee, a working mother, someone who has made some very public mistakes and a woman who, like Oprah, constantly battles with her weight," the article says.

A representative for Winfrey didn't return calls seeking comment, the story adds. Winfrey is readying her new cable network for a January debut.

'Mad Men' Gets Advertising Age Cameo All Wrong: 'We Didn't Ask Cute-Ass Questions,' Rance Crain Writes

"Mad Men" has already come under fire from George Lois, a real-life advertising man from the 1960s, for misrepresenting the changes to the industry during the era.

And now Rance Crain, who serves as editor-in-chief of Advertising Age and whose family started the trade publication (as well as TelevisionWeek and TVWeek.com), takes aim at the advertising magazine's cameo in the fourth season debut of the AMC series.

"I felt George's pain in the opening scene of Sunday's episode, however," Crain writes, after advising Lois to lighten up. "Don Draper is at lunch with an Ad Age reporter, and our guy's first line is: 'Who is Don Draper?' Don doesn't know what to say, so he asks how other people responded to such a question. 'They say something cute,' our reporter says. 'One creative director said he was a lion tamer.' " The reporter then goes on to take notes in shorthand and informs Draper that his photo may be bigger than the story.

"What's wrong with this picture?," Crain continues. "No. 1, we never did interviews over lunch; No. 2, we didn't take notes in shorthand; No. 3, we didn't ask cute-ass questions; and No. 4, our pictures were never bigger than our stories. "

Crain goes on to write in detail about what it was really like to work for the trade magazine in 1964. For those wanting to read vivid slice of the characters who worked the phones and their sources during the era, it's a must-read.

New Jersey Governor Complains 'Jersey Shore,' Filled With New Yorkers, Is Bad for State

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie described MTV's "Jersey Shore" as a negative for his state and pointed out that most of the cast are interlopers from New York during an interview on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC, according to an article in the New York Times. 

“What it does is it takes a bunch of New Yorkers — most of the people on ‘Jersey Shore’ are New Yorkers — drops them at the Jersey Shore and tries to make America feel like this is New Jersey," Christie said. He had earlier responded to host Jake Tapper's question of whether he believed the show was positive or negative for New Jersey.

The story points out that the governor's remarks may just bring more viewers to the reality show, which starts its second season on Tuesday.

Publicist Howard Bragman Sells A&E on Reality TV Special About Gay Stars Coming out of the Closet

Publicist Howard Bragman has sold a pitch to A&E for a reality special featuring gay stars who have been playing straight characters coming out of the closet, reports PRNewser.com.

Bragman has helped several celebrities and actors such as Chaz Bono and Meredith Baxter reveal their sexual orientation, the article says. The title of the special will be "Coming Out" and will air in the fourth quarter of this year. The special will be executive produced by Bragman, Bob Horowitz
and Juma Productions, according to TheWrap.com.

Bragman will host the show and is currently looking for celebrities to star on the program, the story adds.

Former Gov. Huckabee Says New Daytime Show Promises No 'Gloom and Doom' During Test Run

 Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says his new "The Huckabee Show" will be lighter than his weekly series on the Fox News Channel, describing it as "not a gloom and doom show," reports the New York Daily News. 

Huckabee will be trying out his approach in a six-week test on several Fox-owned stations, including WNYW-TV in New York, the story says. The daytime show will have a house band and include performances, but it won't skip over political issues, with one of the episodes including a discussion about reinstating the draft, the piece says.

"The pace is a little different, there's a lot of energy in the show," Huckabee says. ""I probably won't hit anyone. I'm pretty sure of that. I have to be who I am. I can't throw chairs. I'm not going to do a show on my mother slept with my stepson. That's just not who I am. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work."

Actress from 'The Office' Set to Do NBC's 'Outlaw' Series as Well

The actress who plays Michael Scott's ex-girlfriend Jan on "The Office," has been tapped to join NBC's drama series "Outlaw" as well as return to the "The Office" in a multi-episode arc, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Melora Hardin will replace Gina Gershon, who played the role of Claire Sax in the pilot for "Outlaw," which stars Jimmy Smits as a U.S. Supreme Court justice who leaves the bench and returns to private practice, the story says. Her character is the love interest to Smits' character.

Hardin will return to "The Office" for Steve Carell's final season on the NBC comedy as Michael Scott. "With Jan and another Michael former love, Holly (Amy Ryan), both returning to The Office, Michael might be tying up some loose ends," Andreeva writes.

Despite Sumner Redstone's Wacky Phone Message, Girl-Band Show Remains in Development at MTV

Despite the wacky phone message left by Viacom and CBS majority stakeholder Sumner Redstone on a reporter's voice mail to find out who leaked a story about the octogenarian's less-than professional interest in a girl-band, the reality show featuring the band remains in development at MTV, reports The Hollywood Reporter's Kim Masters. 

To hear the voice mail, in which Restone seemingly offers The Daily Beast reporter Peter Lauria a bribe if he gives up his source and tells him that he won't "kill" the leaker," click here. 

The show is being taped by Go Go Luckey, Gary Auerbach's production company, which is responsible for programs such as MTV's "Laguna Beach" and episodes of "Ghost Lab" on Discovery, the story says. The show will follow the bisexual bandmembers of the Electric Barbarellas as they try to make it big. But disclosure that one band member, 29-year old Heather Naylor, received stock options and cashed in $157,000 worth of Viacom stock in March has some company insiders and some on Wall Street concerned, the story adds.

Television and Film Production Disruption Averted with Teamsters' Deal, Sidestepping Strike

Television production won't be disrupted after Hollywood drivers accepted a proposed contract from the studios, sidestepping a potential strike that would have also disrupted film production across the U.S., reports the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog. 

The leaders of Teamsters Local 399 accepted an offer that included some incentives, such as adding travel pay for some drivers, after earlier rejecting a plan that proposed a 2% pay increase, rather than the 3% increase they sought, the story says.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers bargained for the studios, and rejected their request because the weak economy has cut into DVD sales. But the studios offered the additional incentives on Saturday, with the Teamsters accepting on Sunday, the article adds. The Teamsters last called a strike in 1988, which lasted for 24 days, the piece says.

Nickelodeon Greenlights Live-Action/CG Movie of Hit Cartoon Series 'The Fairly Oddparents'

Nickelodeon has given the go-ahead to a live-action/CG version movie of its hit animated series "The Fairly Oddparents," reports The Hollywood Reporter. 

The movie will star Drake Bell of "Drake and Josh" as Timmy Turner, still in fifth grade even though he's in his twenties because godchildren can't have their fairies after they grow up, the story says.

The film is set to debut next year and is called "A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!" It also stars Daniella Monet as Tootie, Jason Alexander as Cosmo, Cheryl Hines as Wanda and Steven Weber as Hugh J. Magnate.

'Law & Order: Los Angeles' Taps New Deputy D.A., Joining Skeet Ulrich in Spinoff

"Law & Order: Los Angeles" has tapped a character actor to play a deputy district attorney, joining Skeet Ulrich in the NBC spinoff, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Alfred Molina will play Deputy D.A. Morales, joining Ulrich's Detective Rex Winters, who will be one of the show's two detectives. The show's production is scheduled to begin Aug. 2 for a Sept. 22 debut, the story says.

Molina "joins a remarkable list of some of America's greatest character actors like Sam Waterson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeff Goldblum, Steven Hill, Dianne Wiest and Michael Moriarity as stars of the 'Law & Order'-branded series," said creator-executive producer Dick Wolf.

To Sell Inventory Across NBC Web Sites, Media Company Creates its Own Online Ad Network

In a move to sell inventory across NBC Universal's Web sites, the company has created its own online advertising network, reports Mediaweek.

Called Universal Audience Platform, the group will sell advertising for NBC.com, USANetwork.com, Bravotv.com, iVillage.com, Telemundo.com, as well as NBC’s 10 O&O TV station sites, the story says.

Because of the new group, NBC Universal plans to sharply cut the amount of online ad inventory it sells through third-party networks. It won't at first sell inventory for joint networks such as MSNBC.com, the article ads.

While 'Mad Men' Draws Wealthy Viewers, the Program Draws Lower Ad Rates than 'Burn Notice'

AMC's "Mad Men" has one of the wealthiest audiences on television, with almost half of its audience households earning more than $100,000, but the show can't command advertising rates as high as USA's "Burn Notice," reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Even though about one-third of households viewing "Burn Notice" earn more than $100,000, the show's total viewers average about 5.8 million, much higher than the 1.9 million total viewers for "Mad Men," the story says. Even though the show is beloved by critics, "Mad Men" may be the "most heralded show to never achieve a 1.0 national rating with adults 18-49," writes Robert Seidman at TVbytheNumbers.com.
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Still, Seidman predicts that the fourth-season debut of "Mad Men" on Sunday will finally reach the 1.0 rating with the demographic.

Veteran Journalist Daniel Schorr Dies

Daniel Schorr, a longtime Washington journalist who broke major stories at home and abroad during the Cold War and Watergate and often stirred controversy with his reporting, has died at 93, NPR reported.

Schorr joined CBS News in 1953, recruited by Edward R. Murrow, and later opened the CBS bureau in Moscow. His first television interview was with Soviet Communist Party leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1957, which aired on “Face the Nation.” He was later denied re-entry to the Soviet Union after leaving the country because of its censorship laws.

He appeared on President Richard M. Nixon’s enemies list in the 1970s and read that list aloud on live TV, apparently being surprised when he came across his own name.

He remained with CBS until 1976, when he became involved in a controversy that ultimately led to his resignation from the network. In that incident he made public a secret report on alleged illegal FBI and CIA activities, and later refused to testify before Congress or to identify his source, citing the First Amendment. His actions angered CBS executives and led to his departure from the network in September 1976.

He later worked for CNN before becoming senior news analyst for NPR.

'Iron Chef' Accused of Cheating Workers

One of Food Network's "Iron Chefs" has been accused by two former workers in his restaurant in Greenwich Village of cheating them out of wages, reports the New York Post.

Stephanie Capsolas, a former waitress at Mario Batali’s Babbo restaurant, and Hernan Ricardo Alvarado, a former kitchen runner, claim that they were deprived of overtime pay and forced to share gratuities with co-workers in the restaurant who were not entitled to a share. The workers filed a suit Thursday against Batali in Manhattan federal court.

Carnie Wilson Exits as 'Newlywed Game' Host

Singer Carnie Wilson, an Emmy nominee as the host of GSN's "The Newlywed Game," has decided to leave the show, reports People magazine.

A GSN spokesperson said, “Carnie Wilson has been a member of the GSN family for the last two years. She will be pursuing other opportunities and we wish her the very best in all her endeavors.”

The network will search for a new host to take over for Wilson.

Thursday Comedy Showdown on Tap as CBS Unveils Fall Schedule

Battle lines are now drawn for a clash of the comedies on Thursday night when the new fall season debuts, after CBS unveiled its premiere week schedule, TV Squad reports.

As expected, the Eye Network will roll out most of its new and returning shows the same week as the other major networks. One night the networks will be watching closely will be Thursday, Sept. 23, when CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” and “Bleep My Dad Says” go head-to-head with NBC’s “Community” and “30 Rock.”

Here’s CBS’s fall premiere schedule:

Wednesday, Sept. 15: "Survivor: Nicaragua"
Monday, Sept. 20: "'How I Met Your Mother"; "Rules of Engagement"; "'Two and a Half Men"; "Mike & Molly"; "Hawaii Five-0"
Tuesday, Sept. 21: "NCIS"; "NCIS: Los Angeles" (two hours)
Wednesday, Sept. 22: "Criminal Minds"; "The Defenders"
Thursday, Sept. 23: "The Big Bang Theory"; "Bleep My Dad Says"; "CSI"; "The Mentalist"
Friday, Sept. 24: "Medium"; "CSI: NY"; "Blue Bloods"
Saturday, Sept. 25: “Crimetime Saturday” (back-to-back hours); “48 Hours Mystery”
Sunday, Sept. 26: "60 Minutes"; "Amazing Race"; "Undercover Boss"
Tuesday, Sept. 28: "The Good Wife"
Sunday, Oct. 3: "CSI: Miami"

Leno to Put on Benefit Show for Gulf Coast

Jay Leno, the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show," will put on a benefit concert for the victims of the Gulf Coast oil disaster.

"Stand Up for the Gulf Coast: A Special Evening With Jay Leno to Benefit the Gulf Coast Community Foundation" will take place Saturday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m. at the Beau Rivage Theatre in Biloxi, Miss., one of the towns hit hardest by the oil spill.

In a statement, Leno said, “It’s great to be able to do shows like this. We did it for flood victims in Iowa; we did it for auto workers in Detroit; we did it for victims of Katrina and others. We tell a few jokes and help out people.”

Future of 'Mad Men' Hangs in Balance as Key Players Ponder Sixth Season

The fourth season of AMC's Emmy Award-winning drama "Mad Men" will premiere this Sunday night, but the powers that be are already contemplating a possible sixth season for the show, reports TV Guide.

AMC and Lionsgate already have season five lined up, but creator Matthew Weiner’s current contract expires at the end of season four. The companies would like to get him signed for two more seasons.

Weiner has reportedly said he can’t see writing the show beyond a sixth season.

Another Cast Change Announced for 'Friends With Benefits'

ABC has recast one of the roles in the midseason sitcom "Friends With Benefits," adding actor Zach Cregger to the cast, reports Deadline.com.

In the pilot, Zach's part was played by Fran Kranz. The show follows the efforts of five friends to find their significant other.

This isn't the first casting change for the show. Another actor from the pilot, Ian Reed Kesler, was recently replaced by Andre Holland.

Prequel in the Works for Popular USA Series

USA Network announced Thursday at Comic-Con that the creator of one of the network’s hit show's is preparing a prequel TV movie based on the series, reports Deadline.com.

Matt Nix, creator of "Burn Notice," is working on a movie focused on the Sam Axe character played by Bruce Campbell, according to the report.

Axe is a former Navy SEAL and espionage agent, and Campbell is one of the network's most popular stars.

“Burn Notice” also stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar and Sharon Gless.

CBS's 'Bleep My Dad Says' Recasts Son Role, Tapping 'Our Show' Star

CBS's "Bleep My Dad Says" has recast the role of the show's son, tapping Jonathan Sadowski to replace Ryan Devlin, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Sadowski most recently starred in the NBC/WBTV comedy pilot "Our Show," the story says. He'll play a struggling writer and unpaid blogger who lives with his father, an opinionated man who enjoys unleashing his politically incorrect thoughts on his son and who will be played by William Shatner, the story says.

The network decided to recast the role after picking up the pilot to series in May, the article adds. The project is based on the Twitter feed by Justin Halpern.

Why There Will Not Be Another 'Lost' or '24' or 'Buffy' on Broadcast Network TV Again, As Explained by J.J. Abrams (Co-Creator of 'Lost') and Joss Whedon (Creator of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer')

Two pop culture icons, J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon, don't believe that the broadcsat networks have any interest in producing serialized TV dramas anymore, despite the past success of such shows as "Lost," "24" or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

The two  made their comments before  6,000 fans at Comic-Con on Thursday, July 22. It was the first joint appearance for the two, who said that they first met when both were at The WB, Abrams working on "Felicity" and Whedon on "Buffy" and "Angel."  Despite meeting back them, they said they rarely see each other and do not know each other well.

The two were introduced--to thunderous applause and shouts from the  audience--by Jeff Jensen, a reporter for Entertainment Weekly, who moderated the chat between Abrams and Whedon.

TVWeek was also in the audience.

Here's a partial transcript that focuses on Whedon's and Abrams' assessment of where the broadcast networks are today:

Jeff Jensen: Joss, ‘Dollhouse’ has come to an end, unfortunately—

 Joss Whedon: What?—

Jeff: And you produced “Dollhouse” after being away from television for awhile. Now that ‘Dollhouse’ is over, how are you feeling about television? What lessons have you learned about what television wants and supports right now?

Joss: I don’t know why this question sounds like ‘Well, are you proud of what you did? Maybe you should sit in the corner and think about it.’ [Lots of laughter] (Sarcastically): Or that might just be me projecting. (more laughter).

You know, it must’ve been the wrong place and the wrong time. I definitely was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. And we [meaning himself and J.J.], I think, both benefited from the great square hole of television—The WB—where they were just interested in people like us who had a story we knew how to tell and they let us do that. That is very rare. It doesn’t exist anymore. Literally. The WB doesn’t exist anymore.

My experiences at Fox have not been successful. Ultimately it is just because there is a certain kind of incompatibility that is very easy to miss, because I like genre stuff and that’s what they wanted. You say the word sex and they think that’s sexy, but can you not mention sex?

I clearly have more of a cable mentality than I realized. I had been away from television for awhile and I didn’t know that. I didn’t know how much things had changed. I didn’t look at Janet Jackson’s nipple. And I didn’t know how much trouble that had caused.

What I learned was ‘know your audience.’ And your first audience are the people paying you to make the thing. Which is why, right now, I’m at Marvel. I’m extremely happy working with Kevin Feige. It’s a very different experience. Kevin and Jeremy [Latcham], the two people I work with, the executives, they’re the studio. They’re the producers. It’s the same entity. And they know what they want. And [they’re] upfront. They are very clear when they don’t get [what they want]. And that’s a great experience….

Television I love. I love serialized storytelling. But I didn’t quite think that one through [referring to his return to Fox to do “Dollhouse”].

Jeff: You love serialized storytelling. Is there still a market right now for intensely serialized stories? ‘Lost’ is over now, unfortunately. And it seems that as it went out, the TV landscape turned against intensely serialized stories. Do you sense that TV networks are not interested in that format right now?

J.J. Abrams: I think typically they are not. They want shows that can repeat, the studios want shows they can syndicate. I’m just personally less interested in non-serialized shows. I enjoy the investment in and the anticipation in the characters and what’s going to happen, and what conditions are REALLY going on. To me, that’s the thing that always grabs you.

I think they [the networks and the studios] want it too. They just don’t know it. When they talk about stories, stories imply time. Stories imply inevitability and some kind of progress. The trick is—and I know the showrunners on ‘Fringe’ have been working really hard to maintain an ongoing story as well as keeping every episode feeling as much of a self-contained [story] as possible—I’m personally drawn to that.

This new show were doing on NBC, ‘Undercovers,’ is a show that is much more self- contained, but it naturally will have—and as we’ve been working on the episodes, develop the story that is being told over time. You don’t need to watch [episodes] 1 through 5 to get what’s happening in No. 6. But to me that’s the story. For whatever reason I’m naturally drawn to that kind of a story.

Jeff: Joss, did you want to take that question at all?

Joss: Just that I think the networks will never, ever ask for that. They will never admit that people want that. They see the easy cash cow of ‘The Mentalist.’ Let’s all make “The Mentalist.”

When ‘Lost’ first hit, and it was just blowing up huge, and everyone was loving it, and we were all so into it, they [the networks] were still ‘we don’t want that.’ ‘That successful Emmy-winning thing? No, we don’t want that.’ They would speak against serialized storytelling while it was the only thing people were watching on television. Because they are thinking bottom line.

It’s very weird, because ultimately the serial is ALWAYS going to be what people are going to remember. What do they remember about ‘Cheers’? Sam and Diane, not a great joke. I like both. I like to have some sort of resolve…I’m still angry about “The Empire Strikes Back.” Okay? The movie doesn’t have an ending. I like to split the diff. The progression is what it’s all about.

Well, it doesn’t. He’s frozen in carbonite.#

'Bones' Star Accused of Sexual Harassment by Extra on Show

A "Bones" star is facing accusations of sexual harassment after an extra on the show filed a lawsuit in California, reports EW.com's NewsBriefs blog. 

Kristina Hagan was an extra on the Fox show in August when she met star David Boreanaz, whom the suit claims gave her the impression he would help her get a featured role on the show, the story says. After the meeting, during which Hagan gave the actor her phone number, Boreanaz allegedly made phone calls speaking in a "sexual manner" and sent her sexually explicit text messages, the story says.

The actor's representative said in a statement,"The allegations concerning any alleged inappropriate conduct by David Boreanaz are totally fabricated and absurd. There is no validity to this lawsuit.”

Ethical Missteps Cited in Internal Review of ESPN's Decision to Broadcast LeBron James Program

Ethical missteps were made with ESPN's broadcast of LeBron James' announcement of which basketball team he planned to join, according to a review by ESPN's internal journalism watchdog, reports the Wall Street Journal. (A note to readers: the Journal is behind a pay wall and not all articles may be available to readers.)

ESPN ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer wrote a 4,600-word column on Wednesday dissecting ESPN's decision to air the prime-time, hourlong program, which ceded the network's advertising revenue to James, who then donated it to a charity. ESPN said in a statement that Ohlmeyer's role is part of its effort to gather opinions about its coverage, the Journal's story says.

"ESPN made some major mistakes handling the entire affair," Ohlmeyer writes. Later in the piece, he points out, "No matter how convoluted the intellectual gymnastics, ESPN "paid" for exclusive access to a news story. For the network, there is quantifiable revenue associated with the Thursday 9-10 p.m. programming hour. That revenue was forgone, yielded in exchange for the exclusive. Team LeBron sold those advertising units. The fact that it was in turn distributed to charity was immaterial, journalistically. James used ESPN's commercial spots in an effort to enhance his image as a responsible, caring charitable guy -- there's direct value to James in doing so, and he did it courtesy of the network, and with the sponsor's money."

ABC News' 'Nightline' Names New Co-Host to Replace Departing Martin Bashir

In the first hosting changes since Ted Koppel was replaced in 2005, "Nightline" named Bill Weir a co-host of the ABC News program to take the place of Martin Bashir, who is leaving for a job at NBC News, reports the New York Times' Media Decoder blog. 

Terry Moran and Cynthia McFadden will remain the show's other two anchors, the article says. Bashir will contribute to NBC's "Dateline NBC" and anchor a daily afternoon show on cable-news network MSNBC, beginning in September.

Weir is joining "Nightline" from his job as co-host of the weekend edition of "Good Morning America," the article says.

'CSI' to Open 11th Season With Guest Spot by Teen Singing Idol

"CSI" will return to CBS for its 11th season with a guest star idolized by millions of young girls: the teen singing idol Justin Bieber, reports the Los Angeles Times' ShowTracker blog. 

In the Sept. 23 show, which will mark Bieber's acting debut, the singer will play a "troubled teen who confronts a decision regarding his only brother and therefore has to confront the CSIs. Sounds scary. Hopefully, these confrontations won't do anything to his hair flip," the article says.

Scorsese, Writer Terence Winter Rejoining for Rock 'n' Roll Epic Based on Music Legend's Idea

Director Martin Scorsese and writer Terence Winter, who worked on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," are rejoining with the premium service to work on a rock 'n' roll epic based on an idea from Mick Jagger, who will also partner on the project, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

The project, called "History of Music," will track two friends through 40 years in the music industry, the article says. The idea started as a feature at Disney before moving to Paramount, where Scorsese was slated to direct. But HBO is now making an agreement with Paramount to create a pilot based on the idea, with Scorsese getting the first chance to direct it if the project moves forward.

Scorsese, Jagger, his Jagged Films partner Victoria Pearman and Winter are expected to executive produce the "History of Music" project, Andreeva writes.

Imagine Television Taps Former ABC Programmer as President, Replacing Nevins

Imagine Television has tapped a former ABC programming executive as president, replacing David Nevins, who is leaving Aug. 1 for Showtime Networks, reports the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog. 

Francie Calfo left ABC several years ago to work in producing, and is currently an executive producer of ABC's "Scoundrels," which has delivered lukewarm ratings despite a cast including Oscar nominee Virginia Madsen, the story says. Calfo will join Imagine in the next few weeks, the story says.

Imagine Television, part of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's entertainment company, is the producer of such shows including "Parenthood" and "Friday Night Lights." The story adds that Francie Calfo was also the name of a character on "Alias," the spy drama from J.J. Abrams and which the real-life Calfo helped shepherd during her work at what is now ABC Studios.

'True Blood' Beats up 'The Sopranos' in Place Where it Hurts -- DVD Sales -- And Is Gaining on Ratings; Alpha Werewolf Made a Regular for 4th Season

HBO's "True Blood" has outpaced the pay-cabler's other big hit, the mob drama "The Sopranos," when it comes to first-season DVD sales, reports the New York Post. 

The vampire drama has sold 1.3 million DVDs of its first season, about 37% more than the 943,000 DVDs sold for "The Sopranos" first season. It's also about triple the sales for first-season DVDs of "Sex and the City," which has sold 426,000 copies, the story says.

"True Blood" is nearing "The Sopranos" in terms of audience, with an average of 13.2 million viewers compared with 14.2 million for "The Sopranos," the story points out. HBO is planning on introducing a comic book based on the vampire series, it adds.

Separately, Joe Manganiello has been upped to a regular for the show's fourth season, meaning viewers will get to see more of him as the alpha werewolf Alcide Herveaux, reports Deadline.com. 

Man Who Threatened 'South Park' Creators Arrested on Charges He Offered to Fight for Terrorist Group

A man who threatened "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone for depicting the Prophet Muhammad on the show has been arrested on charges he offered to fight for a terror group linked with Osama bin Laden, reports the New York Daily News. 

Zachary Chesser, 20, told police that he tried twice to travel to Somalia to join al-Shabab, but was stopped by his mother-in-law on the first attempt and by the no-fly list the second time, the article says. Many of al-Shabab's leaders are thought to have fought or trained with Al Qaeda, the story adds.

Chesser isn't facing charges for his April Website post that threatened the "South Park" creators, and which led Comedy Central to beep out references to Muhammad in the episode. Comedy Central declined to comment on the arrest, the story says.

The CW, MTV Receive Top Marks from GLAAD, While CBS Gets a 'Failing' Grade for Lack of Inclusive Programming

The CW and MTV have received top marks from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's annual survey of gay-friendly programming, reports The Hollywood Reporter. 

The CW received the highest ranking ever for a broadcast network and got top Network Responsibility Index marks for its shows' depictions of gay and lesbian characters, the story says.

MTV garnered the group's first "excellent" rating in the survey, which studied almost 5,000 hours of primetime programming.

CBS, meanwhile, was given a "failing" grade, with the survey finding that only 7% of its programming was considered inclusive.

Comcast May Be Required to Sell Some NBC Stations to Gain U.S. Government Approval for NBC Universal Purchase

Comcast may be required to sell some NBC television stations to receive U.S. government approval for buying NBC Universal, reports Bloomberg News, citing antitrust analysts. 

Comcast could also need to agree to independent arbitration to settle pricing disagreements, the story says. That and selling stations may be among the remedies sought by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission or Justice Department to ease concerns about the effect the deal will have on the television market. The FCC and Justice Department declined to comment, the story says.

Bloomberg LP, which owns Bloomberg News, has asked the FCC to ensure its cable-news channel is located on Comcast's line-up near other business networks, the story adds.

Are On-Air Editorials Returning to Television News? In New York, Two Stations Give it a Try

On-air editorials are making a comeback to television -- or at least at to two stations in New York, reports Richard Huff in the New York Daily News. 

WNYW-TV's general manager Lew Leone made his debut in what will likely become a series of editorials on the Fox-owned station, the article says. But the segment, called "Lew's View" and which focused on the controversial proposed mosque near Ground Zero, wasn't an immediate success.

"Content aside, from a TV perspective his first effort was, frankly, uncomfortable. It had the stilted tension of a real-life hostage film," Huff writes. A station spokeswoman said there's no schedule for when the editorials will appear.

WPIX-TV, meanwhile, has also added commentaries, including some from news anchor Larry Mendte, who has discussed topics ranging from BP to LeBron James. "Whether editorials attract people to newscasts or are just another passing fad in the race to save local TV news remains to be seen," the story says.

Simon Cowell Sued for $3.8 Million by Disgruntled Game Show Contestant

A former contestant on a TV game show is suing Simon Cowell for humiliating her on national television, reports the Guardian.

Emma Amelia Pearl Czikai, who appeared on "Britain's Got Talent," contended in a pre-trial hearing Wednesday in London that the show’s judges were guilty of "exploitation, humiliation, degradation and barbarism."

Czikai, who is a former nurse, claimed that a physical ailment--cervical spine neuritis, which affects the ability to hear your voice while singing--adversely affected her performance. She is seeking about $3.8 million in damages.

Fox Tweaks Schedule: Cop Show's Summer Run Ends Early, Psych Drama Moves

A quirky Fox cop drama, slated to be part of the network’s fall lineup, will end its summer run sooner than expected, reports The Futon Critic.

"The Good Guys," starring Bradley Whitford, will now air its summer finale Aug. 2 at 9 p.m. ET. Originally, the show was scheduled to run till Aug. 23. Fox still plans to premiere "The Good Guys" for fall on Friday, Sept. 24, at 9 p.m. ET.

In addition, the psychological drama "Lie to Me" is moving to Mondays at 9 p.m. ET beginning Aug. 16. The run for "Lie to Me" will end Sept. 13.

Facebook Investigating Deletion of Sarah Palin Post

Facebook revealed Thursday that it is looking into the deletion of a post by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in which she criticized plans for a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City, CNN reported.

Facebook was investigating the incident “to determine why and how the content in question was removed," spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a statement.

Palin posted a new version of the Facebook note Thursday morning, responding to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who commented on earlier remarks by Palin about the planned mosque, according to the story.

“To build a mosque at Ground Zero is a stab in the heart of the families of the innocent victims of those horrific attacks," Palin says in the post.

Facebook users are able to report violations of the site's terms of service, including content that users believe is racist or hate speech, the story says.

Palin’s reposted note also states: "The original post of this statement (on July 20, 2010) was somehow unintentionally deleted by mistake or technical glitch."

'America's Got Talent' Tops Wednesday Ratings

On a generally slow night in the Nielsen ratings, NBC's "America's Got Talent" beat out the competition to be the top show Wednesday night, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. CBS's "Big Brother" had a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, while Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" logged a 2.1 in the demo. NBC's "Minute to Win It" was third for the hour with a 1.8 in the 18-49 demo.

At 9 p.m. "America's Got Talent" had a 2.6 in the 18-49 demographic for the hour, over the second hour of "So You Think You Can Dance," which earned a 2.2 in the 18-49 demo.

HLN News Anchor Moving On

One of the anchors on HLN has decided to leave the network, reports TVNewser.

The news anchor is Richard Lui, who is expected to land at another network news desk, although the network is yet to be named.

Lui worked at CNN.com as one of its first anchors, before switching to sister network HLN.

Tom vs. Cameron: Stars of 'Knight and Day' to Compete on Race Track

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, in London to promote their current film "Knight and Day," will prove that they have a need for speed--like Cruise’s "Top Gun" character--when they appear on BBC's automotive show "Top Gear," reports the AP.

Cruise and Diaz will compete against each other driving Kia C'eeds on a track to see who can achieve the best time. The episode of "Top Gear" will air in England on Sunday on the BBC.

Body Count Continues to Rise on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

The injury curse has struck again on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," where for the third week in a row a participant was hurt and could not compete, reports TV Guide.

Billy Bell, a 20-year-old contemporary dancer, suffered a knee injury during rehearsals and at the start of Wednesday night's episode, judge Nigel Lythgoe explained why Bell would not be performing.

Bell automatically fell into the bottom three because of his inability to dance, and on tonight's show the judges will determine his fate.

The two most recent casualties, Alex Wong and Ashley Galvan, were dropped because of their injuries.

CBS Has Seen Enough, Yanks Series After Just Three Shows

It didn’t take long for CBS to get tired of the low ratings for a certain police drama. The network has decided to drop the Canadian show "The Bridge" after just three broadcasts, reports TV Squad.

The import failed to click in its Saturday timeslot, drawing an average of less than 3 million viewers. CBS will air repeats of "Cold Case" in "The Bridge's" slot for the foreseeable future.

Michael Jackson Documentary Maker to Switch Networks, Get Talk Show

A reporter best known for his Michael Jackson documentary, who is currently a co-anchor on ABC's "Nightline," is leaving the network to join MSNBC, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition to contributing to NBC's "Dateline," Martin Bashir will get an afternoon talk show on MSNBC.

With Bashir leaving, ABC News has promoted Bill Weir to an anchor on "Nightline," where he joins Terry Moran and Cynthia McFadden.

The Movie Is One Thing, But the Facebook Creator's Media Presence Is About to Get Even Bigger; Hint: He Will Appear in Yellow

Mark Zuckerberg, the enterprising Harvard grad who created Facebook and is the subject of the upcoming movie "The Social Network," will play himself on a fall episode of Fox's "The Simpsons," reports New York Magazine.

In the episode called "Loan-A Lisa," Zuckerberg comes to Lisa's aid when she attends an entrepreneurs convention to come up with ways to fund Nelson's new bike company.

As First to Air Sherrod Video and Call for Resignation, Bill O'Reilly Apologizes for 'Not Doing My Homework'

As the first cable-news host to air an edited video that made it appear Shirley Sherrod, a black U.S. Department of Agriculture official, had made racist remarks, Bill O'Reilly said on Wednesday he owes Sherrod an apology for "not doing my homework," reports the Los Angeles Times' Showtracker blog. 

O'Reilly had called for Sherrod's resignation on Monday night, although by the time his show aired she had already resigned. The edited video on which O'Reilly based his remarks had left out some crucial context, such as Sherrod's explanation that an episode when she discriminated against a white farmer had taught her how to overcome personal prejudices, the story says. “I owe Ms. Sherrod an apology for not doing my homework, for not putting her remarks into the proper context,” O'Reilly said on "The O'Reilly Factor." "I well understand the need for honest reporting.” His own words have at times been placed out of context, he added.

Still, Sherrod and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People partly blamed Fox News for partly creating the media storm because of the way it hyped the story, the article says. Fox News senior vice president of news editorial Michael Clemente says the network approached the story cautiously and "did the normal fact-finding we would do on any story."

The first reported piece on Fox News that aired on Tuesday morning included another video clip that provided context to her remarks. Nevertheless, Tuesday night found O'Reilly continuing to blast Sherrod's speech, even though by that time it was clear her comments had been misconstrued, the story says.

CBS News Executives Have Discussed Buying Out Couric's Contract; NBC Interested in Having Her Return

CBS News president Sean McManus and executive vice-president Paul Friedman earlier this year discussed buying out the remainder of Katie Couric's contract to anchor the evening news, reports Gabriel Sherman at New York Magazine's Daily Intel blog. 

Still, while no decisions have been reached, the discussions seem to signal that the experiment of making Couric an evening anchorwoman "was a failure in terms of reinvigorating the TV news business," Sherman writes. Couric's $15 million annual contract isn't up until June 2011, the article notes.

But Couric is also considering options, remaining open to staying at CBS as well as moving to different networks, the story says. Her spokesman said, "Katie is enjoying her job and is focused on her work. And we'll leave the speculation to everyone else.” She might even end up returning to NBC: NBC CEO Jeff Zucker has told her agent that the network would welcome her return when she's free to move, the story says.

It's possible whatever her next move would be that she'll look for creating a larger media brand for herself, possibly creating a production company, the article adds.

CBS Orders Midseason Pick-up Weeks After Show Was Presumed Dead

CBS has placed a 13-episode midseason order for a new drama just weeks after the project was presumed dead, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Producing studio 20th Century Fox TV and CBS couldn't come to an agreement on Tom Spezialy's CIA drama "Chaos" after negotiating for five weeks, and the actors' options expired on June 30. "But in the past 3 days, the network and the studio were able to patch things up on the dealmaking front (the lunch CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler had with 20th TV chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman on Monday certainly helped) and to get the cast back," Andreeva writes.

"Coming back for the series are the pilot's star Freddy Rodriguez and co-stars Eric Close, James Murray, Tim Blake Nelson and Carmen Ejogo. Per decision the network and studio made right after the upfront, Stephen Rea, who was also in the pilot, will be recast."

Report: Police Investigating Two Additional Allegations from Massage Therapists of Sexual Assaults by Al Gore

Police have investigated two additional allegations of sexual assaults by former vice president and Current TV co-founder Al Gore on massage therapists, according to a report from the National Enquirer. 

The news comes after the tabloid broke the story that an Oregon massage therapist had claimed to be sexually assaulted by Gore during an episode in 2006. Police in Portland, Ore., have reopened an investigation into the matter.

The two more recent allegations come from massage therapists in Beverly Hills in 2007 and another in a Tokyo hotel a year later, the Enquirer says. According to the article, the Beverly Hills therapist claims Gore shrugged off a towel and pointed to his erect penis, telling her, "Take care of THIS." Gore, 62, was in Beverly Hills to attend the Oscars. A family representative has previously denied the Portland, Ore., accusation.

After Three-Year Stint, Campbell Brown Signs off From CNN With Future Still Unknown

After working at CNN for three years, Campbell Brown signed off from the network last night with her television future still unknown, reports TVNewser.com. 

Brown will be replaced with an 8 p.m. show in the fall hosted by Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker, with CNN daytime anchor Rick Sanchez filling in until then.

Brown signed off by saying, "For those who may not already know, this is my last night hosting this program. And to each of you who tuned in every night or even every now and then, thank you. I mean that. I have already said pretty much everything I want to say about me. But I cannot say enough about the people who work on this show. They are the most talented dedicated loyal caring group of people. I have really loved working with each and every one of them. And I want to say thank you to you guys. I'm going to miss you. That's it, good night, everybody, thank you."

Two Actors to Return to NBC's 'Chuck' in October

Two actors will return to NBC's "Chuck" in October, reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files. 

Nicole Richie will return to "Chuck" in October as Heather Chandler, a character she played on the program two years ago who comes back after a prison transfer goes wrong and ends up being kept at Castle, the underground CIA base, the story says. Her character will add some twists to the developing relationship between Chuck and Sarah, the article adds.

The same episode will include Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Hugo Panzer returning, according to a separate article on The Ausiello Files. 

Is Nothing Sacred? Cable Network G4 Sells its Name to Sprint-Nextel for a Week, Changing it to 4G

Apparently even a cable-network's name isn't sacred any longer, reports Brian Stelter in the New York Times. 

G4, a cable channel focused on video games and reality shows, is selling its name for a week to Sprint Nextel, which plans swap the name's letter and number to 4G in a promotion for its wireless Internet service, the story says. The promotion will affect all shows and logos on the network and begin on Monday.

Yet it's probably a change that won't get many upset, Stelter writes. After all, the network is just eight years old and typically has low ratings, meaning the promotion might actually help draw attention to the network, the story adds.

The talk show "Attack of the Show" and the video game series "X-Play" will have the most visible promotions as the Sprint messages will be included in both shows, the article says. G4 attracted Sprint because of the network's focus on men between the ages of 18 to 34, according to Steve Gaffney, a vice president for corporate marketing at Sprint.

Sumner Redstone Reportedly Loving Attention from His Kooky Voice Mail to Daily Beast Reporter

Sumner Redstone, the majority stakeholder of both CBS and Viacom, is allegedly "proud" of the attention he's receiving from the odd 3-minute voicemail he left for The Daily Beast reporter Peter Lauria, reports the New York Post's Page Six. 

According to an unnamed source close to Viacom, Redstone is basking in the attention from the voicemail, in which he seemingly offers a bribe to the reporter if he agrees to give up a source, the article says. The attention makes Redstone, 87, feel as if people know he's still alive, the story says.

To hear the voicemail, in which Redstone also tells Lauria that if he tells Redstone the source of his story, "We're not going to kill him. We just want to talk to him," click here.

Redstone contacted Lauria to find out who leaked a story to him about Redstone's support and funding of an all-woman music group called The Electric Barbarellas, who are also the focus of a proposed MTV reality show. Singer Heather Naylor started as an MTV assistant, when she was given insider stock options, something that is usually unheard of for a production assistant, the story says.

Naylor sold 4,950 shares for $157,000 in March, the report adds. Naylor hung up when called for comment, while Viacom spokesman Carl Folta had no comment.

'Kate Plus 8' Child Work Permits Defended by Pennsylvania Labor Department

The child work permits for TLC's "Kate Plus 8" are being defended by Pennsylvania's labor department after a state representative questioned their legality, reports the Associated Press. 

The Department of Labor and Industry issued a statement saying the Gosselin children are not being "unlawfully exploited" by the show's taping at their Wernersville, Pa., home, the story says. As earlier reported, Rep. Thomas P. Murt had questioned the permits, noting that state law allows children under 7 to work in films but not television. The Gosselin sextuplets are six years old.

State officials said on Tuesday the permits make sure the children will receive earnings from the show and that they won't work too many hours, the article says.

CBS Re-Ups Sports Deal With Conference USA

CBS College Sports Network has extended its deal with Conference USA for TV rights to football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and 16 other sports, including regular season and championship coverage, through 2016, reports Multichannel News.

The current deal was due to expire at the end of the 2010-11 school year. The multiplatform extension includes rights to VOD, wireless, Internet and broadband distribution, in addition to TV broadcast rights.

Steve Herbst, CBS College Sports president, said in a statement: "Conference USA was one of the network's first long-term partners. The deal has been an absolute success, helping both CBS College Sports Network and C-USA grow nationally."

With ABC's Plan to Restore Current Departments, Lynn Barrie and Stephanie Leifer Are in Negotiations

With ABC seeking to restore the current departments on its network and studio sides, Lynn Barrie and Stephanie Leifer are in talks to lead the teams on the ABC and ABC Studios arms, respectively, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Barrie most recently worked as vice president comedy series at ABC and Leifer has been vice president drama series at ABC Studios, the article says. The plan comes as ABC is preparing to debut nine new scripted series next season that will require attention in their first year, leading ABC Entertainment Group president Stephen McPherson to indicate he wished to revert to separate development and current departments, the story says.

ABC had merged current into the drama and comedy development departments last year as part of a restructuring, the article adds.

How Early Should the Early News Come on? How About 4 a.m. for New York's WPIX-TV

The early news keeps getting earlier, reports B&C. 

WPIX-TV in New York will start a 4 a.m. newscast on Sept. 20, besting the 4:30 a.m. newscasts that have recently been started by several stations owned by Fox and NBC, the story says. Stations are citing viewers who wake up earlier to make long commutes and consumer desire for 24-hour news.

Fox's WNYW-TV and NBC's WNBC-TV started their 4:30 a.m. newscasts in March. WPIX, owned by Tribune, currently airs "Inside Edition" at 4 a.m. and starts its news at 4:30 a.m.

Buff Cobb, Co-Host of Early TV Show 'Mike and Buff' with Ex-Husband Mike Wallace, Dies at 82

Buff Cobb, who hosted one of television's earliest talk shows with her ex-husband Mike Wallace, has died at 82, reports the New York Times. 

Cobb hosted the program "Mike and Buff" with Wallace, known to most viewers for his almost 40 years as a "60 Minutes" correspondent, on CBS in the early 1950s. The show was based in New York and broadcast live with the couple debating a new topic each day and interviewing experts to try to reach an agreement, the article says.

The pair also hosted "All Around the Town," also on CBS, from 1951 to 1952, which involved them interviewing people at social events around New York City. Cobb and Wallace were married from 1949 until 1957, when they divorced, the story says.

Aside from television, Cobb also performed in stage productions and had small roles in several movies, such as 1946's "Anna and the King of Siam," the article adds.

CBS Replaces Soap Opera With Julie Chen Talk Show

CBS has ordered a daytime talk show to replace a long-running soap opera after it ends in the fall, reports The New York Times’ Media Decoder blog.

The concept for the show, which replaces “As the World Turns,” is being compared to ABC’s “The View.” The show will feature a panel of moms in a roundtable discussion, the story reports. Among them will be Chen, who is the wife of Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS Corp.

Another host is Sara Gilbert, who developed the format for the show and will executive-produce as well as co-host it, according to The Times. The others are Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Chen will reportedly give up her job as co-host of CBS’s “The Early Show.”

Mel Gibson's Ex-Girlfriend Investigated Over Extortion Allegations

Sheriff's detectives in Los Angeles are looking into extortion allegations against Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend, reports USA Today.

A sheriff's spokesman confirmed that the agency is probing whether Oksana Grigorieva tried to extort the actor, according to the story. The spokesman declined to provide other details on the inquiry.

Tapes have been leaking to the public in recent weeks that reportedly contain the voices of Gibson and Grigorieva and that raise issues of possible domestic abuse along with other concerns. Grigorieva and Gibson are involved in a bitter custody dispute.

Detectives interviewed Grigorieva earlier this month after she claimed Gibson abused her.

Best Non-TV Story: Golfer Hits 26 Million-to-One Shot

The sport of golf has a new superhero, and his name is Rich Schultz. reports Comcast.net Sports.

Schultz, 58, did something during a round of golf with friends Sunday that defies the odds, and then some. Playing at Bethlehem Golf Club in Bethlehem, Pa., he capped off his 18 holes of golf with not one, but two holes-in-one.

U.S. Hole In One, a Bryn Mawr, Pa. company that insures hole-in-one contests, calculates the odds of cupping two aces in a single round at 26,045,834-to-1, the story reports.

Schultz also shot a career-low round of 3-under 68, according to the story.

Real-Life 'Mad Man' Blasts AMC Show

A prominent real-life advertising man from the “Mad Men” era delivers a scathing critique of the AMC series in the latest issue of Playboy, reports Monsters and Critics.

Well-known ad man George Lois reminisces about the industry in the 1960s in the magazine’s August issue, where he writes: “’Mad Men’ misrepresents the advertising industry by ignoring the revolution that changed the world of communications forever. That mortal sin of omission makes ‘Mad Men’ a lie.”

Lois goes on to say the show is “nothing more than a soap opera set in a glamorous office where stylish fools hump their appreciative, coiffured secretaries, suck up martinis and smoke themselves to death as they produce dumb, lifeless advertising--oblivious to the inspiring civil rights movement, the burgeoning women’s lib movement, the evil Vietnam war and other seismic events of the turbulent, roller-coaster 1960s that altered America forever.”

Japanese Game Show Concept to Return to U.S. TV

Cartoon Network is bringing back a concept that began as a Japanese game show, reports B&C.

“Hole in the Wall,” in which families maneuver to jump through cutouts--holes in the wall--without hitting an obstacle, originally aired in America in 2008 on Fox after a run on Japanese TV starting in 2006.

FremantleMedia will produce the 10 episodes that Cartoon Network has ordered.

Reality Shows Rule Tuesday Ratings

Reality competition series topped the Nielsen ratings Tuesday night, led by Fox's two-hour shot of "Hell's Kitchen," reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. the first hour of "Hell's Kitchen" earned a 2.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic, just behind ABC's "Wipeout," which had a 2.9 rating in the demo. NBC's "Losing It With Jillian" trailed with a 1.1 in the demo.

At 9 p.m. the second hour of "Hell's Kitchen" climbed to a 3.2 rating in the 18-49 demo for the time period, besting the first hour of NBC's "America's Got Talent" with a 2.7 in the same sector. ABC's "Downfall" picked up a 1.2 in the demo.

The 10 p.m. hour was won by the second hour of "America's Got Talent" with a 3.2 rating in the 18-49 demo. ABC's "Primetime: Family Secrets" logged a 0.9 in the demo.

Super Bowl-Winning Coach to Appear on Next 'Survivor'

A 67-year-old Super Bowl-winning former NFL head coach will be among the contestants on CBS's upcoming season of "Survivor: Nicaragua," reports the Dallas Morning News.

The coach is Jimmy Johnson, who led the Dallas Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowl titles and is now a Fox NFL analyst. He also coached the Miami Dolphins and won the national college championship as head coach of the University of Miami.

Filming for the new season began in late June in San Juan del Sur. At age 67, Johnson will be one of the oldest players ever to appear on the show.

He will also be one of the more famous, as he is well known from his time on the sidelines as well as his spot in the commentator's chair every Sunday during football season.

'The Office' Signs Deal With Writer, Producer and Actor for Seventh Season--and Eighth

The news in a contract extension between NBC’s “The Office” and writer, producer and actor B.J. Novak may be that the deal includes not just the upcoming season but an eighth season, reports TV Squad.

Novak, a utility player who has written, produced and directed episodes of the show in addition to his on-screen role as permanent temp Ryan Howard, re-upped with the sitcom for the upcoming season and one more beyond that.

With star Steve Carell having announced plans to leave “The Office” after season seven, any signs of life beyond that point are positive for the show and its fans.

In his capacity with "The Office," Novak is being promoted to executive producer and will direct two episodes this season.

Novak has also appeared on screen in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds."

'Impossibly Cool, Smart and Pretty' Correspondent for 'Daily Show' Lands Guest Role on 'Chuck'

One of the correspondents for Comedy Central’s "Daily Show" has been tapped for a guest-starring role in the fourth season debut of NBC's "Chuck" on Sept. 20, reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files.

Olivia Munn will play a CIA agent who both teaches and intimidates Chuck and Morgan in the episode (and who happens to be "impossibly cool, smart and pretty"), the story says.

The same episode will feature a guest spot from "Rocky IV" star Dolph Lundgren, the article adds.

'Don't Forget The Lyrics!' Enlists Social Networking Site as Casting Partner

For the upcoming syndicated run of "Don't Forget The Lyrics!" one way for fans to audition for the program will be via MySpace Karaoke, reports WebNewser.

Twentieth Television inked a deal with MySpace Karaoke to make the social networking site its official casting partner. MySpace users will be able to upload their karaoke performances of one of five songs and submit them to "Don't Forget The Lyrics" as a sample of their work.

Mari Bower, MySpace executive director of business development and MySpace Karaoke general manager, blogged about the arrangement, saying, "Karaoke is something we've all probably done at some point in our life, maybe unwillingly, but we've all done it! ... MySpace Karaoke is excited to announce its television debut as the official casting partner of Twentieth Television's musical game show 'Don't Forget the Lyrics!’"

Veteran ABC News Exec Phyllis McGrady Stepping Down

Phyllis McGrady, a longtime producer and executive at ABC News, has decided to leave her job with the network and move into the role of consultant, reports TVNewser.

McGrady, who has been with ABC News since 1977, has on her resume the title of executive producer of "Good Morning America," and is a co-creator of the “PrimeTime Live” and “Turning Point” newsmagazines.

In a statement, ABC News President David Westin explained the switch, saying, "Phyllis came to me several weeks ago saying that she felt it was time for her to change her life a bit. There are other things she wants to do in addition to making the contributions she does here."

You MUST Hear This: It's the Voicemail Wherein CBS (and Viacom) Owner Sumner Redstone, Embarrassed by Article, Says To Reporter About His Source, 'We're Not Going to Kill Him. We Just Want to Talk to Him.'

An article in The Daily Beast that was critical of Sumner Redstone, the majority stakeholder of both CBS and Viacom, has prompted the 87-year old to offer to make the story's reporter "well-rewarded" if he would give up his source, reports The Daily Beast's Peter Lauria, who wrote the original piece and was the recipient of an almost 3-minute voice mail from Redstone.

In the message, Redstone, perhaps seeking to reassure Lauria about his intentions toward the leaker, says, "We're not going to kill him. We just want to talk to him." You can hear the entire voicemail below.

Lauria, who previously was a long-time media business reporter at the New York Post, notes that he will never give up a source.

The original June 2 piece that Lauria wrote details Redstone's fondness for younger ladies and his personal $500,000 investment in an all-woman band called the "Electric Barbarellas," which "is basically a group of unknown women who caught Redstone's eye" and about which he's created a reality show.

In his most recent piece Lauria writes, "Sources inside Viacom and others involved with or briefed on the project told me last month that the show was unwatchable and the music just as bad, but that Redstone, who makes no secret of his enjoying the company of women several decades his junior, was insisting MTV pick it up."

Separately, Viacom is now trying to distance itself from Redstone regarding the incident, reports the Wall Street Journal [Note: The WSJ is behind a firewall and you may be asked to pay to read this article.]

 “There is no investigation at Viacom,” spokesman Carl Folta says, according to the WSJ article. “We are not trying to find out who the leaker is.”

Here's the unbelievable voicemail that Redstone left Lauria:

It's Not Your Grandparents' Sandman: 'Inception' is the Talk of the Town. One Major Critic Confesses He Doesn't Get the Film; and What That Says About Shows Such as 'Lost,' '24' and 'Twin Peaks'

Out of the box it's the hottest, most talked about movie of the year: Christopher Nolan's "Inception."

In an insightful entry, TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross examines one major movie critic's confession that he didn't "get" the movie, and how that relates to TV shows such as "Lost," "24" and "Twin Peaks."

Read Ross' blog here. (Don't worry, no spoilers in this piece)

You Think You're Frustrated With AT&T? Report Says Apple's Steve Jobs Wanted to Ditch AT&T At Least Six Times Since iPhone Deal

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs discussed ditching AT&T as the iPhone's service partner at least half a dozen times, after the companies' partnership resulted in a sometimes less-than-happy marriage, according to an article in the August issue of Wired magazine.

Although the article isn't yet online, it's been summarized by ZDNet.

Apple considered switching to Verizon several times, with Jobs directing Apple engineers to visit Qualcomm, the supplier of Verizon's chips for its phones, the article says. But switching would have proved costly because the iPhone would have needed to be rebuilt because of the different sizes of the chips.

Qualcomm, meanwhile has been working with Apple on a chip that would work with both AT&T and Verizon networks, the story adds.

As for other clashes between the companies, the Wired article has a fun anecdote about how an AT&T employee asked one of Job's deputies to get him to wear a suit to meet with the AT&T board. “We’re Apple. We don’t wear suits. We don’t even own suits," the AT&T employee was told, ZDNet reports.

Report: In the Race to Replace Simon Cowell, Chris Isaak Currently Seems To Have the Inside Track; Another Singer Being Considered, and an Apprentice Wants the Job

The clock is ticking pretty quickly if the producers of "American Idol" and Fox are going to find a replacement for Simon Cowell in time to join the audition shows in early September.

According to reporters James Hibberd and Kim Masters, "The network is determined to land a widely known music industry figure for the post, and THR has learned that singer Chris Isaak has met twice with the network."

The article, in The Hollwood Reporter, also says "Another affable crooner, Harry Connick Jr., also has been considered."

And in what may be the biggest surprise, Hibberd and Masters write, "Even Donald Trump has quietly lobbied to replace Cowell despite his longtime association with NBC as producer and judge of 'The Apprentice' franchise.

Isaak, who also starred in his own show on Showtime called "The Chris Isaak Show." His song "Wicked Game" may be his best-known hit, has also appeared on TV series such as "Eastwick", "Cold Case" and "Smallville," the story says.

According to the article, Bret Michaels was considered for the show, but is now out of the running.

Men's Magazine to Become Late-Night Program for Cinemax, Although Won't Be a 'Softcore' Show

A series based on a men's magazine has been given an order by Cinemax, although the show won't be part of the network's softcore "Skinamax" shows, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

The half-hour late night program, based on the pub Femme Fatales, will have an erotic component, however, and feature noir mysteries with strong female characters, the article says.

"We have an opportunity to tell some sexy and thrilling stories that all have powerful women," says Bob Conti, senior vice president creative affairs at Cinemax. He cited movies such as "Bound" and "Red Rock West" as inspirations for the series, the article adds. The show will air in 2011.

Six Feet Under Idea Surfaces: Meredith Sells Local TV Obituary Service to its Stations, Others

Meredith is syndicating a local obituary service for television stations after successfully introducing the program at its WNEM-TV station in Flint-Saginaw Bay City, Michigan, reports Allison Romano at TVNewsCheck.com.

According to the article, "On TV, basic obits are run during local newscasts with different stations taking different approaches to the presentation. Pioneering WNEM calls its online service ObitMichigan.com. For TV, the CBS affiliate scrolls the obits on a full screen as soft music plays in two-minute blocks at the end of three weekday newscasts — at 8:55 a.m., 12:25 p.m. and 6:28 p.m. The scroll also appears during two late newscasts on the MNT subchannel."

The company has sold the program to 20 non-Meredith-owned stations, is talking with 15 more, and has plans to introduce the idea to 11 of its own stations, the story says, noting that some of the other station groups involved include Gray, Media General and Hoak.

The service both produces on-air obituaries and online death notices, the article adds. "Our service is more efficient and more cost effective than running obituaries in newspapers," says Meredith's Local Media Group President Paul Karpowicz, according to the story.

While obituaries can cost as much as $500 or more in local newspapers, the Meredith death notice program starts with a $100 fee to feature the obit on a Website and on a TV station. Adding photos can bring the cost up to $300, the story says. Meredith takes a portion of the revenue for providing stations with technology and expertise, although Meredith declined to disclose the split, the article adds.

PBS Program About Former Secretary of State Comes Under Fire by PBS Ombudsman for Funding Ties that Create 'Appearance of Conflict of Interest'

A three-part series on PBS has come under fire from both critics and the organization's ombudsman, who cites the series' funding sources as creating "at least the appearance of a conflict of interest," reports the New York Times.

The series is “Turmoil and Triumph," and is about George Schultz, who was Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan.

 Media monitoring group FAIR said seven of the series' 13 underwriters have "close ties" to the Hoover Institution, where Shultz is a distinguished fellow, the article says. Michael Getler, the PBS ombudsman, wrote, "It doesn’t mean that funders exerted any editorial influence, but it left me feeling they didn’t have to."

Critics have said the series treats Shultz with too much reverence, with Gelter saying he found the "deification" of its subject distracting and unnecessary.

The series also doesn't mention that Shultz served on the board of Bechtel, which was given rich rebuilding contracts during the Iraq war, and that a Bechtel family foundation was one of the show's funders, the article adds.

PBS responded by saying that the series "fully meets our standards for editorial integrity" and that "no PBS funder is permitted to exercise editorial control over content.”

Clooney to Receive Special Emmy

Oscar winner George Clooney will receive a special Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences this year, reports People magazine.

Clooney is being recognized for his humanitarian efforts and philanthropy. He will receive the Bob Hope Award, named after the late comic who was also a leader in charitable works.

Clooney's efforts to organize a telethon for the Hurricane Katrina victims were cited as one of the reasons to honor him now. Clooney has also been active in raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur.

The award will be presented as part of the Emmys telecast Aug. 29.

Spitzer, Eager to be on TV, Accepted CNN Contract for Less than $1 Million

Former New York governor Eliot Spitzer was so eager to be on CNN that he took a contract for less than $1 million, reports the New York Post's Page Six.

Both Spitzer and his co-host, Kathleen Parker, will be making closer to $500,000 than $1 million for hosting the 8 p.m. show, the story says.

The reason for the lowball pay? CNN didn't want to spend a lot on the show because executives believe the chances for the program's success are slim, the story says.

MSNBC's Bill Wolff, who is the executive producer of "The Rachel Maddow Show," declined an offer from CNN to work on the Spitzer show after MSNBC counter-offered, the article says.

Both CNN and MSNBC declined to comment.

Bill Cosby Meets Herman Munster: 'Growing Up Twisted' to Feature Twisted Sister Frontman Dee Snider

Twister Sister frontman Dee Snider will be the focus of a new A&E reality series called "Growing Up Twisted," reports the New York Daily News.

Snider says what attracted him to do the series was the chance to show that "living in suburbia, and being married, and having a family, and being a parent doesn't mean you can't be cool and have fun," the article says.

The show will track Snider, his wife Suzette and his four children, who range in age from 27 to 13 years old. He says that part of the reason for doing the show was to help his children, since three of them are trying to break into the entertainment industry. Jesse, 27, has a band; Shane, 22, is a comic; and Cody, 20, is a filmmaker.

According to the article, Snider says his parenting style is a combination of Bill Cosby and Herman Munster from "The Munsters." 

Fox21, Unscripted Production Arm of 20th TV Gets New President

Fox21, the cable/unscripted production arm of 20th Century Fox TV, has gotten a new president, tapped , replacing Chris Carlisle, reports Deadline.com.

Bert Salke will be the person filling Carlisle's shoes. Carlisle is leaving after spending a year-and-a-half in the job and it's unclear what his immediate plans are, the story says.

Salke will start in mid-August and report to 20th TV chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman, who started the division in 2004 as a lower-cost scripted and alternative series arm.

Salke has worked with producer Chris Brancato during the past 13 years with Brancato/Salke, which was most recently based at ABC Studios until their deal expired in mid-June, the story says.

According to the article, " In the past 5 years, they sold 36-37 drama scripts through their ABC Studios deal, all to ABC. They were prolific pilot makers (this past development season alone, they executive produced two cop drama pilots, Boston’s Finest and True Blue) but had no shows on the air..."

D'oh!: 'Mad Men' Star to Be Guest Voice on Fox Hit Animated Show

One of the stars of "Mad Men" will do the guest-voicing chores in an upcoming episode of one of Fox's hit animated series, reports EW.com's PopWatch.

Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm will voice a character in an episode of "The Simpsons" entitled "Donnie Fatso," the article says.

The episode will feature Hamm as an FBI supervisor to whom Homer reports after becoming an undercover informant, the story says. Homer joins Fat Tony's inner circle in jail, which will also return Joe Mantegna in his voice role as the mobster, the article adds.

TNT's Freshman Show 'Rizzoli & Isles' Pulls in More Viewers Than Lead-in 'The Closer'

TNT's new show "Rizzoli & Isles," which stars Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander, pulled in more viewers in its second episode than "The Closer," now in its sixth season and which provided a lead-in on Monday, reports Multichannel News.

"Rizzoli & Isles" was watched by an average of 7.27 million viewers at 10 p.m. Monday, representing about 300,000 more viewers than the 6.97 million who watched the "The Closer," the story says. 

"Rizzoli & Isles" is based on crime novels by Tess Gerritsen about a Boston detective and a medical examiner who team up to solve crimes. The show's first episode on July 12 represented the biggest premiere in ad-supported cable history with 7.6 million viewers, the story says.

Glenn Beck Says He May Go Blind

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck of the Fox News Channel says he has been diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease that could lead to his blindness, the AP reported.

Beck, currently on his “American Revival” tour, told an audience in Salt Lake City over the weekend that he has macular dystrophy, according to the story.

Beck said he received the diagnosis from an eye doctor he went to because he has had trouble focusing.
 

'Law & Order: SVU' Actor Arrested in New York

One of the stars of NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" was arrested today for not wearing a seatbelt while driving his car, reports TMZ.com.

Ice T and his partner, Coco, were driving their dog to the vet when the police pulled them over, according to the story. The actor and rapper was apparently driving on a suspended license and was taken into custody.

After the story broke, Coco tweeted, "Yes, Ice was arrested this morning but we don't know what the hell for! He's been released. We got pulled over for not wearing seatbelts."

Book That Exposed 'Real Housewives' Star Being Shopped as TV Series

A book that uncovered the background of one of the stars of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" is being shopped to studios as a possible TV series, the New York Post reports.

The book, "Cop Without a Badge," was first published 14 years ago and details Danielle Staub's drug-dealing past, the article says. Since her appearance on the Bravo reality show last season, the book has been reissued.

TV writer David Black, who has worked on "Law & Order," and former "Cosby Mysteries" writer Charles Kipps, who wrote the book, are pitching a series next week to Hollywood studios, the story says.

A number of studios are reportedly interested in projects focused on the book’s lead character, ex-con man Kevin Maher, who was recruited from prison and became a police informant, the story reports. Maher and Staub were married for a short time in the 1980s.

Back-to-Basics Formula Working for NBC's 'Minute to Win It'

"Minute to Win It," a game show that returned this summer to NBC after a March debut, is winning viewers with a back-to-basics concept: asking contestants to perform simple challenges with household items such as apples and toilet paper, reports The New York Times.

It's a far cry from the more elaborate game shows that have been in vogue in recent years, the article says. One challenge on "Minute to Win It," for example, asks contestants to stack five apples in a single tower in less than a minute. (All the games need to be completed in less than 60 seconds.) It sounds simple, but it's harder than it looks, especially when the players are trying to win the show's top prize of $1 million, the story adds.

The show debuted in March with an average of 5.8 million viewers, but it has gained viewers this summer, when audiences typically dip, the article says. With competition from CBS's "Big Brother" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," the show jumped to 6.8 million viewers on average for its first two summer episodes.

'Nurse Jackie' Moves Writers to New York

Showtime's Emmy Award-nominated series "Nurse Jackie" is set in New York City and filmed there, but the writers have been working out of Southern California. Now they will begin working in New York, reports Deadline.com.

The writers are being moved to the metro New York area in an effort to inspire more Manhattan-oriented stories for the series, according to the story. Not all of the writers were being relocated, and some vacancies have been created.

One new name in the writers’ room will be Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph, who has come on board for season three.

'Glenn Beck' Sponsor Under Investigation by Authorities and by ABC News

ABC investigative reporter Brian Ross has taken aim at one of the main sponsors of Fox News Channel’s "The Glenn Beck Show," reports The Huffington Post.

On Monday’s episode of "Nightline," Ross launched a report on Goldline, contending that the on-camera counsel of Beck to invest in gold in these recessionary financial times is unethical given the advertising revenue provided by gold purveyors such as Goldline.

New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, interviewed for the ABC report, called the connection an "unholy alliance."

Goldline is also under investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, according to the Huffington Post story.

ABC is not investigating Beck directly. "Glenn Beck has nothing to do with our investigation,” ABC said in its report. “Our investigation is about transactions with individual customers and the complaints that they've raised. And politics really has nothing to do with it. It's all about consumer protection for us."

Authorities in Los Angeles have received more than 100 complaints against Goldline from consumers, the Huffington Post story says.

ABC's 'Bachelorette' Rules Monday Ratings

As the big finale looms for ABC's "The Bachelorette,” the ratings for the reality show have been getting stronger--including a good showing on Monday night, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. "The Bachelorette" had a solid 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic for the hour, well ahead of Fox's "Lie to Me," which logged a 1.8 in the demo.

The 9 p.m. hour of "The Bachelorette" did even better with a 3.6 rating in the 18-49 demo, besting NBC's "Last Comic Standing," which had a 1.6, and Fox's "The Good Guys," which collected a 1.1 rating in the demo.

The season finale of ABC's "True Beauty" at 10 p.m. earned a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic for the hour, ahead of NBC's "Dateline," which had a 1.4.

'Raymond' Stars to Reunite on ABC Show

Two Emmy-winning stars of “Everybody Loves Raymond” will be reunited on the season premiere of ABC's "The Middle," reports Entertainment Weekly.

Doris Roberts, who won four Emmys for her supporting role on “Raymond,” will join former co-star Patricia Heaton, who won two Emmys as lead actress on “Raymond.” Heaton now stars as Frankie in “The Middle.”

Roberts will play the schoolteacher of Heaton’s young son Brick, played by Atticus Shaffer. "The Middle" returns for season two on Sept. 22.

Lohan Loses High-Profile Attorney, Goes to Jail

Less than 24 hours after her high-profile attorney dropped her as a client, actress Lindsay Lohan turned herself in Tuesday in a Beverly Hills courtroom and reported to jail to begin serving her 90-day sentence, reports USA Today.

Former O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Shapiro dropped Lohan as a client Monday, TMZ.com reported. The reason for his decision was not known, but he had indicated that he would represent Lohan only if she accepted jail time and accepted his advice.

According to the USA Today story, Lohan arrived in court about 10 minutes late and was taken into custody without incident. The actress, who was accompanied by her mother, Dina, father, Michael, and younger sister Ali, was reportedly handcuffed and driven to jail to serve her sentence for probation violation.

Her sentencing two weeks ago stemmed from Lohan’s having missed seven alcohol education classes since December.

Top Hollywood Companies Join Forces for 'UltraViolet' All-Platform Video Player

A consortium of entertainment and tech companies joined forces Monday to unveil UltraViolet, a highly anticipated distribution system aimed at enabling consumers to watch movies, TV shows and other digital content on any platform.

The new Web site and consumer brand are designed to complement the DVD and Blu-ray home entertainment market and to provide a way for consumers to seamlessly coordinate viewing across TVs, PCs, game consoles, smartphones and other devices.

UltraViolet is a project of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, whose membership includes NBC Universal, Warner Bros., Fox Entertainment, Comcast, Cox Communications, Sony, Paramount Pictures, Netflix, Microsoft, IBM and Intel, among a wide range of tech and entertainment companies. Plans for the technology have reportedly been in the works since 2008.

“Our goal is to firmly establish UltraViolet as the symbol for digital entertainment--one that gives consumers the freedom of access wherever they are, the confidence of knowing how it will work and the broadest choice of content, stores and devices,” said Mitch Singer, DECE president and CTO of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Apple and Disney are among the few major players that have resisted joining the UltraViolet initiative thus far.

Report: Team That Created Current Hit ABC Sitcom Splitting Up

"Modern Family" creators and showrunners Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd have reportedly decided to quit their four-year business partnership,reports former TVWeek editor Joe Adalian, who is now at New York Magazine's Vulture blog.

While neither will leave "Modern Family," the two are in talks with 20th Century Fox Television, with whom the pair have a multiyear deal, to stay at the studio in new, separate deals, the story says.

"Given the fact that 'Family' figures to be around a lot longer, and likely make a lot more money than 20th's other big hit from last season, 'Glee,' don't be surprised if Levitan and Lloyd's new agreements end up in the same range as the big bucks Ryan Murphy is supposedly now making for his services," Adalian writes.

He adds that the separation likely has more to do with the bottom line than anything else: the pair joined in 2006 when TV comedy was struggling, and now that "Modern Family" is a hit, "the two men (along with their agents at UTA and ICM) realized they no longer really needed to stay attached," the story says.

Syndie Shocker: ABC-Owned WLS in Chicago, Oprah's Longtime Home TV Station, to Go with Live Local Show When Oprah Leaves

The ABC-owned Chicago station WLS-TV, which has served as Oprah Winfrey's flagship station, will replace "The Oprah Winfrey Show" with a live, local morning program that doesn't even have a host yet, reports Chicago blogger Robert Feder

With the working title "Morning Rush," a three-minute demo tape won approval of the station's ABC bosses, the story says. “Nothing has been decided yet in terms of the show’s hosts or set or look or name — except to say that we intend to make it live and local and fun," WLS president and general manager Emily Barr told Feder. The show will also have a studio audience, the story adds.

It had been thought that the station would replace "Oprah" with another syndicated program or a lifestyle program, the article says.

Veteran Reporter Exits CBS for NBC's iVillage Web Site

A CBS News correspondent has resigned her position to take on a new role on the Web site iVillage.com, reports TVNewser.com.

Kelly Wallace, who has been with CBS since 2007, moves to iVillage, part of the NBC Universal media family. Before her tenure at CBS, Wallace was at CNN for 13 years.

She will be doing Web reporting and will become iVillage's spokesperson, the story reports.

Trump Tells Tiger Woods' Mistress She's Not Wanted on 'Celebrity Apprentice'

Donald Trump is reneging on his offer to Tiger Woods' mistress Rachel Uchitel to join the next "Celebrity Apprentice" after news came out that she's joining "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," the New York Post reports.

"But if she's doing 'Celebrity Rehab' [now], we would have no interest," Trump says.

As previously reported,  Uchitel, 35, was tapped to join actor Jeremy London, former teen idol Leif Garrett and other stars on Dr. Drew Pinsky's show about helping celebrities kick their drug or alcohol problems. Uchitel is joining the show to treat a pill addiction and is about halfway through its six-week production, the article says. "Celebrity Apprentice" is scheduled to start taping in October.

'Damages' Saved by DirecTV: Satellite Service Comes to Rescue of Highly Acclaimed, Low-Rated Series

DirecTV has jumped in to save the Glenn Close Emmy-winning legal drama "Damages," pairing up with producer Sony Pictures Television for a 20-episode order that will air on DirecTV's 101 network, the Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker blog reports.

The order represents two seasons -- the show's fourth and fifth -- of 10 episodes each, which will be produced in early 2011, the story says. The agreement comes after the show was reportedly too pricey for FX, the network which originally aired the show. John Landgraf, president and general manager of FX Networks, said in a statement that "in order to have a future, the show needed DirecTV and we are thrilled they stepped in...."

According to the article, "The satellite operator has also acquired the rights to the show’s first three seasons..."

When "Damages" debuted in July, 2007, Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic Tom Shales was among a number of critics who gave the show high praise. Shales wrote, " 'Damages' is also emphatically, and almost torturously, high-tension, and the pilot script is one of the most artfully crafted since the debut back in the 20th century of  'The Sopranos.' "  

Neither Glenn Close nor co-star Rose Byrne are taking pay cuts as part of the deal, report Meg James and Joe Flint in a separate Los Angeles Times article.

The deal will also allow Sony to eventually sell the show into syndication, because other cable channels would have been unlikely to bite without four seasons, the article says.

It is unlikely the show will get the same type of ratings on DirecTV as on FX, since DirecTV is available in 18.6 million homes while FX is available in 90 million homes.

Fox Series Will Reunite Two 'Arrested Development' Stars; 'Arrested' Movie Is Back on

The latest casting announcement for one of Fox’s new series will reunite two of the stars of "Arrested Development," TVGuide.com reports.

David Cross has signed a deal to join Will Arnett in "Running Wilde," the story says.

"Running Wilde," from "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz, will feature Cross in seven of the series' first 13 episodes, including the pilot, which airs Sept. 21, the article says. Cross' character will be Andy, the environmentalist fiance of Keri Russell's character.

Cross is taking over the role from Andrew Daly, who played the character in the show's original pilot, the article adds.

In a related story, the on-again, off-again saga of bringing "Arrested Development" to the big screen seems to be on again, reports The Wrap.

In the current GQ magazine, Hurwitz said that once "Running Wilde" is up and running, his attention will shift to the "Arrested Development" feature. Arnett confirmed to GQ that the film will indeed happen.

Former Fox Drama Executive Who Was Involved in the Development of 'Glee,' 'Lie to Me' and 'Bones,' Joins ABC

A former drama executive at 20th Century Fox Television has joined ABC Studios, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com.

Patrick Moran, the former senior vice president of drama at 20th Century Fox Television, is joining ABC Studios as its new head of drama following the departure of Josh Barry, according to thearticle.

Barry is leaving his post after a year at the job, although he may stay within the company in a different role, the story says.

Moran left his job at 20th TV in early May, when the studio hired Michael Thorne for the role. Moran oversaw the development of "Glee" and other series such as "Lie to Me" and "Bones," the article adds.

'Family Guy' Episode Focusing on Abortion that Was Banned from TV Will Now Be Released as Stand-Alone DVD

A "Family Guy" episode called "Partial Terms of Endearment" that deals with abortion and was banned from television by Fox, will be released in September as a stand-alone DVD, reports the New York Times.

Fox declined to elaborate on its decision not to air the episode, which was created for the show's 2009-10 season, the story says. Seth MacFarlane, the show's creator, said the network allowed him to produce the episode despite warning him the subject raised concerns, and that he felt the network would eventually air it.

The episode follows Lois Griffin, the wife of "Family Guy" Peter Griffin, as she becomes a surrogate mother for an infertile friend. But after her friend and husband die in a car crash, Lois debates having an abortion, the article says.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, the home video arm of 20th Century Fox, is releasing the episode with packaging that plays up the controversy, with "Banned from TV!" stamped across the cover. The home-video unit decided fans would still purchase the episode despite the subject, helping to cover the production costs even if the episode wasn't broadcast on Fox, the story adds.

Cast of 'Jersey Shore' Close to Getting Raise Reportedly Near $30,000 Per Episode

The cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore" is close to a deal giving them a nearly 200% pay raise, reports former TVWeeker James Hibberd at the Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed blog.

The cast had asked the network for $30,000 per episode, and MTV has come back with a deal that offers them close to that number, the story says.

The cast had received $10,000 per episode for the show's second season, which represented twice the $5,000 per episode they received in its first season, the article says.

The latest pay raise may not come into effect until the show's third season, the story adds. 
As previously reported the cast of the show had refused to shoot anymore footage from the show until the contract negotiations had been resolved.

Oxygen Picks up Reality Show Starring Singer Aubrey O'Day Seeking Music Comeback

Oxygen is picking up a reality show starring singer Aubrey O'Day as she tries to make a comeback in the music industry, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

O'Day was part of the girl band Danity Kane in 2004 when it was part of MTV's "Making the Band" and was fired during an episode of the show two years ago by producer and judge Sean Combs, the story says.

There isn't yet an air date or episode number. The show is produced Ish Entertainment with Michael Hirschorn, Madison Merritt and Wendy Roth as executive producers, the article says.

New Media: Starz Miniseries Teams With Penguin E-Book for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone

Starz is teaming with book publisher Penguin Group to create an electronic version of one of its miniseries for three Apple products, reports B&C.

The eight-hour television series of Ken Follett's "The Pillars of Earth" will debut on Friday, July 23, while the ebook edition for the iPad will go on sale today, July 20th, the story says.

The "amplified edition" costs $12.99 and includes 34 short videos, artwork and original music from the television series, the article adds.

Starz came to Penguin about three months ago with the concept of creating a special "The Pillars of the Earth" edition for iPad, and executives from both companies worked on the project. A version for the iPod Touch and iPhone will be released later this week, the story says.

Actor Who Played President Charles Logan on '24' Will Play a Senator in Reoccuring Role on HBO Series

Gregory Itzin, who played the disgraced U.S. President Charles Logan on '24,' has been cast in another role as an elected official, reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files.

Itzin will play Senator Richard Dwyer, the Republican Majority Leader of Utah's State Senate in the  fifth season of HBO's "Big Love," the story says. The role represents a major recurring part on the show, on which Bill (played by Bill Paxton) is now also a member of the Utah State Senate, the article says. Production on the show's fifth season will begin this week.

'Glee' Creator Lands $24 Million Deal, One of the Biggest Ever for a TV Writer-Producer

One of the co-creators of “Glee” has scored one of the biggest deals ever for a TV writer-producer, spanning television, music and theater, reports Deadline.com.

Ryan Murphy is reportedly closing a new four-year $24 million deal with “Glee” producer 20th Century Fox TV for his work on the Fox series and new development through Ryan Murphy Productions, according to the story.

Murphy will get a share of profits from “Glee's” music business and will receive a portion of touring and merchandising revenues.

He has an option to create a “Glee” Broadway musical, the story says.

The package could earn Murphy as much as $10 million a year over the next four years, according to the story.

Baby Boomer Delight: Three Beloved Comic Actor Icons in Love Triangle

It's baby boomer delight as three TV comic actor icons who the boomers grew up watching are in a love triangle.

The three are Betty White, Carl Reiner ("The Dick Van Dyke Show" "Your Show of Shows,") and Tim Conway ("The Carol Burnett Show,' "McHale's Navy').

The love triangle will happen on TV Land's sizzling success "Hot In Cleveland." The producers have enlisted the star power of Tim Conway as a rival for Carl Reiner's pursuit of Betty White, reports the Akron Beacon Journal.

In addition to Conway, the show has also signed up "Ugly Betty's" Mark Indelicato and “Boston Legal's" Gary Anthony Williams for guest turns. Also, Dave Foley is joining the cast as Dr. Robert Moore.

Veteran TV and Film Actor James Gammon Dies (You'll Know His Face in an Instant); He Played Don Johnson's Dad on 'Nash Bridges'

Character actor James Gammon, who appeared in major films such as “Urban Cowboy,” “Silverado” and “Cold Mountain” along with a wide range of TV roles, has died, USA Today reports.

Before the rugged-looking Gammon became an actor he was a TV cameraman.

The actor perhaps best known for playing the Cleveland Indians’ manager in “Major League” died Friday in Costa Mesa, Calif., after a battle with cancer of the adrenal glands and the liver, the paper reports. He was 70.

Gammon played Teddy Roosevelt in the TV show “The Adventures of the Young Indiana Jones” and played Don Johnson’s dad on “Nash Bridges.”

Gammon was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in Sam Shepherd's "Buried Child."

Media Research Maven Gets Job as EVP Media for the Audience Research Foundation

The Audience Research Foundation (ARF) has tapped a media research veteran for the post of EVP Media, ARF has announced.

It's TVWeek friend David Marans, whose last position was Research Director at A&E Networks.

Marans spent 25 years doing research on the agency side of the business, first at Young & Rubicam and then J Walter Thompson, which, on the media side, eventually evolved into Mindshare.

In 2005 he left the agency side of the business and joined IAG Research, which was eventually sold to Nielsen Media Research.

Bob Barocci, ARF President & CEO, said, in a statement, “This is a significant day for the ARF. As the industry evolves, the need for fact-based advertising thought leadership has grown exponentially, reflected by the fact that the ARF has attracted over 100 new members in the past 18 months. The advertiser and agency industry leaders that dominate the new member community are coming with high expectations regarding the value that the ARF must deliver. World-class executives like David Marans are essential for the ARF to meet these demands, and we are very fortunate to have attracted someone of his stature.”

'Criminal Minds' Star Will Do Double Duty

In the new fall season, one of the stars of CBS’s "Criminal Minds" will be appearing not just on that show but also on the show's new spinoff, "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior," reports Deadline.com.

CBS confirmed in a press release that actress Kirsten Vangsness will play FBI computer tech Penelope Garcia on both series.

“Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior” will also star Forest Whitaker, Janeane Garofalo, Matt Ryan, Michael Kelly and Beau Garrett.

In Positive Sign for Local TV, Gannett's Broadcast Profits Rise

Gannett Co. recorded $184 million in Q2 broadcast revenue, an increase of more than 20% from last year, reports B&C.

In operating revenue from broadcast, the company posted $78.4 million, an increase of more than 55% from a year ago.

In a statement, Gannett Chairman/CEO Craig A. Dubow, said, "We continued to make progress on our goals to provide engaging, relevant content any way the consumer wants while also expanding our reach and offering better solutions for our advertisers."

The company, which owns 23 TV stations, cited stronger core advertising trends and growth in political spending along with increases in its digital segment.

Cast of 'Jersey Shore' Refuses to Shoot Third Season

Seeking to get better contract deals, the cast of "Jersey Shore" is refusing to shoot scenes for the show's third season, reports TMZ.com.

The cast was scheduled to film scenes over the weekend for the MTV show's third season, but JWoww, Ronnie, Sammi, Pauly D and Vinny told the crew they weren't shooting unless they had new contracts, the story says.

Snooki is planning to follow her castmates' lead in her scheduled shoot for Monday, while there's no word on The Situation, the article says. An MTV representative did not comment.

'Big Brother' Again Leads Sunday Ratings

Sunday was a relatively slow night in the Nielsen ratings, but CBS's "Big Brother" continues to show strength, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 7 p.m. NBC's "Dateline" was just ahead of CBS's "60 Minutes," with a 1.0 rating to a 0.9 in the 18-49 demographic for the hour.

The 8 p.m. hour was topped by "Big Brother" with a 2.3 rating in the demo. At 9 p.m. ABC's "Scoundrels" rated a 0.7 in the 18-49, and then at 10 p.m. ABC's "The Gates" did a touch better with a 0.9 in the demo.

Starz Casts Lead, Other Roles for 'Spartacus' Prequel

Starz' prequel to "Spartacus" has cast several roles, including the lead, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Australian actor Dustin Clare will play the lead and Jaime Murray of "Dexter" will be a Capua social climber, the story says.

"Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" will start production next month, with six episodes airing in January, according to the story. The second season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," which stars Andy Whitfield, will begin production after "Arena" and will air in 2011, the article adds.

Whitfield has been cleared by his doctors to return to work after being treated for cancer and will make an appearance in "Arena." Marisa Ramirez of "General Hospital" has also been cast in "Arena," in which she will play a slave girl, the article adds.

Zsa Zsa to Undergo Surgery

Zsa Zsa Gabor, the television and film actress, was scheduled for surgery Monday after a fall at her home on Saturday, the Los Angeles Times' L.A. Now blog reports. She broke her hip in the fall and is scheduled to have a hip replacement.

The 93-year old actress was reaching for a ringing telephone when she fell out of bed, breaking her right hip, the story says. Her husband, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, called an ambulance and stayed the night at the hospital with her, the article adds.

Gabor has been partially paralyzed since a car accident in 2002, and she suffered a stroke three years later. She has made appearances and had roles in television shows ranging from "General Electric Theater," from 1956 to 1961, to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in 1991.

Report: Back Together Again, Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston Aim for Reality Show About Wedding

Now that they're back together again, Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston are aiming for a couple's project to start off their married life: a reality show about their wedding and life with their son, Tripp, reports TMZ.com.

The pair has "multiple reality shows" that are being shopped to networks, with the top concept following the couple and their son with the focus on "parenting issues," the story says.

It's unclear if Sarah Palin, Bristol's mom, would be involved in the show or if it would be based in Alaska, the article adds.

Final Veteran 'CSI' Cast Member Signs Contract; But Will She Be Regular or Guest Star? Also, Liz Vassey Will Not Return to Show

The last of the "CSI" vets will return to the show, reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files.

It's Jorja Fox, who plays Sara on the series. It's not clear whether she'll return as a guest star or series regular, the story says. CBS declined to comment.

"Fox was one of five CSI vets negotiating new pacts with the show — and the last to sign on the dotted line. She joins fellow returnees Marg Helgenberger (Catherine), George Eads (Nick), Eric Szmanda (Greg), and Paul Guilfoyle (Jim). Laurence Fishburne (Ray) reupped last April for one more year. Liz Vassey, meanwhile, will not be back," the article says.

Over 50 Isn't Worth Your Advertising Dollars? That Notion Is So Old, Nielsen Says

The belief that the over 50-market isn't worth as much as the coveted 18 to 49-year old market is so old -- at least according to Nielsen, Advertising Age's Brian Steinberg reports.

"The measurement-and-data giant is out to prove that it is advertisers' continued focus on younger customers that's out of date, thanks to a massive and aging population of baby boomers as well as changes in consumers' lifestyle sparked by new technology," Steinberg writes.

The next few decades may see a shift in how consumers spend, with younger Americans facing smaller salaries amid a tough economy and choosing to have smaller families. Meanwhile, the baby boomer generation will start to retire, with more money saved and the ability to spend more, the story says.

And while the TV market is aimed at viewers 49 and under, the average age of a prime-time broadcast viewer is almost 51, Steinberg points out. "To maintain relevance to advertisers, the big networks need to find a way to establish the relevance of older consumers if they want to continue to draw the marketers that support TV so heavily," he writes.

Actor Wesley Snipes Loses Appeal of Prison Sentence

Acrtor Wesley Snipes has lost his appeal of his prison sentence, Reuters reports.

According to the article, "Actor Wesley Snipes is headed for jail after losing his appeal of a three-year prison sentence for failing to file income tax returns for 1999 through 2001.A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the 47-year-old actor's 2008 conviction in an Ocala, Florida, court for three misdemeanors stemming from felony tax charges."

Tiger Woods Mistress, Jeremy London (He's the guy who claimed to have been kidnapped and forced to take ectasy) To Be on 'Celebrity Rehab'

The 'most prominent' of Tiger Woods' mistresses, along with actor Jeremy London, along with "former model Janice Dickinson, former teen idol Leif Garrett and former 'The Hills' star Jason Wahler," have also signe up for VH1's "Celebrity Rehab," Popeater reports.

The mistress is Rachel Uchitel, 35, who, according to the article, "will be treated not for sex addiction like her former lover, but for pills. What kind of pills is unknown."

According to the article, "London, of 'Party of Five' and 'Mallrats' fame, will enter Pinsky's world of rehab presumably for assorted substance abuses. According to TMZ, his wife Melissa is also seeking treatment."

Previously, it had been announced that production of "Celibrity Rehab" was being postponed while the show was looking for participants.

MTV Pulls "The Dudesons" Episode After Protest from American Indian Movement

MTV has pulled an episode of "The Dudesons,' in which four Finnish best friends perform crazy stunts to become honorary Indians, after the American Indian Movement of Santa Barbara called for a boycott, reports the New York Post's Page Six.

The castmates don costumes such as headdresses and perform stunts that lead to one Dudeson getting his crotch crushed by a totem pole, the story says.

An MTV representative wrote to the American Indian Movement that, "in response to concerns raised by viewers and out of sensitivity to the Aboriginal community, we will not be repeating the episode of 'The Dudesons' in question."

Comic-Con Opens This Week, and One Critic Complains That Its Usefulness for Hollywood is Already Diminishing Because the Geeks That Have Always Formed Comic-Con's Core Are Being Pushed Out By The Cool Kids

Another sold-out Comic-Con opens this week in San Diego, and Hollywood will be there with its biggest TV and film contingent yet.

But at least one critic laments that the conventions usefulness for Hollywood is already waning, as cool kids are pushing out the geeks that historically have been Comic-Con's core audience.

In a piece in the Los Angeles Times, film critic Betsy Sharkey asks, "Will mainstream fame destroy Comic-Con? Will the nerds succumb to the narcissism enabled by too much Hollywood love? Will the geek raison d'être be diluted as the films that fill the hallowed halls of the San Diego Convention Center starting Thursday drift further and further from the comic book, sci-fi fanboy core?"

Concludes Sharkey, "The problem, as is so often the case, is that success, unless it's handled carefully, can spoil, just as power can corrupt. As the Comic-Con throngs went from 50,000 to 100,000, fanboy fanatics were increasingly being replaced — or at least outnumbered — by the fawning multitudes. The "cool" kids started coming in droves as the studios ramped up red carpet rollouts and the star power became blinding.What was once a tight consensus of true believers was becoming a flabby behemoth of mixed opinions that couldn't be trusted."

Moving Beyond Kiosks, Redbox Seeks Internet Strategy to Challenge Netflix

Seeking to move beyond kiosks stationed outside of supermarkets and retailers, Redbox is developing an online strategy to compete with home-video rental rival Netflix, reports Bloomberg.com.

The company is considering using a Web service to offer more than the 200 or so titles it rents for $1-a-day through its kiosks, the story says. “The way we look at it is, How can it help us deliver to our customers things we can’t do in our kiosks?” Redbox President Mitch Lowe says. “What role might it play in expanding our selection?” Redbox will outline the plan in October, and it may help the company both take some business from Blockbuster, which is closing stores, and compete better with Neftlix, which offers 100,000 titles via mail and 20,000 films online, the article adds. Netflix declined to comment.

Former 'Will & Grace' Showrunners Join 'Love Bites' as Producers

Two former "Will & Grace" showrunners and executive producers are joining "Love Bites" as executive producers under a seven-figure, two-year overall deal with Universal Media Studios, reports Deadline.com.

The pair, Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally, is replacing "Love Bites" creator Cindy Chupack, who stepped down recently from her showrunner role, the story says.

They'll serve as writing showrunners on the "Love Bites," working with executive producers and non-writing showrunners Shelley McCrory and director Marc Buckland, according to the article.

 The show is facing several challenges, the story points out. For instance, star Becki Newton plays a character who is supposed to be a virgin in the pilot, although Newton recently announced she is pregnant, the story says.

Another is the loss of Jordana Spiro, whose character is being written out of the show because the actor had another commitment to TBS' "My Boys," the article says.

In Two Months of Selling, Warner Bros. Reaches 75% Clearance for 'Big Bang' Broadcast Syndication

Warner Bros. has reached 75% clearance for "The Big Bang Theory" broadcast syndication after two months of sales, reports TVNewsCheck.com.

Set for a run that will begin in the fall of 2011, the hit CBS show has been purchased in syndication in two dozen additional markets, ranging from San Francisco to Las Vegas, the story says. T

he show was first sold into syndication by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution in mid-May, when Fox Television stations bought the show to air in 10 markets and TBS purchased the cable rights.

In the most recent sales, Cox Media bought rights to air the show in San Francisco's Fox affiliate KTVU-TV and independent KICU-TV, while Sinclair Broadcast Group stations will air the program in several markets such as Las Vegas and San Antonio, Texas, the story says.

Gibson Tapes Push Gossip Website to the Fore

The release in recent weeks of the Mel Gibson audio tapes to RadarOnline has brought so many users to its site that it crashed on Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Says the Times, "Radaronline, which has led the coverage about the actor's alleged outbursts, has attained a new level of visibility."

Has Terrorism Concerns Shut Down Blog, Forum Platforms on the Internet?

"Two services that enable users to blog or create online forums have disappeared from the Internet under mysterious circumstances."

So writes CNET's Greg Sandoval.

The two services in question are Blogetery.com, a blogging platform,which shut down July 9, and IPBfree.com, "a service that helped users create Web message boards," according to the article.

Blogetery had more than 73,000 blogs.

Regarding iPBFree the article says, " 'iPBFree is gone forever and it's not possible to retrieve anything,' said one of the service's administrators who went by the Twitter handle Connormccarthy. 'It wasn't planned. We're exceptionally sorry.' "

According to the article, the shutdowns had nothing to do with any kind of copyright violations. 

The article also says, "Benjamin Arcus, vice president of Scranton, Pa.,-based BurstNet, the Web host for Blogetery, told CNET that executives there terminated service at the direction of a law enforcement agency. 'I can not disclose which agency or why they [ordered the action],' Arcus said. 

Furthermore, the CNET article says, "None of this makes sense, according to one law enforcement official with experience in cybercrime investigations who wasn't connected to the cases but wished to be anonymous because he is isn't authorized to speak on the matter.  He said that he didn't know of any agency that had the authority to terminate service for thousands of people without essentially jumping through all kinds of legal hoops. Not even federal officials in child pornography investigations can immediately shut down hosting services."

Though the article itself does not raise the issue of terrorism, some commenters to the article have. Said one: "I'm surprised no one's raised the idea that maybe this was some sort of terrorism/Homeland Security-related issue. If any agency could do things in secret, I'm betting that one could."

Another commenter wrote in reply, "Not sure what terrorism would have to do with making whole sites go dark. If there was an individual blog being used as a message board for terrorist you wouldn't need to make the whole site dark to shut it down. This would be the same as shutting down Verizon Wireless because a terrorist used one of their cell phones to make a call. I would hope that we lived in a country that was smarter than that and where such a thing is not possible within the law. Even the war on terrorism should not leave and government agency with unlimited power to do anything and never have to justify their actions in any way. 'It's a matter of national security' or similar statement should not be a sufficient answer for any and all actions without any public oversight."

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Apple Boss Offers Solution to iPhone 'Death Grip' Issue, Says Problem Has Been Blown Out of Proportion

Apple’s chief executive acknowledged Friday that the company’s iPhone 4 has problems with its antenna, but he said those problems have been exaggerated by the media and all smartphones are affected by them, The New York Times reported.

Referring to the so-called iPhone “death grip,” Steven P. Jobs said at a news conference at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., “This has been blown so out of proportion that it is incredible.”

Jobs announced that Apple would give free bumpers--cases that wrap around the rim of the phone--to all iPhone 4 buyers who want them, according to the article. Anyone who has already bought the case, which is priced at $29 from Apple, will be eligible to receive a full refund.

Customers may also return the phones for a full refund. The free cases will be available until Sept. 30.

Jobs showed videos that appeared to illustrate other smartphones, including a BlackBerry, an Android-powered phone and a Windows Mobile device, dropping signals when they were held in a certain place, the story said.

ESPN Reporter Sues Stalker, Hotels

Erin Andrews, the ESPN reporter who was the victim of stalker Michael David Barrett, has filed a lawsuit against Barrett as well as the hotels that supplied him with her room information, reports Sportsgrid.com.

The seven hotels are being cited for negligence and invasion of privacy, while Barrett, who admitted to secretly filming Andrews naked, is being sued for inflicting “severe and permanent emotional distress” on the reporter.

They're Dropping Like Flies on 'So You Think You Can Dance'--Injury Claims Another Contestant

For the second time in about a week, Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" has had to send off a dancer who who was seriously injured during a performance, reports RealityBlurred.com.

Alex Wong was last week's victim, and Ashley Galvan suffered a similar fate in Thursday night's program. Judge Nigel Lythgoe broke the news on air to the female dancer, saying, “Both of the doctors have said to me you need between three and five weeks’ rest. ... I have to let you go this week.”

Despite her injury, Galvan is expected to be among the dancers performing in the upcoming "So You Think You Can Dance" tour.

CNN Reporter Picked to Lead White House Correspondents Association; Helen Thomas' Seat Up for Grabs

There's a new president of the White House Correspondents Association, reports TVNewser.com. 

CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry was the runaway winner in an election held by the organization, receiving186 votes out of 243 ballots cast, the story reports.

One issue the organization must settle is who will inherit the front-row seat in the briefing room that had been occupied by Helen Thomas, the longtime White House correspondent who retired last month. Fox News Channel and Bloomberg News are said to be competing for the choice seat, with Henry having indicated he would support Fox, according to the TVNewser story.

'Mad Men' Actress Strips for Retro Playboy Covers

One of the stars of AMC's "Mad Men" peels for the August cover of Playboy in a mod/retro-style feature that evokes the groovy 1960s, reports the New York Daily News.

Crista Flanagan's character, Lois, appears on the show as more of a mousey secretrary type, so this exposure is a big change for actress--and she's excited.

"I'm a character actress,” she told the paper. “Nobody's ever asked me to take off my clothes, or even kiss somebody. I guess I haven't been seen as a sexy person."

Flanagan appears on two different covers for August, as well as an 8-page spread inside the publication.

"Mad Men" premieres with season four on Sunday, July 25, on AMC.

Fox Renews Deal for Sports Graphics

The company that provides the 1st & Ten line during football broadcasts along with other well-known graphic elements has renewed its agreement with the Fox Sports Media Group and will continue creating graphics for Fox Sports programming, reports B&C.

The deal between Fox and Sportvision is good till 2014, ensuring that Sportvision's technology will be included in Fox productions of NFL, MLB and NASCAR events.

"Sportvision shares a longstanding partnership with Fox Sports," said Hank Adams, Sportvision CEO, in a statement. "This agreement ensures that we will continue to collaborate with their leadership, ultimately delivering a heightened sports-viewing experience to the fans for years to come."

CBS Slates Encore Run for Reality Hit 'Undercover Boss'

To get fans ready for a new season of the hit reality series "Undercover Boss," CBS has decided to show all eight episodes of the first season on consecutive summer Sundays, according to TheWrap.

From Sunday, July 25, to Sunday, Sept. 12, the shows will air at 9 p.m. ET.

"Undercover Boss" was the top new series of the 2009-2010 season, averaging 17.7 million viewers, after premiering in the post-Super Bowl time slot last February.

Marketing Veteran Signs On With Oprah's TV Network

OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, has tapped a veteran marketing executive to oversee all aspects of the promotion and marketing for the network, according to TheWrap.

Maurizio Vitale takes on the title of senior VP of marketing, and will report to Christina Norman, OWN CEO.

The network will begin broadcasting on Jan. 1, 2011.

"Maurizio has done a phenomenal job for the Discovery Networks internationally, providing creative messaging and a fresh and relevant perspective,” Norman said in a statement. “I know he will be a strong member of my team, and look forward to tapping into his extensive knowledge as we launch OWN."

'Law & Order' Spinoff Faces Production Delay

The start of production for NBC's latest "Law & Order" spinoff has been delayed from July 22 to Aug. 2, reports Deadline.com.

"Law & Order: Los Angeles" has only announced one star, Skeet Ulrich, so casting appears to be an issue in the delay.

As of Thursday’s announcement about the NBC fall premieres, "Law & Order: L.A." was scheduled to bow Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 10 p.m. ET.

Reality Competitions Continue to Lead Ratings

The slow summer nights drag on in the Nielsens, but reality competition and games continue to perform well. CBS's "Big Brother" and ABC's "Wipeout" led the way Thursday night, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. "Wipeout" averaged a 2.45 rating in the 18-49 demographic for the hour, ahead of "Big Brother's" 2.35 in the demo.

At 9 p.m. Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" scored a 1.9 average for the hour in the 18-49 demo, while ABC's "Rookie Blue" had a 1.8 and a 1.4 for the top and bottom half-hours. At 10 p.m. ABC's "Boston Med" managed a 1.25 average in the demo up against all reruns.

'Jersey Shore' Star Isn't Returning to MTV Program Midway Through Second-Season Filming

A "Jersey Shore" star won't be returning to the hit MTV reality program as the show prepares to film the second half of its second season, reports RadarOnline.com. 

Angelina Pivarnick had quit the cast's house in Miami, where the first half of the second season is set, weeks before the program had ended its production there, the story says. One reason for her departure is that she hasn't gotten along with the show's cast, it says. The second half of the next season will shift back to the Jersey shore.

A representative for Pivarnick said he couldn't confirm or deny the story. "However, it is possible that she may not return to complete the filming of the second half of Season 2 of the 'Jersey Shore.' Decisions are being made at this time," he said in a statement. A representative for the show didn't have comment.

Kathy Griffin Provokes Senatorial Ire by Calling Scott Brown's Daughter's 'Prostitutes' on TV

Kathy Griffin has earned the ire of Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) for calling his daughters "prostitutes" on her Bravo show "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," reports the Boston Herald. 

During the program, Griffin was quizzed by CNN reporters Dana Bash and Jon King, who flashed a photo of Brown in front of Griffin, asking her to identify him. The comedian replied, "Scott Brown, who is a senator from Massachusetts. And has two daughters that are prostitutes," the story says. After Bash starts laughing, the program came to a halt and Griffin narrates, "And now, a brief message from Bravo’s legal team: Scott Brown’s daughters NOT prostitutes!!! We now return you to our regularly scheduled negativity."

The incident has provoked Brown's ire, with the junior senator issuing a statement saying, "People can call me any name they want, but families are off limits. I love my daughters, Ayla and Arianna, very much, and any parent would be proud to have them as children. Kathy Griffin and Bravo ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

Emmy Winner Joining Second Season of 'The Good Wife' in Likely Recurring Character

Am Emmy-winning actress is joining the second season of CBS's "The Good Wife" in what will likely be a recurring character role, reports EW.com's Michael Ausiello. 

Tammy Blanchard, who won an Emmy for her role as a young Judy Garland in the 2001 ABC miniseries "Me and My Shadows," will play one of Glen Childs' employees and a confidant to Matt Czuchry's Cary.

In other casting news for "The Good Wife," actor Chris Sarandon, who played the evil Prince Humperdinck in the movie "The Princess Bride," has been hired for a recurring role as Judge Goode, described as " irascible and domineering," the story says.

Larry King Says He Wouldn't Recognize Presumed Heir 'if He Was Walking Down the Street'

Larry King, who will leave CNN in the fall, tells Forbes.com that he wouldn't recognize his presumed replacement, Piers Morgan, "if he was walking down the street." 

As earlier reported, "America's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan is close to signing a contract worth around $5 million to $6 million a year to replace King. But despite King's comment and his assertion that most Americans wouldn't know Morgan unless they watch "America's Got Talent," King tells the publication that his replacement will be accepted quickly by American viewers.

"British talent gets pretty much accepted here," King says. "It’s the mother country. If that’s not his cup of tea, then he’s going to do more personality interviews – and I think he knows a lot about personalities." Still, King gives a plug for his preferred heir in the interview, saying Ryan Seacrest would be "immediately accepted." "The camera likes him and he’s a great generalist," King adds.

John Stamos Extortion Case Ends with Conviction of Michigan Couple Who Sought $680,000 for Old Photos

John Stamos' would-be extortioners were convicted on Thursday for trying to squeeze $680,000 from him by threatening to sell old photos of him with strippers and cocaine to tabloids if he didn't pay, the Associated Press reports. 

Michigan couple Allison Coss, 24, and Scott Sippola, 31, were found guilty of conspiracy and using e-mail to threaten a person's reputation, the story says. Stamos, 46, wasn't in the courtroom when the verdict was announced but appeared a few minutes later when the judge polled each of the jurors. The story says Stamos smiled and looked relieved.

In a written statement, Stamos, who has starred in television shows such as "Full House" and "E.R.," said he was "shocked and perplexed" by the "false stories" offered by Coss and defense lawyers, the article adds. FBI agents testified that their search of the house failed to turn up any embarrassing photos; Coss had alleged that a photo of Stamos with cocaine disappeared during the FBI raid on her house. The FBI denied it, the story says.

After FCC Ruling Striking Down Indecency Regulations, Primetime TV Is Set to Become Even Racier

With the FCC's regulations on indecency being struck down this week by a federal appeals court, primetime television is about to become a lot racier, reports Elizabeth Guider in the Hollywood Reporter. 

Television has already been sliding into topics that wouldn't have aired five years ago, such as Fox's "American Dad" episode in January in which Stan gave "full release" to a racehorse, she writes. But now with the FCC's regulations being struck down, "primetime TV this fall is going to be chock-a-block with even more blatant sexuality and raunchy language," the story says. "And now we're bracing for couples doing it on 'Friends With Benefits' on NBC; Kathy Bates smoking pot on 'Harry's Law' (and she plays a lawyer!), also on the Peacock; and a CBS sitcom starring the irrepressible William Shatner titled '$#*! My Dad Says.', " she writes.

While David Letterman Gets Emmy-Nomination Snub, His Blackmailer Receives Emmy Nomination for Producing Job on '48 Hours Mystery'

A week after David Letterman's late-night talk show was snubbed for an Primetime Emmy Awards nomination, his blackmailer, Robert "Joe" Halderman, received such a nod among the News and Documentary Emmy Award nominations announced yesterday, reports Lisa de Moraes in the Washington Post. 

Halderman, who was fired by CBS News and is currently serving jail time after admitting he tried to blackmail Letterman for $2 million, was nominated for his producing work on a "48 Hours Mystery" story about U.S. exchange student Amanda Knox, who was found guilty of murder in an Italian court. Halderman is one of four producers nominated for the story, the article says.

Halderman had tried to extort money from Letterman in exchange for information he had collected about Letterman's affairs with female staffers on the show. "It's unclear whether, if Halderman wins, he'd be the first jailed national Emmy winner ever, but we think so," de Moraes writes. The awards for the News and Documentary Emmys will be given out on Sept. 27 in New York City.

Want to Own Hurley's Winning Lottery Ticket? ABC Studios Can Make that Happen with 'Lost' Auction

Fans who want to keep a piece of "Lost' now that it's off the air will have a chance to bid on items such as Hurley's winning lottery ticket and Kate's toy plane at an auction of the show's memorabilia, reports the Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker blog. 

ABC Studios is working with Profiles in History, a Hollywood auctioneer, to sell more than 1,000 set pieces, props and costumes at an auction on Aug. 21-22 at the Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar, the story says. Items for sale will include the above mentioned items as well as Lock's Master Bowie hunting knife, the Hatch, the Swan Station computer and a DHARMA van, the report adds. Bids can be placed through the mail, phone, fax, in person or over the Internet at www.profilesinhistory.com.

'Nip/Tuck' Sold by Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution to Logo for October Debut

"Nip/Tuck," the FX drama series, has been sold by Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution to the gay and lesbian-centered cable network Logo in an off-cable syndication deal, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

The deal includes the show's 100 episodes, with Logo planning on debuting the show in October, the story says. "Nip/Tuck," from "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy, ended a six-season run in March.

In a separate deal, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has signed an agreement with Netflix, which will allow the video service to stream "Nip/Tuck", as well as three other Warner Bros.-produced series: "Veronica Mars," "Pushing Daisies" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," the article says.

Voice of 'Speed Racer', Peter Fernandez, Dies at 83

Peter Fernandez, an actor and voice director who was best known for his work voicing the title character in the "Speed Racer" television series, has died at 83, AnimeNewsNetwork.com reports.

Fernandez voiced Speed as well as his brother Racer X and several other characters. (You can watch a 2008 interview with him here at the opening of the film based on the TV series here.)

Fernandez passed away due to lung cancer, the story says. Fernandez "finally got the attention and respect he deserved from the general public and mainstream press" with the renewed interest in the series generated by the 2008 movie, according to producer and anime distributor William Winckler, the story says. Fernandez had a cameo appearance in the live-action film as an announcer. 

Although YouTube Surpasses Hulu as Biggest Video Site, Hulu Wins on Number of Ads Shown to Viewers

Although YouTube is by far the biggest video site on the Internet, Hulu surpasses its competitor by another measure: the number of video ads it shows viewers each month, reports Michael Learmonth in Advertising Age.

"In fact, no other video site or ad network served as many video ads in the month of June than Hulu, according to new measurement data from comScore," the article says. While Google's sites, including YouTube and Google's ad network, served over 200 million ads in June, Hulu presented more than 566 million video ads last month, the story says. Learmonth writes that Hulu was 98% sold out of its inventory in June, and as much as 70% of its advertising revenue is passed on to its content partners and third-party distributors.

'Mad Men' Fans Can Rejoice: AT&T and Rainbow Media Sign New Carriage Deal, Saving Season 4 Debut for 2.3 Million AT&T U-verse Subscribers

Fans of "Mad Men" who also happen to count among the 2.3 million customers of AT&T's U-verse service won't miss the July 25 fourth-season debut of the popular AMC show after all, reports the New York Times' Media Decoder blog. 

That's because AT&T and Rainbow Media, which owns "Mad Men" network AMC, signed a new carriage deal on Thursday, averting a blackout of Rainbow's networks for U-verse customers. But the threat of losing Rainbow's networks, which also include IFC and WE, may have been slightly empty. After all, the article points out, after the previous agreement ended on Wednesday night, AMC, IFC and WE all stayed on AT&T's line-up.

"As recent battles (Time Warner Cable v. Fox; Cablevision v. Scripps) have demonstrated, channel owners make a lot of noise during the negotiations, distributors accuse them of trying to charge too much, and the two sides eventually come to some sort of compromise," the story says.

News and Documentary Emmy Nominations Announced; PBS Leads Pack. We Have Full List of Nominees

PBS leads the pack in nominations for the 31st Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, announced today by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. PBS received a total of 37 nods, and CBS, with 31 nominations, was the only one of the major broadcast networks even in the ballpark. NBC received 17 bids and ABC nine.

Among cable channels the leaders are HBO with 20 nominations, National Geographic with 19 and CNN and History Channel with six apiece.  Fox does not participate in the News and Documentary Emmys.

Two San Francisco stations--KGO-TV and KPIX-TV--and two Denver stations--KMGH-TV and KUSA-TV--are among the nine regional nominees, along with WCBS-TV in New York, KHOU-TV in Houston, KSTP-TV in Minneapolis, WISN-TV in Milwaukee and WTHR-TV in Indianapolis.

Click here for the full list of nominees.

Just In the Nick of Time: 'CSI' Star Who Complained of Being Underpaid Will Return to Show

One of the mainstays of CBS's "CSI" has come to terms with the producers and will return to the show next season, reports TV Guide.

George Eads has played Nick Stokes for 10 years on "CSI," and had been contemplating an exit over the disparity in salaries, according to the story.

Waaaaaahhhh! Heirs Battle Over Lucille Ball's Estate

Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, the actress/singer daughter of TV icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, will go to court later this week to stop the auction of part of her mother's estate orchestrated by the Heritage Auction Galleries for Susie Morton, reports the Associated Press. Susie Morton is the widow of Gary Morton, who was Lucy's husband at the time of her death.

Ball, the beloved star of one of the most popular sitcoms to ever appear on TV, "I Love Lucy," died in 1989.

Arnaz Luckinbill, who was one of the stars of "Here's Lucy" and appeared on Broadway in "They're Playing Our Song," wants certain items removed from the Morton auction, the article says: seven love letters, Ball's address book, some portraits and several lifetime achievement awards being offered for sale.

Arnaz Luckinbill said those items could then be put on public display in a museum, the article says.

Sci Fi Wire Being Renamed by Syfy Network

The Syfy network has renamed  the Sci Fi Wire, the net's popular blog, in Syfy's latest rebranding effort, reports TVNewser.

Instead of being called Sci Fi Wire, the blog has been renamed blastr.com. The new name, which launched yesterday, July 14, 2010, reflects how the network wants to expand coverage on the site, going beyond science-fiction and related topics, the article said.

In a statement, Craig Engler, senior VP and GM of Syfy Digital, said of the switch, "Blastr.com is the next step in the evolution of Sci Fi Wire, which has grown from a site solely about news to a daily curated experience about all things related to science-fiction, fantasy, horror and the imagination."

Updated Numbers Show MLB All-Star Game Viewing Even Lower

The Nielsen ratings for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Fox were even worse than first reported, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

The game was reported previously to have been off by 15% from last year. That number has now risen to 19%, making it the poorest showing since at least 1972, according to the story.

Steven Seagal Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Dismissed

According to court papers from Los Angeles, a $1 million sexual harrassment suit brought against TV and film star Steven Seagal has been dismissed, reports the AP.

Kayden Nguyen claimed that the star of "Steven Seagal: Lawman" had kept her in a Louisiana home and had made sexual advances including repeatedly fondling her.

No reason was given by the court for dismissing the case, and neither party was commenting to the press, the article said, noting that "Seagal's attorneys had been trying to resolve the case through private arbitration."

The allegations were serious enough to force A&E to pull the show off the air, the story says.

PBS Edits Out Paul McCartney's Dig at Bush

When Paul McCartney's White House concert performance airs on PBS, his dig at former President George W. Bush--he told the group that with Obama, “It’s great to have a president who knows what a library is”--will be edited out, according to Mediaite.com.

The show will air on PBS on July 28, but in place of that intro and the song that followed, McCartney's performance of "Yesterday" from the previous night's concert will be included. The edit, according to a report in the Huffington Post, was deemed appropriate because it occurred after the president had left and when the official performance was over.

Reality Shows Shine Brightly for Broadcast Nets

On a relatively slow night in the Nielsen ratings, Wednesday's airings of CBS's "Big Brother," Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and NBC's "America's Got Talent" were the shining stars for the networks, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. "Big Brother" scored a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic for the hour, just ahead of the first hour of "So You Think You Can Dance's" average of 2.2 in the demo for the time period. NBC's "Minute to Win It" was close with a 2.0 average. ABC's Peanuts special "Lucy Must Be Traded Charlie" garnered just a 0.9 in the demo from 8-8:30 p.m.

At 9 p.m. "America's Got Talent" logged a 2.9 rating and a 3.1 in the 18-49 demographic for the top and bottom half-hours, while the second hour of "So You Think You Can Dance" averaged a 2.25 in the demo for the hour.

Discovery Pulls in Record Audience for Capt. Phil Harris' Final 'Deadliest Catch' Episode

Discovery drew a record audience for "Deadliest Catch" of 8.5 million viewers who tuned in Tuesday night to watch how the show handled Capt. Phil Harris' death, reports Maria Elena Fernandez at the Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker blog. 

The audience ranked the episode as Discovery's third-most-watched telecast in its history, following the 2000 broadcasts of "Raising the Mammoth" and "Walking with Dinosaurs," the story says. "I know I'm still thinking about Josh Harris' sad call to his brother, Jake, in rehab to let him know their father had passed away," Fernandez writes. "Viewers had just seen the beautiful goodbye scene with Josh and his father: Capt. Phil kissed his hand and put it to his son's face, and then Josh leaned down and kissed his father's forehead ... It was incredibly moving and, considering that this had never happened on a reality show before, executive producer Thom Beers should be commended for his respectful treatment of the Harris family and his viewers."

Video: J.R. Ewing, The Oil Man's Oil Man, Makes a New Commercial....for Solar Power; Plus, in a Second Video, It Turns Out J.R.--Actor Larry Hagman--Has One of the Largest Residential Solar Farms in the World (Who Knew?)

The Cost to Apple for Recalling Reception-Challenged iPhone 4, Should It Decide To Do So

After Consumer Reports' said Monday it couldn't recommend Apple's iPhone 4 because of a reception problem, rumors began that Apple might recall its latest smart-phone. The cost of such a move? A mere $1.5 billion, according to an analyst's estimate, the Los Angeles Times reports. 

A record 1.7 million iPhone 4s were sold in the three days after the product hit the stores, but immediately consumers started complaining that the device's reception dropped significantly when held a certain way. "Apple's image -- and potentially iPhone sales -- could be compromised if Apple does not explicitly -- and constructively -- address the issue of what it believes is wrong with the phone and how it will address it," wrote Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi in a report, the article says.

Although the analyst pegs a full product recall as "highly unlikely," it could cost the company $1.5 billion, or 3.5% of its cash balance, the story says. Instead, Sacconaghi recommended that Apple issue free bumpers, which are essentially a case, which would help fix the problem and cost the company $1 or less per phone, the story says. Apple didn't respond to requests for comment, the article adds.

To Fill Void Left by Olivia Wilde on Fox's 'House,' Show Taps Amber Tamblyn

To fill the hole created by the departure of co-star Olivia Wilde, "House" is tapping Amber Tamblyn, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Tamblyn will appear on the seventh season of the Fox hit, which debuts Sept. 20. Wilde will be away from the show during the season while filming "Cowboys & Aliens," the story says. Tamblyn had starred in the CBS drama "Joan of Arcadia" and the two "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" movies.

With Steve Carell's Departure, 'The Office' Plans to Return Amy Ryan as Holly for Reunion

With Steve Carell confirming last month that he's leaving NBC's "The Office," the show's producers are planning on returning his character's love interest, played by Amy Ryan, in its next season, reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files. 

Ryan's character, Holly, will return in a sizable role in the show's seventh season, the story says. “We set her return up in the finale, so it would be the biggest [cop-out] of all time if we didn’t [follow through] on it,” says co-executive producer and cast member Mindy Kaling. “She’s definitely coming back.”

If History of HBO Syndication Holds True, Potential Buyers Should Be Cautious Before Jumping at $800,000 Per-Episode Price for 'True Blood'

HBO has been successful at selling its shows for high prices in the syndication market, but with vampire hit "True Blood" seeking $800,000 per episode, potential buyers should be cautious before jumping in, reports Joe Flint in the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog. 

That's because HBO, which produces the series with creator Alan Ball's Your Face Goes Here Entertainment, hasn't had the best track record with its shows successfully airing on other networks, the story says. Spike, for example, spent $600,000 per episode for reruns of "Entourage," only to see the program flounder, Flint writes. The ad-supported cable network has moved it across four different nights without much success, the story says.

Meanwhile, "The Sopranos" drew $2.6 million per episode from A&E, but its audience dropped to half of its 4.4 million viewer debut just two months later, the article points out.

And then there's the content issue: viewers start to get annoyed after hearing so many bleeped-out expletives. "As charming as those vampires can be, cable networks should be careful about inviting them in, or else they might end up with all their blood drained," Flint concludes.

How Much Will Piers Morgan Earn for Replacing Larry King? Try $5 Million or More Per Year

So just how much will Piers Morgan earn if he replaces Larry King on CNN? Try somewhere around $5 million to $6 million per year, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Still, that's less than the $10 million per year the network had been shelling out for King, points out the New York Post.  

The contract, which the "America's Got Talent" judge is close to signing, doesn't include any contractual exits that would allow either Morgan or the network to break from the deal before it ends, the Post says. "The decision to hire Morgan represents a huge gamble for CNN -- handing over its most famous show to a personality who is basically unknown in the US," the Post points out.

CNN has managed King's departure with a series of missteps, writes Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. First was the network's leaked plans for finding a replacement before King had even announced he'd be leaving. Then CNN waited until June 29, the day the show's second-quarter ratings came out, to announce King's departure. The network had to know the ratings wouldn't be pretty, and given that King "later listed spending more time with his family as the reason for his retirement from the daily grind, this was hardly the right way or timing to make that claim sound believable," Andreeva writes.

'Oprah Winfrey' Hits All-Time Ratings Low for Week Before July 4th Holiday, Marking the First Time Its Rating Has Dropped Below 3.0

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" reached its lowest weekly ratings in the shows 24-year history, dropping below a 3.0 rating for the first time, reports the New York Post. 

The CBS Television Distribution syndicated show averaged a 2.9 rating for the week of June 28, drawing 3.8 million viewers. That placed it eighth among syndicated shows, but represented 2 million fewer viewers than "Judge Judy," which has surpassed "Oprah" for 14 of the last 16 weeks, the story says.

"Although the ratings for our summer reruns have declined since last year, 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' continues to hold its place as the No. 1 daytime talk show for the last 24 years," a spokesman for the show said. The show has been in repeats since May and the lower ratings came as the July 4th holiday approached, the story adds.

Nebraska Cable-TV Network Buys Roy Rogers' Stuffed Trigger, Co-Star of 'The Roy Rogers Show'

A Nebraska cable-television network has bought Roy Rogers' stuffed and mounted companion and co-star of "The Roy Rogers Show," his horse Trigger, for $266,500, reports the Associated Press. 

The cowboy's horse had been pegged to sell for between $100,000 to $200,000 at a Christie's auction, the story says. The auction sold many other items once owned by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, which were put up for sale after the closure of the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans museum in Branson, Mo.

Steve Campione, the chief financial officer of Nebraska's RFD-TV, said the network bought the horse because Rogers reflects the company's values. The network airs programming focusing on agricultural, equine and country living, the AP says.

Trigger, who appeared on NBC's "The Roy Rogers Show" during its six seasons from 1951-57, will either be displayed at the network's office or at its owner's house, the story adds.

Pennsylvania Politician Says 'Kate Plus 8' Kids Violate State's Child Labor Laws, Asks for Attorney General to Step In

A Pennsylvania state representative says the Gosselin sextuplets on "Kate Plus 8" are violating the state's child labor laws and has asked the state's attorney general to examine the permits issued for the Gosselin kids, reports MyFoxPhilly.com. 

The TLC show, filmed in Wernersville, Pa., features the 6-year old sextuplets, which Rep. Thomas P. Murt says is an issue because the law doesn't mention television shows as a reason for giving work permits to children under 7, the story says.

The Department of Labor can issue special permits for children between 7 to 18 to work in entertainment productions, the article adds. "It appears those permits were granted even though the law does not provide for them," Murt says. "Under the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, the attorney general is authorized to furnish legal advice to agency heads concerning the interpretation of state laws and regulations. I have asked him to look into this case to determine whether these permits are legal."

Ad Protesting Mosque Being Built Near Ground Zero Rejected by NBC, CBS

A one-minute advertisement urging viewers to protest a mosque being built near Ground Zero in New York has been rejected by NBC and CBS, reports James Hibberd in the Hollywood Reporter. 

The ad, which some critics have said is inflammatory, includes copy such as: "To celebrate that murder of 3,000 Americans, they want to build a monstrous 13-story mosque at Ground Zero," the story says. The commercial also calls the mosque "a monument to their victory." But NBC said it rejected the ad not because of its content because of the "vague construction of its narration," Hibberd writes.

ABC and Fox representatives said they didn't know whether the ad had been submitted tot heir networks.

USA Draws Nearly 5 Million Viewers for 'Covert Affairs' Debut, More than 'White Collar' Lead-in

USA Network drew 4.9 million viewers for its July 13 debut of "Covert Affairs," outpacing the 4.3 million who tuned in for the second-season premiere of "White Collar," reports Multichannel News. 

"Covert Affairs," a CIA drama starring Piper Perabo, averaged 2.1 million people between the ages of 18 to 49, which the story says is the most for any cable scripted premiere with the demographic. The audience for "White Collar" represented fewer viewers than it pulled in its first-season debut, when it drew 5.4 million viewers, points out EW.com. 

'Chuck' Signs Big Guest Stars

When NBC's "Chuck" premieres this fall, the first big guest star will be former "Rocky IV" villain Dolph Lundgren, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Speculation is that the Swedish actor will be playing a villain, someone Chuck will need to use his super-spy skills to defeat.

In other "Chuck" news, Harry Dean Stanton of "Big Love" is set to appear in the premiere episode, "Chuck vs. the Anniversary."

Wild Episode of 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' Scores Big in Monday Airing

Previewing the parking lot, hair-pulling, screaming, call-the-cops blowout between Danielle Staub and Teresa Giudice on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" was just the ticket to propel the show to its highest Monday ratings in history among all key demos, according to Nielsen Media Research.

In total, 3.29 million viewers watched the broadcast at 10 p.m. ET, including 2.28 million adults 18-49, which made it the highest-rated non-finale episode of the series, according to Bravo.

Kelsey Grammer Wants Custody of His 'Frasier' Dough

Divorce papers filed in court by Kelsey Grammer reveal that he is seeking to not pay spousal support to his estranged wife Camille, reports TMZ.com.

The papers also show that he is asking the court to acknowledge that he should receive the sole financial stake in any profits from his former NBC series "Frasier."

Camille filed for divorce on July 1.

TV Station Owner Nexstar Wants Only A-List Gossip, Please

Nexstar Broadcasting Group has announced a new project in partnership with web programmer Mixx to launch a "real-time social media gossip channel" called Gossip Hot Spot, B&C reports.

The broadband channel will aggregate A-list gossip from Twitter, Facebook and other sites, and is set to launch July 16. Heat-seekers such as Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan and various Kardashian sisters will contribute "via social media postings," Nexstar announced, as will Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.

"The Gossip Hot Spot is an innovative one-stop, real-time source of gossip and celebrity news and reflects Nexstar's commitment to providing audiences with additional content and interactive options through our community portals," said Nexstar eMedia Senior Vice President Marc Montoya. "Beta testing of the Gossip Hot Spot on our Jacksonville portal met with excellent consumer response and we expect the channel to be the go-to source to satiate users' interest and curiosity in the happenings of the world's biggest stars."

The channel will appear on Nexstar's station sites in Jacksonville, Fla.; Hot Springs, Ark.; Austin, Texas; Shreveport/Texarkana, La.; Beaumont, Texas; Hagerstown, Md.; and Joplin, Mo.

Pilot with Dustin Hoffman & Nick Nolte in Front of the Camera and Michael Mann & David Milch Behind the Camera to Become HBO Series

HBO was so knocked out by the pilot for the horse-racing drama “Luck,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte that it has picked up the project for a series, Deadline.com reports.

The show, from Michael Mann and David Milch, examines the owners, gamblers, jockeys and gaming industry players involved in horse racing, the story reports. Production is set to begin this fall at Santa Anita Park and other Los Angeles locations.

“Michael Mann delivered a pilot from David Milch’s brilliant script that took our breath away,” said HBO Programming President Michael Lombardo. “We are truly excited that these two artists, and our extraordinary cast headed by Dustin Hoffman, will be bringing ‘Luck’ to life.”

The pilot, written by Milch and directed by Mann, also stars Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Kevin Dunn, Richard Kind, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Coster, Ian Hart, Tom Payne, Kerry Condon, and Gary Stevens,  with Jill Hennessy guest-starring.

HBO also has another high-profile drama series in the works, Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter's “Boardwalk Empire,” starring Steve Buscemi.

MLB All-Star Game Ratings Down 12% vs. Last Year

Tuesday night’s telecast of the 2010 MLB All-Star Game on Fox received a 9.1 household rating and a 15 share for the prime-time portion of the game (8:30-11 p.m.) in preliminary metered market ratings, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

Those figures are down 12% from the 10.3 household rating and 17 share for the 2009 game. Last year’s All-Star Game was the most viewed since 1999.

TVbytheNumbers.com notes that these are household ratings, not the adults 18-49 ratings the site typically reports, and as with any live event the numbers are subject to significant revision.

According to Zap2it, the baseball telecast beat out the “America’s Got Talent” semifinals on NBC in total viewers and the 18-49 demo in Fast National ratings.

Fox averaged 11.1 million viewers and a 6.8 rating/12 share in households, Zap2it reported. NBC came in second with 9 million and a 5.3/9. CBS was third with 7.7 million and a 5.1/9 and ABC was fourth with 5.3 million and a 3.2/6. The CW came in last with 654,000 viewers and a 0.5/1.

Lifetime Casts Oscar Nominee to Star in TV Movie

Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson (she played the woman who adopted the baby Benjamin Button in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") has lined up a Lifetime TV movie according to Deadline.com.

The casting is in keeping with Lifetime's recent successes with big-name actors, including Shirley MacLaine in "Coco Chanel" and Joan Allen in "Georgia O'Keeffe," both Emmy-nominated projects.

Henson is currently in movie theaters as Jaden Smith's mom in the remake of "The Karate Kid.”

The TV movie is called "Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story," and quite the typical Lifetime project. It  combines  family drama with elements of a spy thriller as it tells the story of a Queens schoolteacher who traveled to Korea in an attempt to rescue her abducted son.

TNT Sets Dates for Summer Finales

Although TNT has just started two summer runs--"Rizzoli & Isles" and "The Closer"--the network has already plotted the summer finales for these and other dramas currently on the air, reports The Futon Critic.

On Tuesday, Aug. 24, "Memphis Beat" and "Hawthorne" will be done for their seasons, while the Timothy Hutton show "Leverage" will complete the summer portion of its third season on Sunday, Sept. 5.

As for "Rizzoli" and "The Closer," they will wrap on Monday, Sept. 13.

"The Closer" and "Leverage" are scheduled to return in the winter to complete their allotment for the full season. Also coming in the winter will be the second seasons of "Men of a Certain Age" and "Southland."

Video: Discovery Channel's 'Deadliest Catch' Airs Heartfelt Episode Featuring the Final Hours of Captain Phil Harris

The airing of the episode of "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, featuring the final hours of Captain Phil Harris was " beautiful, heartfelt and poignant," says the Back Seat Cuddler in a review of the show. 

Here's Harris's son Josh and Captain Johnathan Hillstrand of the F/V Time Bandit with Jay Leno on Monday night's "Tonight Show" talking about the episode:

Summer Feel-Good, Non-TV Story of the Day: Oscar Winning Actor and Actress Marry

We wish them the best. Maybe this will be the Hollywood marriage that will last, primarily because this actor and actress are more international stars.

"Spanish actors Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz tied the knot in the Bahamas earlier this month, the latter's publicist told CNN late Tuesday night," the cable network is reporting.

The article goes on to says that "Bardem, 41, won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in the 2007 movie, 'No Country For Old Men.' Cruz, 36, won an Oscar in 2009 for her supporting role in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona.' The couple started dating in 2007" and appeared on screen together in Woody Allen's 'Vicky Christina Barcelona.'

What's Real and What's Not? 'The Hills' Finale Leave Viewers Scratching Their Heads

[Warning: this contains spoilers from the finale of MTV's "The Hills" that first-aired on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.]

The finale of MTV's "The Hills" left many viewers puzzled as to its meaning, MTV itself reports.

Says the article, recounting the ending, "In the last scene, Kristin Cavallari gets into a waiting car destined for the airport, where she told her 'ills' pals she'd board a flight to some unnamed country in Europe. We watched as Kristin closes the car door, leaving Brody Jenner behind, waving goodbye ... or so we thought.

"But instead of pulling away, the camera pans out to show the entire production, including crewmembers and cameramen. So, were the "Hills" producers commenting on the veracity of the events devoted fans watched unfold over six seasons?"

On the follow-up live wrap-uyp show, Jenner poured more fuel on the fire when he said that it was questionable what was real and what was fake in the show over its entire run. Then, according to the article, Jenner added, "Our relationship, the entire time could have been fake. That's one of the questions: what was real and what was fake, and we left it [open]."

Justin Bieber, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Charles Barkley, Rachael Ray, Tyson Gay, Sugar Shane Mosley, Penn & Teller, Joey Chestnut, and Kavya Shivashankar Will All Guest on a Reality Show This Summer

Justin Bieber, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Charles Barkley, Rachael Ray, Tyson Gay, Sugar Shane Mosley, Penn & Teller, Joey Chestnut,  and Kavya Shivashankar are just some of the celebrities who will appear on a reality show this summer

It's season two of ABC's "Shaq Vs." The show, from ABC and the Media Rights Capital, begins again on Tuesday, Aug 3 at 9 PM (ET/PT), the network announced. The reality competition show stars NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. 

The Summer of our Discontent: Viewers Staying Away From Scripted Series on the Broadcast Networks

While scripted series continue to thrive on cable, viewers are giving a big "ho-hum" to them on the braodcast networks, our friend Gary Levin reports for USA Today.

According to the article, "ABC's Sunday duo of 'Scoundrels' and 'The Gates' are barely registering, Fox's comedic cop caper 'The Good Guys' is struggling, and NBC's 'Persons Unknown' has been shunted off from Mondays to Saturdays to finish its run."

As for an explanation as to what's going on, Horizon Media's research guru Brad Adgate told USA Today, " 'There's a mind-set that summer's coming, so the [broadcast] networks close up shop and put on reality shows and turn (viewers) over to cable. [The broadcast networks are] trying to turn the tables around, but maybe it's a little too late for that.' "

Time Warner Cable Gearing Up for Retrans Fight With ABC, ESPN and Other Disney Owned Nets

Time Warner Cable is gearing up for what "could be a bruising publicity battle over retrans and carriage fees with Walt Disney Co. this summer," reports Multichannel News' Todd Spangler.

In preparation for the confrontaton, TWC has re-launched its "Roll Over or Get Tough" website that it uses to communicate with consumers during such battles, the article says.

TWC has also struck back at Verizon Communications, which has recently taken newspaper ads telling TWC consumers to switch to its FiOS video service to make sure they are not frozen out on any Disney owned nets moving forward.

In its own ads TWC said, according to the article, " 'Verizon is using scare tactics to trick Time Warner Cable customers into switching to FiOS,' read the ads, in Wednesday editions of The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. A Verizon spokeswoman said the telco is 'letting customers know they have an alternative,' according to the Wall Street Journal."

The article adds, "The relaunched version of RollOverOrGetTough.com includes TWC's position on retrans issues and carriage deals, as well as a page for visitors to submit comments. The cable operator claims that 40% of cable TV bills go to programmers, while 54% is used 'to operate our business' and the remaining 6% amounts to net income." 

Cablevision Wear Two Hats: As a Cable Operator It's Had Some Tough Battles with Programmers Over Fees; This Time, Wearing Its Programmer Hat, It's In a Bitter Dispute With AT&T's U-Verse Over Carrying Its Cable Channels

"The shoe's on the other foot for Cablevision in a contract dispute that could affect millions of AT&T U-verse television customers at midnight, " USA Today's long-time media reporter David Lieberman writes.

In the past, the article notes, Cablevision, which is a major cable operator, especially in the New York area, has had occasion to fight "programmers who wanted higher payments for their shows."

In the current instance, AT&T said Wednesday morning, July 14, 2010, that Cablevision's Rainbow Media division, which owns AMC, IFC and WEtv,  is "trying to charge significantly more than the average of what our TV competitors pay for these channels." 

One of the shows some subscribers might miss is the award-winning "Mad Men" on AMC. The new season of "Mad Men" debuts July 24th, the article says.

News Corp Took on CNN and Won the Ratings War; Now It Wants to Compete with al-Jazeera in the Arab World

News Corp., which so successfully challenged CNN in the United States with its Fox News Channel, now has its sights on challenging al-Jazeera in the Arab world, the Financial Times reports.

The new Arabic-language news channel would be based in Abu Dhabi. News Corp's British Sky Broadcasting is talking to a local investor about starting the service, the report says.

According to the article, "The Sky News venture, which would be 50-50 owned, is not connected to the Abu Dhabi government, according to two people familiar with the situation. The Abu Dhabi investor was described as “private” by the people familiar with the matter.This description has previously been used to include moves by members of the ruling family who are not acting as part of the government..."

The article also notes that, "The region is already liberally covered by rolling news channels. The BBC Arabic service competes with Al Jazeera, based in Doha and funded by the Qatari government, and Al Arabiya, which has Saudi backing and is based in Dubai. Only last week ago, Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, the Saudi investor who owns 7 per cent of News Corp shares, announced he would launch a rolling news channel into what he described as a 'heavily occupied' market."

What a Savvy iPhone Lover Has To Say About the Much Maligned iPhone 4

Apple's new iPhone 4 has been blasted by many, including Consumer Reports, which has come out with a recommendation not to buy it.

Today TechCrunch's MG Siegler--and admitted fan of previous iPhone's--tells why he loves the iPhone 4. 

 You can go to Siegler's piece to read the reason's he thinks the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone ever.

As for the reception/antenna controversy, here's what he says, "Here’s my take on this (and while I’m no expert, this seems to be pretty common sense): Apple’s software update should alleviate some concern about the signal drop by being more accurate in the first place. But the signal drop when holding the phone is very real — again, just as it is on other devices like the iPhone 3GS. The fact that the iPhone 4 is the first phone with the antenna on the outside of the phone, I have to believe must exacerbate this issue. And this combination of software plus hardware issue is why we’re all talking about this for the first time.

"But at the end of the day, all that matters is this: does the device work? While that’s a more complicated question for me to answer than it should be because I happen to live in an area with notoriously bad AT&T reception, the answer is yes. In regular use (so, not holding the device a certain way to try and get it to fail) the iPhone 4 seems to perform the same with regard to data usage as the iPhone 3GS did. Without all the hubbub over the signal issue, I don’t think I would have noticed a problem (aside from day one when AT&T’s network was clearly getting slammed harder than usual)."

Have Sorta an Empty Feeling Now that The Excitement of the World Cup is Over? Coming to Perk You Up: 'Oh My Gol!' It Promises to be 'Zany'

Got the doldrums now that World Cup soccer is over? No worries: On July 20th you'll have "Oh My Gol!" to cheer you up.

The original series, on GolTV, is a weekly half-hour that "delivers the most amazing goals, tantalizing saves, and hilarious bloopers in the world of soccer with commentary from GolTV’s acclaimed soccer analysts Ray Hudson and Omar Fuentes," the network said in a written announcement.

The show will take you around the world "for a glimpse at how the world’s most zany and diehard soccer fans cheer on their favorite clubs and teams," the announcement said.  

Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) Looking to Get Out of Its ePort Business, Which Faciliates the Buying and Selling of Local TV Spots

The Television Bureau of Advertising, the trade group whose primary responsibility is to promote advertising on local TV stations, wants to get out of ePort, a software management system for ads it started in 2001, according to well-respected veteran TV reporter Linda Moss at TVNewsCheck.

The article notes that ePost "just passed the $1 billion mark in order volume."

However, the story also says, "But it is still far from the transactional tool originally envisioned. Software vendors have failed to complete the interfaces needed to integrate their systems with ePort as quickly as TVB had expected. And even some broadcasters, suffering from the economic downturn, have lagged in implementing the software upgrades necessary to engage fully with ePort."

Furhtermore, according to the article, "Now Steve Lanzano, an ad agency veteran who took over as TVB president Jan. 1, is asking why a trade group — whose priority is promoting spot advertising — should continue to run and market a technology company."

The piece also says that TVB has had discussions with a number of players, such as Donovan Data Systems, WideOrbit and Strata to perhaps take over ePort. Strata developed ePort with TVB and might be the most promising candidate, the article notes.

TV Station Group Teams With ITV Studios for First Run Show Focusing on Health and Finance

Raycom Media will roll out a new weekly TV show on all of its 47 TV stations this fall that the company is producing in partnership with ITV studios, B&C reports.

According to the article, the program, " 'America Today' (working title) will include local and national content focusing on health and finance issues. The weekly program 'will speak to a new generation of viewers who want programming that helps them lead better lives,' said Paul McTear, president and CEO of Raycom Media.

If successful, Raycom and ITV want to roll-out the show nationally on other outlets as well, the story says.

"Raycom owns and operates 47 stations in 36 markets - including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Memphis and West Palm Beach - covering 12.6% of U.S. television households," the article says, noting that ITV Studios is the company that produces "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares," among other shows.

Court Strikes Down FCC Indecency Rules

The FCC’s indecency policy was struck down Tuesday by a U.S. appeals court, which called the policy a violation of the First Amendment, according to The New York Times' Media Decoder.

The appeals panel called the Federal Communications Commission policy “unconstitutionally vague, creating a chilling effect that goes far beyond the fleeting expletives at issue here.”

The decision is seen as a win for big broadcasters such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, which have been fighting the indecency policy for years, the story reports.

The ruling vacates a 2004 decision by the Bush administration FCC to step up enforcement of the indecency policy on the broadcast airwaves. Earlier that year, singer Janet Jackson’s breast was bared during the Super Bowl halftime show on CBS, reigniting a decades-old debate about broadcast standards, Media Decoder reports.

TNT's 'Rizzoli & Isles' Sets Cable Record

The premiere of TNT's new police drama "Rizzoli & Isles" was a big winner for the network Monday night, becoming cable’s No. 1 commercial-supported series launch of all time by drawing 7.6 million total viewers.

The lead-in for the show was the season premiere of Kyra Sedgwick's show, "The Closer," which drew 7.7 million viewers.

In a statement, Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), said, “The tremendous viewer response to 'Rizzoli & Isles' is very gratifying. [It's] shaping up to be a great companion for 'The Closer,' which continues to deliver extraordinary numbers in its sixth season on our network.”

Fox Unveils Fall Schedule, Premiere Dates

Fox has announced its schedule for the fall season, kicking off on Saturday, Sept. 11, with "Cops" returning with its 800th episode at 8 p.m. Also that night, "America's Most Wanted" premieres from 9-11 p.m. ET, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

On Monday, Sept. 20, "House" is back at 8 p.m. with the season premiere, followed at 9 p.m. by the series bow for “Lone Star."

Tuesday, Sept. 21, is the second-season premiere of "Glee" at 8 p.m., followed by "Raising Hope" at 9 p.m. and "Running Wilde" at 9:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Sept. 22, there will be a two-hour season premiere of "Hell's Kitchen" from 8-10 p.m.

"Bones" and "Fringe" have back-to-back season premieres on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively. On Friday, Sept. 24, "Human Target" returns for a second season at 8 p.m., followed by the fall premiere of "The Good Guys" at 9 p.m.

On Sunday, Sept. 26, the Animation Domination block returns with "The Simpsons" at 8 p.m., "The Cleveland Show" at 8:30 p.m. and a one-hour "Family Guy" at 9 p.m.

The season premiere for "American Dad" will take place on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 9:30 p.m., and will be the show’s 100th episode. On Wednesday, Nov. 10, "Lie to Me" bows for a new season at 8 p.m.

'High School Musical' Heartthrob Joins Cast of New 'Star Wars' Spoof

A heartthrob from the teen hit "High School Musical" is joining the cast of the third "Star Wars" spoof from Adult Swim's "Robot Chicken," reports the Hollywood Reporter.

Zac Efron will be a part of "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III," which will also feature Anthony Daniels, who provided the voice for the droid C-3PO in the "Star Wars" films, as well as "Community" co-star Donald Glover and Mike Henry from "The Cleveland Show," the story says.

"We wanted to take the 'Star Wars' universe and see it through the eyes of our 'Robot Chicken: Star Wars' Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Gary the Stormtrooper," said co-creator Matthew Senreich.

The previous "Star Wars" spoofs both received Emmy nominations, the story says. The latest installment will debut Dec. 12.

'CSI: NY' Lands Emmy Winner for Lead Role After Kanakaredes Bows Out

The day after Melina Kanakaredes announced that she would be leaving CBS's "CSI: NY" after six years on the show, an Emmy Award winner has been cast as the female lead, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Sela Ward will play “an experienced investigator from Washington, D.C., whose work is driven by her empathy for the victim,” according to the network.

Ward is especially excited to be working with the show's star, Gary Sinise. "I am thrilled to be working with Gary and this terrific group of people,” she said. “I’m a huge fan.”

A.J. Jacobs' 'My Life as an Experiment' Optioned for Sitcom by Reveille, Jack Black

Writer A.J. Jacobs' "My Life as an Experiment" has been optioned by Reveille and Jack Black’s Electric Dynamite Prods. for a possible half-hour comedy series, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com.

The book follows Jacobs' efforts to become a better person through a series of exercises such as practicing radical honesty and hiring Indian assistants to outsource some of his tasks.

"I'm being radically honest when I say I'm thrilled to be working with Reveille and Jack Black, and I'm looking forward to helping them transform these stories from my life into a series,” Jacobs said.

The project, which is searching for a writer to adapt the book, marks one of the first for Black's two-year exclusive production agreement with Reveille, Andreeva writes.

ABC, SoapNet Plan Splashy Return for 'General Hospital' Star

In honor of the return of one of the stars of ABC's daytime drama "General Hospital," SoapNet will present a Brenda Barrett countdown and both SoapNet and ABC will air special programming. Vanessa Marcil returns to the show as Brenda on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

Each day from July 17 on, a key moment from Marcil’s years on the show as Brenda will be spotlighted. In addition, on Friday, Aug. 6, and Monday, Aug. 9, there will be two Sonny episodes on "GH" in which he will reminisce about Brenda.

On Aug. 10, on both ABC and SoapNet, the Brenda experience will take over as the entire soap schedule will be reruns of three classic episodes featuring Marcil’s character, from 1-4 p.m. on ABC, and 8-11 p.m. on SoapNet.

'America's Court With Judge Ross' Staffs Up, Eyes Strong Fall Debut

Entertainment Studios has hired Judson Touby to be the senior producer of “America’s Court With Judge Ross,” a new court show and the first one to be shot is HD.

Jenny Hope, a three-time Emmy nominee, will be supervising producer.

“Judson brings a huge amount of talent and valuable experience to our new court show,” said Byron Allen, Entertainment Studios founder, chairman and CEO. “We are highly confident he’ll be a valuable asset in helping us achieve our goal of making ‘America’s Court With Judge Ross’ the No. 1 court show.”

Judge Kevin Ross, 35, the youngest judge ever elected to the bench in the state of California, headlines the program.

“Judge Ross is an extraordinary talent, and this show is simply unstoppable. He is young, fresh, bold, brilliant, funny, tough, and always fair,” said Allen.

CNN Shifts Daytime Show to Prime Time

CNN confirmed that it will move one of its daytime news shows to prime time, TVNewser reports.

"Rick's List," hosted by Rick Sanchez, will be making the move to CNN’s 8 p.m. slot, according to the story.

On Monday's broadcast, Sanchez said in passing, "Pretty soon we're going to have two things going on. A: We're going to be doing this newscast at 8 at night. We're excited about that. And my book is going to be coming out."

It's presumed that "Rick's List" will be a space holder until September, when the Kathleen Parker-Eliot Spitzer political show is ready to assume the 8 p.m. ET slot. CNN confirmed that Sanchez will start the prime-time incarnation of his show on Thursday, July 22, and will continue hosting his afternoon program from 3-5.

'Bachelorette' Delivers Monday Ratings Win for ABC

It was a good Monday night for ABC, with a two-hour installment of "The Bachelorette" ringing in the top Nielsen ratings overall, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. the first hour of "The Bachelorette" had a 2.9 rating and a 3.0 for the top and bottom half-hours in the 18-49 demographic. Fox's "Lie to Me" averaged a 1.75 in the demo for the hour.

At 9 p.m. "The Bachelorette" did even better with a 3.1 rating and a 3.4 in the 18-49 demographic, besting NBC's "Last Comic Standing," which had an overall 1.7 in the demo, as well as Fox's "The Good Guys" with a 1.05 in the demo.

ABC's "True Beauty" at 10 p.m. logged a 1.9 and a 1.6 in the 18-49 demographic, over NBC's "Dateline" with an average of 1.25 in the demo.

George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees Owner and Creator of YES Network, Dies at 80

One of the biggest names in New York sports and entertainment, George Steinbrenner, passed away this morning at the age of 80 after suffering a massive heart attack.

Steinbrenner, a larger-than-life figure known as "The Boss of Baseball," died at St. Joseph's hospital in Tampa, Fla., according to CNN.

Steinbrenner had owned the New York Yankees since 1973, when he purchased the club from CBS, returning the legendary franchise to its former glory. In addition to spending extravagantly to get the top players on the field, Steinbrenner also was behind the launch of the YES (Yankees Entertainment and Sports) Network in 2002, as well as the building of the new Yankee Stadium in 2009.

He was a pioneer in sports television mega-deals, negotiating a landmark $486 million, 12-year cable television contract with Madison Square Garden Network in 1988, ESPN.com reported.

Under his ownership the Yankees won seven World Series titles, including three in a row from 1998-2000.

On tonight's Fox broadcast of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the league will have a tribute to Steinbrenner's legacy to the game according to B&C.

Report: Lindsay Lohan's Jail Time Could Mean Big Payday for Actress

"Lindsay Lohan may soon be on her way to prison, but her legal woes are turning into her biggest payday in years. Bids for the troubled starlet's pre- and post-prison interview are now coming in at over $500,000."

So says the New York Post's Page Six.

The article goes on to say, "Major TV networks -- which technically don't pay for interviews but often get around that by paying for pictures -- are putting in bids by joining forces with weekly magazines to score the big jailhouse chat."

Also, the article says Lohan is talking to high-profile attorney Robert Shapiro to join her legal team. Shapiro was also part of the O.J. Simpson defense team when Simpson was accused of killing his ex-wife.

Today's Must Read: Esquire Article About the Only Person to Guess the Exact Amount of the Final Showcase in the History of 'The Price is Right'

Was it cheating? Was it luck? Was is it skill?

It's the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of Terry Kniess, who did something a few seasons back on "The Price is Right" that no one had done before or has done since: actually guess the EXACT amount of the final showcase on "The Price is Right."

The story also includes a video of host Drew Carey's extemely non-enthusiastic reaction--deliberate, as it turns out--when Kniess' feat is revealed on-air.

To read this absorbing story, "TV's Crowning Moment of Awesome, " by Chris Jones in the new Esquire, click here.

Barbara Walters Talking with HBO About Movie Based on Her Career

Barbara Walters is in discussions with HBO to make a movie based on her career, the New York Post reports.

"The View" star met with HBO executives last week to discuss creating a TV version of her memoir, "Audition," the story says.

It's not clear if Walters offered the project to ABC, the network that airs Walter's show "The View," with Walters' publicist declining to say if ABC was one of the networks interested in the project.

Walters, 80, recemtly underwent open heart surgery.

CBS Says 'CSI: NY' Star Melina Kanakaredes Is Leaving Program

CBS Television Network and CBS Television Studios said Melina Kanakaredes, who plays Det. Stella Bonasera on "CSI: NY", will be leaving the program after six seasons,Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com reports.

Kanakaredes' contract was up and although CBS and CBS TV Studios approached her, she decided to move on, the story says.

Her departure comes just weeks before the program is set to begin production on its seventh season on July 28. One replacement under consideration is Sela Ward of "Once and Again," who would star with Gary Sinise on the program, the article adds.

Kanakaredes joined "CSI: NY" after the end of "Providence," signing a deal that Andreeva writes earned her $200,000 per episode, the story says.

Kitty Kelley's Tell-All About Oprah Optioned for a TV Movie

The story of Oprah Winfrey as told by controversial author Kitty Kelley in her unauthorized book "Oprah: A Biography," has been optioned for a one part or two part TV movie, reports the Associated Press.

The person who has taken the option is veteran producer Larry A. Thompson, who has produced biopics of stars such as Sonny and Cher and Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the report says.

Thompson has optioned writer Kitty Kelley's biography for six figures and is working on a two- or four-hour film based on the book, according to the story.

Thompson is shopping the project to networks, which he declined to identify, for a Sept. 2011 debut, which would coincide with the end of Winfrey's broadcast weekday talk show.

Winfrey's Harpo Productions declined to comment to the AP about the story.

Another King in Trouble at CNN?

John King will be the next King to depart CNN, reports the New York Post's Page Six.

Since King took over Lou Dobbs' 7 p.m. time slot, the period has shed more than half its audience, the story says. CNN executives also feel that his poor performance fed into Campbell Brown's 8 p.m. show, which partly lead to her departure. One possibility for his replacement is Wolf Blitzer, the story says.

A CNN representative told the Post that John King's departure isn't true.

No. 1 Show on Cable Sold in Syndication to Stations Representing 60% of the U.S.

The No. 1 rated show on cable has been sold to television stations reaching 60% of U.S. viewers, reports TVNewsCheck.

The series is USA Net's "Burn Notice," from Twentieth Television.

Reruns of the show in syndication will begin airing on Fox Television Stations, Sinclair and Gray stations in the fall of 2012, the story says.

The weekend syndication sales will place the show on stations in top 10 markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the article adds.

The fourth season of "Burn Notice," about a spy who has been kicked out of the agency, is the No. 1 show on cable.

Report: CBS News Preparing Another Round of Layoffs, Third Since 2008; Does This Mean a Deal with CNN is Closer?

CBS News is preparing for its third major round of layoffs since 2008, reports Forbes.com's The Biz Blog

According to the article, "My understanding is that the cuts are coming this month. I've heard this from the highest level," says one producer.

The CBS division most recently cut 75 employees in February, and the report of another round of cuts comes as CBS News and CNN consider merging news operations, the story says. The cuts could come later this month, although it's unclear if the jobs would be lost on the news side or business side, the report adds.

As the article also noted, "A deal certainly seems to be on the mind of Time Warner chief Jeffrey Bewkes. During a May earnings call he told analysts he foresees a potential 'structural partnership' with a cable news provider which could tap 'real economies of scale on newsgathering.' He offered no further details, but said a pact with another news outlet was possible within a year.

A CBS representative declined to comment, the article said.

Consumer Reports Says It Can't Recommend the iPhone 4 Because of Reception Problem; Plus Consumer Reports' Solution to the Problem if You Have Bought an iPhone 4

Consumer Reports has concluded that it can't recommend Apple's iPhone 4 after completing testing of the device because of a problem with the device's reception

"When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side—an easy thing, especially for lefties—the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal,"the publication reports on its Electronics Blog.

Consumer Reports said it reached the decision after testing three iPhone 4 devices purchased from different retailers. The findings also "call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4's signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software," the article says.

Consumer Reports does have a solution for consumers who have already purchased an iPhone 4, though: "Cover the antenna gap with a piece of duct tape or another thick, non-conductive material. It may not be pretty, but it works." For everyone else, Consumer Reports has a simpler solution: "We continue to recommend an older model, the 3G S."

Showtime's 'Dexter' Taps RoboCop to Play Troubled Miami Metro Cop

Showtime's "Dexter" has hired the actor who most famously played RoboCop to play a troubled Miami Metro police officer for the majority of the show's next season's episodes, reports Deadline.com.

Peter Weller, known for the playing the title charactes in the films "RoboCop" and "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension," will appear in eight of the show's 12 episodes as a police officer who gets tangled in an internal affairs investigation, the story says. The fifth season is currently in production for a Sept. 26 debut.

Is There a New Favorite for the Primetime Emmy For Best Drama?

TVWeek Open Mic blogger Hillary Atkins says this is the best crops of Emmy nominees in quite awhile. And she has a sneaking suspicion that "Mad Men's" hold on the Best Drama award may slip this year. Click here to read here provocative blog.

A Record 24 Million People in U.S. Watched World Cup Final on Sunday: Also, The Awkward Kiss Between World Cup Champion Spain's Goalie and a TV Reporter

About 24.3 million people in the United States tuned in to the World Cup Final on Sunday, when Spain beat the Netherlands, making a record audience for a soccer game telecast in the U.S., the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog reports.

Also, if you're not a subscriber to TVWeek's Daily Viral Video, you might have missed the awkward on-air kiss planted by Spain's goalie planted on a TV reporter. Click here to see it.

Walt Disney's ABC drew 15.5 million people, while Spanish-language Univision was watched by 8.8 million viewers, the story says.

Over the course of the tournament, the average audience reached about 3.3 million viewers on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, which marks a jump of 41% from the last World Cup, when about 2.3 million viewers tuned into the 2006 competition.

The article points out that because of the growing popularity of soccer with U.S. viewers, the size of the World Cup final's audience wasn't far off from the 28.2 million who tuned in for Game 7 of the NBA final last month between Los Angeles Lakers and Boson Celtics.

Reporter Under Fire for 'Softball' Questioning of LeBron James, Denies Being Paid by James for Interview

Despite a report from CNBC that former NBC reporter Jim Gray was paid by the LeBron James camp for his participation in ESPN's "The Decision" last Thursday, the journalist has vehemently denied any such compensation, reports The Washington Post.

"I didn't take a penny from LeBron or any entity connected to him," Gray told The Post. He said the CNBC story was "100 percent inaccurate, wrong, totally false" and "irresponsible. ... I would never take a nickel from somebody I'm interviewing."

Gray has been widely criticized for his “softball” questioning of James over the NBA star’s decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat.

Celebrity Exits VH1's 'Rehab' After Photos Surface

VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew Pinsky" is still negotiating with stars to appear on the show, but one name previously inked has parted ways the show, according to Radar Online.

Tila Tequila's management confirmed to the Web site that the celebrity has decided not to be part of the program. "Celeb Rehab" had reportedly been concerned about Tequila's involvement when recent photographs were discovered showing her with cut marks that might have been self-inflicted.

Showtime Sets Premieres for Two New Shows and the Return of 'Californication'

Showtime announced Monday that two new series--"Shameless" and "Episodes"--will premiere Jan. 10, 2011, the same night that "Californication" returns for its fourth season, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum star in "Shameless," a drama from "ER" producer John Wells. "Episodes" is the Matt LeBlanc comedy in which the "Friends" star plays himself as the star of an Americanized version of a British sitcom.

'Big Brother' Tops Sunday Night Ratings

CBS's Sunday installment of the reality show "Big Brother" was the highest-rated program in the Nielsens for the night, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 7 p.m. NBC's "Dateline" had the best rating with a 1.05 average in the 18-49 demographic, followed by CBS's "60 Minutes" with a 0.9 in the same demo. Fox's "Sons of Tucson" netted a 0.7 for the top half of the hour.

"Big Brother" dominated the 8 p.m. hour with a 2.25 average in the 18-49 demographic, up against all reruns. At 9 p.m. the lone fresh episode was ABC's "Scoundrels" with a 0.75 in the demo.

At 10 p.m. ABC's other new show, "The Gates," collected a 1.0 in the 18-49 demographic.

'Glee' Star to Go It Alone This Time on 'Star Spangled Banner' at All-Star Game

If you recall that the kids from "Glee" sang the National Anthem for last fall's World Series, you shouldn't be surprised that one of the "Glee" cast members--Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes--will go solo on the "Stars Spangled Banner" for Tuesday night's broadcast of the MLB All-Star Game on Fox, reports Entertainment Weekly.

In addition to Riley, who is set to perform a number of songs before the game, Grammy Award winner Colbie Caillat will sing “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch and the Canadian Tenors will do "O, Canada" before the game.

Hemmer Locks In Multiyear Deal at Fox News

Fox News Channel anchor Bill Hemmer, formerly of CNN, has been given a multiyear contract with Fox News worth multimillions, reports TVNewser.

Hemmer's contract status was part of a profile Howard Kurtz wrote of the anchor in The Washington Post. Fox had not officially announced Hemmer's status.

Hemmer's show, "America's Newsroom," averages 1.3 million viewers, more than the combined total for morning shows on CNN, MSNBC and HLN.

Erin Andrews Gets Anchor Assignment at ESPN, Will Moonlight on 'Good Morning America'

The status of Erin Andrews has been decided and she will be remaining with ESPN, reports USA Today.

Andrews will become one of the anchors on ESPN's "College GameDay," the main Saturday afternoon show during college football season. She will be at the desk for the first hour of the new, expanded “GameDay,” then move to reporting for the final two hours of the broadcast.

Her new deal with ESPN and ABC includes assignments on "Good Morning America" that won't always involve sports.

Andrews will be seen tonight on ESPN's coverage of the MLB Home Run Derby.

'Archer' Star Jon Benjamin on a Roll, Lands Comedy Central Show

Jon Benjamin, a comic who was just nominated for an Emmy last week for the animated series "Archer," has made a deal with Comedy Central for a new show called "Jon Benjamin Has a Van," reports Deadline.com.

Comedy Central has agreed to 10 episodes of the magazine-style show in which Benjamin portrays an investigative reporter on the road seeking out interesting stories.

According to Kent Alterman, head of original programming and production for Comedy Central, "The show is largely scripted with a touch of improv."

The series is expected to hit the airwaves in summer 2011.

Voice of Darth Maul Snags Role in New Fox Series

The British actor who voiced Darth Maul in “Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace” has been added to the cast of Fox's new Will Arnett sitcom, "Running Wilde," reports Deadline.com.

Peter Serafinowicz appeared in the pilot as Fa’ad Shaoulin, a neighbor of Arnett's character, Steven Wilde. Serafinowicz has now been promoted to series regular.

In addition to his “Star Wars” work, he is best known in America for his part in the film "Shaun of the Dead."

New York Yankees Star Appears in 'Rescue Me' Promo

FX has enlisted one of the stars of the New York Yankees for a new promo for its series "Rescue Me," reports the New York Post.

Yankees captain, World Series champion and MLB All-Star Derek Jeter will appear in the spot, which highlights the acts of firefighters as well as baseball players as New York heroes.

Jeter's agent went for the idea of dual heroes in one city and Jeter filmed his part in a few hours, according to the story.

Who's the Most-Watched Comedy Central Host? Nope, It's Not Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert

If you think Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert are the most popular hosts on Comedy Central, think again, writes James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed blog. 

Daniel Tosh has secured that title with "Tosh.0," which has become the network's most-watched studio-based program, the story says. The show also hit another high on Wednesday, becoming the network's best performing show in its time period since "Chappelle's Show" in 2004, the article adds.

Tosh is drawing 2.2 million viewers and a 1.5 rating with viewers between the ages of 18 to 49 years old, representing a 24 percent jump from its previous cycle. "The Daily Show," meanwhile, is averaging 2 million viewers and a 1.0 rating in the demographic, while Colbert's program is attracting 1.4 million viewers and a 0.8 rating in the demographic.

"It's a show that came in under the radar and it's a truly word-of-mouth kind of show," says Comedy Central's head of original programming Kent Alterman.

'Glee' Preparing for Britney Spears Episode, But Some Ask if It's Really a Good Idea

"Glee" creator Ryan Murphy said the program is in the middle of writing an episode based on the music of Britney Spears, according to "Entertainment Tonight," but some are asking if focusing on the singer is really such a good idea.

While the "Glee" episode that focused on Madonna's music provided great material from her long career, Spears' music is more limited, points out Kate Stanhope in TVGuide.com. And while Madonna's music offered a lesson in confidence, it's unclear what Spears might offer to the Fox show's characters.

"The Madonna episode taught empowerment, perhaps Spears' ongoing personal drama is a lesson in redemption? Like dusting yourself off after shaving your head in public or attacking photographers with a big umbrella?" Stanhope writes.

Millions May Miss Season Debut of 'Mad Men' Due to Contract Dispute Between AT&T, AMC Parent

About 2.3 million viewers may miss out on the fourth season debut of "Mad Men" because of a contract dispute between AT&T's U-Verse and Rainbow Media Holdings, the parent company of "Mad Men" network AMC, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Rainbow has warned AT&T's U-Verse customers that they may lose its networks -- AMC, IFC and WE -- when the contract between the two companies expires on July 14, the story says. "Mad Men," meanwhile, is set to premiere its new season on July 25.

The two companies have been negotiating for six months and have reached an impasse, the story says. "AT&T is acting in an aggressive manner that puts their corporate interests ahead of their customers," AMC said in a statement.

AT&T, meanwhile, says Rainbow's demands are unreasonable. "Some of the Rainbow channels are among the least-watched and most overpriced per viewer compared to other major programming providers," an AT&T spokeswoman said, the report adds.

In Cable Wars, Verizon Takes Aim at Time Warner with Ads Warning About Losing TV Service

Verizon Communications is taking an unusually aggressive tactic in the cable wars with an advertising campaign that warns consumers they stand to lose some TV networks if they stick with Time Warner Cable, reports the New York Times. 

The Verizon ads highlight the Sept. 2 expiration of Time Warner's contract with Walt Disney, which provides networks such as ESPN and ABC, and remind viewers that millions of viewers lost part of the Oscars telecast in March because of a dispute between ABC and Cablevision, the story says.

“Count on ABC7 for the best programming. Count on FiOS for ABC7,” one full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times read on Saturday, while another ad in Florida's St. Petersburg Times said, "You don’t have to wait to find out if you will keep your favorite shows. Switch to FiOS.” Verizon and Disney declined to comment, while a Time Warner spokesman said the company is continuing negotiations "in good faith," the story says.

The attack represents another shot in the battle for pay-television consumers, which is placing pressure on cable operators, the Times points out. Last year, cable's share had shrunk to 62 percent market share from 72 percent  six years ago. Meanwhile, telecom companies now have 5 percent market share, up from basically none six years ago, while satellite companies now has 33 percent  market share, up from 28 percent six years earlier, the article adds.

The CW Cancels Tinsley Mortimer's 'High Society' After One Season, Following Mortimer's Complaints

The CW has canceled the reality show "High Society," which tracked socialite Tinsley Mortimer, after she and her family complained about the way they were portrayed, the New York Post's Page Six reports. 

Mortimer, her sister Dabney and her mother, Dale Mercer, especially didn't like the "hysterical antics with Tinsley's arch-enemy Devorah Rose," the story says. Mortimer believed she would have editorial control over the show, but when the program was actually produced, she found she didn't have any and wasn't happy with the outcome, the article adds.

Apparently viewers weren't happy either, with the show's audience dropping to below 1 million, the story points out.

Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco Hopes to Find True Love on VH1 Reality Show

Chad Ochocinco is hoping to have romantic success where others before him have failed: on a VH1 celebrity dating show, reports the Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker. 

The show, called “Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch,” debuted on Sunday with 85 women signing up for his "dating camp," held at Pasadena's Rose Bowl, the story says. The Cincinnati Bengal then sorted his top 17 picks for his "team."

Ochocinco says he decided to do the program because dating "is not working on the other side, off camera. At all. Like for real."

Disney Channel Renews 'Good Luck Charlie' for Second Season and an Original Movie

The Disney Channel has renewed "Good Luck Charlie," a show that follows three teenagers taking care of their baby sister, for a second season and is adding an original movie, reports The Hollywood Reporter. 

The show is attracting about 4.1 million viewers each week and ranks as the top-rated series among children between 6 to 11 years old and between 9 and 14 years old, the story says.

The second season is slated to debut in 2011, while the original movie will feature the show's cast, with the siblings played by Bridgit Mendler, Jason Dolley and Bradley Steven Perry, the article adds.

Fox's Darnell Signs Three-Year Contract Renewal to Remain as Alternative Programming Chief

Fox's Mike Darnell has signed a new three-year contract to continue his job as president of alternative programming, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

Darnell, who joined Fox in 1994, is now overseeing the network's transition into a post-Simon Cowell period for its hit show "American Idol," the story points out. Darnell apparently quietly renewed the contract several weeks ago, the article adds.

During his last contract renewal in 2007, Darnell was given the president title and creative control over Fox's unscripted development after receiving offers from seven competitors including NBC, Andreeva writes.

'Jersey Shore' Star Wants Everyone to Have Their Own 'Situation' with DVD Release

"Jersey Shore" star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino wants everyone to be in the same ab-worthy situation and is releasing a work-out DVD, the New York Post's Page Six reports. 

The MTV reality star, who bares his sculpted abs at any photo opportunity, filmed the video in New Jersey and includes a "bonus abs" section in his "intense total-body workout," the story says.

"No word yet if he also has tips on applying hair gel, hitting on women or getting that special orange-glow tan," the story says.

Don't Ring Death Knell Yet: TV Viewing Increased in First Half of 2010

It's way too early to ring the death knell for traditional television, especially as a new report shows TV viewing increased in the first half of 2010, Multichannel News reports. 

Average weekly viewing per person reached 34.3 hours in the first half of the year, up from 34.1 hours in the same period a year earlier and representing two more hours than in 2006, according to a Turner Research analysis of Nielsen data, the story says.

Still, while ad-supported TV viewing rose to 17 hours from 16.9 hours last year, the four broadcast networks saw a decline, with average weekly viewing slipping to 8.4 hours per person from 8.5 hours in 2009, the article says. The study also found that digital video recorders are now in 36 percent of households, representing a threefold jump from 2006, the article says.

More Than 700 Million Expected to Have Watched World Cup Final on Sunday

More than 700 MILLION viewers worldwide were expected to have tuned in for the World Cup final on Sunday, reports the Associated Press. 

FIFA, which had signed deals to allow every country in the world to broadcast the game between the Netherlands and Spain, said it expects a record audience on Sunday for any sports broadcast in Spain and about 90 percent of Dutch viewers to tune in, the story says.

If the ratings for the tournament match FIFA's expectations, that will place the broadcast above the 600 million people who tuned in for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the story points out.

Dish Told Its 'TV Everywhere' Trademark Application is Suspended, Potentially Nixing Its Claim on the Term

Dish Network was told by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that a "notice of suspension" had been issued for its application to trademark "TV Everywhere," Todd Spangler reports at Multichannel News. 

That means Dish's claim on the term may be nullified, the story says the agency told the satellite operator. The notice of suspension came after Time Warner had made an earlier application to trademark "On Demand Everywhere." Dish declined to comment, the article adds. The company currently markets its Slingbox products with the "TV Everywhere" logo.

When Dish applied for the trademark in September 2009, the term was already in generic use by distributors and TV programmers to refer to authenticated content viewing on devices other than TV sets, the article points out. Time Warner had filed to trademark "On Demand Everywhere" in June 2009, the story says.

LeBron James' 'Decision' Delivers Huge Audience for ESPN

ESPN announced that its telecast Thursday night of “The Decision,” in which NBA superstar LeBron James announced his decision to join the Miami Heat, generated a 7.3 overnight rating in households from 9-10:15 p.m. ET.

The 7.3 is the highest overnight rating for any non-NFL ESPN program this calendar year, according to the network. Additionally, the ESPN telecast was the highest-rated program of the night, for cable or broadcast, based on overnights.

The telecast peaked with a 9.6 rating from 9:15-9:30 p.m., when James officially made the announcement, the network reported. The top three local markets were Cleveland (26.0 metered market rating); Columbus (14.2) and Miami (12.8). Chicago was sixth with a 10.7 rating and New York ranked seventh with a 10.4 rating.

The numbers topped the audience for ESPN’s exclusive interview with Tiger Woods on March 21, 2010, which posted a 0.4 metered market rating for SportsCenter from 6-8 p.m. and peaked with a 0.8 rating from 7:45-8 p.m. The telecast also trumped ESPN’s exclusive interview with Alex Rodriguez on Feb. 9, 2009, which had a 0.9 metered market rating (6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter).

James’ decision attracted more than 300,000 unique viewers on ESPN3.com, one of the platform’s largest audiences ever for a non-World Cup event.

HBO Sets Premiere Date for Scorsese Prohibition Drama

The Martin Scorsese-directed premiere of "Boardwalk Empire," HBO's new period crime drama about the mob in Atlantic City during Prohibition, will premiere on the network Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. ET, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Steve Buscemi stars in the series, which is executive produced and written by "The Sopranos'" veteran Terence Winter.

'Absolutely Fabulous' Star Recovering From Cancer

One of England's funniest ladies has been fighting breast cancer, reports the BBC.

Actress Jennifer Saunders of "Absolutely Fabulous" fame was diagnosed eight months ago and has been undergoing treatment, according to the report.

The story says Saunders, who created "Ab Fab" and starred in the British comedy as Edina Monsoon, is currently in remission from the disease, according to doctors.

This Weekend's Yankees-Mariners Games to Get 3D Treatment on YES Network

This weekend's games between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners will provide a chance for the YES Network to perfect--as much as possible--how to broadcast a baseball game in 3D, reports B&C.

The network will use stereoscopic 3D technology to produce the first Major League Baseball games in 3D. The Saturday and Sunday games will be done with co-sponsorship from DirecTV and Panasonic, and the games will be carried by DirecTV and some cable operators.

YES VP of Operations Ed Delaney said of the broadcasts, "I have no idea what to expect. It's always great learning something new. That's how we're approaching this."

'CSI' Star Agrees to Deal

Fears that CBS might have to continue “CSI” without its female star have been put to rest with the news that Marg Helgenberger has inked a new deal with the show, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Helgenberger's co-stars George Eads, Eric Szmanda and Paul Guilfoyle, however, have yet to be locked up and are currently working on new deals.

Laurence Fishburne, who replaced William Petersen as the anchor of the procedural, will be back next season.

Another Slap in the Face for 'Party Down'

As if it weren’t bad enough that Starz canceled the quirky comedy "Party Down" after just 20 episodes, now the network has decided to yank the series from NetFlix, according to clicker.com.

No other Starz series have been removed from the NetFlix service, and no reason was given for the decision. The last date for the series to be available on NetFlix is today, July 9.

Susan Boyle Wants to Make Someone Else's Dream Come True

For her next CD, "The Gift," Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle will choose an unknown to share the spotlight with her on one song, reports Access Hollywood.

Boyle will select a singer from video submissions, which are to be uploaded to her via her Web site and her YouTube channel. Each singer is being asked to perform the Christmas carol “Silent Night.”

New HBO Deal for 'Six Feet Under' Creator

After the success of HBO's "Six Feet Under" and the current hit "True Blood," it's no surprise that creator Alan Ball has inked another deal with the premium cable net, reports Deadline.com.

The latest pilot from Ball is called "All Signs of Death," based on "The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death," a 2009 novel written by Charlie Huston. Huston is adapting the material with Ball executive producing and directing the pilot, the story reports.

ABC's 'Wipeout,' CBS's 'Big Brother' Lead Thursday Ratings

ABC's ultra-physical game show "Wipeout" and CBS's claustrophobic reality show "Big Brother" were the top-rated network shows Thursday night in the Nielsen ratings, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. it was a close race between "Wipeout" and the premiere of "Big Brother," with the former getting a 2.2 rating and a 2.6 in the 18-49 demographic for the first and second half-hours, respectively, compared with the latter earning a 2.4 rating and a 2.5 in the demo.

At 9 p.m. Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" was tops with a 1.9 and a 2.2 in the 18-49 demo, up against ABC's "Rookie Blue," which had a 1.7 and a 1.5.

The lone new show at 10 p.m. was ABC's "Boston Med," which logged a 1.15 average in the 18-49 demo for the hour.

Sex Life of John Stamos May Become Fair Game at Trial in Extortion Case

John Stamos' sex life may become fair game during an extortion trial next week, reports the Associated Press. 

Attorneys for a couple who are accused of seeking to extort $680,000 from Stamos, whose television work includes "Full House" and "E.R.," are urging a judge to allow them to ask questions about the actor's sex life and whether he had an intimate relationship with one of the defendants, Allison Coss, the article says.

Stamos, who is expected to testify, has denied a relationship with Coss. Coss and Scott Sippola allegedly demanded payment from Stamos, claiming they had photos of him with strippers and cocaine that they would otherwise sell to a magazine. The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday in Marquette, Mich.

Everyone Agrees: Emmy Awards Signal Broadcast Networks Took Risks and Won

The 2010 Primetime Emmy nominations, announced yesterday, have everyone agreeing on one thing: the heavily-skewed nods to the broadcast networks is the result of risk-taking that paid off.

"The recognition for “Glee” and “Modern Family” — and, in the best drama category, the CBS newcomer "The Good Wife"— reflects last year’s critical consensus that there's a resurgence in quality on the broadcast networks," report Brian Stelter and Dave Itzkoff in the New York Times. The article points out that "Lost," another show that scrapped the playbook, received seven nominations for its final episode.

Scott Collins at the Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, concludes that the nominations herald "the legacy networks are back, if not hogging the Emmy nominations, at least holding their own against the more daring, critical darlings of cable TV." The broadcast networks received more nominations this year than in 2009, except for NBC, which, funnily enough, will be airing the Emmy telecast on Aug. 29, the LA Times article points out.

That last fact may allow for another bit of compelling broadcast viewing, points out Joe Flint in the Los Angeles Times. That's because Conan O'Brien was nominated for an Emmy Award for his brief job as the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" (Jay Leno's version of the program, meanwhile, didn't receive a nomination.) If O'Brien wins and shows up to claim his prize on NBC, "it has the potential to be an incredibly awkward televised moment, as O'Brien could tell his former employers exactly what he thinks about them on his old network," Flint writes.

O'Brien responded to his Emmy nominations on Twitter by writing, "Congrats to my staff on 4 Emmy nominations. This bodes well for the future of The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien."

Kooky 'TV Hat' -- Allowing iPod TV Viewing in a Hat -- Gaining Attention Since January Introduction

The kooky TV hat is gaining attention after being introduced in January, even prompting Jimmy Kimmel to feature the hat during a gag video, reports the New York Post. 

The ad featuring the hat -- which looks like a baseball cap with a veil hanging down the front -- has become a viral video sensation (to see the ad, check out this site for the hat ), the article says.

The hat becomes a sort of portable home-video theater by allowing wearers to slide in their iPod or other digital devices into a pocket at the end of the hat's bill, with a custom lens magnifying the picture, the story says.

The hat's manufacturer sold 1,000 of the TV Hats at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Since then, the hat has been sold to hundreds of thousands of consumers, the story says, citing the hat's inventor, George Korper of SKM Industries, the article adds. 

With 13 Additional Emmy Nominations, 'Saturday Night Live' Breaks Record as Most Nominated Show in Awards Program's History

"Saturday Night Live" has become the most nominated show in the Emmy awards' history after receiving 13 nods yesterday, bringing its total to 126 Emmy nominations, reports the New York Times. 

“We’ve run longer than most television critics,” said Lorne Michaels, the creator of the show that began in 1975. He added that he was particularly proud that six of this year's nominations were for the May 8 episode hosted by 88-year-old Betty White, the article says.

“And it was one of those shows that it turned out that everyone was at home. It’s just a tribute to her and how that all came together. I was really proud of that show," Michaels said. His show's 126 nominations broke the previous record of 124 nominations held by the hospital drama "E.R."

'Today' Will Allow Same-Sex Couples to Apply for Wedding Contest, Reversing Policy

NBC's "Today" will allow same-sex couples to apply for its "Modern Day Wedding Contest," marking the reversal of an earlier policy, reports TVNewser.com. 

The contest had earlier limited eligibility to those who meet legal marriage requirements in New York City, ruling out same-sex couples since New York State doesn't recognize same-sex marriage, the story says. But the show received more than 3,000 letters and emails protesting the rules, leading to "Today" executive producer Jim Bell meeting with Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and changing the contest's rules.

"We came to the conclusion that this is the right thing to do," Bell says. "I think we would have gotten there on our own, but it might have taken longer." The deadline for applications has been extended to Monday from its original deadline of July 9, the story adds.

Catch-22 1/2: Studio Accounting

The recent news regarding profit participation and TV shows--the challenge to Disney by the producers of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and Don Johnson challenging Rysher Entertainment about "Nash Bridges"--reminds TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross of the craziness of studio accounting.

Click here to read this satirical account.

'Brothers From Another Mother' Makes Script Deal with Comedy Central

"Brothers from Another Mother," a multicamera project about a white man and black man discovering they are brothers, has a script deal with Comedy Central, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

"Brothers" stars Ralphie May, who is white, and Lavell Crawford, who is black, as longtime friends who discover their blood tie when their dad dies and they inherit his barbecue restaurant, the story says. Multicamera projects are rare for Comedy Central, which has another similar project that will debut next month, "Big Lake," produced by Will Ferrell, the story says.

'Desperate Housewives' in Talks to Add Brian Austin Green in Recurring Role

"Desperate Housewives" is nearing an agreement to add Brian Austin Green in a major recurring role on the ABC drama, reports The Hollywood Reporter. 

Green would play a contractor named Keith who may become one of the housewives' love interest, the story says. The former "Beverly Hills 90210" star has appeared recently on a few TV shows, including a stint on the CW's "Smallville" and a series regular role on Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

Larry King Files Petition to Dismiss Divorce Papers

Larry King has officially dropped his plans to divorce seventh wife Shawn Southwick-King with a petition to dismiss his divorce papers, reports TMZ.com.  

The pair had announced plans to reconcile in May. In the latest move, both sides filed petitions to dismiss their divorce papers on Wednesday, TMZ.com reports.

ABC Announces Fall 2010 Debut Dates, Changes Name of 'Better Together' to 'Better With You'

ABC has released its debut dates for its fall season and is changing the name of the new comedy "Better Together" to "Better with You," reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. 

The network hasn't released premiere dates for "Body of Proof" or "Secret Millionaire," the story says.

Most of the new shows will debut during the first week of the traditional start of the broadcast television season, which begins the week of Sept. 20. "Detroit 1-8-7" will debut on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 10 p.m., while "Better With You" will join a comedy block on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 8:30 p.m., providing a lead in to "Modern Family."

YouTube Should Have More Sports, Say Google Co-Founder Brin and CEO Schmidt

Google is trying to bring more sports videos and movies to YouTube, with the company trying to work on rights issues to bring that to fruition, the New York Post reports. 

"We are just trying to cope with the legacy of complicated contracts. Consumers should be given the choice assuming they pay a fair price," said Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin at a press conference at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference. Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the company has been discussing the rights issues with some sports rights holders during the Idaho-based conference. Google is also talking with Hollywood studios, the story adds.

Hulu Lawsuit, Claiming NBC Universal Stole Idea from Canadian Engineer, Goes to Arbitration

A case alleging NBC Universal stole the idea for Hulu from a Canadian engineer has been sent to arbitration, the Los Angeles Times reports. 

Errol Hula, who created a technology company called Hulavision, sued NBC Universal and Hulu four months ago, alleging that he shared a business plan and trade secrets with an NBC executive in 2006, the story says. NBC Universal and News Corp. the next year joined forces to create what would become Hulu, now the second most-popular video Website after YouTube, the story says.

Hula and the NBC executive discussed the plans for several weeks in 2006, and then the executive stopped returning Hula's calls. When Hulu was introduced in 2007, the venture said it picked the name because it didn't have a meaning, was simple to spell and rhymed. "It's not a coincidence that the name of the website is so close to my client's name," said Hula's attorney, Robert M. Vantress, after the hearing on Thursday. NBC Universal said the allegations are meritless, the article adds.

Late-Night Talk Shows Dealing With Loss of Younger Viewers

Late-night talk shows were once considered bulletproof against digital video recorders because it was thought their topical nature would encourage viewers to watch the shows in their time slots, reports Bill Carter in The New York Times.

But it's turning out that the shows are losing younger viewers, who don't feel the need to watch or tape the shows and who may be turning to competitors such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, the story says.

Television shows airing at 11:30 p.m. generally draw a 2.5 rating with viewers between 18 and 49 years old, but Jay Leno’s and David Letterman's shows combined are drawing only a 2 rating with the demographic. The sole network talk show at 11:30 p.m. to gain viewers during the second quarter was "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which added 150,000 viewers from a year earlier, the story says.

Leno's show has seen its average viewer age jump from 46.6 years old to 55.6, while Letterman's average audience age is 54.7 years old, the article adds.

Nevertheless, both Leno’s and Letterman's shows sold well in this year's upfront advertising market. David F. Poltrack, chief research officer at CBS, said the late-night talk shows may stabilize in the fall following last season's disruption with the shuffling between Leno and Conan O'Brien.

“Some late-night viewers just went elsewhere,” Poltrack told The Times. “We may see some of them come back.”

ESPN Signs Exclusive Deal With Major College Conference

ESPN has signed an exclusive deal with one of the premier college conferences, the network has announced. 

Collegiate sports events in the Atlantic Coast Conference will be shown exclusively on ESPN, part of a 12-year pact between the organizations.

The ACC includes basketball powerhouses Duke and North Carolina, along with teams such as Boston College, Wake Forest and North Carolina State, which often make the NCAA basketball tourney.

George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN, Inc., and ABC Sports, and John Swofford, ACC commissioner, confirmed Thursday that all conference football and men’s basketball games, as well as women’s basketball, Olympic sports matchups and conference championships, will be broadcast on ESPN.

The deal commences in 2011-12 and runs through 2022-23.

National Public Radio Has a New Name--Sorta

National Public Radio has used the abbreviation NPR when referring to itself since 1971, but now NPR will be the official name, reports the Washington Post.

Following the lead of companies such as TLC, which dropped the longer name The Learning Channel, and KFC, which dumped the Kentucky Fried Chicken label, National Public Radio determined that all that's needed for its brand is NPR.

The company noted that its enterprises now involve more than just radio. Said Vivian Schiller, NPR's chief executive, "NPR is more modern, streamlined.”

She compared the rebranding of the media organization to CNN losing its original name Cable News Network years ago.

'Talent,' 'Dance' Top Wednesday Nielsens

Reality entertainment shows "America's Got Talent" and "So You Think You Can Dance" were the strongest players in the Wednesday night Nielsen ratings, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.

At 8 p.m. Fox’s "So You Think You Can Dance" had a 2.25 average rating for the hour in the 18-49 demographic, besting NBC's "Minute to Win It," which had a 1.8 rating and a 2.2 for the top and bottom of the hour in the same demo.

At 9 p.m. NBC's "America's Got Talent" had the best numbers of the night with a 3.1 and a 3.6 in the 18-49 demo, while the second hour of "So You Think You Can Dance" logged a 2.4 average in the demo.

'Chaos' Creator Will Try Again With CBS

You might think after his deal with CBS for the series "Chaos" went up in smoke, that writer Tom Spezialy would steer clear of the Tiffany Network. But that's not the case, reports Deadline.com.

Spezialy has signed a blind script deal with the network. Unlike the "Chaos" situation, Brett Ratner is not attached this time. Ratner's successful track record wasn’t enough to ensure that the “Chaos” project got picked up, and the deal fell apart last week.

Walters to Make First 'View' Appearance Since Open-Heart Surgery

The ladies of "The View" are about to be reunited when Barbara Walters returns to the show.

This Monday, July 12, will mark her first time back since having open-heart surgery, and rather than push her recovery, Walters will appear live via Skype. The appearance will be her first time on camera since the operation last May.

USA, Syfy Cast Leads for New Shows

"A Legal Mind," a pilot for USA Network, and "Being Human," a Syfy series, have cast leads, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com.

Patrick J. Adams will get the role in the USA pilot while Mark Pellegrino has been tapped for the Syfy show, according to the report.

Adams will play Mike Ross, a slacker college student who gets a job at a top law firm even though he's not an attorney, the story says. The casting marks a rebound for the actor, who had nabbed the lead on NBC's "Friends With Benefits" but was recast just before the pilot went into production, Andreeva writes.

Pellegrino, who played Jacob on "Lost" and Lucifer on "Supernatural, will play a mentor to the vampire character on "Being Human," the story says. The series, based on a British show by the same name, focuses on a vampire, werewolf and ghost who make mismatched roommates.

Twitter Skirmish With Joe Scarborough Gets Political Blogger Banned From MSNBC

Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC, has decided not to allow the founder of liberal political blog Daily Kos to appear on the network following a skirmish between the blogger and "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough, reports TVNewser.

Scarborough has been ticked off by Tweets made by Markos Moulitsas regarding the 2001 death of Lori Klausutis, a former staffer.

Griffin e-mailed Moulitsas, saying of the banning, "I'm hoping this will be only temporary and that the situation can be resolved in a mature fashion, but until then I just don't know how one could reasonably expect to be welcomed onto our network while publicly antagonizing one of our hosts at the same time."

MTV to Add Social Games to Nickelodeon, Other Nets

Social Express, a San Francisco company that specializes in social gaming development, has been acquired by MTV Networks, reports B&C.

The company was created in 2009 by Tony Espinoza and Neil Souza, and currently has 10 employees. MTV Net plans to integrate Social Express into its Nickelodeon Digital group to make "social games" for MTV, Nickelodeon and other brands.

The financial details were not disclosed.

Primetime Emmy Nominations: 'Glee' Leads Pack, Followed by 'Mad Men,' '30 Rock' and 'Modern Family'; Also, Conan Gets Nominated, Leno Does Not

NOTE: For a COMPLETE LIST of NOMINEES, please click here.

The 2010 Primetime Emmy Nominations were announced this morning, and the critically-acclaimed musical sensation 'Glee' lead the pack of regular series with 19 nominations, followed by "Mad Men" with 17 nominations, "30 Rock" with 15 nominations, and "Modern Family," with 14 nominations.

One of the most talked about nominations will be Conan O’Brien’s version of “The Tonight Show” on NBC, which was nominated in the best variety, music or comedy series category, while Jay Leno's version of the show was not nominated.

Also, it was O'Brien's new bosses at TBS that ran a trade-ad campaign for O'Brien's nomination, not NBC.

Most nominations overall went to HBO's ambitious miniseries "The Pacific," with 24.

"Glee" and "Modern Family"--both from Twentieth Television--were new this season (though 'Glee' had had a sneak preview) and were popular successes as well for their respective networks, Fox and ABC.

Nominated for best comedy are: "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Glee,"  "Modern Family," "Nurse Jackie," "The Office"  and "30 Rock."

On the best drama side, the nominees are: "Breaking Bad," "Dexter," "Lost," "Mad Men," "The Good Wife" and "True Blood." 

The nominees for lead actor in a drama are: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”; Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”; Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights”; Hugh Laurie, “House”; Matthew Fox, “Lost”; and Jon Hamm, “Mad Men.”

Lead actress nominees in a drama are: Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”; Glenn Close, “Damages”;
Connie Britton, “Friday Night Lights”; Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”; Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”; and January Jones, “Mad Men.”

The nominess for lead actress in a comedy are: Lea Michele, "Glee"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”; Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”; Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”; and Toni Colette, “The United States of Tara.”

Lead actor nominees in a comedy are: Jim Parsons,”Big Bang Theory”; Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”; Matthew Morrison, “Glee”; Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”; Steve Carell, “The Office”: and Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock."

And what is clearly icing on the cake for what's been a story-book year for Betty White, she nabbed a nomination for hosting "Saturday Night Live."

Here's how all the networks did in getting nominations:

HBO – 101
ABC – 63
CBS – 57
NBC – 48
FOX – 47
AMC – 26
Showtime – 23
A&E – 2
HISTORY – 6
IFC – 2
ABC.com/lost – 1
LateNightWithJimmyFallon.com – 1
Lifetime – 11
Animal Planet – 2
BET – 1
NBC.com – 2
Bravo – 6
NGC – 1
Bravo.com – 1
Nickelodeon – 2
Cartoon Network – 7
PBS – 32
Cartoonnetwork.com – 1
Showtime.com – 1
Comedy Central – 8
StarWarsUncut.com – 1
DirecTV – 4
Sundance Channel – 2
Discovery Channel – 14
Syfy – 6
Disney Channel – 5
TCM – 1
EPIXHD – 1
thedailyshow.com – 1
TNT – 3
Fox.com – 1
Travel Channel – 1
FX Networks – 9
USA – 4

NOTE: For a COMPLETE LIST of NOMINEES, please click here.

Golden Gate Opens Up: Don Johnson Gets $23.2 Million in 'Nash Bridges' Lawsuit

Don Johnson, who starred as the title character in the series "Nash Bridges," has been awarded $23.2 million as the result of a lawsuit he filed about profits from the series, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Johnson had sued Rysher Entertainment, the company that produced the show.

According to the story, "Johnson, the former 'Miami Vice' star, sued Rysher, saying he was entitled to half the profits from the show because he owned half of its copyright."

A Los Angeles jury, with an 11-1 verdict, agreed with him.

Rysher "contended during trial that the show has yet to be profitable because it cost so much to make, and that Johnson, who also was an executive producer, already had received tens of millions of dollars during filming," the article said.

Bart Williams, an attorney for Rysher, said, in a statement, "We are ready to undergo the appeals process and are confident that in the end, today's outcome will be reversed," the Times noted.

Johnson won his award the same day a Federal jury awarded a big award to a company that sued the Walt Disney Co. over the profits for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." As Rysher did in the Johnson case, Disney claimed that "Millionaire" was not profitable. In that case, previously reported, the jury told Disney to pay the plaintiff, Celador International, $269.2 million.

'Star Wars' Star Files Lawsuit, Says USA Network Ripped-Off Idea for TV Series

One of the stars of the "Star Wars" trilogy has filed suit in Manhattan federal court alleging USA Network stole his and his older brother's idea for a comedic drama, the New York Post reports.

The suit was filed by Hayden Christensen, who portrayed the young Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) in the last two "Star Wars" movies.

Christenson and his brother claim they pitched an idea to USA about a "concierge" doctor who makes house calls to the rich and that the network then ripped off their idea with "Royal Pains," the story says.

The lawsuit alleges that a USA executive told them he hadn't heard of concierge doctors before their pitch for their show, called "Housecall," in 2005 and that he thought it was a "fascinating" idea.

A spokeswoman for USA declined to comment, the article says. USA is owned by NBC Universal.

Lindsay Lohan's 90-Day Jail Sentencing Sets Record for TMZ

TMZ.com set a record on the site for its largest number of live streams with the coverage of Lindsay Lohan's court sentencing on Tuesday, July 7, 2010, when the star broke into tears and was ordered to jail for 90 days in jail, reports B&C.

Almost 2.3 million people watched TMZ.com's live stream of the court date, dwarfing its previous record for a live-streaming event, when 845,000 people watched a previous Lohan court date on May 24, the story says.

"The interesting thing is that people are typically on the site from five to seven minutes at a time, but yesterday they were on the site for 16.3 minutes," said TMZ Executive Producer Harvey Levin. "People could literally not take their eyes off this. It was one of the most compelling court hearings I've ever seen."

ABC Drops Mockumentary Format for 'Detroit 1-8-7', Reshooting Scenes for First Episode

ABC is reshooting scenes for its new cop show "Detroit 1-8-7" to eliminate the mockumentary format that's used by shows ranging from "The Office" to "Modern Family," reports Joe Adalian at New York Magazine's Vulture blog.

The network “found the characters and the storytelling to be strong enough to not require the conceit, and they also were worried about distancing the audiences," executive producer David Zabel said, according to the article.

There was also the danger that the character played by Michael Imperioli would temper his reactions to some situations if he knew he was being documented, the article note.

The show is spending four days reshooting the first episode in Detroit to remove the mockumentary scenes, the story adds.

ABC has another mockumentary-style show debuting next season, "My Generation," although the producers of "Detroit 1-8-7" said this wasn't the reason for nixing the format on their show.

With ESPN Giving up Commercial Time Worth $1 Million for LeBron James' Announcement, Questions Arise Over Infomercial-Like Approach

ESPN's decision to give an hour of its prime-time schedule tonight, (Thursday, July 8, 2010, at 9 p.m. ET) to LeBron James to make his team pick announcement is raising a number of questions. These questions range from the ethics of the plan to how ESPN will fill an hour with what otherwise would be a 30-second announcement, report two execellent reporters, Scott Collins and Joe Flint, in the Los Angeles Times.

While James will donate the proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, ESPN's decision raises a red flag among journalists, with one journalism professor questioning whether it's a donation or a direct payment to James, the article says.

The move also could represent "a turning point in the relationship between mega-celebrities and perpetually ratings-hungry media," the article says. The deal, brokered by James' business manager Maverick Carter, gives James' camp both creative and financial control. For instance, ESPN allowed James to pick his interviewer, ex-ESPN reporter Jim Gray, the article points out.

ESPN executive Norby Williamson defended the network, telling the Times that it doesn't believe it's more or less paying for an interview although in a perfect world "maybe we don't draw it up exactly like this."

'Law & Order: Los Angeles' Snags Skeet Ulrich as One of its Two Detectives

"Law & Order: Los Angeles" has nabbed its first star, tapping Skeet Ulrich as one of the series' two detectives, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

The NBC show will begin production later this month and air in the fall, the story says. Ulrich had appeared as a killer in several episodes of CBS' crime series "CSI: NY," the report adds.

Ulrich may be best known to TV audiences as one of the stars "Jericho."

Moody's: Broadcast Television Industry Could Worsen in Credit Market over Next 12-18 Months

The U.S broadcast television industry could see its credit conditions worsen over the next 12 to 18 months, according to Moody's Investors Service, the Hollywood Reporter reports.

While near-term trends are positive, such as expected advertising gains from the November elections, the TV industry faces challenges after that, the story says.

"With the loss of political dollars and continuing economic uncertainty, broadcasters could face challenges in maintaining revenue at comparable levels in 2011," Moody's said.

The ratings agency downgraded the sector to "stable" from "positive."

TV Land Renews 'Hot in Cleveland' for Second Season, Giving Betty White Even More of a Career Kick

TV Land has renewed "Hot in Cleveland" for a second season, adding even more fuel to 88-year old Betty White's career resurgence, reports B&C.

The network has given a 20-episode order for the show, which also stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick. Production will begin in October, with the new episodes tentatively scheduled to start in January, the article says.

The show has set ratings records for TV Land and is reaching an average of 4.7 million viewers.

Syfy's Return of 'Warehouse 13' Snags 2.96 Million Viewers, Making it Network's Most Watched Telecast in 2010

Syfy's "Warehouse 13" debuted its second season with an episode that drew 2.96 million viewers on Tuesday, making the episode the network's most watched telecast this year, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

Nevertheless, that represents a decline from the show's premiere in July 2009, when 3.5 million viewers tuned in, the story points out.

But Tuesday's episode drew 1.354 million viewers between the ages of 18 to 49 years old, higher than the 1.3 million in the demographic who watched the series debut last year, the article says.

Last year's series premiere also coincided with a marketing push for the network's rebranding, the story notes.

Fox News Taps Jenna Lee of Fox Business Network To Co-Anchor Show

Fox News has tapped Jenna Lee of Fox Business Network to co-anchor "Happening Now" following the departure of Jane Skinner, reports TVNewser.com.

As previously reported, Skinner said she was leaving after 12 years at the network to better juggle her personal life. Lee was one of Fox Business Network's original anchors when it began in 2007 and had previously worked at NY1 and Forbes.com.

She'll be joining Jon Scott as co-anchor of "Happening Now," the story says.

Marg Helgenberger Signs New 'CSI' Contract Ahead of Show's 11th Season

Marg Helgenberger, who plays Catherine Willows on "CSI," has signed a new contract to remain on the show, reports EW.com's The Ausiello Files.

Several other "CSI" stars are currently negotiating new contacts before the show's next season begins, the story says. They are George Eads, who plays Nick, Eric Szmanda (Greg), and Paul Guilfoyle (Jim). Jorja Fox, who plays forensic scientist Sara Sidle, is also in discussions to return in some capacity, the story says.

Disney Loses $269.2 Million in Quiz Show Scandal

Back in the 1950s there were the widely publicized TV quiz show scandals, wherein it was learned that certain contestants were cheating to win big jackpots.

Today a Federal jury in Riverside, Calif., said there is another kind of TV quiz show scandal. In this case, the company that licensed the show to the Walt Disney Co. won a major lawsuit against Disney, after claiming the media giant cheated it over its fair share of the profits for the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." 

The company that sued Disney, Celador International, was awarded $269.2 million by the jury, the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog reported. 

Disney had licensed the rights to "Millionaire" from U.K.-based Celador.

In a statement Disney said, according to the article, "We believe this verdict is fundamentally wrong and will aggressively seek to have it reversed."

The article  said, "Celador argued that a series of "sweetheart deals" struck between a clutch of Disney-owned companies kept the show in the red, even as it became ABC's first No. 1 show in more than a decade."

Celador had sued for $395 million in broadcast license fees and $10 million from the sale of "Millionaire"-related merchandise.

The jury awarded Celador $260 in license fees and $9.2 million for the merchadise sales.

Disney's accounting had the show in the red to the tune of $73 million.

The article said, "The decision strikes at the heart of the "vertical integration" argument that has buttressed the wave of consolidation that has swept Hollywood over the last 20 years, in which media giants contend that it is economically advantageous to control both the production and distribution of TV programming."

Possible Reprieve for 'Law & Order' on Cable

The gavel supposedly sounded signaling the end of "Law & Order" when NBC canceled the show, but today there are reports that AMC--home of "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad"--is interested in adding new episodes of the legal drama to the network lineup, according to New York Magazine.

The expense of the show makes a deal a long shot, but AMC is considering it even if it means coughing up $3 million per episode, according to the story.

The publication speculates that an established show like "L&O" could draw viewers to the network to sample the critically acclaimed "Men" and "Bad," which aren't as robust in the ratings as other cable dramas.

Story of Johnny Carson to Get Major TV Treatment

The estate of the late king of latenight, Johnny Carson, has approved the telling of his story on a major TV outlet, reports the well-respected Brian Lowry in  Variety [NOTE: Variety is behind a firewall and may ask you to pay to see this story.]

Peter Jones will be the director of the project, which will be a two-hour documentary, and KCET Los Angeles will be the presenting station. The documentary will likely air in 2012.

Jones' previous TV projects include the Turner Classic Movies tribute to Bette Davis, "Stardust: The Bette Davis Story."

Jones said he started writing letters to Carson about the idea soon after the latenight host left NBC. According to the article, "Carson called him in 2003, Jones recalled in an interview, saying that while he admired the letters the producer had sent, 'I'm not going to do anything, because I just don't give a shit.' "

For this project Jones will work with Carson's nephew, Jeff Solzing, and, says the article, "Jones will have full access to the program, including rarely seen clips he'll be able to cross-reference online, such as Carson discussing his childhood in Nebraska. He also plans to conduct original interviews."

'Ellen DeGeneres Show' Locks Up Renewals

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution continues to lock up early fringe renewals for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

The company announced that it has cleared the series in more than 99% of the country for the 2011-12 season, with sales to traditional affiliated stations (ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates) representing 95% of the country.

“We are extremely gratified by the overwhelming response to Ellen and her show that we have received in the marketplace,” said Ken Werner, president, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. “Stations and viewers alike have identified ‘Ellen’ as a unique and compelling program that is poised to become the dominant early fringe talk franchise for women for years to come.”

Werner also announced that “Ellen” has been cleared in early fringe time periods for 2011–12 in 18 of the top 20 markets, 45 of the top 50 and 88 of the top 100.

The company said it has already renewed the show in more than 85% of the country for the 2012–2013 season and in more than 77% of the U.S. for 2013–2014.

'American Idol' Tour Cancels Shows Due to Poor Ticket Sales

Eight shows in the "American Idol" Live! Tour 2010 have been canceled due to poor ticket sales in cities ranging from Omaha to Toronto, the New York Post reports.

It is unclear whether the tepid sales were a result of the economy or a dying-down of interest in the television show, the story says.

"It may be symptomatic of the fact that the series seemed to have less excitement around it this year than in years past, which I think translates into the public's interest in seeing them live," Gary Bongiovanni of concert trade magazine Pollstar tells the newspaper.

The show was also canceled in Kansas City, Buffalo, Cleveland, Winnipeg, Portland, Ore., and Portland, Maine, the article says.

'Lost' Star Finds Himself in 'SVU' Role

One of the stars of “Lost” has been tapped for at least two fall episodes of "Law & Order: SVU," reports TVGuide.com.

Henry Ian Cusick, also known as Desmond Hume on "Lost,” will play Erik Weber, a graphic artist, the story says. His character will meet Detective Olivia Benson when he helps someone in need.

"There might be some flirtation," says executive producer Neal Baer.

HSN Slates 72-Hour 'Eat, Pray, Love' Special

HSN is hoping some of the shine from the best-selling "Eat, Pray, Love" will rub off on product sales as the network prepares 72 hours of programming tied to the movie version of the book, reports EW.com's PopWatch blog.

The programming block will take a page from the book and movie by dividing itself into three sections, each devoted to one of the countries featured in the best-seller. Aug. 6 will focus on products from Italy, while Aug. 7 will promote Indian merchandise and Aug. 8 will turn to items from Bali, the article says.

HSN's estimated audience is 83% female between 30 and 50 years old with an above-average income, which is the audience Sony Pictures wants to capture for the film, the story adds. The programming block will be selling more than 400 items in categories ranging from home decor to travel.

'That '70s Show' Star Gets Talent Holding and Development Deal

20th Century Fox TV has signed a former "That '70s Show" star to a talent holding and development deal, reports Deadline.com.

Wilmer Valderrama, who played Fez on "That '70s Show," has previous ties with 20th TV, the article says. Two years ago he starred in "The Emancipation of Ernesto," an hourlong comedy pilot for Fox from 20th TV, and last year he worked on a comedy project inspired by the "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan, the story adds. In the latter project, Valderrama was slated to star as the central character (based on Millan) and produce.

The actor also has a multiyear deal at RelativityREAL to develop and produce projects, along with his deal with 20th TV to develop, executive produce and star in a show, the story says.

Oscar Winner Joins Cast of Showtime's 'Weeds'

An Oscar-winning actor will be joining Showtime's "Weeds" in the upcoming season, reports Deadline.com.

The new cast member is Richard Dreyfuss, who won an Oscar for "The Goodbye Girl" and is best known for box office successes such as "Jaws," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "American Graffiti." Dreyfuss will appear in four episodes as a mysterious person from Nancy Botwin's past.

In addition to Dreyfuss, "Weeds" has also signed up Linda Hamilton, Peter Stormare, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as guests this season. Season six premieres Monday, Aug.16.

CNN Political Expert Returns Payment From Republican National Committee

One of the most recognizable faces on the right for CNN had to return a payment of $12,000 from the Republican National Committee, Media Matters reports.

Conservative political commentator Alex Castellanos was not aware that the check violated his deal with CNN, and once he learned that it did, he returned the money immediately, according to the report.

Castellanos explained, "I was not aware of the payment because ours is a large business and an employee who handles and processes payments for me dealt with the RNC transaction."

CNN's response to the incident came in a statement: "Alex told CNN that there had been a mix-up. … Not only did Alex do the right thing by returning the money, he also demonstrated his independence from the party chairman by calling for Michael Steele to step aside."

Death of Former Fox News Producer May Have Been Suicide

Julianne Rolle, most recently with TV Guide Entertainment but best known as an experienced Fox News producer, died over the weekend, reports TVNewser.

Her body was found at the bottom of a cliff near her father's home in Southern California. Rolle, who was 39 years old, had worked for Fox News in Europe and the Middle East, including a stint as bureau chief in Iraq.

While the authorities believe her death was suicide, especially in light of her mother's recent death, her father told the local newspaper that he suspected his daughter fell by accident.

Follow the Money: How Much Fox Really Pays--and Makes--From 'American Idol'

So how much does the No. 1 show on TV, "American Idol," really cost Fox, and how much does the network make from the show?

An article by Joe Flint of the the Los Angeles Times provides some of those answers. Flint, in writing about the battle to control CKX, the company that owns "Idol," gives us these numbers:

"According to people with knowledge of the network's arrangement, Fox pays three license fees and multiple sets of bonuses for the rights to broadcast the show.

"The first is a flat fee of $1 million to $1.5 million an hour that Fox pays CKX and Fremantle for each of the first 37 episodes. The fee escalates sharply for each additional episode the network orders, which occurs frequently (last season, for example, Fox ordered an additional 19 hours). "Idol" is usually one hour, but given the contestant structure of the show, two-hour episodes are not out of the ordinary.

"Fox also pays what is described in CKX's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a "contractual license fee" above the per-hour fee that is split between CKX and Fremantle. Last season that supplemental fee totaled $35.5 million. And it pays additional bonuses on top of that based on the show's ratings."

Flint also writes that estimates are that Fox pulls in more than $800 million annually for "Idol."

So if you add all this up so far, it has Fox spending about $119.5 million, no including the amount of fees not specified. Then you have to add another $35 million for Simon Cowell's salary, Flint writes.

That totals $154.5 million, not including paying the other judges, and other expenses. Still, the amount of money Fox is clearing from 'Idol' each year could be $400 million to $500 million.

And starting next season they won't have Cowell's huge salary.

So while "Idol" slipped 9% in the ratings this year, to 24.3 million average viewers, it's still a very significant money maker.