'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.