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Producer Defends His Show, Which Seems Like a ‘Ringer’ for Another Show

A show features identical twin sisters from different backgrounds, with the sister from a humbler start taking on the identity of her wealthier sister. Sounds like Sarah Michelle Gellar’s "Ringer" on the CW? It’s also the premise of ABC Family’s…

Steve Carell Comedy Series Greenlighted for Pay Cable, With Veteran Comedian on Board

Steve Carell, fresh off his successful run as the boss on NBC’s “The Office,” has his next project lined up — and this time it might include cuss words. That’s because the project is headed for pay cable, with Showtime…

Lawsuit and Harsh Words Between Comcast and DirecTV: Comcast Calls Ad Claim ‘Outright Lie’; DirecTV Calls Lawsuit ‘Deplorable’

Comcast has sued DirecTV over what the cable giant claims are misleading ads for the satellite-TV company’s NFL Sunday Ticket package, reports the New York Post. The ads tout DirecTV’s "free" NFL Sunday Ticket package, which Comcast alleges in its…

Showtime Renews Series

Showtime’s presentation Friday at the Television Critics Association press tour included a number of key programming announcements, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The pay-cable network announced that the reality soap "Gigolos" has been renewed for a second season. In addition,…

Pepsi Reveals How It Plans to Get Its $60 Million Worth Out of ‘X Factor’

Mega-marketer Pepsi’s ongoing cola war with Coke will soon play out on a new front, with the rival soft drinks sponsoring rival TV shows. While Coca-Cola has been a longtime sponsor of “American Idol,” Pepsi has just taken the wraps…

Cable and Satellite Companies Worry About Softening Porn Sales

Cable and satellite television companies are concerned about what they see as an alarming trend: TV viewers aren’t buying adult video-on-demand products like they used to, reports The Wall Street Journal. (Please note that the WSJ is behind a paywall…

Film Director Is an Unexpected — and Controversial — Addition to Producing Team for 2012 Oscars Telecast

Producers for the 2012 Academy Awards telecast on ABC were announced Thursday, and along with the predictable — one veteran TV awards show producer — the academy threw in a surprise, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The surprise was the…

Surprise Twist in the Saga of the ‘Sex and the City’ Prequel

The ongoing saga of the long-rumored "Sex and the City" prequel has taken a surprise twist, reports the Los Angeles Times’ Show Tracker blog. The project, which has gained momentum in the press after being talked about at the Television…

Former Beatle Says He’s a Victim of Phone Hacking — ‘a Horrendous Violation of Privacy’ — and Will Talk to Cops About It

Former Beatle Paul McCartney, appearing via satellite during the Television Critics Association press tour, said he’s been a victim of the widening British phone-hacking scandal and will talk with police when he returns to England, reports Deadline.com. "When I go…

Another Media Company Is Interested in Buying Hulu

Video-streaming service Hulu, which has already received interest from Dish Network, Apple, Google, Yahoo and AT&T, has another possible suitor, Bloomberg reports. Satellite company DirecTV — a competitor of Dish Network — is also considering purchasing the company, according to…