Danza to Star in School Reality Show
Tony Danza will teach 10th grade English next year, with a TV crew taping the experience for a reality show on A&E, the New York Post reports. “I’m trying to do what I call ‘responsible reality.’ I don’t want to…
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‘Douchebags’ Show to Debut June 15 on MTV
A new reality show inspired by the site HotChicksWithDoucheBags.com is premiering on MTV next month. According to the Hot Chicks site, MTV will launch “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” on June 15. MTV’s Web site for the series…
Charter Sues DirecTV for ‘False’ Ads
Charter Communications has filed a lawsuit against DirecTV Group for using Charter’s recent bankruptcy filing in an advertisement aimed to draw customers to DirecTV, the Associated Press reports. Charter calls DirecTV’s ads “false and misleading,” particularly for claims that Charter…
AMC Talking With Apatow, Diaz
“AMC Storymakers” has tapped Tom Cruise, Judd Apatow, Cameron Diaz and Nick Cassavetes for a May 15 special hosted by Peter Bart and Peter Guber, Television Week reports. The hosts will talk about how the entertainment industry has changed and…
NJ ‘Housewives’ Prove More Real
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” may be the best installment of the “Housewives” franchise because the women it follows seem like real humans, the Los Angeles Times says. A scene in which one family prepares for a party is…
CNN Teams With Essence
CNN is working with Essence Communications to produce weekly news segments called “What Matters,” Multichannel News reports. The three- to five-minute segments will begin May 8 and focus on issues affecting the black community, the trade paper says. —Aimee Picchi
FiOS Adds Six HD Channels
Verizon’s FiOS TV service has added six high-definition channels from Entertainment Studios, Broadcasting & Cable reports. The channels focus on lifestyle topics, such as Recipe.TV and Cars.TV, and will begin debuting this week, the trade paper says. —Aimee Picchi
Nickelodeon Picks Up ‘Troop’
Nickelodeon has placed a 26-episode order of “The Troop,” a comedy series about high-school students who combat monsters, the Hollywood Reporter says. The show, from producer Tommy Lynch, is filming in Vancouver for a fall debut, the publication adds. —Aimee…
Costner to Develop A&E Miniseries
Kevin Costner is developing a four-hour miniseries for A&E set during the post-Civil War era, the Hollywood Reporter says. The movie will concern a conflict during the West’s development, and Costner may play one of the roles, although the network…
BET Awards Tap Foxx as Host
Jamie Foxx will host the BET Awards ’09 live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on June 28. The awards show will feature performances from Maxwell, Ne-Yo and other artists to be announced. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be…