Avril Lavigne by Paul Drinkwater/NBC Universal Photo
TV Guide's own Ken Fox called this one months ago. Songwriters Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer allege in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court that Avril Lavigne and the cowriters of her current hit, "Girlfriend," cribbed from their 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," which was originally performed by new-wave band The Rubinoos. "We are not so naive as to chalk it up to some sort of cosmic coincidence," Dunbar says in a statement to the AP. "The lyric, the meter, the rhythm... they're identical." A spokesperson for Lavigne declined comment. A court date has been set for Aug. 28. In related news, this rather insane girl I broke up with back in college is suing Kelly Clarkson for stealing "Never Again" from the hourlong harangue she directed at me some 15 years ago.
read more
NBC's Saturday Night Live tackled its largest audience in 10 months this past weekend, with Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning carrying the ball as guest host and American Idol Carrie Underwood crooning. The real highlight, though, as any parent will tell you, was TV Funhouse's Dora the Explorer spoof. Biting, simply biting. (See video here.)On April 14, Shia LaBeouf (rhymes with LaWhof) hosts, with phone-book-adjacent musical guest Avril Lavigne.
read more
KaDee Strickland, The Wedding Bells
The prolific writer-producer who gave us Ally McBeal, The Practice and Boston Legal invites you tonight at 9 pm/ET to spend some time with The Wedding Bells, a Fox series about three sisters who labor to help couples find their "happily ever after" — at least until they reach the catering hall's parking lot. KaDee Strickland (The Grudge), the Southern belle who plays middle sis Annie Bell, shared with TVGuide.com a preview.
TVGuide.com: Did you hear about the toasters? As part of the PR push, Fox sent toasters to reporters, wrapped up as wedding gifts.KaDee Strickland: That's perfect! I hope you enjoy your toaster.
TVGuide.com: No, I'm totally going to regift this — though I hear it has a Wedding Bells logo on the
read more
For better or worse... Wait. No, actually, just for better: Samantha Lombardi doesn't have a big sister in the music biz to pave the way for her. But the 15-year-old Australian — think Avril Lavigne but with rock on the brain, not rocks in her head — clearly has friends in high places. The proof: Her radio-ready debut album, Take Your Pic (which drops in May), features raucous and catchy tunes written by no less than Nine Inch Nails and Paul Stanley of KISS.
"When I first got the songs, I was really excited — I mean, those guys are
huge!" Lombardi exclaims to TV Guide Online. "But I was nervous, too, because I didn't wanna screw 'em up. I didn't want them to hear me singing their songs and think, 'Yeah, it sounds all right.' I wanted them to kick ass!"
Mission accomplished, and then some. On swinging singles-to-be like the star-crossed love song "Black Hole" and the kiss-off anthem "I'm Over You," the
read more
