NBC has tapped comedian Howie Mandel to host Deal or No Deal, an "exciting game show that contains nail-biting drama and hefty cash prizes," says the Peacock.... Actress Polly Bergen has signed on to play first mom to Geena Davis on Commander in Chief. She first airs Nov. 29.... The incomparable Charlotte Ross has been cast as John Stamos' ex-fiancée on ABC's Jake in Progress, which kicks off its second season in January. Oh, great. Now I have to start watching Jake in Progress. — Additional reporting by Ali Gazan
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The Bold and the Beautiful has fired soap starlet Shanelle Workman, whose real-life romances with John Stamos and American Idol's Constantine Maroulis were previously reported on by TVGuide.com. She last airs as Gaby, the tragic daughter of Stephanie's dead housekeeper, on Oct. 27.
Word is Shanelle's dismissal came as a shock to her, though it's not all that surprising to viewers, since the saga of Gaby's green-card marriage to Thomas Forrester (Drew Tyler Bell) wasn't really going anywhere. In a diplomatic statement, B&B chief Brad Bell confirmed: "Shanelle Workman has been released from her contract. The decision was purely story line-dictated. Shanelle is a wonderful young actress and made a great contribution to The Bold and the Beautiful. We wish her every success in all of her future endeavors." (Keep read
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Question: OK, I know ER has been on a long time, but I still want spoilers.
Answer: Exec producer David Zabel gave my colleague, Matt Webb Mitovich, the lowdown on John Stamos' two-episode arc this November. "You'll actually meet him in Episode 7," he says, "and then he's a major player in [Episode] 8, when a commuter plane crashes in a Chicago neighborhood." Stamos plays one of the paramedics on the scene, and Zabel likens the November sweeps episode to "a big action movie." The other central figures in the episode are Neela and Pratt.
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Remember when there was a new Darren on Bewitched? How about when Chris on The Partridge Family changed? Then there was a new Steven on Dynasty and, of course, a new Becky on Roseanne (and then back to the old). Now we have a new Alex on ER. Alex, just to remind you, is Samantha's diabetic son, and he's now being played by Dominic Janes. Maybe Oliver Davis had to do full-time work on Rodney? Anyway, I noticed it right away, even though at first they were using clever camera work so he was only seen from far away. I laughed when the detective told Sam (after Alex's photo was distributed): "Nobody recognized your son." Of course they didn't; he's being played by someone else. Glad for Sam's sake that she finally found him and that he's OK. But her journey getting to the missing Alex included a scene that brought back nasty memories for me. I must admit that I once fell asleep at the wheel — not a pretty time in my history.
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ER
For NBC's ER, it has been a long time since the days when George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Eriq La Salle and, hell, even Abraham Benrubi wandered the halls of County. But just as in the real world, transition happens. Case in point: As the medical drama gets under way with its 12th season (premiering tonight at 10 pm/ET), a flurry of new faces will scrub in, at least one will bid farewell and there may even be a return or two. Helping TVGuide.com sift through who's who and new are coexecutive producer Janine Sherman Berrois and, arriving later during the interview, executive producer David Zabel.
TVGuide.com: Is there any special st
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Finally, ER has landed John Stamos — at least for two episodes. The heartthrob star of ABC's Jake in Progress (slated for a mid-season return) will appear twice on the NBC series during November sweeps as a Gulf War vet now working as a paramedic. His character is also said to be a med student, meaning that upon graduating he will officially become the dreamiest doctor since Noah Drake.
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Question: Love your column! Anything on ER?
Answer: Well, as I (read: me, me, me, me, me!) broke exclusively in Monday's Entertainment News, John Leguizamo is joining the cast as a new doc for at least 12 episodes. And yes, this is the part that was originally earmarked for John Stamos.
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John Leguizamo
Marking his first major drama-series gig, John Leguizamo is joining the cast of ER this season, TVGuide.com has learned. Details about his role could not be immediately confirmed, but sources say the actor-comedian will play a new doctor at County General in at least 12 episodes beginning in late October. ER producers have been on the prowl all summer for a big-name actor to fill the void left by Noah Wyle. Their first choice, John Stamos, was forced to nix the gig after ABC went and renewed Jake in Progress for a second season. Turns out that wasn't a joke; they really did renew it.
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It's been a while since we've offered up a fresh edition of the Shanelle Workman Romance Report, so here goes: "I'm single and very happy," the bubbly B&B starlet told TVGuide.com at her recent birthday party. As you first read here, she's spent time with such eligible Hollywood bachelors as John Stamos and American Idol fan-fave Constantine Maroulis in the past year. Ms. Workman didn't care to elaborate on what stalled her romance with Mr. Jake in Progress.
And Constantine's just a good pal now. In fact, he was expected at Shanelle's soiree at the famed Friars of Beverly Hills, where the guests were mostly soap luminaries like the studly Michael Lowry (ex-Les, As the World Turns), Soap Star judge Michael Bruno and The Young and the Restless boys Mich
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Question: Why is everyone bemoaning the renewal of Jake in Progress? If John Stamos did go to ER, he would have little opportunity to showcase his charm and comic talents on that depressing snoozefest. I liked the few episodes of Jake that I saw. Stamos was surrounded by a stellar supporting cast and benefited from some witty and polished writing.
Answer: I liked John Stamos more than I liked Jake. The show reminded me what a charismatic TV star he can be, given the right material. And from what I've heard, Jake may improve from some new, behind-the-scenes creative blood tweaking the show a bit. If so, then the yelps of puzzled surprise that greeted the show's unexpected renewal may subside when Jake returns midseason (at the moment, scheduled on Mondays post-football). It's true that ER has squandered many of its opportunities lately, when even the gifted Linda Cardellini of Freaks and Geeks is rendered dull and glum. But since ER isn't going away anytime soon, I had welcomed the
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