24's Kiefer Sutherland by Albert Watson/Fox
Jorge Romero, the 25-year-old Chicagoan accused of uploading to LiveDigital.com four yet-to-air episodes of 24, has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10.... Also per the Hollywood Reporter, American Dad executive producers Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz have inked a new two-year deal with 20th Century Fox, as part of which they will develop new projects.... Mel Brooks' stage-musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein will price its best weekend seats at $450 a pop, a record high for Broadway, says the New York Post. Good thing TVGuide.com's Raven is getting me in for free. Right, Raven? Raven...?
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Did Mel Brooks deem Cloris Leachman too old for Young Frankenstein? Sources tell the New York Post that while Leachman was a riot when she reprised her role as Frau Blücher in a workshop of the coming Broadway musical, Brooks & Co. feared that, at 81, she wouldn't possess the stamina to do eight shows a week, so they gave SCTV's Andrea Martin the gig instead. Leachman is now literally fighting mad, challenging Brooks (who soon turns 81 himself) to "three rounds in the ring [to] see who's left standing," and has enlisted retired Variety icon Army Archerd to lobby Brooks to change his mind (not to mention avoid a potential lawsuit). Ageism anyone? — Reporting by Raven Snook
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It is time to put on the Ritz. No sooner had the massive flop musical The Pirate Queen shut down production but it was announced that Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein will set up its laboratory (and revolving bookcase, one has to hope) in the Hilton Theatre, with previews starting Oct. 11, followed by an official Nov. 8 Broadway bow. Tickets go on sale July 15, but that is of no concern for me; our resident theater queen Raven is getting me in for free. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
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Darrell Hammond by Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC
This summer, Saturday Night Live's Darrell Hammond will make his Broadway debut in the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, replacing comedian Mo Rocca in the role of Vice Principal Douglas Panch.... In addition to showcasing numbers from the tuners nominated for best revival and best musical, this year's Tonys will include a special performance by American Idol winner Fantasia, currently starring on Broadway in The Color Purple.... It's a stage smackdown! Producers of a serious adaptation of Frankenstein, described as "a bold new theatrical experience," plan to open their show off-Broadway in October, the same month Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein hits the Great White Way. — Reporting by Raven Snook
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The upcoming Broadway musicalization of The First Wives Club may not yet be finished, but that doesn't mean casting can't begin. The New York Daily News hears that Queen Latifah called producers to express an interest in playing the Goldie Hawn role. Long live nontraditional casting.... Per Playbill.com, Idol alum Frenchie Davis will showcase her powerhouse pipes in Mahalia — A Gospel Musical, at Hartford Stage in August.... Mel Brooks confirms Young Frankenstein's casting rumors and adds that the show will most likely bow at the Hilton Theater, whose current tenant, The Pirate Queen, is about to walk the plank. — Reporting by Raven Snook.
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One of Broadway's most anticipated premieres — Mel Brooks' musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein — is finding its wish-list ensemble stripped down to the bolt necks, thanks to the TV-pilot casting season. Among the casualties: Kristin Chenoweth, who was to channel Madeleine Kahn, is now Pushing Daisies for ABC, a "real blow" to Frankenstein, a source tells the New York Post. Likewise, Zachary Levi — Brooks' best bet to fill the Gene Wilder role — is now NBC's Chuck, and would-be Igor Roger Bart is testing for Kelsey Grammer's Action News. As a result, the Post reports, a Will & Grace reunion may be in the offing, with Megan Mullally stepping in for Chenoweth and Eric McCormack in the running for Dr. F. OK, but I draw the line at Beverly Leslie playing the monster.
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If I appear to dwell on Mel Brooks' in-the-works adaptation of Young Frankenstein, it's for good reason: The classic horror spoof was a seminal film for my younger self. Now, the New York Post's theater column repeats that the early take on the stage musical is, well, "scooper duper." Specifically, praise such as "absolutely hilarious," "a total winner," and "really funny — and, for Mel, surprisingly tasteful" was offered by some of the 20 Broadway insiders invited to a top-secret Monday reading. What's more, at the run-through Brian D'Arcy James was so winning in the Gene Wilder role — once thought to be a no-brainer (pun intended) get for (a pre-Odd Couple) Matthew Broderick — that he is now poised to play the doc on Broadway come Halloween 2007.
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Long rumored to be in the works, Mel Brooks is officially developing his 1987 feature comedy, Spaceballs, as an animated series for the G4 cable network, to premiere in fall 2007. Brooks will voice two characters in the show, says the Hollywood Reporter, and cowrote the pilot with Thomas Meehan.
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Barney & Friends' Riff, Degrassi's Cassie Steele (Manny)
New characters! New episodes! New seasons! Check out our helpful guide to our favorite returning kids shows on broadcast, cable and satellite.
PreschoolFirst up, Sesame Street (PBS) celebrates the start of Season 37 next week by adding the magical Abby Cadabby, a delightful (if mistake-prone) sprite who represents the first new female Sesame Muppet in more than 13 years. [Look for a TVGuide.com Insider Q&A with Abby on Monday, Aug. 14.] Barney & Friends (Sept. 15, PBS) also waited 13 years to introduce Riff, their new dino character, whose musical imagination helps usher in an era of more varied tunes. New playmates will also populate the worlds of
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Russ Mitchell has been named permanent anchor of the Sunday edition of CBS Evening News.... Per Variety, Turner Classic Movies is developing a one-hour contemporized version of The Dick Cavett Show, to debut in September with a Mel Brooks sit-down.... People are bananas for the big guy: First-week DVD sales for King Kong topped 6.5 million, the best performance in Universal Studios history.... Brokeback Mountain hits video stores today, aka Heath Ledger's birthday. All together now: "I wish I knew how to quit butter-cream frosting!"
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