matt.mitovich

Short Cuts: TV Land's Makeover, Dark Crystal and More

Per Variety, TV Land has bought off-network rights to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the cabler's first-ever purchase of a reality series and only the second time it has grabbed a show currently on the air. EM:HE will air Tuesdays at 11 pm/ET, starting Aug. 7.... Out on DVD today: Meatballs: Special Edition, and CHiPs' Season 1 (see Erik Estrada Q&A). Coming soon: Black Snake Moan (June 26) and The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Edition (Aug. 14).

Tue, Jun 5, 2007

Bookies Snuff Wagers on Harry Potter's Demise

Bookmakers in London ("bumbershoots," I believe they are called) have stopped accepting bets on Harry Potter's mortality as decided by the final book, Deathly Hallows, saying the teen wizard's death appears to be a sure thing. "Every penny [wagered] was on Harry dying, and it became untenable," a rep for the betting house William Hill tells the New York Daily News. Instead, Hill is accepting bets on Potter's killer, with HWMNBN paying 2-to-1, Snape at 5-to-2 and a PMSing Hermione at 10-to-1. (Oh, yes, here come the e-mails.... )POLL: Do you think Harry will die in Deathly Hallows? Vote here (bottom right).

Tue, Jun 5, 2007

Bookies Snuff Wagers on Harry Potter's Demise

Earl's Catalina Nabs Kelly Ripa's Husband

Nadine Velasquez seeks a Husband for Hire in a made-for-Oxygen telepic about a Latina businesswoman who must sign on a spouse, and quick, or forfeit her inheritance. (Tale as old as time, I know.) Mark Consuelos, the host of NBC's forthcoming Age of Love dating series, is Velasquez's insta-groom. Rounding out the cast, says Variety, are Mario Lopez, Erik Estrada (see today's CHiPs-related Q&A) and Tempestt Bledsoe.

Tue, Jun 5, 2007

NBC Not Yet Putting the Kibosh on Posh

Rumors abound that with hubby David now back footing the ball for the English national team, Victoria "Posh" Beckham is no longer camera-ready for her NBC reality series announced back in February. While there is no official update from the Peacock, the Hollywood Reporter hears that NBC will take footage shot to date (and as recently as Sunday) and fashion it into a prime-time special. If the one-off scores, then additional specials or a series could follow. But hurry and decide, NBC, because Posh has new bras to buy and not wear.

Tue, Jun 5, 2007

Why Debra Messing Said No to Pilot Season

Now that the ratings for USA's The Starter Wife have reaffirmed Debra Messing's enduring appeal, you may be wondering why the actress didnt land on a pilot for the upcoming TV season. "You know, I got several phone calls from people with offers," Messing told TVGuide.com recently. "But there really wasnt any conflict for me because after eight years of having such a structured life [as a star of Will & Grace], I knew that I needed some time to be a gypsy. I am enjoying being able to wake up in the morning and not having to be anywhere and not having to do anything. That freedom is revitalizing for me right now."But should the time come for Messing to again embrace the weekly grind, she says not to confine her to the sitcom format or expect her to do a 180 and go all serious on us. "For me, its just about a good story, especially in the landscape of television, where its constantly changing," she explains. "So who knows what will be in vogue if and when t...

Tue, Jun 5, 2007

Why Debra Messing Said No to Pilot Season

Fans of The Closer: Our Live Webcast Wants You

This Thursday, June 7, at 4 pm/ET, TVGuide.com will host a live and interactive webcast in which The Closer creator James Duff and cast members including Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Tenney, J.K. Simmons and Anthony Denison will survey the new season premiering June 18. TV Guide's Craig Tomashoff will moderate the chat, inviting the guest panel to respond to questions e-mailed in by you, the fans.To participate in the webcast, which will be simulcast on TNT.tv and CNN Pipeline, click the TVGuide.com homepage link going up Thursday afternoon.SEND YOUR QUESTIONS NOW: To make sure your questions get answered, post them below if you are logged in or submit them via e-mail.TV Guide Network's InFANity: The Closer airs Monday, June 11, at 9 pm/ET.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Pilot Talk: Nets Not Through with Thick and Them

During a Friday conference call regarding Battlestar Galactica's own fate, David Eick revealed that the pilot he has over at Fox  the sci-fi-themed Them  lives on, perhaps as a mid-season premiere. "It's still in play and something the network is very actively talking about," he said. "We'll know more in the next weeks and months."Meanwhile, Mitchell Hurwitz's The Thick of It, a BBC comedy adaptation originally eyed (but ultimately passed on) by ABC, is now garnering interest from Showtime, NBC and HBO.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

New Bionic Woman Deemed Family-friendly

The new NBC series Bionic Woman and Chuck, as well as the CW's Life Is Wild, have earned a thumbs-up from the Family Friendly Programming Forum, whose mission is to promote the development of programming appropriate in theme, content and language for adults and children. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this fall marks the first time the FFPF has an approved program airing each night of the week (meaning minus Saturday, which literally nobody seems to care about), with the new options joining the ranks of Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, Notes from the Underbelly, Friday Night Lights and Everybody Hates Chris. But Bionic Woman, really? Methinks someone at the FFPF actually fancies two hot gals duking it out in a nighttime downpour.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Jen Aniston Hooks Up with... Bottled-water Brand

Are the Friends residuals drying up already? As part of a new partnership with Glaceau and smartwater, Jennifer Aniston will not only star in an upcoming ad campaign for "the purest water you can get," but she is also now an investor in the company and has designed a limited-edition label hitting stores in July. "We were thrilled that Jennifer discovered smartwater and realized what a difference it makes to her healthy lifestyle," the VP of marketing says in a statement. "To us, Jennifer truly embodies what smartwater is all about, as she combines substance and style like nobody else." Whoa, I think someone just dissed Angie's wardrobe choices.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Box Office: Millions of People Get Knocked Up

The prospect of a Knocked Up Katherine Heigl was appealing to moviegoers to the tune of $29.3 million, enough to land the well-reviewed comedy at No. 2 at the weekend box office. POTC 3 saw its audience sink some 62 percent, but held on to the top spot with a $43.2 mil haul.Rounding out the top five were Shrek the Third ($29.3 mil), Mr. Brooks (opening with $10 mil) and Spider-Man 3 ($7.5 mil, $318.3 mil to date).

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

At the Movies: Jim Carrey Tries Guy Love

Per Variety, Jim Carrey will star in I Love You Phillip Morris, a dark comedy pegged as "Catch Me If You Can meets Brokeback," concerning a con man whose love for a released cell mate leads him to attempt several prison escapes.... Jack Black will front Year One, a comedy that Judd Apatow will produce, Harold Ramis will direct and cowrite (with a pair of Office scribes), and Michael Cera will star in.... Per the Reporter, Big Love's Ginnifer Goodwin is Matthew Perry's sis in Laws of Motion.... Kevin Bacon is chief-of-staff Jack Brennan in Ron Howard's Nixon/Frost.... Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) will direct Spy Hunter, a big-budget take on the awesome '80s arcade game.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Ratings: Wife's Good Start, Pirate's Rough Waters

The Starter Wife drew 5.4 million total viewers in its debut last Thursday, ranking as cable's best-performing original scripted-series telecast of the year to date, and USA Network's best launch in the 18-to-49 demo since The 4400. CBS' Pirate Master, meanwhile, placed second (behind 5th Grader) during the 8 o'clock hour, debuting to about seven million viewers  half of Survivor's typical tally, but on par with the Eye's year-ago premiere of Game Show Marathon.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Short Cuts: Gene Simmons, TV Munchies and More

A&E has greenlit a third season of Gene Simmons Family Jewels, increasing the order from 20 half-hours to 24.... ABC has ordered six episodes of Wanna Bet?, a game show in which contestants wager on whether they can perform stunts. U.K. personalities Ant and Dec will host.... A study by the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation finds that when it comes to people snacking in front of the tube, the more entertaining the program, the more they eat. That explains The Black Donnellys' dominance among anorexics 18 to 49.I have no organic segue for the following, but I feel a need  as part of closure, perhaps?  to share with you, the people I "talk to" on a daily basis, the news that my father passed away last Tuesday, hence my weeklong absence. John Mitovich, 80, had a degree in journalism, yes, from OSU, but made his career as a business leader in Fairfield County, Connecticut. (If I may proudly "brag" a bit, the Stamford paper paid him tribute Thursday with a...

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Tyra, Top Model to Catwalk the Streets of NYC?

Telepictures is having "serious conversations" about relocating Tyra Banks' two-year-old talker, and perhaps subsequently America's Next Top Model, to Manhattan, Variety reports. Sources tell the trade the motive behind the move is to bring a different energy  and guest pool  to Banks' daytime show, which has already been reupped for third and fourth seasons. As for ANTM making camp here, yeah, just what we need, more crazy.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Mama Lohan Arranges TV Coverage for Her Other Kids' Meltdowns

Having apparently not yet seen the latest cover of People, Dina Lohan  who fancies herself "the white Oprah" and recently test-drove the TV waters with a gig on ET  is in talks to helm her own E! reality series, Mom-ager, in which she would attempt to secure for her youngest children, Ali, 14, and Cody, 11, the fabulous fame that Lindsay is now enjoying/burning off at the Promises rehab center. Speaking for many of us, a source says to the New York Post's Page Six, "Can you believe that? [Dina] totally messed up Lindsay.... And now she's going to do the same to the other two? Those kids should be in school having normal lives, the life that Lindsay didn't get to have." Reps for Dina, Lindsay and E! have not yet commented on the Post's story.POLL: Who is the better mother, Dina Lohan or Kathy Hilton? Vote here.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Sweeps Ratings Are the Rosiest in View's History

It's called going out with a bang. The View last month averaged an audience of one million women ages 18 to 49, the show's highest May-sweeps delivery in that demo in its 10-year history and the first May sweeps the talker has ranked among the top five daytime shows. In total viewers, The View averaged 3.8 mil, an increase of 27 percent versus May '06. Since Rosie's departure, the show's most significant milestone is that some people recall what channel it's on.

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Paris Behind Bars: Lawyer Calls Her a "Victim" of "Unjust" System

Welcoming the insulation from Sarah Silverman's caustic (if only somewhat witty) barbs, Paris Hilton's version of an MTV Movie Awards after-party found her checking into the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, shortly after 11:30 pm Sunday, to commence her three-week sentence. (See video at TMZ.com.) In a statement to People, the sheriff's department says the celebutante "was cooperative during the [booking] process, which included being fingerprinted, photographed [and] medically screened." Hilton, who surrendered to sheriff's deputies after frequenting MTV's kudoscast, said on that red carpet, "I'm doing OK, obviously a little scared. But I'm being strong and I'm ready to face my sentence. I hope this can be an example to other young people" [from wealthy families whose jail stints are chopped in half]. In a statement issued by her lawyer Monday morning, Hilton added, "This is an important point in my life and I need to take responsibility for my actions. I...

Mon, Jun 4, 2007

Paris Behind Bars: Lawyer Calls Her a "Victim" of "Unjust" System

Doing Time: 24 Thief Faces Three Years in Prison

Chicagoan Jorge Romero could face up to three years in prison  and not the security-lax Fox River  for posting pirated episodes of 24 to LiveDigital.com, eight days before their broadcast bow. Back in January, Fox served LiveDigital (and YouTube, which is not named in the FBI's complaint) with a subpoena demanding the identification of the user who had posted yet-to-air episodes of 24 and The Simpsons; both sites complied with the request. In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, Twentieth Century Fox says, "We are grateful to the FBI and U.S. Attorney's offices in Los Angeles for aggressively pursuing this matter. Video-hosting sites such as LiveDigital and YouTube are not copyright-free zones, and indvidudals... who post episodes of television shows, particularly before they are even broadcast for the first time, will face harsh civil and criminal sanctions." Then again, maybe you'll get to shower alongside Paris.  MWM

Sun, Jun 3, 2007

On Stage: Tony Contenders, a Wind Hits London and More

In honor of the Tonys, airing Sunday, June 10, on CBS, Live with Regis and Kelly will showcase a slew of Broadway babies next week. Monday brings a Spring Awakening; Tuesday finds David Hyde Pierce hawking Curtains; on Wednesday, Raúl Esparza makes for great Company; Thursday Christine Ebersole brightens Grey Gardens; and on Friday Mary Poppins goes "Supercalifragilisticexpidalidocious".... Cheers star Rhea Perlman makes her West End debut in Boeing-Boeing this summer, as per Playbill.com.... Broadway.com reports that the American classic Gone with the Wind is being turned into a British musical, set to hit the stage in spring 2008.... An actor in the problem-plagued production of London's Lord of the Rings was injured by a piece of hydraulic stage machinery. He was treated with medicine, not magic.  Reporting by Raven Snook

Fri, Jun 1, 2007

In Today's Casting News: A New L&O Cop, a Heroes Mutant

After guesting as a lawyer in the season finale of Law & Order, Six Feet Under alum Jeremy Sisto is returning to the series this fall as a regular, but this time as a new character, a detective who it's speculated will replace Milena Govich.... Although her power is being kept under wraps, The Sopranos' Blanca, Dania Ramirez, will become the newest of the Heroes next season.

Fri, Jun 1, 2007

NBC to Trump: Don't Lay Off Your Hairdresser Just Yet

Against all odds, The Apprentice has gotten a stay of execution. Although NBC's option on the show was supposed to expire today, the show's head honcho, Mark Burnett, being good pals with the net's new head honcho Ben Silverman, put him on the horn with Ivanka's dad. "Ben really made Donald feel comfortable and wanted," a source tells Variety. So he extended the option until June 8. Which still seems pointless to me. Unless they're gonna get Rosie O'Donnell to be the newest Carolyn, keeping the past-its-prime series around is just, well, bad business.

Fri, Jun 1, 2007

Safety Dance: SYTYCD Ratings Put Fox's Mind at Ease

High kicks, contortions and the effervescent Cat Deeley, too? How could Fox's So You Think You Can Dance not smoke the competition Wednesday night with 9.1 million viewers!In other ratings news, ABC's kooky celeb-imposter show, The Next Best Thing, got off to a surprisingly good start, with 7.7 million viewers. Too bad that when the new drama Traveler came on at 10, 1.5 million of those viewers had gone bye-bye. Maybe they just haven't seen a good enough picture of Matthew Bomer yet? Also of note, the CW shouldn't have hidden Hidden Palms so well. The Oliver-centric new Kevin Williamson soap arrived DOA. Its only hope: I have a soap-addict friend who insists that it's so good, it's going to catch on. Of course, he's also waiting for Bare Essence to be renewed.

Fri, Jun 1, 2007