Who knew anything good could come out of Bloodrayne? In a November 2006 interview with The Advocate, Kristanna Loken (currently headlining Sci Fi's Painkiller Jane) hinted that she and Bloodrayne costar Michelle Rodriguez were more than BFFs. Rodriguez herself is now confirming the lipstick-lesbian rumor, in the current issue of Curve. VH1, I think you just found your next celebreality show. — Reporting by Raven Snook
Two of my first Trivial Matt'rs blogs were dedicated to my early thoughts on the 2006-07 TV season, and at long last I have a few minutes here to revisit that "forecast" and see how I did. This is literally the first time I have looked back at those blogs, so here we go.Brothers & SistersI said: "Expectations were modest" given "foreboding backstage shuffles," but "by the end I was pulled in." Outcome: Lotsa critical acclaim and an early Season 2 pickup by ABC!The ClassI said: "The cast threatens to be unwieldy, but... I smell another [How I Met Your] Mother." Outcome: Some avid fans, some "decent" ratings, but no renewal yet. (Oh, and they shed one cast member.)RunawayI said: "The concept is nifty" and "good casting."Outcome: Far from a runaway hit, it was shelved after just a few airings.VanishedI said: "I need more answers, or at least hints of answers." Outcome: Fox's answer was, "Nope," and Vanished... quickly did just that.HeroesI said: "This show will be full of surprises...
As Rosie O'Donnell disclosed on Wednesday's The View, she and ABC Daytime were unable to come to terms on a new deal, and that's why she is vacating her chair in June. FoxNews.com is now reporting that Rosie was seeking a $10 million payday to continue on for one — but only one — additional year, and ABC likely would have ponied up $30 mil total for their requested three-year extension, but O'D wouldn't budge on her time limit. Why the stubborn streak? FoxNews.com claims that Rosie resolved to walk back at Christmastime, when View boss Barbara Walters failed to sufficiently stand up for her against Donald Trump.Where will Rosie go once her Viewing is over? A resurrection of her solo talker? A prime-time game-show hosting gig? "She's going to sit back," her rep tells the New York Daily News, "and decide how she's going to feel creatively fulfilled."UPDATE: Who would you like to see replace Rosie? We have a few names to run by you, cast your vote here (bottom right).
Next week, as Late Night with Conan O'Brien takes the show on the road to San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre, the guests will be as follows:Monday: Dana Carvey, Arctic MonkeysTuesday: George Lucas, Will Arnett, Chris IsaakWednesday: Robin Williams... period. (He does have a tendency to go on.)Thursday: Randy Jackson, Bob Weir & RatDogFriday: Snoop Dogg, Tom Waits
According to data released by Nielsen Media Research and specifically studying the week ending April 8, House and Lost gained the most viewers via DVR playback, adding 2.7 million and 2.5 mil to their respective tallies. The Office enjoyed the largest percentage gain (31 percent), while Friday Night Lights' boost may, just may, encourage NBC to schedule a second season. "It's a show that's struggling to find its audience," NBC's research chief tells the Hollywood Reporter, "yet when you look at the total viewing, there's 16 or 17 percent that you never see in the live [data]." The networks' hope is that DVR-adjusted numbers will come into play at this year's upfront talks with advertisers who thus far have hesitated to give much due to the record-and-watch-later gang.
The International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees has accused Law & Order: SVU executive producer Ted Kotcheff of making racist and sexist remarks at the workplace over the past three years — including referring to Asian-Americans as "Chinamen" and describing women in derogatory terms — and most recently notified NBC that Kotcheff told a crew member whom he dubbed "Stepin Fetchit" to "get your Caribbean ass out of here," Reuters reports. "This kind of racist and sexist behavior is unacceptable," IATSE president Thomas Short says in a statement. "When a network or studio ignores repeated requests to discipline those accused of these actions, the message... is very clear: They don't care." A spokesperson for NBC Universal says the claims are being taken "very seriously," but publicly, they do not comment on such personnel matters.
Though a decision is still pending on the original Law & Order's fate, NBC has inked coexecutive producer Chris Levinson to a two-year deal, Variety reports.... Smokin' Aces and The Last King of Scotland last week laid claim to the top two spots on both the DVD sales and rental charts.... Season 7 of Style Network's Finola Hughes-fronted How Do I Look? premieres May 14 at 9 pm/ET.... At long last available for Xbox 360: the wildly popular Guitar Hero II.
In a pre-taped appearance airing on Friday's installment of The View, bad/sad dad Alec Baldwin stammers his way through an on-air apology to his daughter, Ireland, and, in one rambling instance, expresses a desire to be released from NBC's 30 Rock, TV's Extra reports. UPDATE: In response, an NBC rep says, "Alec Baldwin remains an important part of 30 Rock. We look forward to having him continue his role in the show."Still, Baldwin even talking about ankling the show that remade him a household name (and earned him critical kudos) is perhaps one sign of how hard his heated custody battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger has hit him. As brother William Baldwin tells Thursday's Extra, "This is a tough thing to have played out in the tabloid media, the public. I know that [Ireland] has a great relationship with her dad. I know that she loves her dad very much. I know that she wishes this would end."In light of what has happened, will you continue to watch 30 Rock? Vote here. Also check out our...
Although the fates of the other Law & Orders are still up in the air, SVU is apparently flush enough to blow its budget on a bevy of familiar faces for its May 22 season finale. In addition to the slew of previously announced guests — including Michael Weston as Olivia Benson's half brother, Ludacris as Fin Tutuola's stepson, and Court TV divas Nancy Grace and Star Jones Reynolds as themselves, unfortunately — Steven Weber (Wings), Lisa Gay Hamilton (The Practice) and Vincent Spano will appear as a lawyer, Luda's mother and an FBI agent, respectively. Also as previously reported, Adam Beach (aka Det. Chester Lake) will make his official debut as a series regular this episode. In fact, production (and thus guest-casting) on the next season of the popular procedural is already under way, with upcoming visitors including Sabrina the Teenage Witch herself, Melissa Joan Hart, and former film star Elizabeth McGovern. And should CI and/or the original flavor go off the air, e...
Tony-winning Celt Brian F. O'Byrne is on board for the second season of Showtime's acclaimed Brotherhood, premiering in the fall. O'Byrne, who grabbed his Tony for Frozen (and also netted a nod for Doubt), will play Colin Carr, a cousin of the Caffree brothers who gets embroiled in Michael's criminal world. Also per Showtime, Cybill Shepherd and Marlee Matlin will be back for The L Word's fifth season (unspooling in January 2008), while Rose Rollins will return as Iraq-war vet Tasha; David Morrissey's Meadowlands premieres June 17; Weeds Season 3 begins in August; and Dexter Season 2 arrives in the fall.
This Tuesday's ratings rundown:8 pm/ETWith an audience of 25.66 million, Idol gave back... about 200,000 total viewers versus a week ago. NCIS placed second with 14.08 mil (down 280K), while Gilmore Girls (3.74 mil) barely slipped.9 pmHouse (21.3 mil) dropped 1.25 mil week-to-week, while Dancing with the Stars' results show (16.42 mil) inched up 250 thou. The Unit (9.86 mil) lost 600K, and the Pussycat Dolls finale surged a half mil to 3.49 mil, a seven-week high.10 pmOpposite Cold Case and SVU reruns, Boston Legal (10.11 mil) drew 370,000 less than its last outing.Elsewhere...Monday was a dark day for several series, as the returning Heroes (12 million), versus DWTS, pulled 2.8 mil below its season average, 24 (10.3 mil) suffered an all-time Monday worst, and CBS' Christine and Men hit lows in key demos.
An all-black revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is still headed for the Great White Way, despite a number of setbacks. When behind-the-scenes catfighting prompted the departure of some key players a few weeks back, the show looked like it had run out of lives. But the New York Post's Page Six now reports that first-time producer Stephen Byrd has lined up a new director, Fame's Debbie Allen, and is in talks with the likes of Dreamgirl Anika Noni Rose, Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr. and Tony-winner Phylicia Rashad (Allen's real-life sis) to star. Byrd is also hoping to snag hip-hop hunk LL Cool J for the pivotal role of Brick, a character who spends much of the play solely in pajama bottoms. (I am buying my tickets now.) Although Cat has yet to book a theater or opening date, the Tony Awards have: the kudofest will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall (and watched by tragically few) on Sunday, June 10, on CBS. — Reporting by Raven Snook
With Fox's Steven Spielberg-produced reality competition, On the Lot, set to premiere May 22, the initial panel of judges has now been revealed, and it's a doozy. Tendering their take during the first two "audition" episodes will be actress/screenwriter Carrie Fisher (Star Wars) and director-producers Brett Ratner (X-Men 3), Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) and Jon Avnet (Risky Business). Judges for additional rounds will be announced at a later date/as soon as Chewie gets his annual vaccination.
Unable to come to a contractual agreement with ABC Daytime, Rosie O'Donnell will conclude her duties as a cohost of The View in mid-June (allowing for at least three more grade-school-caliber back-and-forths with The Donald). "Working with Barbara [Walters], Joy [Behar] and Elisabeth [Hasselbeck] has been one of the highlights of my career, but my needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me," Rosie says in a statement to ABCNews.com. "To all the viewers out there, I just want to say thank you for opening up your hearts and your homes to me this past year. But you can always find me at Rosie.com." (Not recommended, however, for fans of complete sentences.) ABC Daytime boss man Brian Frons says, "Going in we knew we would have an amazing year with [Rosie], and that anything beyond that would be gravy. And while we've tried to come to terms on a deal that would extend her [stay] on The View, we find ourselves unable to agree on some key elements."View m...
Having recently jettisoned Larry Rudolph, the manager who strong-armed her into rehab, Britney Spears could next find herself under the guidance of Joe Simpson, dad to fellow blonde popsters Jessica and Ashlee. Sources tell the New York Daily News that Joe is hot to help salvage Brit's barely there career and even tried to confab with her this past weekend, and that Jessica is not only OK with the arrangement, but offered to dial Brit's digits on his behalf. (Alas, Jess got all hung up on the "Do I dial 1 plus area code?" thing.)
Per the Hollywood Reporter, CSI's Marg Helgenberger has been cast as the disgruntled ex-wife of Val Kilmer's master thief in Columbus Day, a crime drama being produced by Kevin Spacey and also starring Wilmer Valderrama.... Robin Williams and John Travolta are Old Dogs in a Disney comedy about two business partners who find themselves minding 7-year-old twins. Also in the cast are Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, and their daughter, Ella.... Julia Stiles will produce and star in an adaptation of Sylvia Plath's autobiographical novel The Bell Jar. Kicky soundtrack by the Bangles...? No?
In the wake of the controversial diatribe he directed at his daughter via a since-publicized answering-machine message, Alec Baldwin has parted ways with Creative Artists Agency. The change, says a spokeperson for the 30 Rocker, "is for personal reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the great work" done by CAA. Baldwin, says Variety, has not signed with a new firm.Will you continue to watch 30 Rock, in light of Alec Baldwin's message to his daughter? Vote here.
Sci Fi Channel in July will kick off a third season of Doctor Who with the Christmas special The Runaway Bride, guest-starring Catherine Tate. The first official episode of the new cycle, "Smith and Jones," will then introduce viewers to David Tennant's new gal Friday, Martha Jones (played by Freema Agyeman). Exec producer Russell T. Davies promises "new thrills, new laughs and some terrifying new aliens," including visits from Plasmavores (bloodsucking ETs), the Judoon (a clan of stormtroopers) and William Shakespeare (subject of many a CliffsNotes guide).
With George Lucas' blessing, Seth Green and Matthew Senreich's Robot Chicken will hatch a special that takes on seminal moments from the Star Wars franchise, says the Hollywood Reporter. On board for the Enterprise (oops, wrong shout-out) are no less than Mark Hamill (voicing Luke) and Lucas (as himself), as well as Conan O'Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Robert Smigel, Malcolm McDowell, Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek, Donald Faison, Abraham Benrubi (who teased this top-secret project in a recent TVGuide.com Q&A), Breckin Meyer and Joey Fatone. The special kicks off a Robot Chicken marathon, premiering June 17 at 10 pm/ET (oops, another wrong shout-out).
As part of a Suffolk County (NY) Police Department sting, Miss America Lauren Nelson went undercover in online chat rooms, posing (and posting pictures of herself as) a 14-year-old girl. Recounting the experience, "Sometimes [men] would say, 'You're too young, sorry,' which is what needs to happen," Nelson tells the Associated Press. "But some would continue chatting. It [was] only a matter of time before it got pretty explicit." Under the ruse that she was "cutting school," Nelson lured sexual predators to a home in Long Island, where they were confronted by police and America's Most Wanted host John Walsh. At least four men were arrested as a result of the sting. Fox's AMW details the operation this Saturday.
As first teased a month ago by TVGuide.com's Soaps News, NBC is close to inking a deal that will keep the supernatural sudser Passions alive on DirecTV. Two caveats, per Variety: The show will air only four days a week, and further slash its acting tutor production budget.... Disney Channel this month starts production on Twitches Too, starring real-life sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry. The sequel finds the twin princesses threatened by an "evil darkness" and learning that their father may be alive.... Court TV begins live coverage of the Phil Spector trial today at noon/ET.... Starting next year, the Screen Actors Guild Awards will honor outstanding performances by stunt performers and coordinators.Matt (that's me) is back from vacay, rested and relaxed. If I got any more sun, Don Imus would start calling me names.
Today the veteran cabler gave advertisers a sneak peek at a slew of upcoming programming, including scripted series, reality shows and, of course, its legendary TV-movies. Future offerings include the one-hour dramas Chambermaid about an attorney fresh out of law school clerking for a powerful judge; Bailey Weggins, the adventures of a divorcee-cum-investigative reporter; Burnt Toast, based on the memoir by Desperate Housewives' star Teri Hatcher; an American incarnation of the Brit airline series Mile High; and Lovely and Talented about an all-female acting class. Original movies include a look at the House of Hilton and the presidential candidate Victoria Woodhull, who ran for office decades before women were granted suffrage. Well-titled reality offerings include How to Look Good Naked hosted by Queer Eye guy Carson Kressley; Judgment Day, America's Psychic Challenge and Going for Broke. Premiere dates for a trio of previously announced series were also revealed: Kim Delaney and ...
