Per Playbill.com, Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth will guest-star on the season finale of ABC's Ugly Betty, airing May 17. Chenoweth, says her spokesperson, will play "an orthodontic technician who loves romantic comedies and becomes overly involved in her patients' lives — including Betty's." Aww, she doesn't sound Wicked at all!
Nerds, break out your most indignant, Comic Book Guy gasp. Come July, your favorite leotard-clad superhero will show off his acting, singing and dancing chops in a staged reading of a new Spider-Man musical. Helmed by Julie Taymor (the Tony-winning genius behind Broadway's The Lion King) and with songs by U2's Bono and The Edge (what, Larry Mullen Jr. was too busy?), the piece will swing into New York a little more than two months after Spider-Man 3 bows at the box office. In addition to all the usual suspects and heroes, there will be a "geek chorus," which, according to the casting breakdown, consists of "three teenage boys and one girl who meet to ritualistically retell the greatest Spider-Man stories." At least they got the guy-to-girl geek ratio right. — Reporting by Raven Snook
Regis Philbin called into Monday's Live to say that he had made it through the worst of his recovery and expected to be back sitting alongside cohost Kelly Ripa on Thursday, April 26, six weeks after he went in for triple heart bypass surgery. Whew, because unreliable reports had Clay Aiken penciled in to guest-host April 27. Coulda gotten ugly.
Hardcore Idol, a homemade but reportedly top-quality video starring American Idol Season 2 nonfinalist Olivia Mojica has been slated for a May 3 release by adult-movie giant Vivid Entertainment, Variety reports. Boasting the tagline, "Here's what the judges didn't see," the 40-minute vid was lensed a month ago in Mojica's NYC crib and finds her coupled with her beau, but was delivered to Vivid by a third party. Vivid exec Steven Hirsch touts the production values as "better than any other celebrity sex tape I'd ever seen. If [Olivia] were in the adult business, she'd be an instant superstar." Randy Jackson undoubtedly will argue, "Check it out — her cry of climactic ecstasy was a bit pitchy, dawg."
Speaking to Variety about the network's "mass with class" programming strategy, NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly says he is angling to find a new generation of procedurals to spell the likes of Law & Order and Crossing Jordan. "I'd like to find our House," he says. For the time being, he may settle for Winters, the Famke Janssen-starring cop-drama pilot from House creator David Shore. Also hot on the fall development slate are Lipstick Jungle and The Bionic Woman.As for the fates of Friday Night Lights, Law & Order (original) and Criminal Intent, Reilly says FNL "is a tough time-period nut to crack, while CI has shown it can still be competitive." The mother ship, though, "is a real discussion," he adds. "Nothing goes on forever."
We've almost got ourselves a showcase showdown! Sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that with several contenders now dropped from consideration, The Price Is Right has narrowed the field of Bob Barker replacements down to three: Entertainment Tonight cohost Mark Steines, actor George Hamilton and journeyman game-show host Todd Newton. CBS is expected to reveal the actual replacement host at its mid-May upfront presentation.Who of the three finalists is your pick? Vote here.
If Friday Night Lights returns to NBC in the fall, fans shouldn't fear that the Taylors will split up — despite Season 1's cliff-hanger. Kyle Chandler ventured that Eric and Tami will work things out now that the Taylors are expecting an unexpected baby. "We can stab each other, kick each other or shoot each other," the actor said at L.A.'s Museum of Television & Radio on April 13. "But we're going to make it in the end."FNL executive producer Peter Berg says Season 2 would be less about running backs and more about relationships. "The show will continue to explore the complexities of the personal lives of these characters, and we'll probably focus less and less on the actual game of football," he said. But will Coach Taylor move to Austin to pursue his dream job and leave his burgeoning family behind in Dillon? "Anything could happen," Connie Britton (Tami) said. "Having a baby will create all kinds of interesting conflict and humor." — Reporting by Bekah Wright
ABC scored a (most fetching) hat trick on Saturday as Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Brothers & Sisters each were honored with GLAAD Media Awards, in the outstanding indvidual episode (for "Where the Boys Are," the one filmed right before the on-set kerfuffle), comedy and drama series categories, respectively. T.R. Knight opened the show by saying, "I am angry at the inequality we face every day. I hope to turn my anger into action. One of my actions is to be here to celebrate GLAAD's work... to teach and promote inclusion." Jennifer Aniston received the Vanguard Award for her efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the LGBT community... by kissing Court'?On the red carpet, TV Guide asked Jerry O'Connell if he and Betty betty Rebecca Romijn had cemented any wedding plans yet, to which he smiled, "Not this week." Lance Bass posed for the paparazzi until his ex, Amazing Race alum Reichen Lehmkuhl, arrived with a tall, dark and handsome escort, at which point Lance dash...
Shia LaBeouf's Disturbia topped the weekend box office with a $23 million haul, knocking Blades of Glory ($14.1 million) out of the No. 1 spot for the first time in three weeks. Rounding out the top five were Meet the Robinsons ($12.1 mil), Perfect Stranger (debuting with $11.5 mil) and Are We Done Yet? ($9.2 mil). In its second weekend of release, Grindhouse dropped to No. 10, with $4.2 million, fueling talk that each half of its double bill will be released separately in the U.S. later this year.
CBS has greenlit Life as a Song, in which regular folk who have something to announce are given the opportunity and trained to deliver the news in song/dance (I'm grimacing just typing that), as well as The Wizard, a game-show/improv/sketch-comedy hybrid fronted by Late Late Show's Craig Ferguson.... Also per Variety, CBS has tapped Drew Carey to host the Family Feud-esque quiz show Power of 10.... Fox has greenlit a pilot for Off the Charts, in which contestants must "sing in the blanks" of a chosen song. Yes, it's near-identical to NBC's The Great American Singing Bee.
Per Variety, Edward Norton will set aside his indie cred to play Dr. Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, a more fun follow-up to Ang Lee's Eric Bana-fronted venture.... Christina Ricci is Speed Racer's girlfriend, Trixie.... Per the Hollywood Reporter, Lost's Evangeline Lilly will make her feature debut opposite John Malkovich in the supernatural thriller Afterwards.... Ted Danson has joined Mad Money, the heist comedy starring Katie Holmes, Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah.... Harvey Weinstein tells the New York Post that he's hot to round up Paltrow, Kidman, Dench, Zellweger, Zeta-Jones and Hathaway for a big-screen take on Nine.
Charlie Sheen has settled a lawsuit filed against him in April 2006 by Ursula Auburn, who claimed that Two and a Half Men's Rose was based on her without her permission. Details of the settlement were not disclosed, says the AP. Meanwhile, Men cast mate Jon Cryer plans to wed the TV Guide Channel's Lisa Joyner (hey, she blogs for us!) in June and in Mexico, his rep tells People.
In the biggest programming purchase in its 19-year history, the TV Guide Channel has inked a three-year deal to broadcast reruns of VH1 "Celebreality" series Flavor of Love, The Surreal Life and My Fair Brady, to start airing in July.... On DVD May 1: An Officer and a Gentleman: Special Collector's Edition streets, featuring all-new bonus material that includes a fresh interview with Richard Gere.... Vote for your favorite King of Queens episode and get a chance to win a $4,500 shopping spree. Go here for more.... "Tiny Bubbles" singer/onetime Brady Bunch guest star Don Ho died on Saturday of heart failure. He was 76.
No, you didn't accidentally pull down your bookmark for The Onion. This is for real. The AP reports that during a radio call-in on New Hampshah's WOKQ-FM, presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton was asked what the United States can do about another hot-button "voting" issue, American Idol's improbably successful Sanjaya Malakar. "That's the best question I've been asked in a long time," Clinton said to the caller (who, entirely unreliable sources tell me, was male and had a monotone British accent). "You know, people can vote for whomever they want. That's true in my election, and it's true on American Idol." I think what she is saying is that if the hairy kid makes it, blame Florida.
Don Imus may no longer have a broadcasting gig, but he's got a bit of forgiveness. Speaking for Rutgers University's racially slurred women's basketball team, coach C. Vivian Stringer said on Friday, "[We] accept Mr. Imus' apology, and we are in the process of forgiving." Calling Imus' words "unacceptable" and deeming the past week "an experience that we will never forget," Stringer went on to say, "These comments are indicative of greater ills in our culture.... And we hope that this will be and serve as a catalyst for change. Let us continue to work hard together to make this world a better place."
Gee, ya think? But hey, he said it, not me. Surveying the remaining contenders for the winding-down season of American Idol, the man who put the judge in judgmental tells Entertainment Weekly, "We're doing as well as we are doing with not a great cast at the moment, to be honest with you. They're not the best bunch of kids we've ever had." Well, yeah, especially now that my Haley is gone. That said, Simon says the race is "as close as it's been in any season," and culls his fave five down to Blake, Chris R., Jordin, LaKisha and Melinda (ouch, Phil and... what's-his-face).
David Hyde Pierce won't be seen on the tube for a bit — he just began a one-year contract as a singing/dancing gumshoe in the Broadway musical Curtains — but that doesn't mean he won't be heard. Pierce tells TVGuide.com that he and his Frasier frère, Kelsey Grammer, recently reunited to record an upcoming Simpsons episode in which they reprise their roles as sideshow siblings Cecil and Bob. The thesps — with their Frasier father, John Mahoney (now appearing in Broadway's Prelude to a Kiss) — also recently discussed over breakfast potential onstage collaborations. But as they sat there mulling theater projects, Pierce relates, it was clear that to the world at large, they remain high-profile small-screen stars. "We got a few double- and triple-takes from patrons as we ate," Pierce says. "They couldn't quite figure out if they were in reality or television." — Reporting by Raven Snook
Will Addison get her groove back? Kate Walsh plus Taye Diggs apparently adds up to something good — perhaps even steamy (minus the Mc) — reports the Grey's Anatomy star's new leading man. Offering but a glimpse into what the potential Grey's spin-off has in store, Diggs tells People he and Walsh "have really great chemistry." The chrome-domed Daybreak survivor divulges little else ("It's a secret!" he reminds the mag), but does say they had "just finished" lensing the two-hour backdoor pilot and, "We're hoping people dig it." Or did he mean Diggs it?
OK, we know he simply cannot dance, but can he front a good game show? Crossfire cohost turned MSNBC newsman Tucker Carlson has been tapped to host Who Do You Trust?, a quiz-show pilot produced for CBS by Phil Gurin (The Weakest Link). As Variety notes, a precedent was set for such an incongruous transition when a former Richard Nixon speechwriter ultimately wound up hosting... anyone, anyone? Win Ben Stein's Money, that's right.
The big screen is beckoning ER’s most senior medicos. Goran Visnjic and Maura Tierney (aka deliciously moody lovebirds Luka and Abby) confirmed for TV Guide that they’re on their way off the show. (Word of Visnjic's exit was broken in late February by Ausiello.) “I’m pretty sure I’m leaving after next year,” says Tierney, while Visnjic says he expects to do “a couple” — fewer than five — episodes next season. As TV Guide’s Sexiest Doc and Dad says, “We’re still talking about how and when we’re going to do it. But it’s kind of a logical progression because every summer I want to do a movie and... there are always problems with my scheduling. I think it’s a nice run to be on a show for eight years.” Similarly, Tierney says she loves ER and her costars, but would like to do more features. (Currently she’s filming Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson.) Although Tierney has asked the pr...
This Thursday's ratings rundown:8 pm/ETSurvivor: Fiji (14.14 million total viewers) swelled by 900,000 heads opposite a Betty clip show. Earl (6.88, -1.9 mil) and Office (7.7 mil, -540K) each slipped from their last fresh, normal-size outings.9 pmVersus a Grey's clip show, CSI (21.87 mil) only mustered an additional 320,000 viewers. 30 Rock (5.18 mil) put up typical numbers, while Scrubs (five mil) was down 900 thou. BSWA (?!), the CW's Brick Awards coverage, drew 1.03 mil.10 pmShark (14.7 mil) dropped 500K week-to-week but easily topped ER (9.14 mil, -700K) and the double-episode debut of ABC's Notes from the Underbelly, which, with 8.46 million viewers, bested October Road's most recent outing by 700K. Notes moves to Wednesdays-at-8:30 next week. UPDATE: CBS boasts that Shark topped a first-run ER in adults 18-49 for the first time ever.
Lost is about to go somewhere it never has before: two steps forward, no steps back. Per AintItCoolNews.com, Episode 19 will be 100 percent flashback-free. The hour, says the website's mole, "focuses on one of Season 1's ‘mysteries’ — if that's the right word.” UPDATE: A source at ABC has since whispered to TVGuide.com, "Although the episode doesn't have a traditional flashback, the flashback device is still used." Hmmm....For the record, the flashback lineup for the season's remaining eps is as follows:• No. 17: Desmond• No. 18: Jin and Sun• No. 19: Nontraditional flashback time• No. 20: Benjamin• No. 21: Charlie• And the two-part season finale: Jack, natchWhich of the above flashbacks are you looking forward to most? Vote here.Friday's Today's News was written by Ben Katner.
