matt.mitovich

Ratings: Really High Times for Earl and Office

Where to begin? Lotsa Thursday ratings headlines to share:8 pm Up 900K from the previous week, My Name Is Earl (10.9 million) drew its largest audience since March 23, 2006. Similarly, lead-out The Office (10.18 mil) turned in its best numbers since Jan. 12 of last year.  Ugly Betty (13.42 million total viewers), up 1.8 mil week-to-week, and had its best outing since Nov. 2. Smallville (4.62 mil) had its best showing since Nov. 16. That Clana scene? Killed. Me.9 pm Though opposite a CSI repeat, Grey's Anatomy (22.9 million) was actually down 1.4 mil from its last fresh outing. Me, I choose to blame snooze-inducing Mer/estranged father scenes. Scrubs (7.82 mil) was up a half-mil, while 30 Rock (6.06 mil) had its best numbers since Dec. 7. Supernatural (3.21 mil) delivered its biggest draw since Nov. 2.10 pm An audience of 12.06 million turned out for Kerry Weaver's farewell (see related Q&A), giving ER a 1.18 mil boost and an easy win ove...

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

In the Works: ABC's New Marlowe Is a Go

Inching their way to your television screen: ABC has granted pilot orders to Marlowe, a contemporary take on Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled private eye, and Pushing Daisies, a romantic drama about a man who can bring dead people back to life, just by touching them. NBC has ordered a pilot for Zip, a comedy about a grifter who angles to live the good life with his kids in Beverly Hills. Sci Fi has teamed with Sex and the City creator Darren Star and scribe Mike Werb (Face/Off) on a crime series about four convicts outfitted with technologically enhanced bodies (Pam Anderson is already in the casting office) and sent to work for a covert wing of the government, says Reuters. Lifetime has given a series pickup and set a summer debut for State of Mind, starring Lili Taylor as a therapist.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Casting About: Cumming's Going to Sci Fi's Oz

 Tony winner and newl-he-wed Alan Cumming has joined the cast of Tin Man, Sci Fi Channel's reimagined fantastical take on The Wizard of Oz. In the six-hour mini, Cumming will play Glitch, a character trapped in the Outer Zone (the O.Z., get it?) who's missing half his brain. Kirstie Alley will star in And She Was, a Lifetime movie about a middle-aged screenwriter who starts passing off her work via her more demo-friendly, twentysomething nephew (Eric Christian Olsen). Not "casting news" per se, but deal with it: Dancing with the Stars' Mario Lopez has joined Extra as a weekend-edition cohost and a daily show correspondent.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Justin and Cameron Confirm SexyBreakup

Justin Timberlake  who is said to now be canoodling with Scarlett Johansson, but we're OK with that  and Cameron Diaz have officially confirmed the dissolution of their long-running romance. "We have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship, and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another," Diaz and Mr. "I Obviously Have Male-pattern Baldness Issues" say in a joint statement released Thursday. Note my full head of thick, lush hair in photo above. Almost a mane, really. And I almost hardly ever refer to people as, "Yo." Don't do the silly skinny-tie thing, either. But it's all OK, really.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

MTV Awards Go Live, as News Bloggers Lick Chops

Reality-TV guru Mark Burnett has signed on to exec-produce the 2007 MTV Movie Awards, and his first order of business was to announce that the 16-year-old kudosfest will air live for the first time ever, on June 3. Touting the tweak to Reuters, Burnett notes, "[Things will happen] on the fly, it will be more unscripted, [we'll have] less overly written teleprompter stuff, and it will let the stars have more fun." Because lord knows, the likes of Lindsay and Paris need that extra push in finding more fun.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Renew News: Martha Stewart and More!

It continues to be a good thing: NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has renewed The Martha Stewart Show for a third season. Style Network, meanwhile, has ordered up second seasons of Jay Manuel's Style Her Famous (returning March 12) and the salon-swapping series Split Ends (which will debut new episodes in June). Just nod politely and pretend you know what I'm talking about.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Short Cuts: Dead Zone, Irwin's Death Video and More

USA Network's The Dead Zone has been cleared for a fall launch into syndication.... Steve Irwin's widow, Terri, tells Access Hollywood that the lone tape of her husband's death, handed over to her last week by authorities, has been destroyed.... Among the acts performing live at the Feb. 11 Grammy Awards will be (Sur. Prise.) Beyoncé, the Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.... Nearly half of the short films being screened at this month's Sundance Film festival will be available for download Jan. 18, at Apple's iTunes Store.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Survivor: Fiji  Shocking Twists Revealed!

The tribes will be segregated by political affiliation! No, by sexual orientation! Actually, the plan for Survivor: Fiji, premiering Feb. 8, is to group the 19 castaways as one tribe equipped with enough supplies and resources to fashion themselves an exceptionally cozy camp. But come Day 3, one player will be called upon to split the one mass into two. The tribe which then wins the first immunity challenge lives large at the existing camp, while the other is relocated to a separate island with only a pot, a machete and a water source. (Think The Apprentice: L.A., but with millions more viewers.)What's more, an immunity idol will be hidden at each camp, and Exile Island will now offer its visitor a clue to its whereabouts. I can see the promos now: "Fox offers you one Idol, but we've got two."

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Grey's Star Stands Up for Curvy Gals

Calling all Callies! Sara Ramirez, who plays the curvy Dr. Torres on Greys Anatomy, is taking a stand for full-figured women. She's been signed by Dove to introduce a homemade ad as part of its provocative campaign featuring real people (spots can be submitted to DoveCreamOil.com by Jan. 15). Ramirez  who will present the winner on a commercial break during ABC's Feb. 25 broadcast of the Academy Awards  is glad to be a role model for those bigger than a size 0. But sometimes she finds it a challenge. "I'm a flawed human being, someone who continues to deal with my body image and what my purpose is on the planet," she says. Read the rest of Ramirez's candid interview in the Jan. 15 issue of TV Guide magazine.Reporting by Ileane Rudolph

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Casting Scoop: Sally Field's Superfriend, and More!

 Margot Kidder (Superman) will guest-star on the Feb. 11, "Valentine's Day Massacre" episode of ABC's Brothers & Sisters, playing a wayward (gee, really?) friend of Sally Field's Nora. Grammy nominee Nelly Furtado will guest-star on the Feb. 7 CSI: NY, playing a world-class shoplifter and an ingenious master of disguise.  Another Grammy nominee, Mary J. Blige, will guest on Ghost Whisperer on Feb. 9. Blige, whose music is featured in the episode, plays the coach of a high-school cheerleading team whose members are being disabled by "freak accidents." Save the cheerleaders, save Melinda's Wonderbra! Reported below earlier, although that Ryan Seacrest/"Nudity" title may have scared you off: American Idol alumna Katharine McPhee will appear on the Feb. 1 episode of Ugly Betty, as a celebrity guest at the "Mode" Fashion Week runway show.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007

Ratings: Jim Disarms the Armed & Famous

In this Wednesday's ratings showdown: Averaging 8.56 million total viewers  a boost of 1.3 mil from the week prior  a double helping of According to Jim topped the 8 o'clock hour, besting CBS' heavily publicized Armed & Famous (8.22 mil). Friday Night Lights (6.56 mil, up 300K) is still shining bright, with its most-watched episode since TSMO30O (that special Monday, Oct. 30, outing). Opposite a Criminal Minds repeat and Deal or No Deal  and perhaps buzz-killed by the unfunny presidential address  both The Knights of Prosperity (5.27 million, down 1.9 mil) and In Case of Emergency (5.81 mil, down 480,000) took hits in their second weeks. And next Wednesday, Idol joins the mix! Eek. KoP better stick around for me to Q&A Sofia Vergara.

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

Courteney Nixes One Friends Reunion, Eyes Another

Speaking to the press at the Television Critics Association conference, Courteney Cox waxed skeptical on the latest outlook for a Friends reunion special, saying, "It's too hard to get everyone together.... I just can't see it happening." Cox, however, is bullish on sharing the small screen again with at least Jennifer Aniston, who has expressed her love for Cox's new FX series, Dirt, and is anxious to guest on it. "I would love to," Aniston told Extra earlier this week. "Just to be able to work with my girl again!" Perhaps the only holdup is deciding who Jen would play, if not her tabloids-weary self. But, Cox promises, "We'll think of something good if it happens."

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

Ryan Seacrest + Nudity = Paradise

What happens in Vegas won't stay in Vegas on Paradise City, an upcoming reality show produced by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest. Set to debut on E! in the spring, the show will follow a group of twentysomethings  including a singer, an illusionist and a TV reporter  trying to make it big in Las Vegas. "There are a lot of people who move to Vegas to make it in the entertainment business because they think its too difficult to get noticed or recognized in L.A.," Seacrest says. But viewers should expect the series, coproduced by the Laguna Beach folks, to keep the sin in Sin City. Teases Seacrest, "Theres been nudity, the craziest 48-hour parties, and attempts to do things that would really injure ones body for the rest of their lives." In other Idol-y news, Katharine McPhee will play herself in the Feb. 1 episode of ABC's Ugly Betty.Reporting by Shawna Malcom

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

Oprah and Friends Front New Oscars Special

ABC has inked a deal for Oprah Winfrey to host her own pre-Oscars interview special, Variety reports. Whereas Barbara Walters does the Q&Aing herself on her own annual chitchats, Oprah has recruited Academy Award winners Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Jamie Foxx to each interview an Oscar winner they admire. Ergo, the Pretty Woman will gab with BFF George Clooney, Kidman will kibbitz with fellow Aussie Russell Crowe, and Foxx will sit down with Sidney Poitier.This special  which surely will feature "Oprah Winfrey Presents" somewhere in its title  will air Feb. 22 at 10 pm/ET, three days before this year's Oscars.

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

Coming Soon: ABC Has a Dream

Currently in the pipeline here and there:ABC: Per Variety, the network is fast-tracking The Great American Dream Vote, an unscripted series in which a group of people share their dreams with a studio audience, and then square off in head-to-head competitions. At the end of each show, viewers vote for which person deserves to have their wish realized.HBO: Kanye West will star in a reality series directed by Borat's Larry Charles, which focuses on a day in the singer's hectic life. Also, Ruben Santiago-Hudson is penning a drama series based on his autobiographical play and film Lackawanna Blues. Per Reuters, Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson has not been approached to reprise her role as Nanny.Sci Fi Channel: A green light has been given to Destination Truth, a six-episode, globe-trotting adventure series out to prove or debunk supernatural legends.Disney Channel: A second season of Handy Manny has been ordered. The cabler is also seeking viewer input on High School Musical 2, via...

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

Oh, Lord! New Snub Distances Jackson from Hobbit

Harsh words uttered by New Line cochairman Bob Shaye in an interview with Sci Fi Wire appear to have all but nixed any chance for Lord of the Rings auteur Peter Jackson to helm the Hobbit trilogy. With a nod to Jackson's lawsuit against New Line, which seeks to sort out a financial anomaly born of an audit of the original LOTR film, Shaye said, "I don't care about Peter Jackson anymore. He wants to have another $100 million or $50 million, whatever he's suing us for. He thinks we owe him something after we've paid him over a quarter of a billion dollars. Cheers, Peter."In response, says Reuters, Jackson issued a statement saying he only seeks to hold New Line "to its contractual obligations and promises. It is regrettable that Bob has chosen to make it personal."

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

At the Movies: Streep Goes from Prada to Mamma

Well, this film seems to be coming together quickly and promisingly. The big-screen take on Broadway's Mamma Mia! that I told you about just yesterday? Variety reports that Meryl Streep is already set to star as the mother of an altar-bound young girl determined to meet her biological dad. Yes, Streep sings, though Mamma Mia! will be her first full-blown musical.... Acclaimed crime novelist Michael Connelly (Love. Him.) and his longtime collaborator Terrill Lee Lankford (I'm sure he's nice, too) are penning the screenplay for a feature remake of the '80s series The Equalizer.... Per the Hollywood Reporter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener and Michelle Williams are in talks to star in Synecdoche, New York, the directing debut of Oscar-winning scribe Charlie Kaufman. Hoffman will play a theater director, and Keener and Williams his first and second wives.

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

Reality Series Greases the Broadway Box Office

Grease: You're the One That I Want has demonstrated that Grease is the hot ticket that you want. In its first two days of advance sales, the Broadway revival, whose leads are being cast by the aformentioned NBC reality series, sold $1.3 million worth of seats  not bad at all for a production with no "names" and not even a theater to call home yet. Kathleen Marshall, the director of Grease and a judge on the NBC show, tells the New York Daily News, "It is unbelievable, just crazy." Meaning, a blast, boss, Fat City, radioactive and unreal!

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

Short Cuts: Snakes on a DVD, Maude and More!

Snakes on a Plane edged out Jackass Number Two and The Covenant to top last week's DVD sales chart. Little Miss Sunshine (which I just got myself, yay) was the No. 1 rental.... Married... with Children's Katey Sagal and her husband, Kurt Sutter, welcomed their first child together, daughter Esme Louise, born via surrogate on Jan. 10, says People.... Maude: The Complete First Season arrives on DVD March 20, to mark the series' 35th anniversary.... Steve Carell, Adrian Grenier, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eva Longoria and Sienna Miller have been added as presenters at the Golden Globes, airing Monday on NBC.

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

The Munsters' Yvonne De Carlo Dead at 84

This just in, from the AP wire:"Yvonne De Carlo, the beautiful star who played Moses' wife in The Ten Commandments but achieved her greatest popularity on TV's The Munsters, has died. She was 84. De Carlo died of natural causes Monday at the Motion Picture & Television facility in suburban Los Angeles, longtime friend and television producer Kevin Burns said Wednesday."Butch Patrick, 53, and Pat Priest, 70, are now the only surviving "family members."

Thu, Jan 11, 2007

The Class Goes Live, on the Internet

Starting next week, CBS will offer, for the first time ever, a pair of live, behind-the-scenes looks at the making of a major network television series. On Monday, Jan. 15, at 2 pm/ET, TheClassTV.com will feature a webcast of the cast, producers and writers participating in a table read of an upcoming episode of The Class. Then on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 4 pm/ET, a second live webcast will let viewers witness a full-episode runthrough of the material.

Wed, Jan 10, 2007

Stork Report: It's a Rock Star: Superbaby!

Rock Star: Supernova hostess-with-the-mostest Brooke Burke gave birth on Monday to her and fiancé David Charvet's first child together, a daughter named Heaven Rain Charvet. (See, now that's a pretty name, Hollywood.) Burke has two other daughters with ex-husband Garth Fisher.... Melissa McCarthy, aka Gilmore Girls' Sookie, is expecting her first child with actor hubby Ben Falcone in May, says People.

Wed, Jan 10, 2007

matt.mitovich

Ratings: Really High Times for Earl and Office

In the Works: ABC's New Marlowe Is a Go

Casting About: Cumming's Going to Sci Fi's Oz

Justin and Cameron Confirm SexyBreakup

MTV Awards Go Live, as News Bloggers Lick Chops

Renew News: Martha Stewart and More!

Short Cuts: Dead Zone, Irwin's Death Video and More

Survivor: Fiji &#151; Shocking Twists Revealed!

Grey's Star Stands Up for Curvy Gals

Casting Scoop: Sally Field's Superfriend, and More!

Ratings: Jim Disarms the Armed & Famous

Courteney Nixes One Friends Reunion, Eyes Another

Ryan Seacrest + Nudity = Paradise

Oprah and Friends Front New Oscars Special

Coming Soon: ABC Has a Dream

Oh, Lord! New Snub Distances Jackson from Hobbit

At the Movies: Streep Goes from Prada to Mamma

Reality Series Greases the Broadway Box Office

Short Cuts: Snakes on a DVD, Maude and More!

The Munsters' Yvonne De Carlo Dead at 84

The Class Goes Live, on the Internet

Stork Report: It's a Rock Star: Superbaby!

Survivor: Fiji Shocking Twists Revealed!