matt.mitovich

What About Brian? Goodish News, That's What

ABC has ordered four additional scripts for J.J. Abrams' What About Brian, which in its second season has been retaining more than 80 percent of The Bachelor's audience and a few weeks ago was nipping at the heels of the higher-profile Studio 60.... As first reported here yesterday afternoon, NBC.com will unspool the remainder of Kidnapped's 13 total episodes online, premiering a new eppy each Friday (starting Nov. 3). Per Reuters, there is talk that the final eight may also at some point be burned off in a mini-marathon.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

The CW Returns Reba, As Sexy Sudser Stands By

The CW has announced a Nov. 19 return date for Reba, starring country crooner Reba McEntire. The comedy will air two episodes, a rerun followed by a fresh one, on Sundays starting at 7 pm/ET. Meanwhile, for the next time an hourlong slot on the CW's slate opens up, a setside source tells TVGuide.com that Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson's steamy new serial, Hidden Palms, is laying in wait, champing at the bit to hit prime-time sooner than its originally expected January 2007 debut.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Underwear-clad Brad Is Fighting Mad!

Did Vanity Fair pull a fast one on Brad Pitt? The New York City dailies are reporting that the actor is livid over the monthly's decision to put a picture of him wearing only boxer shorts, tube socks and a lot of raindrops, on the cover of its December issue. While VF claims that photographer Robert Wilson, profiled within the issue, granted permission to use the pic (taken in September 2005), Pitt's reps tell the Post, "We were all surprised"  to the extent that TMZ.com says the actor's lawyers may even sue. Their pants off, even.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Will & Grace Duo Go Gay Again

But this time it's a comedy about a gay guy and his straight male friend. Variety reports that David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the creators of NBC's long-running sitcom, have landed a pilot commitment at CBS for a new series centered on two male friends of different sexual orientations. The prospective series is said to mirror the real-life friendship between Mutchnick, who is gay, and Kohan, who is straight (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Is Lisa Rinna "Disrobing with the Stars"?

In an interview with E!, Dancing with the Stars alumna Lisa Rinna revealed that she and hubby/fellow Dancing fiend Harry Hamlin will be joining the Broadway revival of Chicago (as Roxie and Billy) once the DWTS tour wraps up. Not on Rinna's itinerary, however, is baring her leaner, meaner bod for Playboy. "They asked me to do it right after I was on Dancing, but I've already done it, when I was six-months pregnant," she explains. "I thought, why dont we just leave it at that." Is someone afraid of getting a "6" from Bruno Tonioli?

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Is Price Right for Price Is Right?

The ink on Bob Barker's letter of resignation is barely dry, and already names are being bandied about for his ultimate successor as host of The Price Is Right. Somewhat fittingly, an early front-runner is The Early Show's Dave Price, who just last week signed a new contract with CBS that calls for him to do unspecified "entertainment-based projects." (Hmm.... ) A CBS rep shrugs off the talk, telling the New York Daily News, "You don't replace a legend overnight. Right now, we're focusing on honoring Bob," who will oversee all things Plinko- and yodeling-related until June 2007.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Flavor Spreads the Love, Sires Baby No. 7

Flavor of Love's mighty-fine catch is expecting his seventh child, the New York Daily News reports. Making this even more romantic of a tale is that No. 7's babymamma has neither bore any of Flav's previous progeny, nor is she either of Flavor of Love's first two winners. "When things didnt work out with [Season 1's] Hoopz, [Flavor] started dating a woman that he's been dating on and off for a while," says his rep. "They're expecting in early January and yes, [Season 2 winner] Deelishis is aware." But happy about it? Naw, can't imagine so.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Musical Notes: Prince Does Sin City, Fergie and More

On Nov. 10, Prince launches an "indefinite" run of twice-a-weekend shows at Las Vegas' 3121 nightclub, inside the Rio hotel. Tickets cost $125, and go on sale today.... Janet Jackson, Fergie and the Killers are all on board to perform live at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, airing Dec. 4 on Fox. Celine Dion, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Katharine McPhee and Chris Daughtry are set to make guest appearances.... Apple has launched iTunes Latino, a dedicated area within its online store for Latin music, videos, audiobooks and podcasts.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

At the Movies: Emory U. Turns Away Nerds

Per Variety, four days before filming was to begin, Emory University renegged on an agreement to play host to Fox Atomic's Revenge of the Nerds remake, reportedly due to the film's raunchy content. The project is now on hiatus.... Julia Roberts will topline The Friday Night Knitting Club, based on an upcoming novel about a single mom juggling a teen daughter and a knitting store.... Per the Hollywood Reporter, Robert De Niro and 50 Cent are in talks to costar in New Orleans, a thriller set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina.... Desperate Housewives hunk Jesse Metcalfe is a rich kid ensnared in the world of drugs, sex and violence in Loaded, an indie also starring Johnny Messner and Monica Keena.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Short Cuts: X-Men, The Simpsons and More!

Fox is rush-releasing X-Men: The Last Stand to hi-def Blu-ray DVD on Nov. 14, in time for the debut of the PlayStation 3, which boasts a Blu-ray player.... Inney Prakash of Farmington Hills, Michigan, is the grand-prize winner of The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror XVII: Slice-Dice-and-Win" contest. As such, the 14-year-old will see his homemade promo air during this Sunday's episode, as well as receive a trip for two to The Simpsons' May 2007, 400th-episode L.A. gala.... To better compete with Netflix, Blockbuster is now allowing online rentals to be returned in stores.

Thu, Nov 2, 2006

Kidnapped to Conclude Its Run on NBC.com

About an hour ago, I updated today's original Kidnapped news story with a report on how the struggling serial is wrapping production on its 13th and final episode as we speak, and that the entire demi-season "is bound to have a life on DVD," said my source. Now, TVGuide.com has procured an official update on the series' fate, from an NBC spokesperson: "Kidnapped will not return to the television screen after sweeps. However, the remaining eight episodes will run on NBC.com." If only this newfangled "Internet" thing existed a year ago, back when Reunion was on.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

Ratings: Veronica Mars, Standoff Hit Lows

Last night in televisionland: An encore of Monday's special Friday Night Lights outing drew 3.91 million total viewers. But were they new eyeballs, or confused folks hit with a feeling of déjà vu (and too lazy to grab the remote)? Discuss. Fox's Standoff was welcomed to its new 8 o'clock berth by just 4.92 million viewers, a full three mil fewer than were watching it prebaseball, at 9 pm. For what it's worth, House (14.08 mil) more than tripled its lead-in's meager audience. (Then again, it kinda had to, right?) With a Gilmore Girls repeat for a lead-in, Veronica Mars (2.77 mil, down 600K week-to-week) hit a season low. Help Me Help You (9.5 mil) took a 1.5 million viewer hit versus last week.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

NBC Sticks Up for Studio 60, Hides Kidnapped

In a statement to MediaPost, an NBC rep refutes talk  fueled by a recent Fox News report  that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is thisclose to being axed. The missive reiterates that NBC recently ordered three more scripts for the struggling Monday series, and maintains that the show, at this point, still "is profitable." The buzz here in the TV Guide hallways is that NBC will wait to see the numbers for one more Studio 60 airing before making any major decisions, while MediaPost says that a time-slot change, not all-out cancellation, is a more likely first remedy. On a related note, NBC has pulled the already humiliated Kidnapped from its sad Saturday burn-off berth for the duration of November sweeps, replacing it with Law & Order: CI reruns.KIDNAPPED UPDATE: It's just been whispered in my ear that, as we speak, Kidnapped is wrapping production on its 13th and final episode, and that the entire demi-season "is bound to have a life on DVD." As for the broadcast airing...

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

Is Your "CSI: Q" Good Enough to Win $10,000?

Starting with tonight's Nov. 1 episode, viewers of CBS' CSI: NY can use their cell phones to play "CSI: Q," an interactive text-messaging game in which those making correct predictions as to how each of the next three episodes ends is enrolled in a drawing to win $10,000. Gee, and you thought The Nine's end-of-hour audience erosion was bad as it is; this is just mean. Like, picking-the-wings-off-of-flies mean.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

In the Works: Smith Hunk Gets Stone'd

Per the Hollywood Reporter, Jonny Lee Miller, a regular on CBS' short-lived Smith, has scored the title role in Eli Stone, an ABC drama pilot about a lawyer who discovers he might be a prophet (this probably bumps his hourly up 25 percent). Everwood's Greg Berlanti penned the series with former attorney Marc Guggenheim (The Practice).... Variety reports that rapper-actor Chris "Ludacris" Bridges has inked a deal to exec-produce for The N a weekly drama titled Halls of Fame, with the emphasis on Fame  the half-hour series revolves around students at a performing-arts high school.... TBS has ordered a pilot for a family comedy fronted by Blue Collar Comedy Tour vet Bill Engvall.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

Musical Notes: Rock Hall of Fame Names New Nominees

This year's nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are Van Halen, R.E.M., Chic, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Patti Smith, the Dave Clark Five, the Ronettes, Joe Tex, and the Stooges. The annual ceremony will be held March 12 in NYC.... On Monday night, for at least the third time during her 20-city tour, Barbra Streisand was targeted  this time in the form of a thrown drink  by a heckler unhappy with a skit in which she pokes fun at President Bush.... The Rolling Stones have pushed back four more concert dates and canceled one (in Honolulu), due to Mick Jagger's throat troubles.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

Love Notes: Did "Dear Abbie" Ruin Ryan 'N' Reese?

Ryan Phillippe's coziness with his current leading lady, Stop Loss costar Abbie Cornish, may be what did in his marriage to Reese Witherspoon. After incriminating Blackberry missives between him and the 24-year-old Aussie were discovered by Reese, "Ryan admitted it was true and said, 'We need to just end this.' Reese literally had no choice," an anonymous source tells Us Weekly.... Us also reports that Studio 60's Matthew Perry is romancing The Class' Lizzy Caplan, whom he was introduced to two months ago by Friend Matt LeBlanc.... Jason Bateman and his wife of five years, Amanda Anka, welcomed their first child, a girl named Francesca Nora, on Saturday, says People.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

Short Cuts: Al Jazeera, Heroes, Dora and More!

After a delay of more than a year, the Al Jazeera network will launch an English-language news channel on Nov. 15, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of its Arabic-language sister outlet. Or so the propaganda-filled American press would have us believe.... The cast of NBC's Heroes is hosting an online charity auction (at HeroesAuction.com), starting Nov. 6, to benefit Greg Grunberg's Pediatric Epilepsy Project.... Nickelodeon's famous Latina explorer embarks on her first global journey on the hourlong prime-time special Dora's World Adventure, premiering Nov. 19 at 8 pm/ET. Vamanos!... TBS premieres The Jim Henson Company's Puppet Up!  Uncensored, an hourlong improv special starring puppets, on Nov. 20 at 11 pm.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

Bob Barker Is Ready to Step On Down

After 35 years of disclosing the "actual retail price," 50 years overall in television, and a bevy of Emmys, Bob Barker has announced that he is ready to step down as the host of CBS' long-running The Price Is Right. "I will be 83 years old on December 12," he tells the Associated Press, "and I've decided to retire while I'm still young." Barker, who has been pondering hanging up his microphone "for at least 10 years," admits that he's "reaching the age where the constant effort to be there and do the show physically is a lot for me. Better [to leave] a year too soon than a year too late." The silver-haired icon will host his final "Showcase Showdown" in June 2007, and even at this early point I can tell you that it will be grossly overpriced. I mean, $21,200 for a Jet Ski, a three-day trip to Rhode Island and a jukebox?! But seriously, folks... my college chums and I used to schedule classes around TPIR, and Bob, god bless his cat-spaying, dog-neutering soul, will be missed.

Wed, Nov 1, 2006

Ratings: Monday-night Friday Night Scores TD

This Monday's milestones....— Gaining 500,000 total viewers versus last week, Prison Break (8.97 million) had its best outing since Sept. 18. Similarly going to school on repeats of Wife Swap and How I Met Your Mother was CW's Everybody Hates Chris, which hit a season high with 3.56 mil.— With a 500K week-to-week gain, Heroes set a new series high of 14.73 mil.— Justice was up 300,000, but even at 6.5 million is still shy of its former Wednesday audience.— A special "one-time" (uh-huh... ) Monday outing of Friday Night Lights averaged 8.29 million total viewers, the freshman drama's best numbers ever, by a full million, and NBC's best performance in that 10 pm slot since the Oct. 9 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. (Mind you, that was opposite a CSI: Miami repeat and, well, What About Brian.)FNL fans, be sure not to miss today's Interviews & Features Q&A with exec producer Jason Katims.

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

A Supersize Office Christmas? J.J. Abrams to Direct?

Just how much political incorrectness can Michael Scott dispense in double the usual time frame? That question stands poised to be answered when NBC's The Office gifts fans with an hourlong Christmas episode. Per Newsday, the superdupersize holiday outing will be directed by veteran funnyman and filmmaker Harold Ramis. The onetime Ghostbuster isn't the only big name on tap to get behind the mockumentary's cameras, however. The same Newsday piece reports that Lost creator turned M:i:III and Star Trek helmer J.J. Abrams is on board to direct a February-sweeps episode. Ooh, do I foresee flashbacks to when Angela was a crippled, Korean-speaking box-company owner on the run from the law?UPDATE: I just received independent confirmation from a well-placed source that J.J. Abrams will in fact be directing an episode of The Office. To quell any doubters.

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

Heroes Boss: Don't Blame Me for Spoilery Previews

Addressing some nits picked in a MediaVillage commentary, Heroes creator Tim Kring says he is not to be blamed for promos that reveal upcoming plot points. Citing a recent sneak peek that showed Adrian Pasdar's character taking flight, Kring says, "I couldnt agree more about not giving away answers. Unfortunately, we have nothing to do with the previews. They are edited and aired by the network. It is an age-old fight to not... give away story points, but their feeling is that if it gets a few more butts in the seats, then it's worth it." Know what's also worth it, NBC? Ali Larter bein' all naughty. Plenty worth it.You can discuss last night's Heroes in our TV Show Commentary blog.

Tue, Oct 31, 2006