matt.mitovich

In the Works: Breakfast at Tori Spelling's

Oxygen has announced a spring 2007 premiere for a new reality series that will follow mom-to-be Tori Spelling and her new husband, Dean McDermott, as they sink Tori's entire life savings and $800,000 inheritance into, and then manage, a Wine Country bed-and-breakfast.... Fox has granted a 13-episode order to Drive, a spring series starring Alan Ruck and Kristin Lehman, and penned by Standoff's Tim Minear.... VH1 has unveiled six new series to bow in '07, including a look at disgraced rap mogul Irv Gotti's attempted comeback; Man Band, in which four boy-band alumni ('N SYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick included) live under one roof and form a new group; and ego trip's White Rapper Show, a search for the "next great white rapper." Quick, get outta K-Fed's way!

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

Film-Studio Exec: Tom Cruise Cost Us $150 Million

Sumner Redstone isn't done deriding Tom Cruise. In a new Vanity Fair feature, the Viacom chief says Paramount's onetime tentpole-hoister was "embarrassing the studio," and "costing us a lot of money." How much did Tom's Kate-induced antics supposedly affect box office? To the tune of "$100 million, $150 million on Mission: Impossible III," Redstone surmises. "It was the best picture of the [franchise], and it did the worst."

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

YouTube Yanks Jon Stewart, Torrid Office Vid

Has the corporatization of everyone's favorite vid site taken all the funny away? Viacom became the latest conglomerate to have longer clips of its broadcast content  in this case, from Comedy Central, MTV and BET  removed from the now Google-owned YouTube, including some of the site's biggest draws, nearly full episodes of Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Similarly, Broadcasting & Cable reports, a risqué mash-up parodying The Office's tortured lovebirds (titled "Pam & Jim Uncensored") was pulled at the request of NBC. But for the moment it was out there, how fun it was to hear Ms. Beasly talk dirty.

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

Big Deals: Martha Keeps on Cookin'

NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has renewed The Martha Stewart Show for a third season, Variety reports.... Gabrielle Union, last seen on TV in Night Stalker and soon to be in theaters in Running with Scissors, has inked a six-figure deal to star in a new ABC/Touchstone series.

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

Musical Notes: Will.i.am, Jack.o and K-Fed

At the invitation of Michael Jackson, the Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am recently entered the recording studio with the King of Pop to collaborate on some new tracks for Jacko's upcoming album, Access Hollywood has learned.... Shrugging off the assorted slams aimed at his debut CD, Playing with Fire, Kevin Federline tells the New York Daily News, "People are going to hate it, until they love it." Pfft. That didn't work when my mom said it about broccoli, and it ain't working now.

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

Short Cuts: SNL, Tom Brokaw, Penguins and More!

Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season, an eight-disc, 24-episode set, arrives on DVD Dec. 5.... Tom Brokaw will return to his old stomping grounds when he joins Brian Williams and Tim Russert for NBC's midterm-elections coverage.... THINKfilm has announced a Jan. 30, 2007, street date for the straight-to-DVD spoof Farce of the Penguins, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and accordingly rated R.... NBC's annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center telecast, airing Nov. 29, will feature Christina Aguilera, Sting, Bette Midler, John Legend, Taylor Hicks and many more.... On a final note, Happy Halloween, everyone! My twin sons will be trick-or-treating dressed up as "NBC," so they won't be starting out until 9 pm.

Tue, Oct 31, 2006

Separate Ways: Reese and Ryan Call It Quits

The star of Legally Blonde may for not much longer be legally bound to her husband. In a statement released to TMZ.com on Monday morning, a spokesperson for Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe says, "We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate." The duo, who exchanged vows seven years ago, have two children, ages 7 and 3. The rep's statement goes on to say that Witherspoon and Phillippe "remain committed to their family, and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time."

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

Nudie Pics Leave Marcia Cross Red... Faced

Has life on Wisteria Lane taught Marcia Cross nothing? According to the New York Daily News, the Desperate Housewives star recently chucked some old photos of her in the buff out with the trash. When an employee of the firm hired to cart away the refuse then discovered the hot shots, his company retained notorious nudies-peddler David Hans Schmidt to hawk the images to the highest bidder. "There are some pictures of her showering outside, and yes, the carpet does match the curtains," reports Schmidt, securing his reputation as the classiest of class acts. Cross is claiming that the photos were thrown out by mistake, and, as such, must be returned to her. Good luck with that, sister.Monday's Today's News was written by Ben Katner.

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

Croc Hunter's South Park Appearance Stings

A surprise appearance in the Oct. 25 episode of South Park by the late Steve Irwin  accompanied by the stingray that killed him (!), and attending Satan's Halloween party (!!)  has sparked a bit of controversy. (Whodathunk?) John Beyer of the U.K.'s Mediawatch, for one, tells the Associated Press that the animated cameo was "grossly insensitive." Comedy Central's Tony Fox, though, notes that series masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone are "largely free to do what they like in terms of creativity." May I, Ben, add on their behalf, that if you don't appreciate their freewheeling sense of humor, you can simply not watch and, as Cartman would say, quit breakin' their balls.

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

Documented Proof: No One Cares That K-Fed Sings

The New York dailies are reporting this morning that so few Manhattanites have bought $20 tix to see Kevin Federline, aka "The Self-proclaimed Most-underrated Performer in Rap" in a Nov. 4 show at Webster Hall that "we may just cancel it," insiders at the venue tell the Post. Already, the rapper's Cleveland show has been nixed due to lack of interest. The rest of the tour stops, cross your fingers!

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

Box Office: Saw III's Gore Scores

Even if you'd axed me, I couldn't have predicted this: Saw III not only debuted at No. 1 at the box office over the weekend, its $34.3 million haul marked the biggest debut ever for distributor Lions Gate, which responded by rushing into production such titles as "Drill," "Screwdriver" and "Really Big Hammer." Rounding out the top five were The Departed (with $9.8 million), The Prestige ($9.6 mil), Flags of Our Fathers ($6.4 mil) and Open Season ($6.1 mil).

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

NBC and C-Dubya Reluctant to Pick Up Chicks

NBC and the CW have both elected not to air commercials for Shut Up & Sing, a documentary about the hysteria that resulted from the Dixie Chicks' criticism of President Bush. According to Reuters, NBC even went so far as to cite a policy that precluded its broadcasting of any advertisement dealing with "public controversy." (Yawn.) In response, the film's distributor, the Weinstein Co., says that in the wake of this censorship, it has begun contemplating a new series called "Project Lawsuit."

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

Producers Claim Babel Gossip a Tower of, Well, Babble

Although the Brad Pitt/Cate Blanchett feature Babel opened strong this weekend  taking in $366,000 on just seven screens  the more interesting drama may be unfolding off screen. The movie's producers, Jon Kilik and Steve Golin, placed an ad in the New York Times to zing both that newspaper and the Los Angeles Times for reporting that director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga were at odds over which of them was the real creative genius. It's "salacious gossip," the execs' ad copy reads. Just for the record, if anybody takes offense at anything I might happen to write while subbing for Matt Webb Mitovich, please, by all means, take me to task by buying ad space at TVGuide.com!

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

That's the Pitts': E! Duo Axed

Speaking of Babel, according to People, E! Networks has eighty-sixed a pair of employees who trespassed at the Hollywood Hills home of the flick's leading man, were spotted by construction workers, and eventually became the subjects of a police report. In a statement, E! ( making no mention whatsoever of its 217 Brangelina True Hollywood Story episodes) said that it "would like to offer its most sincere apologies to Mr. Pitt and his family."

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

HBO Books Three More for Treatment

HBO's In Treatment, that is. Blair Underwood, Melissa George and Dianne Wiest have been added to the cast of Gabriel Byrne's half-hour drama series, based on (no kidding) an Israeli hit. Byrne plays a shrink who's beyond therapy, while Underwood and George play his patients. The fantabulous Wiest, last seen badly miscast on Law & Order, is Byrne's once and future analyst.

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

At the Movies: Superman Officially Returns Again

Poor Brandon Routh: At this rate, he'll never get to eat another French fry. According to Variety, Bryan Singer has sealed a deal with Warner Bros. to direct a sequel to Superman Returns. Read Daniel Manu's new Seeing Is Believing blog entry for more.... The Hollywood Reporter says Universal has coughed up nearly $50 million for Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat follow-up, Bruno, about another of the funnyman's alter egos, a flamboyant fashion plate.

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

Short Cuts: Jacko, a Charmed Child and More!

Since his child-molestation trial, Michael Jackson has been as rarely seen as his sister Janet's overgarments, but he'll appear at the World Music Awards next month to receive a Diamond Award, which is not a prize dreamt up by his pal, Elizabeth Taylor, but a recognition of artists who have sold more than 100 million albums.... Charmed enchantress Holly Marie Combs and husband David Donoho, a onetime Charmed key grip, welcomed into the world their second child, Riley Edward, on Thursday, People hears.... Although the final game of this year's World Series won the night for Fox in both total viewers and the 18-49 demo, the five-night Series' 10.1 overall rating/17 share marked the lowest numbers ever for the fall classic.Monday's Today's News column was written by Ben Katner.

Mon, Oct 30, 2006

Good-ish news for Studio 60, The Nine, Two Others

The Hollywood trades are reporting this morning that additional script orders have been awarded to ABC's The Nine, Men in Trees and Help Me Help You (four each), as well as NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (for three). Traditionally, such script orders are a decent precursor to a full-season pickup, though it must be noted that the "vote of confidence" didnt work out particularly well for last season's Threshold, E-Ring or Out of Practice. In related news, NBC has ordered an extra, 25th episode of ER for this season, while ABC has snipped its order for the mid-season series Traveler from 13 episodes to eight.

Fri, Oct 27, 2006

Casting: Look Who's Coming to Play Barney's Brother

How I Met Your Mother has cast Barney's brother, and he will be played by... Wayne Brady. Adoption? Half sibling? "The less we say about it, the funnier it will be," exec producer Carter Bays tells Variety. "We like that 'What the hell?' factor." Thus far, Brady is only booked for a single, Nov. 27 appearance, but the role may become recurring (as has Bryan Cranston's gig as Ted's boss).... Per the Hollywood Reporter, Frances Fisher (Titanic) and Ivan Sergei (Charmed) have joined the cast of the USA Network pilot To Love and Die in L.A., respectively playing the mother and love interest of Shiri Appleby's daughter-of-an-assassin.

Fri, Oct 27, 2006

Arrested Boss in Development with New Comedy

Mitchell Hurwitz and former Arrested Development scribe Richard Day are developing a U.S. adaptation of the award-winning British comedy The Thick of It, about a put-upon Parliament member who is pestered by inept bureaucrats, politicians and civil servants. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the series is in the process of being shopped to the networks, most of whom will likely fail to appreciate it.

Fri, Oct 27, 2006

Michael J. Fox Calls Rush's Rant "Funny"

Funny strange, funny ha-ha, or funny like Skippy? In a Thursday interview with CBS Evening News' Katie Couric, Michael J. Fox dismissed Rush Limbaugh's claim that the Parkinson's-afflicted actor exaggerated his symptoms  perhaps even went off his medication  for a political TV ad advocating stem-cell research. "The irony is that I was too medicated," Fox said, "[and] not by design. It kicks in when it kicks in. That's funny, the notion that you could 'calculate it' for effect. Would that we could."

Fri, Oct 27, 2006

Letterman vs O'Reilly, Round 2

Tonight's Late Show face-off between David Letterman and Bill O'Reilly  their first since January, when Dave called the Fox News front man 60 percent full of "crap"  offers more acrimony, despite a bid by Bill to nip their beef in the bud. In a tape previewed by the New York Post's Page Six, Letterman calls O'R a "bonehead," then provokes the pundit by citing the "heinous, dangerous violence in Iraq." O'Reilly takes issue with the characterization of President Bush as "an evil liar," to which Dave responds, "You're putting words in my mouth, just the way you put artificial facts in your head." Good times. Watch the rest tonight on CBS.

Fri, Oct 27, 2006