matt.mitovich

Casting News: Painkiller Prescribed for Terminator

Terminator 3 baddie Kristanna Loken has been recruited to star as Painkiller Jane in Sci Fi Channel's spring 2007 series about a DEA agent who is impervious to injury, Variety reports.... Per the Hollywood Reporter, Laura Harris (24, The Dead Zone) has inked a talent-holding deal with ABC and Touchstone, which calls for her to be cast in a fall 2007 pilot or join an existing series.... Stand-up comic Katt Williams will costar on Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz, a new MTV series debuting early next year.

Fri, Oct 20, 2006

Ratings: The Biggest Runway Success Ever

Wednesday's Season 3 finale of Bravo's Project Runway was watched by a crowd of 5.3 million, far surpassing the series' previous best of 2.4 mil and making it the top-rated cable program of the night. "To say we are pleased... would be an understatement," Bravo president Lauren Zalaznick tells Reuters. Alas, come 11 pm, the sophomore-season bow of Top Chef only drew 1.9 million insomniacs viewers, but did build 46 percent on the show's Season 1 debut.Also, for those who may have missed this late-Thursday UPDATE: Wednesday's final ratings are in, and hanging chad and behold, Lost actually bested Criminal Minds in total viewers. At final count, the CBS drama had 16.203 million, 103,000 fewer than its stubborn ABC rival.

Fri, Oct 20, 2006

Jaime Pressly, Housewives Hunk, CSI: NYer Engaged

My Name Is Earl's Jaime Pressly was surprised last weekend with an engagement ring from her boyfriend of a year and a half (and plain ol' friend of nine years), DJ Eric Cubiche, the actress' rep tells the AP.... Desperate Housewives hunk Dougray Scott proposed to girlfriend Claire Forlani (CSI:NY) last month, People reports.... Gina Lollobrigida is making plans to wed Javier Rigau y Rafols, her boyfriend for the past 22 years (!)  and who, at age 45, is 34 years her junior (!!)  the film vet told the AP on Thursday.

Fri, Oct 20, 2006

Fox Hails Return of the King

Fox has announced a January 21, 2007, return date for King of the Hill. In the 11th-season premiere, when Bobby's pet snake slithers down the toilet, it leads to a "snake-in-the-city" frenzy, putting Arlen in a state of panic. Please, oh please, get Sam Jackson to guest-voice.

Fri, Oct 20, 2006

At the Movies: Deadwood Sheriff Will Die Hard

Per the Hollywood Reporter, Deadwood's Timothy Olyphant has been tapped to play Bruce Willis' nemesis in Live Free or Die Hard. Also new to the cast is Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Final Destination 3) as McClane's daughter.... Kelly Preston and Michelle "the next Scarlett Johansson?" Trachtenberg are a single mom and her eldest daughter in The Possibility of Fireflies, an adaptation of director Dominique Paul's novel.... Per Variety, the Jim Henson Co. has enlisted Ahmet Zappa to pen a big-screen outing for the '80s kids' show Fraggle Rock.

Fri, Oct 20, 2006

Series On Hold for Steve Irwin's Daughter

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Steve Irwin's daughter will hold off a year before starring in her own nature series, tentatively titled Bindi, the Jungle Girl, amid outside concerns that the 8-year-old's childhood could be lost to her emulation of her father's exploits. "I can't understand what all the fuss is about," the family's manager told Aussie papers, insisting the delay has nothing to do with charges of exploiting the youngster.

Fri, Oct 20, 2006

Anatomy Star: Yep, I'm Grey. Er, I Mean Gay.

Hedging that "there have been a few questions about my sexuality," Grey's Anatomy star T.R. Knight has issued an exclusive statement to People setting the record straight, as it weren't. "I'd like to quiet any unncessary rumors that may be out there," he says. "While I prefer to keep my personal life private, I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me."Speaking purely for myself, the most interesting part of me is detailed on my MySpace page.Read more about T.R. Knight's declaration in the Ausiello Report.

Fri, Oct 20, 2006

NBC's Madonna Special: The 'Fix Isn't In

After much deliberation, NBC has found a way to include the controversial "Live to Tell" set piece in its Nov. 22 Madonna concert special. While the network will only confirm that the number  in which Madonna famously croons while "hanging" from a crucifix  "has been revised" for the broadcast, a source close to the production tells TVGuide.com sheds light on how: Madge does perform much of the song on the cross, but crafty camera-angle selection will never actually capture the titillating image. Sounds like the director has a real cross to bear.

Thu, Oct 19, 2006

Barack for the Future: Clooney Pics His Prez

Freshly honored with the 2006 American Cinematheque Award, outspoken film star George Clooney, in an exclusive interview with TV Guide Channel, tendered his take on the 2008 presidential contest. "I'll tell you who should run  Barack Obama, that's who we want," he said, referring to the charismatic Democratic Senator from Illinois. "That's the guy." Obama reportedly is against recently proposed legislation that would limit the number of Ocean's 11 sequels.For more on this story, watch the TV Guide Channel's The 411 tonight at 8 pm/ET.

Thu, Oct 19, 2006

Ratings: Lost Trips in a Minds Field

This Wednesday in the wild world of ratings: NBC's 30 Rock (5.85 million total viewers) lost 29 percent of its premiere audience. Lead-out Twenty Good Years (5.1 mil) was also down two million. CBS' Criminal Minds finally edged past Lost, 16.103 million viewers to 16.072 mil (a margin of victory about equal to the number of guys Lindsay Lohan has fooled around with). Desmond, Nikki, Paolo and the gang still rule the 18-49 demo, however. UPDATE: The final ratings are in, and hanging chad and behold, Lost actually bested Minds in total viewers. At final count, the CBS drama had 16.203 million, 103,000 fewer than Lost. One Tree Hill (2.95 million) hit a season low, now down 700,000 from its Sept. 27 premiere. ABC's The Nine (8.59 million) held its ground versus last week, but is still down 2 million-plus from its premiere and continues to suffer from serious second-half tune-out. (1.7 mil changed channels at 10:30.)The moral of the above stories: don't put a num...

Thu, Oct 19, 2006

Ratings: Friday Night Alive

A few Tuesday-night ratings rumblings: ABC's Depositioning Dancing with the Stars juggernaut lured another million to the Tuesday dance floor, leading the night with 21.08 mil.  Versus last week, an additional 300,000 turned out for Friday Night Lights (6.6 mil). I'm actually hearing full-season pickup buzz. Stay tuned.... Surging 500,000 shrunken heads, Help Me Help You came within 0.04 of besting Law & Order: CI during the 8:30 half hour. Veronica Mars, down 300,000 last week, reclaimed most of that loss this time around (3.22 mil). A repeat of Criminal Minds (10.33 mil) further validated CBS' decision to snuff Smith, which was drawing almost two million fewer viewers in the 10 pm slot.UPDATE: Friday Night Lights fans, the Ausiello Report has some big news about the show's immediate future. Mind you, this is likely the "announcement" that I heard was en route.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Exclusive Kidnapped Preview: Will Leo Die?

When NBC's critically acclaimed (yet undeservedly ratings-anemic) Kidnapped returns with new episodes this Saturday at 9 pm/ET, life will not get any easier for the Cains. As series creator Jason Smilovic previews for TVGuide.com, "Over the next few episodes, we delve deeper into the lives of both the Cains and the perpetrators, while Leopold, still in limbo in Mexico, has made himself gravely ill [in] a daring plan that could cost him his life." Back at home, freelancer Knapp and FBI agent King try to work the case while keeping it out of the headlines, "but when the news finally breaks," Smilovic says, "the kidnappers deliver a shocking message to the Cains, suggesting there's more to the kidnapping than the kidnapping itself." OK, I am so not watching Single White Female 2 on Lifetime this Saturday as planned.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

CW Stops Runaway in Its Tracks

The fledgling CW network has given the hook to its first show, Donnie Wahlberg and Leslie Hope's Runaway, which struggled out of the gate and only averaged 1.8 million total viewers, even in a new Sunday time slot. For the time being, says Reuters, CW will fill the Sunday 9 pm slot with repeats. Everwood died for this? No, really.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Love Notes: Vince Vaughn Slams "False" Breakup Talk

Vince Vaughn will be filing a "legal complaint" against the Britain-based Daily Mirror and Sun, and the New York Post, all of which have reported that Vaughniston is over, and that Vaughn was seen kissing "a mystery blonde" at an Oct. 8 event. "Ms. Aniston and Mr. Vaughn had not ended their relationship," says a statement from a London law firm obtained by the AP. "The suggestion that he has ever been unfaithful to Ms. Aniston is false." If a settlement is not reached between Vaughn and the trio of tabs, the case is expected to go to jury trial in the U.K. next year.... Eddie Murphy and Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown are expecting their first child together in mid-January, and may now be altar-bound, sources tell the New York Daily News.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Survivor, Amazing Race Finale Scoop!

CBS has announced that The Amazing Race 10 will cross the finish line on Dec. 10, to be followed a week later on Sunday, Dec. 17, by the final tribal council for Survivor: Cook Islands. As is tradition, a live reunion show will air after the Survivor finale, starting at 10 pm/ET.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

In the Works: More Spy Drama from 24 Creators

24 cocreators Robert Cochran, Joel Surnow and Howard Gordon have secured a pilot commitment from Fox for NSA Innocent, about an average joe recruited to spy for the NSA.... Also per Variety: CBS has spent seven figures on a pilot for a U.S. adaptation of BBC's Viva Blackpool, a "mystery-musical miniseries" about a small-time casino owner who tries to launch a Las Vegas resort. Hugh Jackman will exec-produce the series and guest in the pilot.... ABC is eyeing a drama centered on the post-Katrina New Orleans police force. NBC already has a Spike Lee-penned NoLa in the works for next fall.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Bad Nudes: Ice-T's CD Bares Too Much Hot Coco

Record stores are scrambling to cover up Coco, who appears on the cover of her husband Ice-T's first studio album in seven years, with her stripper-honed derriere on rather full display. "We're getting lots of flak," a rep for Gansta Rap's label tells the New York Post. "What we're having to do is place stickers over parts of the photo." Ice-T himself told the Post on Tuesday night, "What can I say, I've been doing these things for years. You should see the picture when Coco's leg"  which on the CD is draped over the rapper's private parts  "is not there." Really? Should we?

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Victoria's Secret TV Special Gets Its SexyBack

Justin Timberlake will perform songs from FutureSex/LoveSounds during the return of The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, to air Dec. 5 on CBS. The new version of the scantily clad special will feature such marquis mannequins as Gisele Bundchen and Adriana Lima, and be taped for the first time in Los Angeles. I'd elaborate on why the show is no longer here in New York, but lawyers would have to get involved.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Legal Briefs: Did Cracker Barrel Dis Chris Rock's Mom?

Rose Rock, the mother of comedian Chris Rock, claims she was racially discriminated against when she was seated  then ignored for more than a half hour  at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in South Carolina, the Associated Press reports. Rock plans to sue the Tennessee-based company, which has said it doesn't "tolerate any form of discrimination" and is taking the complaint "very seriously".... Whitney Houston has officially filed for divorce from her husband of 14 years, Bobby Brown. Houston has asked that she be granted custody of the couple's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, 13.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

At the Movies: Sweeney Todd Gets Carter

Per Variety, Helena Bonham Carter has been tapped to play diabolical meat-pie maker Mrs. Lovett in Tim Burton's big-screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd, starring Johnny Depp. What. A. Surprise.... Jennifer Aniston will produce and possibly star in Counter Clockwise, a dramedy about Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer's study in which she reversed the aging process of her subjects by making them think they were younger.... Djimon Hounsou will play an aspiring concert pianist fighting to escape the ghetto in The Trunk.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Short Cuts: Flavor Flav, Millionaire and More!

Sunday's 90-minute Flavor of Love 2 season finale drew 7.5 million total viewers, making it VH1's highest-rated telecast ever and the No. 1 cable telecast for the night, but not the top non-sports telecast in all of basic cable for the entire year. That honor goes to the season opener of TNT's The Closer... Celebrity guest hosts will spell a busy, busy Meredith Vieira for "a couple of days" during the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire season currently in production, says the New York Daily News.... Megan Mullally, Dakota Fanning, Andie MacDowell and Beau Bridges have joined the guest list for the CMT Giants special honoring Reba McEntire, airing Nov. 18.UPDATED to correct one ratings superlative assigned to Flavor of Love 2 by the Hollywood Reporter.

Wed, Oct 18, 2006

Ratings: What About... Studio 60?

Monday's juiciest ratings stories:  8 pm titan Deal or No Deal surged with 2 million viewers to achieve a new season-best audience of 17.27 mil. The Class simmered down a bit from its new time-slot premiere high (to 8.7 mil). The CW's first Monday batch of fresh Chris-All of Us-Girlfriends-The Game episodes averaged 2.9 million for the night. That's 230,000 fewer than were watching 7th Heaven-Runaway, but a 400,000 bump from the quartet's most recent Sunday numbers. And last, but not by any means least noteworthy: What About Brian (up 1.2 mil, to 8.3) bested Studio 60 (down a mil, to 7.76) to claim 10 o'clock's No. 2 spot. Aaron Sorkin, you're buying J.J. Abrams dinner.

Tue, Oct 17, 2006