matt.mitovich

Health Bulletins: Roger Ebert, Dynasty Vet

Film critic Roger Ebert told Chicago Sun-Times readers on Thursday that after being "completely out of it" for the two months following surgeries to repair bleeding from a cancerous growth, he is teaching his atrophied muscles to walk again, and expects to be back at work full-time in time to cover the next Academy Awards. Until then, Ebert's first film review since his incapacitation is online today, for Helen Mirren's The Queen.... John Forsythe, diagnosed with colon cancer on Sept. 28, has been treated for the disease and is now recovering at a hospital. "He seems to be in good spirits," reports the Dynasty alum's spokesman.

Fri, Oct 13, 2006

Dancing Star Steps Out of ABC Contest

Country crooner Sara Evans announced on Thursday that she is quitting ABC's Dancing with the Stars, as she seeks a divorce from Craig Schelske, her husband of 13 years, with whom she has three children. "Recent events that shed light on the status of her marriage prompted Ms. Evans to make the filing," the singer's rep says in a statement to the AP. "[She is leaving DWTS] to give her family her full attention at this difficult time."

Fri, Oct 13, 2006

Jericho Lives on for Full Season

As reported late yesterday in the Ausiello Report, CBS has granted Jericho a full-season order. The freshman drama, about a small Kansas town isolated from the rest of the world after an apparent nuclear attack, is averaging 11.3 million viewers, a 48 percent improvement on the network's year-ago Wednesdays-at-8 performance. Plus, it has Ashley Scott.

Fri, Oct 13, 2006

Jason Had Down Syndrome? And More Friday the 13th Trivia!

So I'm screening the deliciously dark and insight-rich Starz documentary Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (premiering this Friday the 13th at 9 pm/ET), and one of the many fascinating talking (but not severed) heads  "Mrs. Voorhees" herself, Betsy Palmer, perhaps it was  mentions in passing that Jason was born with Down Syndrome, and that's why he was taunted at the Camp Crystal Lake where he also ultimately [Cough-cough] died. For whatever therapist*-befuddling reasons, I like to fancy myself a Friday the 13th buff, so this sound "bite" was, well, news to me. Going to Pieces is chock-a-block with such horror vittles, and if you relish a good slasher pic and have Starz, it's can't-miss TV. John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Sean. S. Cunningham, Paul Lynch, Joseph Zito, Rob Zombie... they're all here, relating riveting anecdotes from their own dips into the blood pool, and offering insights as to what makes sick pics tick with filmgoers.  Why is Hallo...

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Ratings: The Nine Minus 3.5 Million Equals...

Trailing Dancing with the Stars' results show (18.15 million) in the 8 pm hour was Jericho (staying pat with 10.9 mil), followed by the debut of 30 Rock (8.27 mil, which about tied Fox's nightly baseball coverage). Come 8:30, the premiere of Twenty Good Years, sampled by 7 mil, lost 18 percent of Rock's audience.At 9, Lost (16.65 million) ruled the 18-49s but lost 1.85 mil total viewers versus its season opener. Criminal Minds was in second with 16.5 mil.CSI: NY won the 10 o'clock hour, of course, with 17.7 million (a week-to-week surge of 2.1 mil), followed by ABC's The Nine (8.4 mil), which slipped almost 2 million in its second half hour  and 3.5 mil from its premiere. Subbing for Kidnapped, Dateline NBC (8.24) improved on the Saturday-bound drama's most recent ratings by 3 mil.

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Medium Sizes Up Kidnapped's Time Slot

NBC has announced that Patricia Arquette's Medium will return by mid-November to fill the Wednesdays-at-10 schedule gap left by the shuttling of low-rated newbie Kidnapped to Saturday-night Siberia. CBS, meanwhile, has officially tapped 3 Lbs., a medical drama starring Stanley Tucci and Mark Feuerstein as brain surgeons  and originally expected for a mid-season bow  to take over Smith's time slot beginning Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 10 pm.

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Beware, Betty! Fox Buys Prada for TV Redo

Fox has picked up the TV rights to The Devil Wears Prada, this summer's hit adaptation of the best-selling book, and is developing it as a series. While this small-screen serving of Prada will incorporate elements of the $124 million-grossing film, "I'm not looking to directly translate [it]," Fox TV Studios prez Angela Shapiro-Mathes tells Variety. "That becomes a mistake. The TV series will not be exactly like [the movie or the book]." As for coming off too similar in theme to a certain new ABC series... "We're not going to be afraid of Ugly Betty," says Shapiro-Mathes. "It's good to see a show like that doing well." I bet it is.... I bet it is.

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Mel Brooks: Is there a Dr. Frankenstein in the House?

A workshop production of the stage musical adaptation of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is but weeks away, and still the project has yet to find it's Dr. Frankenstein (that's pronounced Frahnken-shteen). Per the New York Post, the producers' first choice was (of course) Hugh Jackman, but the Boy from Oz is simply too busy with films. A few days ago, SNL alum Jimmy Fallon threw his lab coat into the ring with an audition that "went well," but the front-runner may actually be Tom "Ed" Cavanagh, says the Post. Already in place on the cast are Kristin Chenoweth as Inga, Sutton Foster (in the Madeleine Kahn role), Desperate Housewives' Roger Bart as Igor, and Cloris Leachman (reprising her film role of Frau Blücher.)

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Casting About: Raines Finds a Stowe Away

Per the Hollywood Reporter, Madeleine Stowe has joined NBC's mid-season drama Raines as a shrink that Jeff Goldblum's "I talk to dead people" cop is forced to see.... Hottie Brooke Burns, most recently seen on Pepper Dennis, and Earl Billings have joined the ABC comedy pilot Miss/Guided.... Per Variety, Jon Lovitz has been tapped to star in Bad Judge, an improvised NBC comedy pilot spoofing Judge Judy and the ilk.

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Bowie Does Bikini Bottom

David Bowie will lend his voice to a character named Lord Royal Highness in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants to air next year, the Associated Press reports. Noting that his 6-year-old daughter, Alexandria, is a huge SpongeBob fan, Bowie wrote in his online blog that he has "hit the Holy Grail of animation gigs," adding, "We, the family, are thrilled. Nothing else need happen this year. Well, this week, anyway."

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

At the Movies: Lights Out for Amber Tamblyn

Amber Tamblyn, whose The Grudge 2 opens this weekend  and whom I hope to Q&A later today, hint-hint to her publicist who may be reading  has joined Blackout, an indie thriller about three people trapped in a hospital elevator for almost 24 hours.... Also per the Hollywood Reporter: Randy Quaid is in talks to play the mentor of Gary the Tennis Coach, starring Seann William Scott.... Brit actor Paddy Considine will play a London journalist sniffing around the CIA in The Bourne Ultimatum, now filming in Europe and Africa.

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Short Cuts: X-Men, Sharon Stone and More!

X-Men: The Last Stand topped the DVD sales and rental charts last week by selling 5 million units and generating $10.5 million in rental revenue.... Sharon Stone will cohost the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11.... The 2006 Billboard Music Awards will air Dec. 4 on Fox.... The N will premiere its first sketch-comedy special, The Brandon T. Jackson Show, on Nov. 24 at 9 pm/ET. Celeb guests will include Wayne Brady, Sinbad and Nelly Furtado.

Thu, Oct 12, 2006

Ratings: CBS Gets a Smithless Present

Dancing with the Stars' 90-minute dance-off was up 1.7 million this week, giving the Tuesdays-at-8 champ an audience of 20 mil. NCIS (15.55 mil) placed second in the 8 pm hour, followed by Fox's baseball coverage (7.8 mil), which bested the awesome (and thus ratings-deprived) Friday Night Lights (6.3 mil, down 900,000 from its premiere).At 9, The Unit drew 13 million to Law & Order: CI's 11.3, while Help Me Help You held steady at 8:30 with 10.3 mil. Veronica Mars slipped 300 thou from last week's season-opener, to an even 3 mil.CBS, which looked smart earlier this week with its relocation of The Class, saw its other major move pay off as a repeat of CSI (10.03 million) improved upon the shelved Smith by 1.6 mil viewers, landing the Eye within spitting distance of ABC's Boston Legal (10.12 mil) and its increasingly annoying camerawork. Topping the 10 o'clock hour, of course, was Law & Order: SVU (13.75 mil).

Wed, Oct 11, 2006

Ratings: Two Million More Show Up for Class

CBS sure looked smart this week as The Class, in its new 8:30 pm time slot, drew an additional two million viewers (for a total of 10 mil). Paired with How I Met Your Mother (9.7 mil) in the 8 o'clock hour, the sitcombo placed second behind Deal or No Deal (15.2 mil).At 9 pm, the big week-to-week gainers were Two and a Half Men (up 1.1 million to 17.1 mil), which ruled the hour with Old Christine (13.7 mil) and NBC's Heroes (13.3 mil, up 700,000). At 10, CSI: Miami found yet another 600,000 heads, bringing its unbeatable tally to just shy of 18 million. Placing a distant second and third were Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (8.75 mil, down 300,000) and the season premiere of What About Brian, which with 7.05 million lost a full mil of lead-in The Bachelor's audience.As for the CW's own schedule shuffle, let's grade it "Incomplete," as the network rebroadcast the premieres of former Sunday occupants Chris, All of Us, Girlfriends and The Game  all of which lost to Fox's own repeat...

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

Battlestar Boss Reinvents Bionic Woman

Battlestar Galactica exec producer David Eick is teaming with scribe Laeta Kalogridis (Birds of Prey, Alexander) on a new version of The Bionic Woman, the Six Million Dollar Man spin-off that showed the world what Lindsay Wagner's ear looks like way up close. "It's a complete reconceptualization," Eick tells Variety. "We're using the title as a starting point, and that's all." Just as Eick reinvented that other '70s show, BSG, as a compelling poli-sci discourse, his new Woman aspires to use "the idea of artificial technology as a metaphor for what contemporary women sometimes feel is necessary to do everything that needs to be done." But hopefully, there will probably be some wicked-cool steel-bar twisting, too.In related news: BSG season premiere ratings can be found here.

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

CBS, Donny Osmond Re-Name That Tune

Variety reports that CBS is prepping a new version of the classic game show Name That Tune, to be hosted by the white and nerdy Donny Osmond. Fancied as "American Idol meets Deal or No Deal," the latest incarnation will include surprise live musical performances from well-known artists and a bonus round in which a player can win $1 million by naming 15 songs in 60 seconds. And the best part? No Kathie Lee Gifford with a microphone.

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

Paris, Nicole and Simple Life 5: Pure Camp

After a yearlong public feud that kept them physically apart for practically all of Season 4, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie have agreed to tape a fifth round of The Simple Life, to air in spring 2007 and this time present the celebutantes as... camp counselors. Jason Voorhees, if you're considering another return, now is the time.

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

Sopranos Creator Set for "Emotional" Farewell

The end to The Sopranos saga is already written, but the actors are completely in the dark about the eagerly anticipated finale. Creator David Chase  promoting the Sopranos PlayStation 2 game, Road to Respect, due out in November  says the final eight scripts are finished but only the writers know what happens. The last season premieres early next year, but Chase would only say that the hit HBO series ends as it began: focusing on the core characters. While a spin-off of the series is doubtful but not entirely out of the question, what's for sure is that saying goodbye to the gang is going to be harder than getting out of the Pine Barrens. "We'll have a wrap party and people will drink a lot," he says. "It'll be pretty emotional."Additional reporting by Andrea Adams

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

Numbers Up for Najimy

Kathy Najimy (Veronica's Closet, Sister Act) has joined the cast of CBS' Numbers in the recurring role of the division chair of the physics, math and astronomy departments where Charlie works. Najimy begins filming next week.

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

Saw III: Yes, There Will Be Real Blood

Giving a project your blood, sweat and tears used to be just a saying, but Saw's Tobin Bell has taken it to a new level. The veteran actor who plays John Kramer/"Jigsaw" in the fright franchise had his own blood drawn so that it could be mixed with the ink used to print the promo posters for Saw III, hitting theaters Oct. 27. "I asked [the printer] what we could do to get the deepest blood red... would it be possible to use real blood," Lions Gate marketing exec Tim Palen tells Variety. "He said, 'We could try, but are you serious?' I said I was dead serious." As with past installments, Lions Gate will hold blood drives in conjunction with III's premiere.

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

At the Movies: Iron Man's Pal Is a Hustler

Per the Hollywood Reporter, Hustle & Flow's Terrence Howard has joined the cast of Marvel's Iron Man feature as Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes, best bud of Tony Stark, the billionaire industrialist/superhero to be played by Robert Downey Jr. Filming is set to begin in February 2007, for a May 2008 release.... Per Variety, Everybody Loves Raymond exec producer Rory Rosegarten has secured the rights to a feature film about the seminal punk-rock band The Ramones, based on the authorized bio I Slept with Joey Ramone. So sorry to rub it in, Vincent Chase.

Tue, Oct 10, 2006

CBS Bullish, Even as Couric Hits Low

CBS Evening News again placed third and averaged one well-coiffed hair over seven million viewers last week, representing Katie Couric's fourth straight week of declining ratings after premiering to an audience of 13.6 mil. Still, CBS notes that its Evening News is the only of the three network newscasts to have more viewers than the same week a year ago. "Where we were last week or even in the weeks to come is not as important as where we are next year, and even the year after that," spins CBS News president Sean McManus. "We are focused on the long term."

Tue, Oct 10, 2006