matt.mitovich

Uh-Oprah: Winfrey Apologizes to Parents of Abused Kids

In an emergency meeting held at her girls' school in South Africa over the weekend, Oprah Winfrey reacted to recent allegations of physical and sexual abuse against pupils there by tearfully apologizing to her student body's parents. "I've disappointed you," News24.com says she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." While an investigation is under way, the talk-show queen told the girls' folks that she would be available 24/7 and went so far as to hand out her phone number and e-mail address. So far, the principal and another matron have been put on leave, but it will be up to the South African police and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit, a school rep told the Sunday Times of Africa, "to determine if criminal charges will follow."  Ben Katner

Tue, Oct 30, 2007

Uh-Oprah: Winfrey Apologizes to Parents of Abused Kids

Today Hosts Get an Earful from Crank Yanker

A conference call arranged by NBC so that reporters could talk with Today anchors Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Al Roker about their new "Ends of the Earth" feature was a lot more interesting than the norm. According to the New York Post, a potty-mouthed prankster infiltrated the ranks of press peeps on the line not once but twice and asked the hosts some seriously off-color questions. Afterward, Mitovich was given a bar of soap and told that he knew what to do with it.  Ben Katner

Tue, Oct 30, 2007

Today Hosts Get an Earful from Crank Yanker

Police Blotter: Kid Rock, Tommy Lee Walk

Although Kid Rock got into a shoving contest with Tommy Lee at the VMAs, Pamela Anderson's more recent ex isn't going to be charged with anything, the authorities decided yesterday. However, Kid still has to deal with a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a brawl he got into at an Atlanta waffle house. Children, really!  Ben Katner

Tue, Oct 30, 2007

Police Blotter: Kid Rock, Tommy Lee Walk

David Letterman Makes Like Michael Moore

Per Variety, David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company is hard at work on a documentary feature about young'uns aged 18-20 who are seeking public office. On board as director of the as-yet-untitled movie is Michael Moore's onetime assistant Jason Pollock. "When I was [our subjects'] age," cracks the Late Show host, "I was still delivering papers on a paper route, and I wasn't even very good at that."  Ben Katner

Tue, Oct 30, 2007

David Letterman Makes Like Michael Moore

In the Works: Coolio & the Gang and More

Oxygen has OK'd a reality show about rapper Coolio's attempts to raise six teens as a single parent. Coolio & the Gang will debut in the second quarter of '08.... Fox and McG (The O.C.) are developing Spaced, a comedy based (of course) on a British series from Shaun of the Dead creators Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. In it, two singles pose as a couple so they can rent a flat. Er, apartment.... Andy Barker, P.I. creator Jonathan Groff's new laffer, Private Lives of Public People, started a bidding war between ABC and CBS. In the end, the Eye landed the pilot about upstanding citizens whose home lives are disastrous.... Arrested Development alum Abraham Higginbotham got a go-ahead from Fox for his untitled comedy pilot featuring Reno 911's Niecy Nash among the lowbrow staffers at a highfalutin NYC hotel.  Ben Katner

Tue, Oct 30, 2007

In the Works: Coolio & the Gang and More

Top Chef Dies, Cable Baby Born and More Real-life Notes

Friedman Paul Erhardt, aka Chef Tell, died at the age of 63 on Friday. His good humor and heavy German accent made him a well-loved fixture on such shows as Regis and Kathie Lee and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, but he is perhaps most famous for being the rumored inspiration for The Muppet Show's hysterical Swedish Chef.... Larry the Cable Guy (aka Dan Whitney) and wife Cara welcomed into the world a daughter, Reagan, on Monday, People reports. "I hope I'll be able to relate to a little girl," the comedian says on his website. "I'm just hoping Skoal comes out with a strawberry and cream dip!"Tuesday's Today's News was written by Ben Katner.

Tue, Oct 30, 2007

Top Chef Dies, Cable Baby Born and More Real-life Notes

Brothers & Sisters' Berlanti Ignites Green Lantern Pic

Brothers & Sisters executive producer (and Everwood alum) Greg Berlanti has inked a deal to cowrite and direct a live-action big-screen adaptation of the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern. "To me, this was the last great comic-book movie that hasn't been made," Berlanti tells Reuters. "It [has] a real mythology that you would see in a lot of space operas and sci-fi books."Berlanti's version for Warner Bros. will focus on the Green Lantern embodied by Hal Jordon, a test pilot who uncovers a downed alien spacecraft and in turn a ring that recruits him onto an interstellar police force.

Mon, Oct 29, 2007

Brothers & Sisters' Berlanti Ignites Green Lantern Pic

Hottie Paris Hilton Scores a Valentine's Date

For those who feel it has simply been too long since House of Wax, Paris Hilton's next theatrical showcase has been set for a Feb. 8, 2008, release, says the Hollywood Reporter. The Hottie and the Nottie finds the heirhead playing Cristabel Abbott, the longtime object of a goofball's obsessions. To win over the beauty, said goofball (played by Joel David Moore, yes the) strikes out to find a boyfriend for her not-so-hot BFF (Christine Lakin).

Mon, Oct 29, 2007

Hottie Paris Hilton Scores a Valentine's Date

Saw IV Carves Out an Impressive Box-office Win

The unscreened-for-critics Saw IV topped the weekend box office with $32.1 million, just shy of the $33.6 mil that Part 3 drew in its own debut. That was plenty enough to trump Steve Carell's Dan in Real Life, which opened with $12.1 mil.Rounding out the weekend's top five were 30 Days of Night ($6.7 mil), The Game Plan ($6.3 mil) and Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? ($5.7 mil).Among other, narrower releases, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead opened strongly, while the doc Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains came away with peanuts — $10,573 at seven screens.

Mon, Oct 29, 2007

Saw IV Carves Out an Impressive Box-office Win

Battlestar Galactica Blasts into Theaters Nov. 12

Sci Fi Channel and Microsoft are bringing Battlestar Galactica: Razor, the two-hour special "prequel" episode kicking off the new season, to select theaters on Nov 12  two weeks before its cable debut. The free showings will be held at venues in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Dallas and Seattle. (Yep, Cazenovia gets the shaft. Again.) Click here for details.But will this Battlestar be presented in Sensurround? That's the question.In other BSG news, exec producer Ronald D. Moore will make his directorial debut with an episode that shoots just before Thanksgiving.

Mon, Oct 29, 2007

Battlestar Galactica Blasts into Theaters Nov. 12

Busy Bee Seinfeld Takes Over Fox Talk Show

As "part of the comic's exhaustive efforts to tub-thump for his upcoming Bee Movie" (as Variety so perfectly puts it), Jerry Seinfeld will host this Saturday's edition of Fox's Talkshow with Spike Feresten, which airs at midnight after Mad TV.Feresten himself will "drop by" as a guest, as will Seinfeld alum Patrick Warburton.

Mon, Oct 29, 2007

Busy Bee Seinfeld Takes Over Fox Talk Show

Curb Star Gets Serious, and More Movie News

Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines will make her feature-directing debut with the indie Serious Moonlight, from a screenplay by the late Adrienne Shelly.... Also per Variety, Michelle Williams and Gael Garcia Bernal are a New York City couple in crisis in Mammoth.... From the Reporter, Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke play Boston-bred thugs in the true-life crime drama Real Men Cry. Amanda Peet is Hawke's missus.... Cuba Gooding Jr. is a paramilitary operative who discovers a conspiracy in the action thriller The Way of War.

Mon, Oct 29, 2007

Curb Star Gets Serious, and More Movie News

Twin Peaks, Prison Break and Other Short Cuts

Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Box Edition arrives on DVD on Oct. 30  including the original and European versions of the pilot. (Shop Amazon.com.) Damn good cup of coffee not included.... Prison Break: Season 1 comes out on Blu-Ray Nov. 13.... In the vein of Fashion Rocks, CBS presents Movies Rock, a new entertainment special featuring appearances by (of course) Beyoncé, Carrie Underwood, Fergie and many others, on Dec. 7.... MTV Australia VJ Lyndsey Rodrigues is Damien Fahey's TRL cohost starting Dec. 1.... Country star Porter Wagoner succumbed to lung cancer on Sunday. He was 80.

Mon, Oct 29, 2007

Twin Peaks, Prison Break and Other Short Cuts

"Really?" Is TV's New "Seriously"? Really?

As the new fall season of television rolls along, one thing is becoming very clear: ABC still seems determined to reschedule solid, would-be-thriving shows into prime-time Siberia.OK, make that two things that have become evident. The other being that "Really?"  almost always employed in tandem with its cousin, "Really?"  is TV dialogue's new "Seriously.""Seriously," of course, enjoyed a long and hallowed run due in large part to the doctors of Grey's Anatomy who trotted it out about as often as Meredith had a long-lost half-/demi-/step-sibling surface. But like any good catchphrase/go-to lingo, "Seriously" seems to have gracefully taken a back seat to the new quip in town.I'm sure that some reader (William Safire, are you out there?) can better document the origin of "Really?" so I make no attempt to do so here. I will note, however, that Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update team last May created a recurring feature titled "Really!?! with Seth and Amy," in which they ta...

Sat, Oct 27, 2007

Britney Has a Really #&*%ing Bad Day in Court

Britney Spears by many accounts emerged tremendously upset on Friday from the latest hearing in her custody case against ex-husband Kevin Federline. According to TMZ, for one, the report from the parenting coach who has been working with and counseling Spears may have been disclosed at the hearing, and thus was the cause of Britney's emotional reaction.What sort of emotional reaction, you ask? When a reporter for TV's Extra asked Spears how she was doing, Britney snapped back, "Eat it, lick it, snort it, f--k it!" and then walked back into the courtroom crying. (Perhaps she misheard the question as, "What are your plans for later?") Perhaps as further indication of her discombobulation, Spears reportedly changed hairstyles  and sunglasses  during breaks.Federline, on the other hand, came out of the courtroom looking happy, though no ruling had been made yet. Federline's attorney told the press that a written ruling may be handed down sometime Monday or Tuesday.

Sat, Oct 27, 2007

Britney Has a Really #&*%ing Bad Day in Court

Ratings: One Earl of an Outing!

This Thursday, as Fox's World Series Game 2 coverage averaged 15.64 million total viewers:8 pm/ETSurvivor topped the first hour of baseball, with 14.15 million viewers (up 200K week-to-week). Betty (9.84 mil) also saw an increase. My Name Is Earl (8.23 mil) gained a mil week-to-week and soared 33 percent in the demos, while lead-out 30 Rock (6.53 mil) was up a quarter mil. Smallville (4.5 mil) came down to earth with a drop of 560 thou.9 pmOpposite a CSI rerun (14.75 mil), Grey's bested baseball by drawing 17.95 mil. A plain ol' regular 30-minute edition of The Office (8.98 mil) did nearly 500 thou better than last week. Lead-out Scrubs (7.03 mil) fell 1.4 mil shy of its 2006 premiere, yet was up six percent in the demos. Supernatural (3.27 mil) inched up 210 thou.10 pmTrailing baseball, Without a Trace delivered 12.75 mil. ER (9.12 mil) slipped 890K but still deflated Big Shots (8.08 mil, down 260K, and shedding two mil plus in its second half-hour).

Fri, Oct 26, 2007

Lohan Series a Reality, Will Clear Up "Misconceptions"

On Oct. 30, one day before Halloween brings its own brand of scariness, production will begin on an E! reality series starring Lindsay Lohan's mother, Dina, and her kid sister, Ali. "There are so many misconceptions about me and my family," Dina tells People. "I'm setting the record straight."The as-yet-untitled series  I hereby suggest "How Lohan Can You Go?"  will show Dina as a working mom cultivating the careers of Ali and other young performers. As for LiLo herself possibly popping up, Dina says, "Lindsay will lend a helping hand if Ali asks her when she's in the recording studio." In the recording studio? With help like that, who needs hindrance.

Fri, Oct 26, 2007

Lohan Series a Reality, Will Clear Up "Misconceptions"

Movie News: Travolta Takes Pelham, Underworld 3

John Travolta will claim the Robert Shaw role and lead The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in the Tony Scott-directed remake of the 1974 film. As previously reported, Denzel Washington is making like Matthau.... Also per Variety, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy and Rhona Mitra are onboard for Underworld 3: The Rise of the Lycans, a prequel tracing the origin of the feud between the Death Dealers and their onetime slaves.

Fri, Oct 26, 2007

Hell's Kitchen Cooks Up Video-game Version

As a teen, I always felt like Burgertime needed more swearing. Video-game developer Ludia is working on a multiplatform adaptation of Fox's Hell's Kitchen, with hotheaded Gordon Ramsay lending his likeness to the title. According to Variety, the Hell's Kitchen game will attempt to duplicate the "kitchen boot camp" aspect of the show, have Ramsay popping up intermittently to deride your dishes, and also offer printable recipes (if not expletives).

Fri, Oct 26, 2007

Hell's Kitchen Cooks Up Video-game Version

Ellen's Ratings Nothing to Cry About, More Short Cuts

The ratings for Ellen DeGeneres' talker in the wake of her on-air breakdown after the whole dog thing were up almost 10 percent.... The Price Is Right is seeing 10 percent year-over-year growth in its 18-49 crowd, with Drew Carey now playing the Plink-O.... Owen Wilson will give director Wes Anderson his first interview since... that... tonight at midnight as part of the MySpace Artist on Artist series, says USA Today.... In related-ish news, Kate Hudson's divorce from rocker Chris Robinson was finalized in court on Thursday.... The Best of the Colbert Report arrives on DVD Nov. 6 (shop Amazon).

Fri, Oct 26, 2007

Ellen's Ratings Nothing to Cry About, More Short Cuts

ABC Stays Dirty, The CW Sows More Reaper

ABC has ordered an additional three scripts for two more of its freshman series: Dirty Sexy Money (woo-hoo!) and... Carpoolers (who knew!). Thus far this season, ABC has picked up Private Practice and Pushing Daisies for full seasons, ordered six more Samantha Who? scripts and, well, done nothing yet about improving Cavemen.Elsewhere, the CW has picked up three additional scripts for Reaper, while Aliens in America, sources tell the Reporter, is set to stay in production beyond its original 13-episode order in hopes of getting a full-season ride.

Fri, Oct 26, 2007

ABC Stays Dirty, The CW Sows More Reaper

House Still in Order Even as Hugh Races Home

Production on Fox's House on Thursday had to abruptly be rescheduled when series star Hugh Laurie hopped on a plane home to England. The actor, who since the show's launch has lived apart from his wife and kids, "had family obligations... to attend to, but production is continuing in his absence," a studio rep tells the Hollywood Reporter. "The producers said that he asked for time off, and they were happy to facilitate it."A spokesperson for Laurie says he is expected back at work Monday.

Fri, Oct 26, 2007

House Still in Order Even as Hugh Races Home