matt.mitovich

American Idol Tour Fined for Child-labor Violation

The results are in, and the New York State Labor Department has dinged 19 Touring LLC, the outfit that runs the American Idols Live tour, to the tune of (a "whopping") $5,000, for failing to secure the proper permits when the show came to the Empire State. According to the New York Daily News, a labor-department staffer who also is a fan of Idol  and thus knew that both Jordin Sparks and Sanjaya Malakar were just 17 at the time of their New York stop  sniffed around and discovered that 19 Touring did not, as required, register with the state so that they could be monitored for compliance with child-labor laws. As a result, Fox's idea of an "Idol Nation" reality show now seems a long shot.

Fri, Oct 12, 2007

American Idol Tour Fined for Child-labor Violation

Lost Castaways Found by Fisher Stevens

It's amazing that fancy satellite phone didn't... Short Circuit. Fisher Stevens is joining ABC's Lost in the recurring role of Minkowski, a mysterious character alluded to several times toward the end of last season and ultimately heard over the phone when Jack (stupid, impetuous Jack) made contact with Not Penny's Boat.The name Minkowski, the Hollywood Reporter notes, could be an allusion to German mathematician Hermann Minkowski, whose concept of a fourth dimension  time  played into Einstein's theory of special relativityMinkowski, Einstein, Asimov... what's with all the flippin' science in my column today?!

Fri, Oct 12, 2007

Exclusive: CBS' Big Bang Sci-com Gets Asimov's Vote

This, friends, is nearly on par with Henry Gray stumping for Mer-Der via séance. Robyn Asimov, daughter of the late Isaac Asimov ("the prolific writer, scientist and charismatic geek," as she herself puts it) reached out to us in response to a TVGuide.com feature on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, and to share her especially qualified affinity for the show about a pair of quirky physicists. "[It] is delightfully witty, a brilliant mix of intelligent dialogue with comedy, and absolutely spot-on regarding the wonderful, cerebrally sexy world of nerds," she told us.Asimov  who in 2004 countered film critics with her support of the big-screen take on her father's I, Robot short-story series, and now is chairman and trustee of his estate  referenced this week's episode, saying that "discussing my fathers Three Laws of Robotics during the hysterical conversation among three of the cast members, theorizing if one was a robot  and would he want to be told  was p...

Fri, Oct 12, 2007

Exclusive: CBS' Big Bang Sci-com Gets Asimov's Vote

Britney's "Respectful" Court Visit Pays Off! Plus, Comeback Tour Ahead?

Britney Spears, who last week blew off a custody-hearing appearance, on Thursday opted for a different strategy and showed up. The popstress was sworn in to testify in her bid to be granted increased visitation with her and ex-husband Kevin Federline's two sons. Details of Spears' testimony are unknown, but a court rep tells People her tone was "soft and respectful."Though she left the courthouse "visibly upset" (says TMZ), Spears had been granted one overnight visit with her kids per week, which her lawyer sees as a positive first step. As he told People afterward, "I have every expectation that she will comply with all the orders made by the court [and] will eventually regain 50-50 custody." K-Fed then exclaimed, "50-50?! His music rocks, dawg!"Meanwhile, the owner of the dance studio where Brit learns her steps (or at least pretends to) tells Us that she is currently auditioning backup hoofers for a possible comeback tour.TV Guide Network premieres the special Britney & Linds...

Fri, Oct 12, 2007

Britney's "Respectful" Court Visit Pays Off! Plus, Comeback Tour Ahead?

In the Works: Regis' Password Is a Go, and More

"Aristophanes!" CBS is teaming with Idol producer FremantleMedia North America on Million Dollar Password, a "pumped-up" (read: swirling lights and annoying/overly theatrical music) remake of the classic game show, Variety reports. Regis Philbin will host; our copy editors will go mad over the hyphen-deficient title.... Fox is opening The Church of Reggie, a Ron Howard-produced comedy pilot about a man who starts a religion from his back porch.... Also per the Reporter, Lifetime is embracing more reality with Matt Titus: Matchmaker and It's My Party (aka My Super Sweet 16 for super-affluent adults).

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Grey's Goes Green, and More Casting Quickies

Seth Green (Austin Powers) will be admitted to Seattle Grace for a two-episode Grey's Anatomy arc, says the Hollywood Reporter. "Maybe they'll call me McSicky?" Green quips. And I laugh... Boston Legal alumna Monica Potter has joined the TNT drama pilot Truth in Advertising, playing a divorced, award-winning copywriter.... Hayes MacArthur, currently in theaters with The Game Plan, is set to write and star in a family comedy for NBC.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Grey's Goes Green, and More Casting Quickies

Clooney and DiCaprio Head North, More Movie News

George Clooney is in talks to direct Leonardo DiCaprio in Farragut North, an adaptation of an upcoming Broadway play loosely based on Howard Dean's 2004! Presidential! Election! Campaign!.... Also per Variety, Tobe Hooper will direct a feature film take on Stephen King's From a Buick 8 (shop Amazon).... Will Smith is a global media mogul in Empire, a drama to be helmed by Michael Mann.... Director Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket) will take Will Ferrell to the Land of the Lost, Sleestaks and all, in the big-screen redo of the children's TV series, says Reuters.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Clooney and DiCaprio Head North, More Movie News

Indiana 4 Is What Film Fans Jones for the Most

Geriatric whip-snapper aside, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the 2008 release you simply cannot wait for, says MovieTickets.com's survey of 2,000-plus moviegoers. Indy 4, slated for a May bow, is followed on the list by The Dark Knight (aka Batman Begins 2), National Treasure: Book of Secrets ("Really?" ask Seth and Amy), American Gangster and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.Rounding out the most-anticipated top 10 are Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Will Smith's I Am Legend, Steve Carell's Get Smart, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Tom Hanks' Charlie Wilson's War.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Indiana 4 Is What Film Fans Jones for the Most

Bret Michaels Gives VH1 More Love

Perhaps because Jes, the Chicago barmaid he chose, admitted on the reunion show that she can't handle his rocker lifestyle, Bret Michaels will look for another soul mate in Rock of Love 2, the New York Post reports, noting that a casting call for eligible ladies surfaced Wednesday on MySpace. A premiere date for the second season was not specified, though the MySpace blurb indicates that taping will start ASAP.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Miley Cyrus: I'm Not Worth a $2,000 Scalped Ticket!

Appearing on Thursday's Ellen DeGeneres Show, Billy Ray Cyrus deems it "sad" that scalpers gobbled up so many tickets to his daughter's concert tour, thus depleting the supply and escalating the asking price. But Miley Cyrus isn't one to sit by and let thieves jilt her fans. Rather, the Hannah Montana star is doing whatever she can to get more room added at each venue, thus making more seats available. "It's going to be a good show, but I don't think it's worth what it's going for," Miley tells Ellen. "[But] for the people that do get to come, I'm going to make it the best show ever." And ideally have concertgoers home by bedtime.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Miley Cyrus: I'm Not Worth a $2,000 Scalped Ticket!

Super Heroes Deal Lands Show on G4

Cable's G4 and its HD counterpart, Mojo, have claimed dibs on Heroes repeats, including same-week encores starting later this month. As part of the deal, says Variety, G4 will produce a live half-hour "wrap show" to air immediately after its Saturday night rebroadcast. G4 also claims exclusive cable rights to stream the NBC hit on its website and offer video-on-demand Heroes starting in 2010.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Bachelor's Iraq Stint Begets Breakup, More Love Notes

"Officer and a Gentleman" Bachelor Andy Baldwin is being deployed to Iraq for six to 12 months, thus cementing the end of his already long-distance romance with chosen one Tessa Horst, says Us.... Rob & Big's Chris "Big Black" Boykin is a dad-to-be: He has a daughter due Feb. 15, he tells People.... "Yes, J.Lo Is Pregnant!" trumpets the new cover of Us (citing multiple sources).... Pamela Anderson was a pregnant bride this past weekend, or at least so alleges the (unnamed here) tabloid, which recently bought up all the pics of a flat-stomached Angelina to "preserve" its umpteenth "Pregnant Again?" cover.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Bachelor's Iraq Stint Begets Breakup, More Love Notes

Housewives Exit, Star Trek and Other Short Cuts

Original cast member Jo De La Rosa, who was last seen moving out of the community to seek a singing career, is in fact MIA from The Real Housewives of Orange County when the Bravo series launches Season 3 on Nov. 6. Joining the show is housewife Tamra Barney.... The original Star Trek's "The Menagerie" episode, Parts 1 and 2, will be shown in select theaters nationwide on Nov. 13. For deets, go to FathomEvents.com.... DVD releases have been set for BET's American Gangster: The Complete First Season (Oct. 23) and The Simple Life Goes to Camp (Jan. 22, 2008, aka still too soon).... CBS.com has launched the interactive Web series How to Survive a Horror Movie: All the Skills to Dodge the Kills. Sample topics: "How to Tell if You Have Been Dead Since the Beginning of the Movie" and "Seven Things to Never, Ever, Ever Put in a Child's Room." Fun!

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Housewives Exit, Star Trek and Other Short Cuts

Bionic Woman, Chuck Get NBC's Thumbs-up

NBC has issued a vote of confidence to all four of its freshman series by ordering three more scripts for the buzzworthy Chuck and Bionic Woman as well as the less-warmly received Life and Journeyman, Variety reports.Typically, though never guaranteed, additional-script requests are seen as a precursor to a full-season nod. But realistically, who could say no to Yvonne Strahovski?!

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

CBS Is Sweet on Cane; CW Embraces Aliens

Just as NBC has shown some love to four of its new series, CBS has ordered four more scripts for Cane, even though the Jimmy Smits serial (like the Peacock's Life and Journeyman) has had trouble mustering an eye-opening audience.Meanwhile, the CW  which was the first network to give a full-season order to a new show (Gossip Girl)  has ordered three more scripts for Aliens in America. Thank Allah!

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

CBS Is Sweet on Cane; CW Embraces Aliens

Dancing Star Accused of "Violating" Iraq Film

Billionaire Mark Cuban, who somewhat inexplicably has endured Dancing with the Stars' first cuts, is simultaneously involved in some fancy legal footwork. At a Monday panel discussion about the Iraq War film Redacted, director Brian De Palma accused Cuban, who financed the pic, of obscuring a montage of wounded GIs because "he was disturbed by [them].... I felt my cut was violated." The New York Daily News says fellow panelist and film distributor Eamonn Bowles defended Cuban by blaming the edit on "an untenable legal situation," to which De Palma snapped, "It's a specious legal issue.... [M]y picture was redacted."Cuban did not answer the News' calls, but Bowles chalks it all up to a "misunderstanding" about photo rights.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Dancing Star Accused of "Violating" Iraq Film

Madonna Could Get into a $120 Million Groove

Madonna is thisclose to ending a 25-year relationship with her vaguely British accent Warner Bros. and instead taking her material self to concert promoter Live Nation, where a 10-year, $120 million deal awaits her. The Wall Street Journal says Madge would get $17.5 mil up front, a $50 mil advance against three albums, and another $50 mil for the right to promote her tours (in trade for 10 percent of the gross). Analysts say Live Nation would need to sell 15 million copies of each of the three new albums to recoup that end of the deal. Mind you, my sometime subber Ben Katner is good for at least half of those CD sales.

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Madonna Could Get into a $120 Million Groove

Britney Fights for Expanded Visitation; Plus, CD Forced into Early Release

Britney Spears' lawyer on Wednesday filed a motion seeking expanded visitation with her kids, a move that was promptly critiqued by Team Federline as premature, seeing as the original custody shift is barely a week old. "I don't see any emergency or any new facts [in the case]," K-Fed's lawyer tells the AP. "We are going to oppose this." Meanwhile, some better-ish news for Spears: As unauthorized (and in some cases incomplete) samplings of her new stylings surface on the Internet, the producers of Brit's new album, Blackout, have fast-tracked it for an Oct. 30 release. Explaining the decision to not street the disc on my sons' birthday (Nov. 13), a Jive rep says, "[T]he label is doing everything possible to prevent and avoid any further illegal distribution of songs."Think it's relevant that K-Fed has a Kazaa account and a lot of free time on his hands?Updated: Britney Makes "Respectful" Court Appearance, Is Granted Overnight VisitsTV Guide Network premieres the special Britney &#3...

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

Britney Fights for Expanded Visitation; Plus, CD Forced into Early Release

Angel Charlize Is the Sexiest, Essays Esquire

Following in the footsteps of Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie and Jessica Biel, Academy Award winner Charlize Theron now also boasts the honor of being named Esquire magazine's annual "Sexiest Woman Alive." In the accompanying interview, Theron rips into 2000's Reindeer Games, calling it a "bad, bad" movie. Yeah, but it was so bad it was almost good! (And why is Aeon Flux meanwhile spared the rod?) The Esquire featuring Theron hits newsstands Oct. 16.

Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Angel Charlize Is the Sexiest, Essays Esquire

Regis and Kelly Plan 3-D Halloween Spooktacular

"Pipa, it's like we're right... in people's... living rooms!" That's what you can expect on Oct. 31, when ABC's Live with Regis and Kelly takes itself into a new, third dimension. By donning 3-D glasses (to be made available via Walgreens photo departments), viewers of the daytime talker will virtually be able to reach out and touch Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa's annual getups. Just don't get too touchy-feely, guys, or  and trust me on this  Mark Consuelos will take you down.

Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Regis and Kelly Plan 3-D Halloween Spooktacular

Kate Walsh, Nip/Tuck and Other Random Thoughts

 I have almost no problem with Kate Walsh's meteoric rise to superstardom, but could Cadillac run those ads just a few dozen fewer times during the average prime-time hour? (Meanwhile, talk about rolling the dice on a celebrity spokesperson! Imagine if Private Practice tanked?) An ad campaign I do love is for the new season of Nip/Tuck. So good are the spots that they make me stop the ad-skip during Damages! I'm so going to get into N/T this season. First it was GMA's Diane Sawyer who coyly dodged the elephant in the room, and then it was Dave Letterman (no, not Dave!). I would love to hear precisely how Jennifer Lopez's apparently very powerful peeps are strong-arming interviewers into not pointedly asking about her "rumored" pregnancy (with twins, at that). I can only understand it if J.Lo is some fantastically superstitious individual who truly, honestly believes that 'fessing up too soon in the game will jeopardize Junior. But look at her — how too soon c...

Wed, Oct 10, 2007

In the Works: Fox 'Toons into More Animated Series

According to the Reporter, Fox is developing three new dysfunctional-family-based animated series for the 2008-09 season: The Pitts, based on a short-lived live-action comedy and from The Simpsons' Mike Scully; Relative Insanity, exec-produced by Jack Black; and Mothballs, from the creators of Drawn Together.... Per Variety, Greg Malins (Friends) has a pilot commitment from ABC for The 16th Minute, a comedy in which five people who have had separate brushes with fame become... friends.... Charles S. Dutton has inked a deal to act in and direct projects for HBO.... FX has greenlit Forever Sam Crow, a drama pilot from The Shield's Kurt Sutter and concerning biker gangs in SoCal.

Wed, Oct 10, 2007