matt.mitovich

In the Works: Mark Burnett Has Amne$ia, and More

Reality guru Mark Burnett has sold to NBC a midseason show called Amne$ia, in which contestants are quizzed on key events from their lives, TV Week reports. For example: "Do you remember producing a show called On the Lot?".... The Hollywood Reporter reports that ABC Family has greenlit a pair of comedy pilots: Happy Campers, chronicling a family's cross-country road trip, and Roomies, about a group of friends living together. (Apparently the title Friends was taken.).... CBS has inked a two-year, seven-figure deal with Hugh Jackman's production company, which will develop a variety of projects, from scripted comedies and dramas to reality skeins. Related: Backstage Shake-up at Viva Laughlin

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

In the Works: Mark Burnett Has Amne$ia, and More

Pushing Daisies Comes to Life, More ABC Debuts

The new ABC series Pushing Daisies will get an advance screening at this year's New York Television Festival on Sept. 6, at the New World Stages in midtown Manhattan. The sneak peek will be followed by a reception with the show's cast and creators. (To order tickets, visit NYTVF.com and click on "Box Office.") Otherwise, catch Pushing Daisies on ABC Oct. 3, at 8 pm/ET.Speaking of ABC, premiere dates have been set for the TV-movie adaptations of Mitch Albom's For One More Day (Dec. 9) and A Raisin in the Sun (Feb. 25, 2008, aka the day after the Oscars).

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Pushing Daisies Comes to Life, More ABC Debuts

Superbad Does Very Good at the Box Office

Superbad handily topped the weekend box office with a $31.2 million haul, and bested producer Judd Apatow's previous feature, Knocked Up, by a half mil.Rounding out the top five were Rush Hour 3 ($21.8 million), The Bourne Ultimatum ($19 mil), The Simpsons Movie ($6.7 mil) and The Invasion (opening with $6 mil). Overall, the weekend was up 21 percent from a year ago, when Snakes on a Plane was No. 1 with a measssssly $15 mil.

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Superbad Does Very Good at the Box Office

Kidman Joins One Fiennes Nazi Drama, More Film News

Nicole Kidman is joining Ralph Fiennes in The Reader, based on Bernhard Schlink's best-seller about a female defendant in a Nazi war-crimes trial.... Also per the Reporter, American Pie shtupper Jason Biggs is the best (and betrayed) bud of Bachelor No. 2 (aka Dane Cook), while The Class' Lizzy Caplan is Kate Hudson's No. 1 gal pal.... Per Variety, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston are the married owners of an incorrigible Labrador retriever in Marley & Me.... Senator Patrick Leahy plays "a distinguished gentleman" in a scene with Batman, the Joker and Alfred in The Dark Knight, says the AP.

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Kidman Joins One Fiennes Nazi Drama, More Film News

CSI Asks Sexy Newcomer to Analyze This

Twentysomething Jessica Lucas, whose credits include TV's Life As We Know It and such big-screen fare as She's the Man, The Covenant and J.J. Abrams' mystery monster movie, has been cast on CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in the recurring role of "a vivacious analyst," says the Hollywood Reporter. The new character, which was first reported on by Ausiello, is said to be a new addition to Grissom's team, and not a replacement per se for Jorja Fox's perhaps-ill-fated Sara.

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Chuck, Other NBC Newbies Sneak Peek on VOD

In an arrangement touted as "unprecedented in terms of its scope and participation," all four of NBC's freshman series  Chuck, Bionic Woman, Journeyman and Life  are being made available early, starting Sept. 10, as free video-on-demand offerings via Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter and other major cable operators, Variety reports. The cablers' VOD services will also make available the Peacock's 30-minute fall-preview special, a two-minute trailer for Heroes, exclusive scenes from The Office and 30 Rock, as well as other featurettes. Dish Network is also making the four premieres available, while DirecTV is said to be offering a version of the NBC preview show.

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

I Dream of Jeannie, Dirt and More DVD Debuts

The DVD release date for I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season has been pushed back a week to Sept. 11. (The delay? Some nonsense about genies not being able to be photographed.) Meanwhile, DVD releases have been set for Face/Off: Special Collector's Edition (the only movie my wife has literally walked out on, Sept. 11), TNT's The Company miniseries (also available in Blu-ray, Oct. 23), The Batman: The Complete Fourth Season, Teen Titans: The Complete Fourth Season (Nov. 20), and Dirt: The Complete First Season (Dec. 11).

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Lindsay Lohan to Put the Pop Back in "Pop Tart"?

With the film deals if not herself drying up, Lindsay Lohan may turn to her [Counting in head] fourth love  music  to keep herself busy. Sources tell the New York Daily News that LiLo has informed Universal Music execs that she is ready to make good on the third disc she owes them. (Her first two forays sold 1.6 million and a semi-respectable 600,000 copies, respectively.) Despite and perhaps because of her newfound notoriety, Lohan's label may welcome the overture. As one insider notes in the News, "She doesn't need a big band  you just give her some songs and session musicians  and god knows she has the name recognition."Related: Britney, Paris and Lindsay?! Celeb Apprentice Woos Unholy Trinity

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Lindsay Lohan to Put the Pop Back in "Pop Tart"?

Britney Spears' Rehab Stint Scrutinized by K-Fed

The latest and potentially most fruit-bearing subpoena served by Kevin Federline's lawyers in his brewing custody battle with ex-wife Britney Spears was served to the administrator of the Promises rehab center where Brit retreated to and supposedly got set straight following that whole head-shaving, umbrella-wielding meltdown. Though doctors and nurses who treated Spears are protected by doctor-patient confidentiality, it is believed that such insulation does not extend to the facility's manager.This represents the fourth subpoena issued by K-Fed's team, following the serving of Spears' former assistant Shannon Funk, bodyguard Daimon Shippen and cousin/confidante Alli Sims.O.J. shmojay. This is what live courtroom coverage was invented for.

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Britney Spears' Rehab Stint Scrutinized by K-Fed

Britney, Paris and Lindsay?! Celeb Apprentice Woos Unholy Trinity

The edition of The Apprentice that most of us had already written off could shape up to be must-see TV if Donald Trump can close deals with the tabloids' unholy trinity. The Hair tells the New York Post's Page Six, "We're negotiating right now" to have Britney Spears on the series' upcoming celebrity edition, and that Paris Hilton "wants to be on, and we're thinking about it, but I don't know if we're going to do it." And getting a call from the Donald this week will be Lindsay Lohan, whom he affectionately dubs "another [bleep]ing mess."Other names being floated around for the show include Carmen Electra (of course), Joan Rivers, Naomi Judd, George Foreman, Apprentice 1 villainess Omarosa, Kimora Lee Simmons, Pete Rose (who I hear is already taking action on the outcome), Danica Patrick, Tony Hawk and Jeff Gordon.

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Britney, Paris and Lindsay?! Celeb Apprentice Woos Unholy Trinity

Kristen Bell, Heroes, Multiple Episodes [Squee!]

UPDATED: Ausiello Q&As Kristen about Heroes, Lost and more!Lost's loss is the Heroes gang's gain. Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell has been cast in what is being pegged as a "key multi-episode arc" for the second season of Heroes. Per Variety, Bell will first appear in October as Elle, "a sexy, mysterious young lady who (Spoiler alert) has ties to the supposed death of Peter, H.R.G.'s past and Claire's future. Landing the in-demand actress "was not easy to pull off," Heroes creator Tim Kring tells the trade. "But since we're an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in (Bell's) schedule." Unreliable sources say Bell's Heroes alter ego has the power to utterly destroy a person with a witty retort.Related: Why Kristen Bell Won't Be Getting Lost

Mon, Aug 20, 2007

Kristen Bell, Heroes, Multiple Episodes [Squee!]

High School Musical 2 Earns A++ with Record Ratings

The Friday-night premiere of Disney Channel's High School Musical 2 was voted "TV-movie Most Likely to Dominate the Nielsens," drawing a whopping 17.2 million total viewers. For starters, that makes it the most-watched basic-cable telecast ever, topping ESPN's Sept 23, 2006 MNF outing.Oh but wait, there is more. HSM2 also garnered these superlatives: most-watched TV telecast with kids 6-11 most-watched entertainment telecast with tweens 9-14 TV's most-watched Friday telecast in five years basic cable's most-watched TV-movie ever in total viewers, and by a margin of 38 percent (besting the record held since January '01 by Crossfire Trail)Now step away from the computer and go fire it up once again on the TiVo for Billy and Susie.

Sat, Aug 18, 2007

High School Musical 2 Earns A++ with Record Ratings

Will Debra Messing Get Doll'd Up?

Someone hand me a walker, please, because Broadway is reviving something I saw the previous time around. [Old man's sigh] According to the New York Post, the Great White Way is welcoming back Guys and Dolls, with a spring 2008 opening in mind. The producers' dream cast, which sources say has a 50-50 chance of becoming reality: Debra Messing as Adelaide, John C. Reilly as Nathan, Patrick Wilson as Sky, and Anne Hathaway as sweet Sarah."I think of the dayyyyyys gone by...."

Sat, Aug 18, 2007

Scarlett Johansson's Triple-play, and More Movie News

Per the Reporter, Scarlett Johansson has joined the ensemble cast of He's Just Not That Into You (playing a pilates instructor who has an affair with a married man), will play a femme fatale in Frank Miller's adaptation of Will Eisner's The Spirit, and will don a crown as Mary Queen of Scots.... Chris Evans, Djimon Hounsou, Dakota Fanning and Camilla Belle are on board for the supernatural thriller Push.... Jamie Foxx is biopic'ing again, playing homeless musician Nathaniel Anthony Ayers in The Soloist.

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Isaiah Washington, Big Brother and More Short Cuts

TV Guide Network's TV Watercooler reports that Isaiah Washington will (again) discuss his Grey's Anatomy exit on Star Jones' new Court TV show when it premieres Monday at 3 pm/ET.... Starting Aug. 19, Big Brother 8 fans with Verizon's V CAST Mobile service can catch live feeds from the house.... Food Network has renewed Ingrid Hoffman's Simply Delicioso for a second, 13-episode season.... Sean Kingston, Keke Palmer, Chris Kattan and Tony Hawk are among the many stars on hand for the annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day event, broadcast Saturday at 2 pm/Et and Sunday at noon, on CBS.

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Isaiah Washington, Big Brother and More Short Cuts

The Closer Finale Is Fit for a Larry King

CNN talk king Larry King, as well as California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Court TV's Dominick Dunne and Rikki Klieman, will guest-star as themselves on Part 2 of The Closer's Season 3 finale, airing Sept. 10 on TNT. In the episode, Brenda Leigh is called to testify in a high-profile court case after an investigation goes not quite as smoothly as she would have liked. As the case gets under way, King (as host of Larry King Live) interviews Congresswoman Sanchez about the case at hand, while Dunne and Klieman offer legal commentary from the courthouse steps.

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

The Closer Finale Is Fit for a Larry King

Prison Break's Purcell Promises "Best Season Yet"

Prison Break's third season, which for a time seemed almost improbable in terms of storyline, promises to be "the best season thus far," Dominic Purcell tells TVGuide.com. "And I don't say that lightly. I've seen some cut-together stuff, and it's really impressive. When you see it, you'll understand what I'm saying."Picking up immediately after the finale, Season 3 has Michael in that squalid Panamanian prison and big bro Lincoln on the outside in hot pursuit of Sara and her other, nefarious pursuer. "It's kind of been described as Lincoln in his own private little spy story," says Purcell, who might also finally enjoy a little on-screen somethin'-somethin' with one of the two female characters being introduced this season. "And it's about time," he notes. "Lincoln needs to get laid."Look for my full Q&A with Purcell  including the scoop on a plot-twisting betrayal  on Sept. 4, when Prison Break: Season 2 arrives on DVD.

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Prison Break's Purcell Promises "Best Season Yet"

Entourage Parties On, New Conchords Flight Booked

Straight from HBO:HBO has renewed the hit comedy series Entourage for a fifth season and Flight of the Conchords for a second season, it was announced by Carolyn Strauss, President, HBO Entertainment. Currently debuting new episodes back-to-back on Sunday night, both series conclude their current season Sept. 2, and will return with new episodes in 2008."Entourage is a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, and Flight of the Conchords has quickly become a show to watch," said Strauss. "I'm delighted that we'll be bringing new seasons of these distinctive series to our subscribers."

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Entourage Parties On, New Conchords Flight Booked

CBS and LL Cool J Man Up for Midseason

CBS is said to be thisclose to granting a midseason, six-episode pickup to The Man, the Anthony Zuiker (CSI)-created series starring hip-hop artist LL Cool J as an undercover LAPD cop who juggles his job with his role as self-appointed guardian to an orphaned boy.If The Man does in fact get a green light, the pilot  which was passed on for this fall  will likely be rejiggered and reshot.

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Heroes' New Cheerleader Is a Real Bratz

As part of the previously reported on teen (yet non-cataclysmic) angst Claire will be contending with during Season 2, Heroes' world-saving cheerleader will face a new adversary in the form of May, the cheer-squad captain at the new school she has landed at. Per the Reporter, May will be played by Janel Parrish, who currently can be seen in the big-screen Bratz flop film, for which Parrish also wrote and recorded a song ("Rainy Day").Related: Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols Talks About Her Heroes Role; Heroes Cheerleader Returns to Teenage A! N! G! S! T!

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Kidman's Invasion a Dig at Tom Cruise-Scientology?

Gee, who first riffed on this, like, a full two years ago? Oh yeah  me. A roundup of "evidence" by the New York Daily News makes a compelling case for Nicole Kidman's Invasion being an allegory for her marriage to Tom Cruise and his devotion to Scientology. For example: Kidman plays an ambitious woman who went through a nasty divorce from a narcissistic man Said ex reenters Kidman's life surrounded by a humorless, robotic entourage Kidman's character prescribes mood-altering drugs (a Scientology no-no) Director Oliver Hirschbiegel hails from Germany, where Cruise's beliefs are summarily deridedKidman's rep dismisses the supposition of subtext as "so silly," yet based on our own Maitland's review of Invasion, the theory sounds far more entertaining than the actual film.

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Kidman's Invasion a Dig at Tom Cruise-Scientology?

Tracy Morgan: "I Want to Reach Out to Lindsay Lohan"

30 Rock star Tracy Morgan is reveling in his own post-DUI sobriety so much, he wants to share his new focus with fellow drinker-and-driver Lindsay Lohan. Following a Thursday sentencing for his Nov. 28 arrest, Morgan said he has been speaking to high-school kids about the dangers of DUI, and their reactions "helped me want to stop drinking," the Daily News quotes him as saying. "I feel great in my sobriety, and I want to reach out to young people like Lindsay Lohan and let them know there are people that care."Translated: LiLo's "comeback" will now be in the form of a 30 Rock guest gig.

Fri, Aug 17, 2007

Tracy Morgan: "I Want to Reach Out to Lindsay Lohan"