matt.mitovich

Miss'd Off: Rob Thomas Exits ABC Comedy

Rob Thomas has ankled his position as show-runner/executive producer for Miss/Guided  ABC's new comedy starring Judy Greer as a guidance counselor at her high-school alma mater  due to creative differences, sources tell the Hollywood Reporter. Thomas upped with the show upon the definitive cancellation of his Veronica Mars, but when the direction veered toward making M/G a broader sitcom, he bid it adieu and segued into a development deal with ABC Studios. Replacing Thomas is writer-producer Mark Hudis, who has a certain something in common with M/G exec producer Ashton Kutcher. No, not trucker hats: That '70s Show.

Thu, Jul 26, 2007

Close Encounters of the Hi-def Kind, More DVD News

For the first time, Steven Spielberg (On the Lot) is packaging all three versions of Close Encounters of the Third Kind  the 1977 theatrical cut, the '80 special edition and the '98 director's cut  for home video, delivering the triple play on both DVD and hi-def Blu-ray disc Nov. 13, just days before the film's 30th anniversary.... Sandra Bullock's Premonition topped last week's DVD sales and rental charts.... House: Season 3 arrives on DVD Aug. 21, while 30 Rock's freshman foray streets Sept. 4.

Thu, Jul 26, 2007

Close Encounters of the Hi-def Kind, More DVD News

Jessica Alba Deems Beau Less Than Fantastic

The 28-year-old dude recently named Luckiest Bastard of 2007 by Spike TV is now the unluckiest lunk alive. Jessica Alba last week called it quits with her beau of two and a half years, Cash Warren  and over the phone, no less, says Us. "It happened... almost out of nowhere. [Cash] thinks it's [because of] another guy, but doesn't know," a source tells the glossy. "He's totally devastated." As he should be.In other love notes, a spokesperson for Brad Pitt tells Us that a Brangelina breakup story being spun by two of the more fantastical tabs is bogus: "They are on vacation, and all is well." And thus, so are we.

Thu, Jul 26, 2007

Jessica Alba Deems Beau Less Than Fantastic

Ted Koppel, Ocean's Thirteen and More Short Cuts

Ted Koppel will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the 28th Annual News & Documentary Emmys.... The one that isn't Ebert, Richard Roeper, is hosting Starz Inside, a monthly Starz series covering a variety of cinematic topics. The show debuts Sept. 24.... USA Network has nabbed rights to Ocean's Thirteen, License to Wed and Blood Diamond.... Fox and MySpace are teaming with the Producers Guild on The Storyteller Challenge, an online competition in which the best five- to seven-minute TV-pilot presentations win $25,000. Look for a September launch.

Thu, Jul 26, 2007

Ted Koppel, Ocean's Thirteen and More Short Cuts

As View Announcement Nears, Buzz Cries, "Whoopi!"

As previously scooped by the TV Guide News Report, The View is expected to announce its new cohost by Aug. 2, a timetable confirmed by both Gotham tabs this Thursday morning. While the New York Daily News calls Whoopi Goldberg a shoo-in to join the talker, the Post's Page Six posits that a triad of Whoopi, Kathy Griffin and Sherri Shepherd might rotate in and out of the pair of chairs vacated by Star Jones and Rosie O'Donnell. So TVGuide.com can have posts appearing double but two ladies can't share one seat cushion?

Thu, Jul 26, 2007

As View Announcement Nears, Buzz Cries, "Whoopi!"

Traveler Boss Lets "Fourth Branch" Mystery Linger

Traveler creator David DiGilio has opted to hold his cards close to the vest  for now, at least  rather than explain what the Fourth Branch is and answer any other questions raised by last week's season/series finale. "For those who were upset by the cliff-hanger... all I can tell you is that we certainly did not expect it to be a series finale," DiGilio says in his TVGuide.com celebrity blog. "[It]was part of the construction of the series, which is meant to pose one large question each season. The first season asked, 'Who is Will Traveler?' and the second asks, 'What is the Fourth Branch?' As promised, I will eventually answer this question and explain all other hanging chads." The operative word being eventually. "I am going to heed the advice of fans and friends who have asked that I hold off on doing this until I know the final result of the 'save the show' efforts," says DiGilio. "[Y]our devotion has been noticed at ABC. So, I will wait and see how this plays out."...

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

Traveler Boss Lets "Fourth Branch" Mystery Linger

ABC Kicks Off New Season with Dancing Stars

ABC's fall season leads off with no less than five and a half hours of reality TV, courtesy of Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor. Uitlmately, some scripted stuff will make its way onto the screen. UPDATE: Boston Legal's premiere will be announced "soon," an ABC source assures me. Here is the premiere plan:Monday, Sept. 248 pm/ET: Dancing with the Stars (90-minute premiere)9:30 pm: The Bachelor (90-minute premiere)Tuesday, Sept. 25 8 pm: DWTS (90-minute performance show)Wednesday, Sept. 268 pm: DWTS (results show)9 pm: Private Practice10 pm: Dirty Sexy MoneyThursday, Sept. 278 pm: Ugly Betty9 pm: Grey's Anatomy10 pm: Big ShotsSunday, Sept. 307 pm: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (two-hour premiere)9 pm: Desperate Housewives10 pm: Brothers & SistersTuesday, Oct. 28 pm: Cavemen 8:30 pm: Carpoolers9 pm: DWTS (results show; regular time period)Wednesday, Oct. 38 pm: Pushing Daisies (woohoo!)Sunday, Oct. 77 pm: That home-videos showFriday, Oct. 128 pm: 20/209 pm: Women's Murder C...

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

ABC Kicks Off New Season with Dancing Stars

Disturbia Duo Tackle Comic-book, More Movie News

Disturbia's director and writer, D.J. Caruso and Carl Ellsworth, are reteaming for an adaptation of Y: The Last Man, the Vertigo comic book about an escape artist who is the sole male survivor of a plague.... Also per the Reporter, Warner Bros. Pictures is bringing DC Comics' Jonah Hex to the big screen.... Disney has set Brian Robbins (Norbit) to helm Jailhouse Rock, based on the true story of an American Idol-like singing contest held in Arizona's Tent City jail.... Jim Carrey has said yep to Yes Man, a comedy based on the memoir by Brit author Danny Wallace.... Joel Schumacher is in talks to direct a remake of Breaking News, a Hong Kong action flick that premiered at Cannes in 2004.

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

Disturbia Duo Tackle Comic-book, More Movie News

Boston Legal, New HD TiVo and More Short Cuts

Saffron Burrows has been bumped up to series-regular status on Boston Legal, where this season she will make her debut as Lorraine Weller, a sexy 'n' sophisticated litigator who once had a torrid affair with Alan Shore, says the Reporter.... TiVo has unveiled a new hi-def box that will retail for $299 — many Benjamins less than its original HD-DVR was fetching.... Fox has announced six weeks of Friday-night movies, kicking off July 27 with Austin Powers in Goldmember, followed by The Forgotten, School of Rock, The Animal, 13 Going on 30 and Hollywood Homicide.

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

Boston Legal, New HD TiVo and More Short Cuts

Minds' Moore to Sport Alcohol-monitoring Bracelet?

Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore has been sentenced to 36 months' probation and 80 hours of community service as part of a plea deal stemming from his June 1 arrest for speeding while under the influence of alcohol. Though the DUI charges were dropped after Moore pleaded no contest to the speeding rap, he has agreed to DUI-related conditions, says the AP, including not driving with alcohol in his system (what a concept!) and possibly wearing an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet. Because we've all seen how well those work.

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

Minds' Moore to Sport Alcohol-monitoring Bracelet?

Lindsay Lohan Proclaims, "I Am Innocent," as Filmmakers Sour on Her Career

The evening after being arrested on DUI and cocaine-possession charges, Lindsay Lohan proclaimed, "I am innocent" in an e-mail to Access Hollywood. "I did not do drugs, they're not mine," she writes, referring to the coke found on her person at the time of the arrest. "I appreciate everyone giving me my privacy."OK.Filmmakers, meanwhile, are weighing in on how this latest scrape with the law will impact the starlet's already compromised career. James Robinson, the Georgia Rules producer who famously penned an open letter chastising LiLo for her on-set behavior, tells TV's Extra, "I truly am troubled that this young girl, who has spent her whole life being an actress, would be at this juncture... self-destructive. I hate to see her throw her life away." "The sad thing is at one point she had talent," an L.A.-based producer tells Variety. The exec points blame at "the people around her for not telling her the one thing she needs to hear: 'Go away! Go away for a year [to London or any ...

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

Lindsay Lohan Proclaims, "I Am Innocent," as Filmmakers Sour on Her Career

Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Ratings

TNT's Saving Grace debuted on Monday to 6.4 million total viewers, retaining 86 percent of The Closer's audience (7.3 mil) to become the most-watched basic cable series premiere of the year. The Holly Hunter-fronted drama beat the June 18 bow of time-slot predecessor Heartland, which drew 4.3 mil. And the best part? No naked Harvey Keitel bits.In other ratings news, Sunday's The Next Food Network Star finale served up 3.4 mil, making it the most-watched telecast in the cabler's history. All told, Season 3 was up 38 percent from last season.... David Beckham's debut with the L.A. Galaxy gave ESPN its best-ever numbers for a Major League Soccer contest (1.5 mil viewers).Related: Rating the Beckhams' Ratings

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

Mary-Louise Parker Goes Bud-naked for Weeds Promo

Did you see the nude centerfold of Mary-Louise Parker? Oh, that's right  you don't work for TV Guide; I do. A press kit for Showtime's upcoming double-bill of Weeds and Californication features on its cover M-LP and David Duchovny making like Adam and Eve, accompanied by a snake, an apple and some tagline about "temptation." Open the Weeds brochure's foldout and Parker is shown with back turned to the camera and wearing nothing but the aforementioned slitherer and a marijuana sprig in her hair, her trunk in full view. "Yep, that's really her," confirms a Showtime rep. Adds series creator Jenji Kohan, "Her ass looks good!" Gee, ya think?Duchovny in the Californication kit? Not naked.

Wed, Jul 25, 2007

Mary-Louise Parker Goes Bud-naked for Weeds Promo

Britney Spears Is Not OK, OK! Will Show

After much deliberation, OK! Magazine has decided to use observations from its "disastrous" photo shoot with Britney Spears to illustrate just how far off the straight and narrow the beleaguered pop tart still is, even after a rendezvous with rehab. During the shoot, sources tell TMZ, Spears experienced "nothing less than a meltdown" and appeared "completely out of it," ultimately producing photos that could "kill her career" if published. Spears reportedly trashed severl big-bucks pieces of wardrobe, including a Chanel dress which she let her dog, um, use as a hydrant. After weighing the pro of protecting what's left of Brit's rep with the con of being some sort of enabler, the tab opted to forego the planned (presumably puff-piece) profile and go public with the eye-opening pics.In a statement, OK!'s editor-in-chief says, "[We] spent a heartbreaking day with Britney Spears and witnessed firsthand an emotional cry for help that will leave you shocked and sad. [In our next issue] th...

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Heroes Baddie Is Logical Choice to Play Spock

So, Sulu is on Heroes and Sylar is off on a Star Trek? Is that how it's going to be? Zachary Quinto, aka the hit NBC drama's sinewy supervillain, has been tapped to slap some latex triangles on his ears and portray a young Spock in Lost boss J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek feature film, sources confirm. Presented with the casting buzz, Heroes creator Tim Kring told TVGuide.com that he would be "thrilled" to see Quinto get his Vulcan on.Officially, a rep for Abrams' Bad Robot shingle has yet to comment on the casting, though we hear it will be announced this week at (where else) the San Diego Comic-Con.Related: Heroes Scoop: Cheerleader Exits, D.L. MIA and More, TV Guide's exclusive peek into Farscape's future

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Heroes Baddie Is Logical Choice to Play Spock

Stop the Presses! Sesame Street's Elmo Isn't Jewish?!

Ben Stiller (voicing an elf named... Stiller) and The Sopranos' Tony Sirico and Steve Schirripa (as a wannabe Bert and Ernie) are but a few of the stars who will help out with Elmo's Christmas Countdown, a one-hour holiday special coming to ABC. Per the Hollywood Reporter, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Ty Pennington, Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow and Brad Paisley are also set to appear as themselves to perform in musical numbers, while Big Bird, Grover, Oscar, Snuffie and the Count will be representin' for the "I've got someone's hand inside me" set.

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Stop the Presses! Sesame Street's Elmo Isn't Jewish?!

HBO's Love Is Big. Like, Three-seasons Big

HBO has ordered a third 12-episode season of Big Love  and this, just a few weeks into the series' sophomore run. Though the polygamy-pimping drama has seen its audience wane since moving to Mondays, the inclusion of DVR viewership, Variety notes, puts its weekly sampling at around six million. Big Love is also HBO's second-highest-rated original series among women.On the scheduling front, the final two episodes of Big Love's Season 2 will first air on Sundays  Aug. 19 and 26, at 9 pm/ET  and the encore the following Monday night.

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

HBO's Love Is Big. Like, Three-seasons Big

Man vs. Wild Accused of Being Tamer Than It Lets On

Discovery Channel is looking into claims that Man vs. Wild doesn't rough it as much as viewers are led to believe. "Discovery Communications has learned that isolated elements of Man vs. Wild in some episodes were not natural to the environment and that for health and safety concerns the crew and host received some survival assistance," the cabler says in a statement cited by the Reporter.An investigation by the U.K.'s Channel 4 found that Man vs. Wild host Bear Grylls retreated to a hotel room on at least two occasions when it was purported that he slept "in the wild." (To be fair, the lodging in question was a Motel 6, so... tomato, tom-ah-to.) Discovery maintains that "moving forward, the program will be 100-percent transparent, and all elements... will be explained to our viewers."

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Man vs. Wild Accused of Being Tamer Than It Lets On

Save the Dates: A Better Mess, A New Laguna, More

Wednesday, July 25, 10:30 pm/ETBET debuts We Got to Do Better, which was formerly known as Hot Ghetto Mess but retitled "to highlight the show's real intent, which is to offer social commentary in a context that sparks dialogue, debate and, most importantly, change."August 8, 10 pmMTV launches Real World: Sydney: "Jealousy creates intense conflict, tension blossoms into romance, and unresolved issues from a cast member's past explodes, leaving tender relationships in tatters." All that and barbecued shrimp.August 13, 10 pmABC Family introduces Slacker Cats, the cabler's first foray into animation. The "outrageous and decidedly grown-up" half-hour comedy tails two freeloading felines and features such voices as Alex Borstein, Kiersten Warren, Nicole Sullivan and Sinbad.August 15, 10:30 pmMTV premieres Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County, a Laguna Beach successor that promises "a new circle of friends as they discover first loves, face new rivalries and suffer new heartbreaks." But...

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Lindsay Lohan, Busted for New DUI, Returns to Rehab; Dad Hopes for Rebound

I could have told you that the "alcohol-monitoring bracelet" was merely two old garage-door remotes held together with a strip of Velcro. Lindsay Lohan was pulled over in Santa Monica, California, early Tuesday morning after being spied chasing the Escalade of her former assistant  who had just resigned  with her Denali, TMZ.com reports. Lohan was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence (her blood alcohol level tested around .12), possession of cocaine, transporting a narcotic into a custodial facility (i.e., carrying coke into the police station) and driving on a suspended license. This marks LiLo's second DUI bust in three months  but only her first after really, really making a go of it for six weeks in rehab.Lohan, released on $25,000 bail, was to drop by Tuesday evening's The Tonight Show to promote her stripper thriller I Know Who Killed Me, but an NBC rep confirms for TVGuide.com, "Lindsay is no longer scheduled to appear on tonight's show." No...

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Lindsay Lohan, Busted for New DUI, Returns to Rehab; Dad Hopes for Rebound

NBC Sued for $105 Mil over Predator Suicide

The sister of Louis William Conradt, a former U.S. state prosecutor who shot himself upon being approached by policemen doing Dateline: To Catch a Predator's bidding, has sued NBC Universal for $105 million, claiming that producers leaned on cops to target Conradt, and that said lawmen possessed "neither a search warrant nor an arrest warrant" meeting legal standards.As camera-toting officers arrived at Conradt's home last November, "He told them, 'I'm not going to hurt anyone,' and shot himself," reads the lawsuit. "Then a police officer said to a Dateline producer, 'That'll make good TV.' Death was an hour later."NBCU has yet to receive the lawsuit but says in a statement to Reuters, "We believe the claims... to be completely without merit."

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Pirate Shipped Off to CBS.com

CBS has pulled Mark Burnett's Pirate Master from its broadcast lineup effective immediately, replacing it for the time being with installments of 48 Hours Mystery. The final five unaired episodes of the reality competition will be streamed at CBS.com and the CBS Audience Network (whatever that is), with new installments posted every Tuesday.That's two newbies  Pirate Master and On the Lot  that have come and flailed this summer. Is the reality-competition genre dying? Should the nets simply stick with the tried-and-true Survivors, Idols and Dancing shows? Discuss.

Tue, Jul 24, 2007