Archive: March 2009 (53-65 of 123)

Mar 19 2009 03:01 AM ET

UPDATED 'Burn Notice' shocker: Bloodgood's in, Esposito's out!

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Categories: Burn Notice

Espositomoon_lJust days after being cast as Jeffrey Donovan’s latest arch nemesis on Burn Notice, Jennifer Esposito has dropped out of the role for health reasons, the actress’ spokesperson confirms. Journeyman‘s Moon Bloodgood has stepped in to replace her.

No further details were available on the nature of Esposito’s illness. A Burn Notice insider, meanwhile, says the Samantha Who? co-star’s 11th hour exit was "a total bummer. Everyone was really excited to have her."   

Bloodgood assumes the role of Michelle Paxon, a Miami PD detective who becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth about Michael. The character makes her debut early into BN‘s third season, which started production last week.

Mar 18 2009 10:28 PM ET

'Smallville' exclusive: Mind-blowing sneak preview!

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Categories: Smallville

•    A peek at Lois Lane in full-tilt superhero mode as Stiletto
•    A preview of three upcoming episodes, including "Hex," and the much-anticipated "Eternal"
•    A first look at Chloe telling Clark, "Up, up, and away," before he leaps a tall building with a single bound
•    Awesome Doomsday/Chloe/Clark stuff

What does all this have in common? They’re highlights of a fraktacular new Smallville promo that will air immediately following tomorrow night’s episode. Of course, if you’d rather not wait until then you could always just watch the world premiere below. It’s up to you.

Mar 18 2009 09:38 PM ET

'Melrose Place' exclusive: Heather Locklear won't join reboot

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Categories: TV Biz

One person who won’t be moving back into Melrose Place? Heather Locklear. The actress — who played the key role of Amanda Woodward on the original series — has turned down an offer to join the cast of the CW’s update of the hit Fox serial, EW has learned. “There wasn’t a way to bring her back that made sense,” says a source close to the situation. While the network and studio won’t comment, her reps do confirm that Locklear has passed. It’s no secret that the CW was aggressively pursuing Locklear and will likely want to secure another star from the original show. The reboot, which is slated for the fall, has already cast Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, Jessica Lucas, Michael Rady, and Katie Cassidy.

Mar 18 2009 07:02 PM ET

Exclusive 'One Life to Live' footage of John-Paul Lavoisier and his new buzz cut

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Categories: Television

On the March 19 episode of One Life to Live, the show’s resident heartthrob, Rex Balsom (John-Paul Lavoisier), takes an electric razor to his golden locks in a show of support for his ailing son, Shane (Austin Williams), who’s recently been diagnosed with leukemia. Lavoisier, 29, who’s been on the ABC show for seven years, was more than willing to take on the challenge — even though he’s never cut his own hair and this is the shortest it’s ever been.

“It was a great way to sort of complete Rex as a well-rounded character with heart and soul. It’s a huge adult thing for him to have to face,” says Lavoisier, but he admits the story line has been tough for him. “I like playing Rex comedically, so having to play him sad everyday while filming this has been hard.”

Though the story line plays into the summer, they’re already starting to film the resolution, which involves Shane heading home but not without a few wrenches thrown in.

Take a look at the exclusive footage of Rex and his mom, Roxanne (Ilene Kristen) below.

Mar 18 2009 06:24 PM ET

Ratings: 'American Idol' wins Tuesday as St. Patrick's Day takes its toll on viewership

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Categories: American Idol, TV Biz, TV Ratings

Honestly, our favorite bit of trivia about Tuesday night’s TV ratings is the following, courtesy of an ABC press release cushioning soft numbers for Dancing With the Stars‘ first elimination night this season: "Due to the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, overall primetime TV usage levels were down notably among Adults 18-49 from the prior Tuesday (36.2 percent vs. 37.6 percent). In fact the 18-49 television usage level was the 3rd-lowest for any Tuesday this season, above of only the two weeks containing the Christmas and New Year’s holidays…." In other words, look for many shows’ final numbers to climb once those young intoxicated adults are sober enough to operate their TiVos. Looking at total viewers in our chart below, American Idol was down 16 percent from last Tuesday. CBS powerhouses NCIS and The Mentalist faced the dreaded Idol/DWTS double whammy — and took a hit. They both averaged over 15 million viewers Tuesday, but their last original episodes each averaged over 18 million.

 
   
   
      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

 

Time Show Viewers (in millions)
8 p.m. American Idol (Fox)
NCIS (CBS)
Dancing With the Stars recap (ABC)
The Biggest Loser: Couples (NBC)
Reaper (The CW)		 21.5
15.5
8.1
7.9
1.9
9 p.m. The Mentalist (CBS)
Dancing With the Stars results (ABC)
90210 (The CW)		 15.4
12.4
.8 (repeat)
10 p.m. Without a Trace (CBS)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Primetime: What Would You Do? (ABC)		 12.0
10.6
7.8

More TV news:
Michael Slezak recaps ‘American Idol’
Adam B. Vary is on the scene at last night’s ‘American Idol’
Annie Barrett recaps ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Carrie Ann Inaba blogs "DWTS,’ week 2 for EW.com
Jean Bentley recaps ‘The Biggest Loser: Couples’

Mar 17 2009 11:00 PM ET

Ratings: 'Dancing With the Stars' gets close to overtaking 'American Idol' in the weekly race

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Categories: American Idol, TV Biz, TV Ratings

Allisoniraheta_l
American Idol is on top of the weekly ratings yet again. For the seven days ending March 15, Fox’s megahit took the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, with 25.8 million viewers for the Tuesday competition episode and 25.5 million for the Wednesday results episode. Normally, the disparity between the competition and results shows is far greater, but musical performances from Kanye West and American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson on Wednesday night likely helped bump up that installment’s viewership.

That said, Idol may have finally found some serious ratings competition! ABC’s celebrity hoofing juggernaut Dancing With the Stars, which premiered to a very hefty 22.8 million viewers, closely nipped at the heels of Fox’s karaoke titan: It trailed Ryan Seacrest & Co. by just 2.7 million. Fox must be shaking at the prospect of DWTS overtaking Idol in the weekly ratings. We’re not quite there yet, but it is a very real possibility in the not-too-distant future. In fact, the season 8 premiere of DWTS was the most-watched debut ever for the series and the second-highest-rated in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. And there was this, too: DWTS‘ nearly 23 million viewers were the most drawn to ABC on a Monday night since May 2006. Guess what execs at ABC are probably doing right now? Maybe…dancing!

The rest of the Top 20 was business as usual. CBS’s CSI rolled in at No. 4 and ABC’s Desperate Housewives popped up next, with 14.6 million, to round out the Top 5. Then it was your usual menagerie of CBS procedurals, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, CBS’s Two and a Half Men and Survivor, Fox’s trio of dramas (24, Lie to Me, and House). And, NBC’s Law & Order: SVU (possibly buoyed by all the news about star Mariska Hargitay lately?) made a surprise appearance in the Top 20. Want to see exactly where the rest of the shows landed? The complete breakdown is after the jump.

addCredit(“M Becker/Getty Images”)

1. American Idol Tuesday | Fox | 25.8 million
2. American Idol Wednesday | Fox | 25.5 million
3. Dancing With the Stars | ABC | 22.8 million
4. CSI | CBS | 17.1 million
5. Desperate Housewives | ABC | 14.6 million
6. Criminal Minds | CBS | 14.3 million
    The Mentalist (R) | CBS | 14.3 million
8. CSI: Miami | CBS | 14.2 million
9. Grey’s Anatomy | ABC | 13.6 million
    CSI: NY | CBS | 13.6 million
11. NCIS (R) | CBS | 13.5 million
12. Two and a Half Men | CBS | 13.4 million
13. Cold Case | CBS | 13.0 million
14. 60 Minutes | CBS | 12.9 million
15. Survivor: Tocantins | CBS | 12.8 million
16. House | Fox | 12.4 million
17. Eleventh Hour | CBS | 11.6 million
18. 24 | Fox | 11.4 million
19. Lie to Me | Fox | 11.3 million
20. Law & Order: SVU | NBC | 11.1 million

More TV News:
Idolatry: Jorge and Jasmine speak!
‘Housewives’: Meet the new neighbor!
TV death chart: Who’s getting killed off?

READ FULL STORY »

Mar 17 2009 07:24 PM ET

Ratings: 'Dancing With the Stars' dominates Monday, as 'Gossip Girl' returns modestly

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Categories: Gossip Girl, Reality TV, TV Biz, TV Ratings

Coming off last week’s record premiere numbers, ABC’s Dancing With the Stars dipped slightly but still hit a huge 21.1 million viewers, according to preliminary overnight ratings. New series Castle held up well in its second week with 11.5 million eyes, nearly on par with its premiere outing of 11.6 million.

Meanwhile, the CW’s Gossip Girl returned after a six-week hiatus to 2.2 million viewers. That’s about the same audience size as there was for the show’s last original episode in early February, but Gossip Girl‘s ratings remain down in the new year. The competitive 8-9 p.m. hour, especially ABC’s Dancing With the Stars juggernaut and recently resurgent Bachelor, is a likely culprit for Gossip Girl‘s ratings slide.

 
   
   
      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

 

Time Show Viewers (in millions)
8pm Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
House (Fox)
Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Chuck (NBC)
Gossip Girl (The CW)		 21.1
12.8
9.8
4.0 (repeat)
2.2
8:30pm How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 9.2
9pm Two and a Half Men (CBS)
24 (Fox)
Heroes (NBC)
One Tree Hill (The CW)		 14.0
11.4
3.0 (repeat)
2.3
9:30pm Rules of Engagement (CBS) 11.4
10pm CSI: Miami (CBS)
Castle (ABC)
Medium (NBC)		 13.4
11.5
4.3 (repeat)
Mar 17 2009 05:45 PM ET

Scoop: 'Moonlight' vamp sinks teeth into new series

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Categories: Misc.

Alexoloughlin_lAlex O’Loughlin just can’t seem to get away from blood. As has been rumored, the star of CBS’ ill-fated Moonlight is thisclose to signing on to headline the pilot for Three Rivers, a new Eye show about organ transplants.

In Three Rivers, each story is told from the point of view of the doctor, the recipient and the donor. And with Carol Barbee (Jericho) writing the pilot and exec-producing alongside 8 Mile director Curtis Hanson and longtime collaborator Carol Fenelon, odds are pretty good that it won’t suck.

So what do you think, peeps? Are you happy with the project CBS found to keep the erstwhile vampire busy? (He’s already bound to the Eye through a development deal.) Or were you hoping for something with a little more… bite? Sound off below. (Additional reporting by Andy Patrick)

Mar 17 2009 04:33 PM ET

'Desperate Housewives' exclusive: Is this Nicollette Sheridan's replacement?

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Categories: Desperate Housewives

Desperatehousewives_l
The median age on Wisteria Lane is about to go through the roof.

Veteran character actress Gloria LeRoy is joining Desperate Housewives as a neighborhood fixture — presumably a longtime one — who we’ll first meet next month, right around the time Nicollette Sheridan takes her last breath as Edie.

But a Housewives insider insists the 77-year-old thesp, who’s probably best known for her scene-stealing work as Mildred “Boom-Boom” Turner on All in the Family, is not replacing Sheridan. Rather, my Wisterian mole teases, her character, Rose, “will figure into Edie’s exit in a surprising way” — one that involves an increasingly cuckoo Orson, a violent act, and a touch of dementia. And not necessarily in that order.

In other Housewives casting news, Sarah Knowlton (Medium, House) has been tapped to play a woman who may or may not be having an affair with Tom.

Mar 16 2009 08:18 PM ET

Ratings: 'Kings' debut is less than royal

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Categories: TV Ratings

The two-hour premiere of NBC’s critically acclaimed drama Kings (6 million viewers) did nothing to dethrone reigning Sunday ratings champs like ABC’s Desperate Housewives (14.4 million) and CBS’ The Amazing Race (10.4 million). Brothers & Sisters, meanwhile, continued its upward trajectory with 10.6 million viewers at 10 p.m.

Over the weekend, fans of Fox’s Friday sci-fi block got some good(ish) news, as Terminator ticked up 21 percent to 3.5 million viewers and Dollhouse crept up 19 percent to 4.3 million viewers. NBC kicked off the weekend with slightly higher numbers, too, for Howie Do It (4.3 million) and Friday Night Lights (4.4 million).

 
   
   
      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

   

      

      

      

   

 

Time Show Viewers (in millions)
7 p.m. 60 Minutes (CBS)
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
Dateline (NBC)
Hole in the Wall (Fox)
Jericho (The CW)		 12.6
7.5
4.3
2.1
.7 (repeat)
8 p.m. Amazing Race XIV (CBS)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
Kings (NBC)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Movie: Moonstruck (The CW)		 10.4
9.4
6.0
6.0
1.2
8:30 p.m. King of the Hill (Fox) 5.4
9 p.m. Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Cold Case (CBS)
Family Guy (Fox)		 14.4
12.9
7.2
9:30 p.m. American Dad (Fox) 5.8
10 p.m. The Unit (CBS)
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Celebrity Apprentice (NBC)		 10.9
10.6
6.7
Mar 16 2009 05:21 PM ET

TV death chart: Who's getting killed off?

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Categories: Misc.

Tvseasondeaths_l
Whether it’s because your favorite shows are trying to decrease their budgets or increase their buzz, they’re going to be bumping off characters in unprecedented numbers in the coming months. To prepare you for this surprise killing season, I’ve compiled a list that tells you everything you need to know about the noteworthy casualties to come… well, everything short of an actual ID, anyway. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Desperate Housewives
Number of deaths: 1 (at least)
Time frame: Spring
The scoop: The dearly departed has been with the show since the first season and has a reputation for being… eh, screw it, it’s Edie!

Chuck
Number of deaths: 1
Time frame: End of season
The scoop: It’ll be “shocking,” declares exec producer Josh Schwartz.

Ugly Betty
Number of deaths: 1
Time frame: End of season
The scoop: The obvious candidates are terminally ill Molly (Sarah Lafleur) or barely-visible Christina (the exiting Ashley Jensen). Which means it’s probably neither.

Law & Order: SVU
Number of deaths: 1
Time frame: Season finale
The scoop: It’s not Benson (Mariska Hargitay) or Stabler (Chris Meloni). Beyond that, no one’s safe.

24
Number of deaths: 2 (at least)
Time frame: End of season
The scoop: Um, it’s 24. It’d probably be easier if I told you how many people aren’t dying.

CSI: NY
Number of deaths: 1
Time frame: End of season
The scoop: A cop killer targets a member of the team and “forever changes” the show, teases exec producer Peter M. Lenkov.

Smallville
Number of deaths: 2
Time frame: Season finale
The scoop: One of the deceased is a long-running character. The other isn’t. One is a man. The other…

Heroes
Number of deaths: 3
Time frame: End of season
The scoop: Two of the deaths will stick. A third won’t.

House
Number of deaths: 1
Time frame: April or May
The scoop: Major character.

Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles
Number of deaths: 1 (at least)
Time frame: April or May
The scoop: Major male character.

Big Love
Number of deaths: 1
Time frame: March 20 season finale
The scoop: Major male character.

Supernatural
Number of deaths: 2
Time frame: One in April, another in May
The scoop: Both characters have close ties to Sam and Dean.

Lost
Number of deaths: 2 (at least)
Time frame: End of season
The scoop: One is major, the other major-ish.

Ghost Whisperer
Number of deaths: 1
Time frame: End of season
The scoop: The victim will be someone close to one of the main characters

Prison Break
Number of deaths: 2 (at least)
Time frame: End of season
The
scoop: As the series reaches its climax, Michael must choose whether to
save the love of his life (Sara) or his bro (Linc). Maybe he chooses
neither?

This is the time of the show when you guys take out your crystal
balls and ID the would-be victims. Come on, don’t be shy. Share your
fearless predictions below! And keep checking back for updates! I have a feeling this list is going to get a lot longer. (Additional reporting by Jeremy Medina and Aly Semigran)

More TV Scoop:
Will CBS cancel Cold Case and Without a Trace?
Mariska Hargitay sidelined from SVU
E.T. star heads to CSI

Mar 16 2009 01:14 AM ET

'Burn Notice' exclusive: Jennifer Esposito goes gunning for Michael

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Categories: Burn Notice

Jenniferespositosam_lDon’t panic. Samantha Who? hasn’t been canceled. But it has wrapped production for the season, which has freed Jennifer Esposito up to moonlight on cable’s hottest show.

Sources confirm to me exclusively that Esposito has booked a multi-episode arc on Burn Notice as Michael’s (Jeffrey Donovan) latest arch nemesis. Her character, Michelle Paxon, is a Miami PD detective who becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth about Michael.

Esposito will debut early into BN‘s third season, which started shooting last week and is scheduled to premiere in June.

Mar 14 2009 12:18 AM ET

Exclusive: Steve Martin helps Oregon high school seeking to perform his play

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Categories: Theater

Steve Martin: comedian, actor, playwright, novelist, and…first amendment activist? The multi-hyphenate may have to add this title to his job description now that he’s helping Oregon-based La Grande High School perform Picasso at the Lapin Agile after its school board canceled the production due to parents’ concerns over the play’s content. Martin, who wrote Picasso back in 1993, sent a letter to the La Grande Observer‘s editor, which was published in its paper Friday, describing his intent with the play and offering a proposal to the school’s director and his cast. “I will finance a non-profit, off-the-high-school campus production (low-budget, I hope!)…so that individuals outside the jurisdiction of the school board but within the guarantees of freedom of expression provided by the Constitution of the United States, can determine whether they will or will not see the play, even if they are under 18.”

According to the Observer‘s article on the decision, the school board’s superintendent canceled the show after a parent filed a complaint accompanied by a petition signed by 137 community members. The parents objected to the play’s bar locale and its sexual references. The play depicts an imaginary meeting between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein at the Lapin Agile bar in Montmartre, Paris. The comedy has been performed professionally all over the U.S. and in quite a few high schools and colleges, too. Said Martin in his letter, “I have heard that some in your community have characterized the play as ‘people drinking in bars, and treating women as sex objects.’ With apologies to William Shakespeare, this is like calling Hamlet a play about a castle.”

La Grande’s version of Picasso at the Lapin Agile will now be performed at the McKinsey Theater at Eastern Oregon University, May 16-18. Martin will not be able to attend. “His presence will be palpable even if he can’t come,” La Grande English teacher Kevin Cahill, the director of the play, tells EW. “We will leave a seat open to him in the middle of the front row.”

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